Shopping

With the first authentic rays of sun comes the need of all the residents of the city of Bucharest for a mouthful of air and…beer/s on a/several terrace/s! 

Ever since I discovered this, I look forward to the terraces opening for one place in particular which, in the cold season, is mainly reserved and visited for the gigs of both local and international bands. Some of the best performances I have ever seen were on the stage of this alternative club called Fabrica (The Factory).

Fabrica opened its terrace again last summer, with quite an impressive capacity, a colorful design, really good pizza (and so many other tempting and accessible soups, salads, main courses and desserts) you can serve until late in the night, generous 1-liter cocktails and some other benefits and facilities: bio cookies shop, climbing wall & accessories, skate park, kids’ playground etc. all of which, in fact, make it a true ”downtown resort”. 

Fabrica really looks like the product of an urban movement, but in an extremely friendly and playful way, as if it were shouting: make beauty out of ugliness, make fantasy out of the old and the rusty, add some RGB to this terribly depressing grey and regain control over your city and your personal lives! And in case this proves not to be enough of a statement for one night, you can add some music and dancing to it, just by paying a visit to one of ”the tenants” of Fabrica, the B52 Club next door.

I have been asked several times if I happen to know a place that sells macarons in Bucharest. Time has come for me to recommend not just a place that does that, but actually ”the” place.

Macarons are an extremely popular and exquisite dessert all over the world; they enchant your senses and cater for all tastes. Madame Lucie knows that perfectly well, so she has created, in her very special laboratory, this lovely place that always welcomes its customers with a selection of the finest desserts, from macarons to cupcakes, carrot cakes, cheesecakes, fruit tarts and the rest is up to you to discover.

Everything that comes out of Madame Lucie’s laboratory is made with great care, fresh ingredients only, no additives, according to an original recipe. You can serve your pick there, on the spot, or make your own selection to take home or to offer as a gift.

Since I am sure your imagination has already gone wild, I have one more thing to say to determine you to visit the Boutique asap. This is the perfect time to discover Madame Lucie because of the new macarons flavors, my favorite of which are: chocolate-violet, lime-basil and caramel-salty butter.

A friend told me one day over the phone, with great excitement (which seemed a bit out of the ordinary in that context) that a new bookstore was opened in Piata Romana. ”What kind of bookstore?” I asked, trying to understand my friend’s temporary inability to build a cohesive description of the place. The answer was: ”You’ll see, it’s so nice and different.”

So I went there that very day to understand what the excitement was all about and I eventually blamed my friend for not being able to convey any of those special things that make Bastilia what it is: a Librarium.

What is a Librarium? It is a universe of books, combined with drawings, inspirational messages, the perfect light, the nicest ” Librarium journey” assistants, history and a great view over Piata Romana and Magheru Boulevard.

The Librarium is hosted by one of the most beautiful old houses in Bucharest city center, with a 98-year history and it has a ground floor dedicated to fiction, a first floor dedicated to specialty books and a second floor (cloud no. 9) where you can enjoy a cup of tea or coffee and skim a book or a magazine of your choice.

Enjoy your journey! My friend and I sure did.

So, I am ”a” food lover. I admit. And Bacania Coco is, without any doubt, my favorite grocery shop. Each and every product inside has been carefully chosen to meet the demands of an experienced consumer, in search for healthy, high-quality alternatives. The shop offers a wide variety of products, most of which belong to small independent producers.

There is also a kitchen inside, in which amazing cakes, cookies, pies and quiches are made every day, early in the morning, according to original recipes.

Irrespective of the initial purpose of your visit, you will certainly end up going home with a bottle of wine, cider or a couple of beers, as well, to go with that meal of yours. They have an impressive selection of any of those mentioned above. And if you are planning a party and are eager to impress, you can place an order, a couple of days in advance, for any of the original products by Bacania Coco.

I will always remember every visit to Bacania Coco, not only because of all those choices I’ve made on the spur of the moment, which I absolutely loved, but also because through each and every detail that gives it shape and consistency, this place conveys passion, dedication and strong beliefs. And so do its owners, who will probably never forget that Wednesday in August, when they could finally say out loud, with so much joy and excitement: ”Welcome to Bacania Coco! Is there anything we can do for you?”.

There is a place in Bucharest where you can experience British home design and lifestyle at its best. And since I cannot imagine my dream house without a touch of British lifestyle in it, I am a big fan of the British Gallery.

This shop is called a gallery because it doesn’t follow the traditional way of exhibiting products. Instead, it is more of a reproduction of British lifestyle: a showroom in an actual house (a very beautiful home in fact), in which products are placed with great care and special attention to details, as if this were actually someone’s house and you, the customer, were a special guest of the family for the 5 o’clock tea.

The gallery also organizes regular Fashion Picnics, with Romanian designers and a selection of exquisite snacks and desserts.

So it’s all about British and Romanian design and lifestyle coming together on (fun fact!) Paris Street. That’s something, right?