Best Bars in Bucharest: Cheap, Cocktails, Local & Late
I’d choose **Fabrica de Bere Buna for Romanian beer**, **Caru’ cu Bere for the beer-hall setting**, and **Nomad Sky Bar or Linea Closer to the Moon for cocktails with a view**. These are different kinds of nights out. I wouldn’t send someone looking for a quiet beer to a rooftop just because it photographs well, or choose a sit-down restaurant when the group wants to move between bars. The detailed venue accounts available here are older, including a guide from 2019. They support a shortlist, not promises about tonight’s menu, opening hours or terrace access. I’d check those directly before setting out. ## Which bars in Bucharest are best for a cheap night? **I don’t have enough current menu evidence to name a cheapest bar.** A budget based on someone’s holiday several years ago is not much use at the table. For a beer-focused night, I’d compare the current menus at **Fabrica de Bere Buna on Calea Victoriei** and **Caru’ cu Bere in the pedestrian Old Town**. That is a comparison to make, not a claim that either is a budget bar. Fabrica de Bere Buna makes sense if you want to try Romanian beer. Caru’ cu Bere makes sense if you also care about the traditional beer-hall setting. Neither reason tells you what the bill will be. Before sitting down, I’d check: - The price and serving size of the drink I actually want. - Whether the menu I’ve found online is current. - Whether everyone in the group is comfortable with the prices. I’d leave a rooftop out of a strictly cheap night unless its current menu works for the group. A view is a reason to visit, not evidence of good value. ## Where would I go for cocktails? **Nomad Sky Bar and Linea Closer to the Moon are my supported cocktail picks**, though the available accounts say more about their settings than they establish a ranking of the drinks. The 2019 guide describes cocktails and beer at Nomad, with an upstairs indoor room and a small terrace above it. At Linea, it mentions several gin-and-tonic options and a cocktail called Cornucopia. I wouldn’t arrive expecting those older menu details to remain unchanged. I’d look at the current list and ask for something that suits my taste: dry, bitter, fruity or not too sweet. For a mixed group, I’d also check the alternatives before choosing. A cocktail list may settle the decision for one person, but it is worth making sure the beer drinker and the person not drinking alcohol have options they want. **Xclusive Pub** also appears in the 2019 account, which mentions a Long Island Iced Tea and Kamikaze and Cozonac shots. That is a narrower recommendation, based on one late-night visit. I’d check its current menu and operating hours rather than make it the centre of a cocktail evening on that evidence alone. ## Which places are best for Romanian beer? For Romanian craft beer, I’d start with **Fabrica de Bere Buna**. The guide places it on Calea Victoriei, with outdoor seating along a narrow sidewalk, and identifies it as owned by **Zaganu Brewery**. It describes beer flights and other Romanian brands alongside the brewery’s own beers. That makes it a useful candidate if you want to compare local brewing rather than order a familiar international label. I’d confirm that flights are still available before planning around them. The narrow sidewalk is worth noting. I wouldn’t choose it purely for a large terrace gathering. The beer is the reason to put it on the list; seating for a big group is something to ask about separately. **Caru’ cu Bere** is my choice for the traditional beer-hall setting. It is in the pedestrian Old Town, and the research describes draft beer served in mugs of up to a litre. Check the current serving sizes rather than assuming that older detail still applies. The drawback is the possibility of a wait. The 2019 account reports substantial queues for tables. I’d plan a visit if the setting matters to me, but I wouldn’t spend the whole first stop waiting outside for one quick beer. That same account found seats at the bar while people waited for tables. It is worth asking about, not treating as a guaranteed shortcut. Seating arrangements can change. ## Where would I have dinner before drinks? For beer alongside a proper meal, I’d consider **Hanu’ lui Manuc**, also called **Manuc’s Inn**. The large courtyard is the attraction, and the research mentions Romanian beer and wine, including a house-brewed blonde beer. The food account includes sarmale, grilled meats and slow-cooked lamb shoulder. Those are examples from the reviewer’s visits, not a checked menu for tonight. I’d choose it when the group needs dinner before moving on. It is a sit-down food-and-drinks option rather than a place I’d squeeze into a rushed round of bars. This is also where I’d separate two meanings of “local.” Romanian food and drink can be a good reason to choose somewhere. It does not mean the room will be free of visitors, and I wouldn’t make that a condition of a worthwhile evening. ## Which rooftop bars would I choose? My two rooftop picks are **Nomad Sky Bar** and **Linea Closer to the Moon**. I’d choose one rather than turn the evening into a checklist of views. ### Nomad Sky Bar Nomad overlooks the Old Town. The 2019 account describes an upstairs indoor room and a smaller terrace above it, serving cocktails and beer. That gives me a reason to shortlist it for a group interested in both the indoor space and the rooftop. Still, I’d ask about terrace access and seating before booking if being outside is the point of the visit. A small terrace is not a promise that a large group can all sit together. I’d rather know the arrangement beforehand than arrive with everyone expecting the same seat they saw in a photograph. ### Linea Closer to the Moon Linea is described as being across from the Old Town, with several rooftop levels. The highest level offers views across Bucharest at night, according to the older guide. For me, this is the view-led choice. I’d check which areas are open and what seating is available, then look at the menu before committing. Neither rooftop needs a stronger claim than the evidence allows. An appealing photograph does not confirm tonight’s access, drinks list or availability. If the outdoor space is your only reason for going, confirm it directly. ## Where can you go for late drinks? **The supplied research does not establish current closing times for these bars.** I wouldn’t use it to promise a late finish at any particular venue. Xclusive Pub appears in a 2019 account of late-night and early-morning drinking. That puts it on a list of names to check, not a guaranteed late-night itinerary. Before heading there, I’d confirm that it is operating, check the closing time and see whether the current setup suits the group. An old recommendation for shots does not tell you how tonight will feel. At the end of an evening, I’d decide what I want before choosing another door: somewhere to sit, somewhere to talk, or somewhere to keep the party going. Being open is only part of the decision. If a very late finish matters, check directly with the venue. I wouldn’t assume that bars in the same district keep the same hours. ## Should you stay in the Old Town? **I’d start around the Old Town if the group wants several choices close together.** The research describes pedestrian streets with restaurants and cafés, plus a bar district near **Stavropoleos Monastery**. It also notes outdoor seating at many Bucharest venues during the warmer months. That gives you room to change the plan. You can choose a traditional beer setting or consider an Old Town rooftop without deciding the entire evening over dinner. I’d go to **Calea Victoriei** specifically for Fabrica de Bere Buna if Romanian beer is the priority. There is no need to keep every stop inside the Old Town, but I’d have a reason for moving rather than add another address just to lengthen the list. For the wider picture, my [Bucharest nightlife guide](/blog/bucharest-nightlife-guide) covers areas, times and costs. If you’re still deciding how drinks fit around the rest of your visit, check the [activities page](/activities) before filling every evening with bars. ## How would I put the night together? I’d plan **one main stop and one optional follow-up**. That leaves room to stay somewhere I like instead of leaving because an itinerary says so. For Romanian beer, I’d make Fabrica de Bere Buna the main stop. For a beer-hall setting, I’d choose Caru’ cu Bere. For dinner before drinks, I’d consider Hanu’ lui Manuc. If the evening is mainly about a rooftop, I’d check Nomad or Linea’s current setup and choose one. I wouldn’t call any of those plans the cheapest without current menus. The useful decision is matching the venue to the evening, then checking the cost against everyone’s budget. For solo visitors or groups who would rather not choose every stop, **Bucharest Pub Crawl** is another option. It runs **Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 22:00**, meeting at **Gregory’s Coffee shop**. It lasts **4–5 hours** and includes **4–5 bars/clubs**, shots in each visited venue, group photos, useful local hints, and priority entrances and event fees when applicable. Read [my honest take](/blog/pub-crawl-bucharest-worth-it) before deciding, or use the [booking page](/book). None of the bar recommendations above is a promised stop. One practical point before ordering: table service is common in the venues described in the research. Once you’ve chosen, close your menu to signal that you’re ready. And before planning the next bar, give the one you’re in a chance.