The holiday season is different this year, with health and public officials advising all of us to spend Christmas and New Year's Eve at home with close family members. And, while going out to restaurants is no longer an option, those spending the winter holidays in Bucharest can have special menus or traditional goodies delivered at home. We've listed some options below.

• For last-minute Christmas meal deliveries

The La Mama restaurants have prepared a special menu with traditional dishes that never miss from the Romanians' tables during the winter holidays. Among them, the tasty boeuf salad or the gelatin dish called piftie, sarmale (a mixture of rice and minced meat rolled in cabbage leaves), or the sweet bread cozonac. More here.

La Placinte also has a special Christmas Box prepared for delivery or pickup, which includes sarmale with mamaliga (polenta), salata de vinete (eggplant salad), and deserts. They all cost RON 269. Further details here.

Another option to try is the Romanian restaurant Caru' cu Bere. Their Christmas menu includes many tasty traditional dishes such as jumari (crispy fried pork greaves), piftie, sarmale, or meatballs. Check it here.

All the traditional dishes the Romanians always add to their Christmas menu are also available for order at Hanu' Lui Manuc. Their offer also includes jumari and boeuf salad, piftie and sarmale, or a cold cuts plate. Find it here.

For the Christmas meal, special dishes can also be ordered from City Grill. Their menu includes the traditional liver-based pork sausage called caltabos, toba - another Romanian delicatessen made from pork, sarmale, and other dishes prepared from pork, fish, or duck. More here.

• New Year's Eve menus

The JW Marriott Bucharest Grand Hotel has prepared special festive menus for the winter holidays, including a special New Year's Eve Brunch they deliver at home. The menu is more sophisticated than a traditional Romanian one, and it costs RON 500 per person. Check it out here.

A similar option is the "New Year's Eve dinner to your door" menu from Radisson Blu Hotel, Bucharest. In fact, there are three menus customers can choose from, with prices starting at RON 400 for 2 persons. Delivery will take place on December 30 and December 31, and pickup is also available. More here.

Also for the New Year's Eve meal, residents of Bucharest can order special traditional dishes from restaurants such as Vatra Satului (offer available here), Tasty Box (more details here), Bucate pe Roate (more info here), Energiea (check the menu here), or Simbio (the menu is available here).

There are also a few options for those who prefer a vegetarian, vegan, or raw vegan diet. For example, Sara Green has prepared some tasty menus for the winter holidays, with sarmale, boeuf salad, piftie, cozonac raw, or carol cake. Deliveries will be made on December 30 and December 31, and prices vary depending on the type of menu you choose. More details are available here.

Another option is Bistro Raw & Vegan. They also included sarmale and boeuf salad in their special menus for the winter holidays, which also include baked eggplant or cauliflower, cashew cream, and sweets, all vegan. Check their offer here.

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Christmas goodies, especially sweets such as cozonac or other cakes, can also be purchased from supermarkets or hypermarkets (which also make home deliveries). Plus, if you want to cook a traditional meal yourself, check the nearest butcheries for fresh sausages or pork meat.

Local restaurants are also listed on food delivery apps & platforms. Thus, you can try to find your favorite dishes and customize special menus using apps such as FoodPanda, Takeaway.com, Bolt Food, Glovo, or Tazz by eMag. Read more about food delivery services available in Romania here. 

Note from the editor: The decision to list these restaurants/offers was strictly editorial. 

newsroom@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Maria Romanyuk/Dreamstime.com)