City Grill Group launches “Mixtură de Lăutărie” – an original artistic program bringing traditional music performed and mixed live with DJ rhythms, straight into its restaurants

City Grill Group, the leading Romanian player in the hospitality industry, is launching “Mixtură de Lăutărie,” an original musical concept that brings to its restaurants a sound experience unlike anything seen before in HoReCa: live music based on traditional Romanian melodies, reinterpreted and mixed in real time by a DJ. The format has been created specifically to match the vibrant, urban and relaxed atmosphere of the group’s locations.

The program was developed in partnership with Dobrikan and Mirea Band, young artists brought together in this original line-up at the initiative of City Grill Group. Starting from the classic sound of Romanian folk music, they orchestrate traditional pieces with contemporary beats and electronic textures, delivering an authentic musical experience adapted to today’s audience. This ensemble was conceived as an identity-driven musical project, where traditional Romanian instruments blend with beats, bass lines and synthesizers to create a completely new vibe: intimate and energetic, both familiar and refreshingly modern.

“Mixtură de Lăutărie” is not a standalone event, but part of a broader strategy to reshape the atmosphere in City Grill Group’s restaurants by integrating vibrant, culturally relevant elements that appeal to younger generations. The program was first launched in some of the group’s flagship locations in Bucharest—such as Hanu’ lui Manuc, Hanu’ Berarilor and Pescăruș—and will gradually be expanded to other venues within the group.

“Mixtură de Lăutărie” is a form of cultural storytelling with an urban twist—a sound that draws from the old lăutărie tradition but is filtered through the acoustics favored by the digital generation. The selected melodies are familiar and recognizable, yet brought back to the audience in a way that gives them new energy, rhythm, and relevance. It is both a gesture of respect for heritage and a statement about what tradition can look like in 2025.

The program is also present during lunchtime, turning the midday break into a moment of relaxation with its own distinctive sound identity.

“Tradition has rhythm, but it needs to be brought into the present. What we are doing through “Mixtură de Lăutărie” is offering our guests a mood, an energy that reflects our identity as a place, as a group, as a city. We want our restaurants to speak through music as well, not only through the well-known flavors that made us famous,” says Ramona Popescu, Head of Marketing, City Grill Group.

This new initiative comes at a time when choosing a restaurant is no longer dictated solely by the taste of the food, but by a complete experience. Young people from the Millennial and Gen Z generations are looking for places that combine high-quality dishes, flawless and prompt service, and a memorable atmosphere. And this atmosphere is built not only through design, but also through rhythm, music, energy, and connection.