Romania among most affordable countries for fine dining in Europe

Alongside Malta (EUR 125) and Greece (EUR 132), Romania is among the most affordable countries for fine dining in Europe, at an average price of EUR 90 per person for a tasting menu, according to an analysis by Bookingham.

Bookingham analyzed the tasting menus of the most high-end restaurants in the country, converted them to EUR, and calculated the median value. The results were compared with data from Chef’s Pencil analysis.

A tasting menu can include 6, 8, 10, or even 20 dishes and is designed to showcase the establishment's specific style, and the chef's creativity, and provide a complete experience for guests. The average price of a tasting menu in Romania is EUR 90/person. As such, Romania has among the lowest prices in fine dining, followed by Malta and Greece.

Denmark is the most expensive country in Europe in this regard, with the average price of a meal at a Michelin-starred restaurant being EUR 295. This is more than 3 times the average price of a tasting menu in Romania. Iceland (EUR 233) and Sweden (EUR 206) rank second and third in the top.

Bucharest is the strongest gastronomic center in Romania, and most of the restaurants included in the analysis are located in the capital. The average price of a tasting menu in Bucharest is EUR 98/person, and a previous study shows that this is more than a Romanian would normally be willing to pay for a dinner. Most Romanians (26%) expect to spend around EUR 30/person, and only 4% of respondents believe they would spend EUR 100/person or more.

The tasting menus explored in Bucharest belong to creative-contemporary, French, and neo-Romanian cuisines. For example, Kaiamo, Chef Radu Ionescu’s restaurant, has one of the most expensive tasting menus – EUR 161/person.

But it's not just the capital that has establishments offering high-standard culinary experiences. Baracca is one of the most renowned restaurants in Cluj offering a tasting menu (EUR 84/person), and in Sibiu, Plai is very popular among those who want a “from farm to fork” experience (EUR 80/person).

Restaurants in Romania are not yet evaluated based on Michelin stars. Promoting establishments and chefs on the international scene is an essential criterion for becoming more visible and sparking curiosity among foreign culinary critics and Michelin inspectors. Investing in the menu and design, and staff training are other important aspects in this regard. Furthermore, each Michelin star comes with a significant increase in menu prices, so there must be customers willing to pay for high-quality culinary experiences.