Restaurant review: Three restaurants for three different moods in Braşov

There's plenty of history in Braşov and with its beautiful old town, breathtaking location surrounded by forests and mountains and easy access to ski resorts, the city is firmly established as one of Romania's top tourism destinations. But with over 150 restaurants, Braşov is also a great gastronomic destination, with a wide range of food, both local and international, available in the city's eateries. In my childhood, I used to spend many winter holidays in Braşov, but a few years ago, due to my job, I started going there regularly, which inevitably meant quite a lot of eating out. I've picked out three of my top spots for eating out, three very different restaurants each offering a specific dining experience.

Spending weeks on end in Braşov has given the chance to come up with my own personal 'ratings' for eating out and, at the same time, to choose different restaurants according to my mood. Is this unusual? I don’t think so, because I strongly believe that eating and drinking is much more than a biological need, it is, or can be, an exquisite pleasure. Voltaire wrote: “Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity.” Beyond this, dining is a social and potentially a cultural experience. I’m not a gastronomy specialist, maybe I’m not a very good connoisseur, but I certainly appreciate the whole ritual of eating and drinking. Of course, modern life doesn’t allow us time to practice many of those ancient, healthy and almost artistic rituals surrounding food and drink, but if we do have the time, we can still find a moment of happiness for senses, body and mind with a good meal. Sirul vamii For a good lunch before visiting Braşov's monuments stop at the Sirul Vamii restaurant. I was delighted by the menu; very good salads, a Florentine turkey brisket (filled with spinach and a very rich sauce) or a good club steak. At the same time, Sirul vamii offers an amazing traditional menu, which includes the carp pickle with polenta or “ tochitura Dacica” which is a mix of meats with tomatoes and red chili pepper. The best dessert for me was the lemon curd pudding with forest fruits sauce. Of course all these dishes can be accompanied with a good Transylvanian wine and in the evening with discrete piano music. Butoiul sasului Anyone looking for a Saxon Transylvanian eating experience in Kronstadt (the ancient German name of Braşov), should head for Butoiul Sasului. This restaurant was one of my better culinary surprises in Braşov. The restaurant is very well located on the main commercial street of the city, Republicii street. German traditional dishes and red or white wines from the vineyards of the Transylvanian plateau are on offer. At Butoiul sasului I've tried wild mushrooms, game specialties and very good soups and desserts. Some of the tastiest dishes are : the German (sasesc) entrée, the Goulash, the Svab club steak, the Tornedo Kronstadt and the Kronstadt pancakes. This restaurant has a special atmosphere that evokes a tranquil wine cellar in an ancient German “burg”.