It’s mid-March, so it’s pretty clear that we’re in full spring, it’s warm, the trees are blooming, and the magnolia map has started to appear extremely active these days.

There’s every reason to spend as much time as possible getting outside and discovering new places in the city, and visiting some that are worth it (and if you’re still out and about, don’t forget to plant a magnolia pine map when you come across such a gorgeous a tree in the outskirts of the city).

Among the newly opened places in the city, GYST Bucharest (Str. Blănari 18) it’s among the must-checks, especially when you want a delicious breakfast and specialty coffee, and if you’re walking around with your laptop and need a cool place to work remotely for an hour or two.

GYST opened on February 24 and prides itself on being “Copenhagen-inspired”, and it shows, especially as it’s the little brother of the already well-known Scandinavian lounge M60 – the brainchild of Rezvan Krishan, co-founder of M60 and Kane.

The second newly opened place in the city that is worth visiting DeSoi (Str. Piața Sf. Ștefan 8)a grocery store-bistro located in the heart of the Mântuleasa district.

The local people are passionate about everything that means local and quality products, cooking and socializing around food, so they have created their place around a communal table that seats 16 people.

The menu is a mix of local and international cuisine, but with an emphasis on fresh, seasonal local ingredients. There is also an artisan bakery, a large selection of wines and a space where local and international producers tell the stories of their products under the umbrella of a concept called #Negustories.

Bakalia-bistro DeSoi, Bucharest. PHOTO: DeSoi/ Personal archive

A place that has been in town for a while, but which I discovered later Seeds (General Ion Dragalina 19). This is a vegan restaurant with dishes that will make even an omnivore/carnivore drool.

Chef Anka Maria Nazaré is responsible for this special bistro. She also offers vegan cooking classes here. You can order a menu for the whole week at home or at the office, but it would be a shame not to cross their threshold, because the place is very pleasant, and the area where it is located (Kotrochen) is also ideal for wandering through some of the most beautiful streets of the city.

A place that would be a shame not to visit (again) in the middle of spring Kitchen.localfood (Ion Slătineanu 30).

The guys got their customers used to dishes made with seasonal ingredients, since it’s spring, that means the markets are full of greens and fresh vegetables, and the menu at Bucătăria.localfood is full of dishes like: nettles with polenta, old telemeia with lamb and fried eggs or bean cream with pan-fried egg yolks with lewd and green garlic. crazy!

But it’s best to keep an eye on their Facebook page to see what else they’re announcing, what they’re cooking, and what Romanian wine they’re pairing with. Or just drop by and surprise yourself on the spot.

Kitchen. local food PHOTO: Localfood/ Personal archive

Why not canteens become part of the trending recommendations of the weekend?

For the “trendy weekend” dedicated exclusively to these places, I suggest you discover one of the most beautiful dining rooms in the city, which opened its doors a month ago: Bistro UNATC (Matei Voievod 75-77)part of Faculty Island, a place where students (but not only) can gather for specialty coffee and hot food.

The place has a Scandinavian yet warm design, a place where the sun pours through the large windows and invites you to relax and socialize in the courtyard of this place with a strong creative DNA.

In addition to the daytime menu, the UNATC bistro occasionally prepares fresh baked goods such as doughnuts, croissants or bagels. Specialty coffee is always available along with other drinks and snacks. This should be remembered more during the week, because that’s when it works, and on weekends it works only on special occasions.

UNATC Bistro. PHOTO: Bistro UNATC/ Personal archive

Espresso bar Two By Two (Henri Coandă 13) this is another recently opened place in the city. This time it’s a specialty cafe with a nice interior design, but perhaps the most attractive aspect of the place is the rather large terrace, which not many people have yet discovered, so it still has a special aura, being framed behind heritage buildings.

The atmosphere here is very pleasant, especially when you want to spend a quiet weekend morning with a good coffee and in a cool place. If we have already started the list of special specialty cafes, we should also mention them here Baristro.place (General Candiano Popescu, 1).

What’s so special about this place besides good coffee? You can serve a really good brunch with dishes that might surprise you, such as a beef pastroma sandwich with sauerkraut and a pear in wine for dessert. It is also very close to the Carol I park, it looks good inside but also has a terrace with a nice atmosphere.

ANY NOOD (Airmen 8A) it cannot be missing from the list of special places to visit this spring. Here you can find sugar-free desserts, simple meals and good coffee to go with them.

“We’re not a stevia, maltitol, etc. team because there’s not enough research to track the effects of long-term consumption. Instead, we intuitively use coconut nectar, maple syrup, organic honey, dates or bananas (not all at once) and that’s enough.

Yes, the words “cake” and “good for you” are compatible. […] More recently, we’ve been experimenting with savory crackers, vegetarian quiches and bagels, all of which follow the same principles. In the laboratory or in the space of NOOD, we are deprived of the artificial, and it is easily felt from the first tasting!” – says the NOOD manifesto.

In addition, this location has a design that won the “Best Horeca Design 2022” category at the Yearbook of Architecture.

Calea Victoriei has recently been enriched with a new specialty cafe: Cafe-bar Seraphim (Pemohy 122)which merges with Centrale Pizza, in the idea that the two spaces are mirrored, separated by an entrance in the courtyard of the interwar Ferekide quarter.

In addition to specialty coffee, you can stop here for a cocktail, from Tuesday to Sunday the establishment is open until 10:00 p.m., and on Monday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

As the name says, Avocado 2 (Postelnicu 12) it’s a paradise for lovers of avocados and products made with this superfood, which contains monounsaturated fatty acids (that is, good), almost 20 vitamins and minerals.

It is convenient for children, there is a playground inside. But what makes it stand out even more when the sun starts to come out is the stepped terrace that this restaurant has, which is a treat in itself.

• Read also: Weekend trends in Bucharest: invasion of the world of the best little ones in the capital or who are the real harbingers of spring