29 Popa Stoica Farcas St.,

Romana Square

Tel: 021 323 52 40

da_giulio@yahoo.com

In a nutshell, here is great authentic Italian food. Da Giulio has been a real find only discovered through the recommendations of others. This city has more Italian style restaurants than those of any other foreign country with variable quality and authenticity. With the Italian population reportedly the largest expat community in Bucharest, it has always been a wonder as to where they eat? Now I think I've found it.

I reserved a table for 2 on Saturday night at 9pm, and as we walked into this busy restaurant it was apparent that more than half of the clientele were Italians. Many were watching the Italian football which was being shown on the TV's dotted around the walls of the restaurant. The staff were speaking Italian. It felt like being in Italy!

The menu is very extensive so it will take several visits to try it all. Watching the food coming out of the kitchen, it all looked very mouth watering. We had starters of Bresaola with shaved parmesan and the Burrata which Da Giulio import directly from Napoli. This was followed by main courses of a Penne Carbonara and a fungi Risotto, both excellent. The wine list is made up of an equal balance between Italian and Romanian and a good selection. We enjoyed the Gavi.

The decor is simple and creates a comfortable and relaxed environment, complimented by very friendly staff. I am definitely looking forward to the next visit and feel this would be a great place to go with a large group.

The menu prices of the food and wine are all very reasonable. Da Giulio is open from 12 noon until midnight 7 days a week. It's a must. Don’t miss it.

Buon Appetito!

By Richard Fox, fox@citycompass.ro