
Timișoara Gastro Guide (and not only)
[Updated May 2023] Some recommendations of restaurants, bars, cafés, pubs in Timișoara, all tested by us. The list is constantly updated, based on our travels.
Ambasada
Ambasada is a place for everything that has to do with culture and local community. You will get events, gatherings, trainings, workshops, you name it. It’s a community that has grown around this place and that tries to make things better. Besides all that, you can go there for a tasty brunch or lunch and enjoy some time outside the city center, but in a super cool surrounding. The menu changes daily so expect something new with each visit.


Homemade
Homemade is always an option for us when going to Timișoara. We love everything about this place, the way it looks, the friendly approach the staff has and their perfectly built menu, based on simple, comfort, delicious dishes. Everything is homemade, exactly like the name suggests and it always gives you that feeling that you’re at home, enjoying a warm dinner, surrounded by friends and family. Nothing fancy, but for sure something that will fill your soul with joy. To be checked out in winter time, to enjoy the warmth of the interior, but also during summer months, to relax in their beautiful summer garden.
Omellete Bistro
Ideal place for breakfast, brunch and anything in between. The menu evolves around eggs in all forms, shapes and sizes.
Vinto – Gastro Wine Bar
It’s a nice gastro-wine bar with a good wine selection (Romanian and international) and with a menu that goes perfectly with a good wine. The food is a very nice surprise, excellent to share plates, local cheese and charcuterie, plus the sommeliers know everything about the wines and can recommend excellent ones. It’s a place to chose for a dinner with friends with a special vibe.
Suppa Bar
I immediately fell in love with this place. It’s a small place that serves 3 – 4 types of soups every day. They have cream soups, vegetarian or meat soups, to please everyone. You can have the soup there or just take it to go. The soups are so tasty and it’s such a good option for a quick, but healthy lunch.
Naru
A menu that sounds just right – simple, comfort food, with fresh ingredients. Plus a very nice summer terrace, in the shade of old trees.



Viniloteca
A rather underground place, not too many people know about. They have really good craft beer and a very nice record collection you can listen to and buy.
TapRoom
For some local craft beers and a super cool afternoon/evening vibe, Taproom is the place to try out. Nothing fancy, just a small beer place, with lots of drought beers to taste. You will be literally seating on the street, at the edge of the Traian Plazza, watching the tram go by, while listening to vinyl music. If you’re not really into beer, spend the evening with you beer-friends and enjoy a gin cocktail at the neighbour bar, AM PM.


Little Hanoi
An authentic Vietnamese place that we always pay a visit when in Timișoara, especially for the Pho Soups, but everything else they have in the menu is very much worth to try. The chef is a Vietnamese that married a Romanian guy and have been living in Timișoara for many years, so expect to really get the true Vietnam taste in your plate. And for good reason, it seems that the locals really appreciate this place, they always recommend it and there’s always lots of people eating there.



Lera’s Bistro
THE place for THE perfect pljeskavica. Pljeskavica is a traditional Serbian dish (a sort of burger), but it makes total sense to find it in Timișoara, being just a few kilometers away from the border with Serbia. Lera’s Bistro is doing it just as it has to be done – simple, full of flavors, super fresh and tasty bread bun, with fries and for a very affordable price. For us it’s a must go, especially after a night of partying. Don’t get fooled by the not so very attractive pictures, this is definitely an great choice.

La Pizza Napoletana
Just outside the city center, but after a very enjoyable walk, you get to La Pizza Napoletana. Always a nice surprise to find in Romania a pizza place that really sticks to the Italian originals, uses quality ingredients for a fair price. Cool vibe on a warm weather, they have a nice outdoor terrace, some craft beers and excellent pizza.


Bereta Taproom
Right next to Lera’s bistro in the city center, Bereta is for us one of the best craft beers in Romania.

Aeternathiv
For us this is one of the coolest places in town. Good music, super cool vibe during the evenings, nice crowd, a very good option for a late night out. Decent quality drinks for a fair price and their terrace really gives you this comfy and nice vibe.

Scârț Loc Lejer
This turned from the first visit in one of our favourite places. Exactly what we like when going out – nice crowd, drinks and some bites to go with them, a beautiful terrace that makes you forget you are in a city, plus events from time to time. And a nice collection of communist objects at the basement.


Other places in Timișoara
Velocita – delicious ice-cream and very good coffee
Coffeerize Botanic – good coffee and nice vibe
Prospero – local bakery with sweet and salty stuff, good option for breakfast
Holla Tombabe – vintage / retro / designer studio, plus a super cool line of T-shirts with Romanian sayings.
One Shirt – a beautiful social project – pick-up point for donated textiles, a workshop that turns the textile waste into new, unique fabrics & a classic design that turns them into wearable pieces, while creating jobs that fit the availability of the team members.
PLAI – a yearly outdoor festival evolving around music, culture and art.
The Secret Garden – pop—up bookshop • artist books, magazines, diy publications, comics, prints, illustration, ceramics
Ambasada – although I mentioned it for it’s brunch and coffee, very worth mentioning is that Ambasada and Faber host many events, local artists projects so a visit there will for sure bring a new mini project into the light for you.
Photo credits for some of the photos go to the Facebook pages of the places added in the article.