Caru’ cu Bere is more than a restaurant. With its richly decorated interior, Gothic-inspired architecture and more than 140 years of history, it is one of the places that best evokes the atmosphere of old Bucharest.
Located at 5 Stavropoleos Street, in the heart of Bucharest’s Old Town, Caru’ cu Bere has been a meeting place for generations of Bucharest residents and visitors. Today, it is one of the city’s best-known historic restaurants — but its story actually begins several decades before the famous building on Stavropoleos Street was constructed.
From Transylvania to Bucharest: the beginnings of Caru’ cu Bere
The story starts in 1879, when a beerhouse called “La Carul cu Bere” operated at 2 Calea Victoriei, close to the intersection with Franceză Street.
The establishment was run by Ion Căbășanu, who had come to Bucharest from Transylvania. Two of his nephews, Ion and Gheorghe Mircea, also worked there. The Mircea family came from the village of Cața, in the Rupea–Sighișoara area, which at the time was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
The name itself has a wonderfully simple explanation. “Caru’ cu Bere” means “The Beer Wagon”, referring to the horse-drawn wagons that originally brought beer to the establishment.
The youngest of the Mircea brothers, Nicolae, arrived in Bucharest in 1879. Together with his brothers, he gradually learned the brewing and beer-trading business and eventually developed his own successful establishments in central Bucharest.
Nicolae Mircea’s dream
Nicolae Mircea became the central figure in the story of Caru’ cu Bere.
In 1897, at the age of just 29, he purchased the property at 5 Stavropoleos Street — the future home of the famous beer hall.
The next step was even more ambitious: creating a purpose-built establishment that would become one of Bucharest’s landmarks.
A building permit was issued in March 1898, based on a project prepared by architect Zigfried Z. Kofczinski, with architect Alois Pesch also involved in the project. The new building opened in June 1899.
And this is the building that visitors can still admire today.
A Neo-Gothic treasure in the heart of Old Bucharest
Walking into Caru’ cu Bere is like stepping into another era.
The building was designed in a Neo-Gothic style, unusual and spectacular for a restaurant of its time. Its vaulted ground floor is richly decorated with paintings, stained glass, mosaics and carved wooden panels. The façade is equally distinctive, with Gothic decorative details and an impressive tower crowned by a spire.
The original building was designed not simply as a restaurant but as a multifunctional property. It included cellars for wine and beer barrels, the large restaurant hall, accommodation for the owner and employees, and an attic.
Look carefully at the architecture and you will discover plenty of details that are easy to miss when you are simply enjoying a meal.
The result is a space that combines architecture, history, craftsmanship and the social life of Bucharest.
The beer that gave the place its name
Beer has, naturally, always been at the heart of the story.
According to Caru’ cu Bere’s historical account, the restaurant’s house beer is based on a recipe developed by Nicolae Mircea after travelling to Germany and learning about brewing there. The recipe has been preserved as part of the establishment’s heritage.
There is also an interesting distinction between the beer and the building itself: although the beer was associated with Caru’ cu Bere, it was not actually brewed inside the present restaurant building. The restaurant’s history connects the beer initially with the Bragadiru brewery, while the recipe itself remained associated with the Mircea tradition.
So when you sit down for a beer at Caru’ cu Bere, you are participating in a tradition that reaches back to the beginnings of modern Bucharest’s beer culture.
Caru’ cu Bere and the social life of Bucharest
Historic restaurants are interesting not only because of their buildings but because of the people who passed through their doors.
Caru’ cu Bere became a popular meeting place for Bucharest residents and visitors, and the restaurant’s own historical account mentions famous guests from Romania and abroad. Its clientele over the decades has reflected the changing character of the city — from the Bucharest of the late nineteenth century to the international capital visitors experience today.
This is one of the reasons Caru’ cu Bere is such an interesting stop during a Bucharest Old Town tour. It is not simply a beautiful historic building: it is a place where the city’s architectural, culinary and social history come together.
A monument of Bucharest’s heritage
The building is today classified as a Historical and Architectural Monument, making it an important part of Bucharest’s built heritage.
Its story also reflects the extraordinary transformation of Bucharest around the turn of the twentieth century. The city was becoming increasingly modern and cosmopolitan, while still retaining the traditional inns, beerhouses and commercial passages that had shaped its earlier urban life.
Caru’ cu Bere sits right at that crossroads between the old and the new.
Its story begins with a modest beerhouse, continues through the entrepreneurial ambitions of the Mircea family, and culminates in one of the most recognisable historic interiors in central Bucharest.
Why visit Caru’ cu Bere?
If you are visiting Bucharest for the first time, Caru’ cu Bere is worth seeing for several reasons:
- History: its origins go back to 1879.
- Architecture: the Neo-Gothic interior is one of the most distinctive historic restaurant interiors in Bucharest.
- Bucharest Old Town: it is located right in the historic centre, close to Stavropoleos Monastery and other important landmarks.
- Romanian culinary traditions: it is a place where you can experience traditional Romanian food in a historic setting.
- Atmosphere: rather than simply looking at history behind glass, you can sit down, eat and drink in a building that is itself part of Bucharest’s history.
And perhaps that is the most interesting thing about Caru’ cu Bere: you don’t just visit the history — you can experience it.
Discover Caru’ cu Bere with a local guide
Would you like to understand where Caru’ cu Bere fits into the history of Bucharest, rather than simply taking a photograph of its beautiful interior?
Join us on a private walking tour of Bucharest and discover the stories behind the Old Town, its historic buildings, churches, inns, streets and characters.
At When in Bucharest, we offer private walking tours designed for visitors who want to explore the city with a knowledgeable local guide and discover both its famous landmarks and its lesser-known stories.
Book your private Bucharest walking tour with When in Bucharest:
📱 WhatsApp / Telefon: +40723179233
📧 Email: wheninbucharest@gmail.com
🌐 Website: https://www.wheninbucharest.com
Explore Bucharest with us and discover the stories behind the city — one street, building and neighbourhood at a time.
English
Italiano
Français