Hanul lui Manuc

Bucharest, Romania

One of Bucharest's oldest surviving hans (inn-courtyards), built by Armenian merchant Manuc Bei in 1808 on the edge of the old market district. The building wraps around a central courtyard and has operated almost continuously as an eating and drinking place for over two centuries. The kitchen serves traditional Romanian dishes, with mici grilled over charcoal among the standing items on the menu. The han's location near the old princely court and its age make it one of the most historically grounded places in Bucharest to eat the dish that local legend says was invented in precisely this kind of establishment.

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Sausages served here

Mici

Bucharest, Romania

Mici are Romania's national street food: skinless grilled cylinders of seasoned minced meat, about 8 centimetres long, eaten with sharp mustard and cold beer. They have no casing. The mix is beef-dominant, with pork added for fat, sometimes lamb for depth. Garlic, black pepper, and dried thyme (cimbru) season the meat; baking soda dissolved in cold beef broth makes them puff on the grill, giving a light interior beneath the char. Every Romanian summer terrace has a charcoal grill running from noon to midnight, and mici are what that grill produces. The dish exists in Moldova too, under the same name and largely the same recipe.

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