The spectacular Azerbaijani lamb soup with chickpeas and quinces “Piti”, the famous “Zagreb” schnitzel or the tasty “Pljeskavica”, the Bulgarian “kebache” or “kofte kebab” as in Istanbul or the hot and sour soup as in Chisinau and the Georgian chicken soup, the veal goulash or baby squid stuffed with vegetables – all these specific dishes (and many others) can be tasted, from November 15, 2024, in Craiova, as part of a unique concept entitled “Craiova, East-European gastronomic capital” (#CraiovaGastronomica & #CraiovaGastronomy).
Authentic tastes and recipes from 11 Eastern European countries will be prepared and presented in a network of 11 local restaurants, making the city of Craiova into a City of Flavours:
Artizan 35 – TURCIA
Str Împăratul Traian nr 35,
tel: (+4)0757 888 844
BIG BEN – AZERBAIDJAN
Str Mircea Vodă nr 1,
tel: (+4)0786 331 401
CRAFT – UNGARIA
Str Eugeniu Carada nr 12,
tel: (+4)0775 342 099
Ellipse – City•Restaurant Ramada Plaza – GEORGIA
Calea București nr 1,
tel: (+4)0758 071 610
Epoca Steak House and Wine Bar – MACEDONIA DE NORD
Str Alexandru Macedonski nr 51,
tel: (+4)0725 059 333
IBERICO – CROAȚIA
Str Romain Rolland nr 13,
tel: (+4)0786 331 402
La Dolce Vita – GRECIA
B-dul Carol I, Bloc M6B,
tel: (+4)0351 431 647
NOBEL cuisine – REPUBLICA MOLDOVA
Str Principatele Unite nr 21,
tel: (+4)0787 295 537
Restaurant Olivé Craiova – POLONIA
Calea Unirii nr 142,
tel: (+4)0771 392 076
SteSo restaurant – SERBIA
Str Gheorghe Barițiu nr 1,
tel: (+4)0726 328 927
The Manor Restaurant & Lounge – BULGARIA
Str Nicolae Titulescu nr 23A,
tel: (+4)0770 975 350
The program has been initiated by Craiova City Hall and Craiova High School of Food Industry in collaboration with the “Curaj Înainte” Association – the one that manages the research and promotion platform WeAreRomania.com / You Are Welcome! – and includes cultural exchanges and tasting events. The first of these will take place from November 30 to December 1, at the Ramada Plaza Hotel, where chefs from the countries included in the project, representatives of the diplomatic corps, the press and the tourism and hospitality community will be invited.
Authentic tastes for locals and tourists
Gastronomy specialists from abroad and Romania have been researching, exchanging experiences and testing with local partners – 11 top restaurants in the Municipality – to ensure that the recipes and tastes of the dishes from the 11 Eastern European countries promoted in the project are the original ones.
The 11 restaurants included in the program will prepare and present for a long time, in addition to their regular menus, specific dishes and drinks from each of the project’s guest-countries: Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Croatia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Northern Macedonia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Poland, Republic of Moldova, Serbia, Turkey, Poland, Republic of Moldova, Serbia, Turkey, Hungary, and Northern Macedonia. There will of course be plenty of tasty and healthy dishes from Oltenia, prepared with patience and joy by the best teachers and students from the Craiova High School of Food Industry.
Year-round tourist attraction. Leeks will be highlighted and reinvented
“Starting this year, Craiova will become the Gastronomic Capital of Eastern Europe, with culinary delights from Azerbaijan, Georgia, Hungary and many other countries. We live in an area of Europe recognized for its traditional goodness, and Craiova is a city that values authentic tastes.
While so far we have created large-scale events at certain times of the year, with this project we want to be a tourist attraction throughout the whole calendar year. What could be better for a tourist than to find the most appetizing food and wine from 11 European countries in one place? Through this project, we will not only bring out the delicious recipes of our own traditional delicacies, but we will also reinvent them with the help of the teachers and skilled students from the High School of Food Industry”, said Lia Olguța Vasilescu, Mayor of Craiova.
One of the traditional products that will be highlighted and reinvented by Craiova’s students during the program is leeks – for which the region is renowned all over Romania.
Gastronomy as an economic and cultural vector for local social and human development
“Such projects give young people serious reasons to see and build their future here and not by emigrating. It is a project that enhances human resources, know-how and local ingredients and services, which will complement Craiova’s tourist and economic brand. We will all have something to gain by commercially activating the entire heritage of products and recipes from our region”, says Laura Vasile, director of the Craiova High School of Food Industry, the initiator of the project.
The full list of restaurants that will offer international gastronomic experiences to the public from the start of the program “Craiova, East-European gastronomic capital”: Artizan 35, Big Ben, Craft, Dolce Vita, Ellipse City Restaurant – Ramada Plaza, Epoca Steakhouse, Iberico, Olive, Steso, Nobel Cuisine, The Manor.
