Bucharest by the glass – afternoon tour

Tour Details

Bucharest by the glass (full day)

Explore bucharest

Bucharest by the glass (afternoon tour)

A half-day cultural, fine dining and wine experience, Romanian Wine’s Escapes’ Bucharest by the Glass afternoon tour will take tourists on a private guided visit of Ceausescu’s mansion, followed by a fine dining experience at the ΚΛΙΛΜO̲ restaurant, paired with local wines.

Description of the tour:

Tourists will be picked up from their hotel in the afternoon (around 3:30 PM) and driven to Ceausescu’s Mansion, also known as the Spring Palace (Palatul Primaverii, in Romanian).

Depending on the location of the hotel, the drive will take the group by some of the city’s landmarks, from University Square (Piața Universității) to Victory Square (Piața Victoriei) for a bit of sightseeing from the bus. A short stop for pictures at the Palace of Parliament, the second largest administrative building in the world, will serve as introduction the Romania’s relatively recent communist past and a prelude to the opulence of dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu’s Bucharest mansion.

For a quarter of a century, the mansion served as the private residence of Romania’s autocratic president, his wife Elena and their children Nicu, Zoia, and Valentin. Ceaușescu’s rule was pompously known as “The Golden Age” (Epoca de Aur), even though it was anything but, being marked by bitter censure and the personality cult of Nicolae Ceaușescu and, though less obsequious, his wife.

The mansion, built in the mid-1960s for the then newly-instated president, was further enlarged between 1970-1972 in the lavish, heavily ornamented design style that characterized the couple. If the Palace of Parliament was supposed to show off Ceaușescu statesmanship and his grandeur, his private residence allows visitors a glimpse into Ceaușescu the man, his passions, his lifestyle, his often-dubious taste and his obscene wealth.

Sumptuous crystal chandeliers, handmade paneling, artisanal fabrics, and a collection of artwork by famous Romanian artists will impress and stun tourists for the 1.5 hours of this guided experience.

After that, the private guide will lead the group to ΚΛΙΛΜO̲, one of Romania’s most exclusive fine-dining restaurants, where the tour will end in style, with exquisite food and premium Romanian wines. A 9-course menu prepared by famous chef Radu Ionescu-Feher CM, each accompanied by a specific wine, will enchant palates.

Chef Radu’s career started in 2015, in the buzzing culinary city of London. His initial path was markedly different (undergraduate studies in Global Business Management at Regent’s University and a Master’s Degree in Marketing Communications at Westminster University), but as his passion for food grew, he chose studies in the field, graduating from the iconic Le Cordon Bleu institute with a Grand Diplôme de Cuisine et Pâtisserie, followed by a Diploma in Culinary Management. The young Chef then worked in London in small neighborhood restaurants, as well as 5-star hotels before ending up in the 1-Michelin star kitchen of the notorious Ollie Dabbous, one of Britain’s most iconic and popular chefs. The dream which is now known as “ΚΛΙΛΜO̲” was born in this starred Fiztrovia establishment and grew from dust to gold since September 2018.

A mere 9 months after its opening, the Gault & Millau Romania guide ranked ΚΛΙΛΜO̲ among the Top 3 Romanian restaurants and awarded Chef Radu the title of “Great Chef of Tomorrow”. Shortly after, ΚΛΙΛΜO̲ became part of THE WORLD’S 50 BEST family, featuring in the internationally acclaimed gastronomic guide (created by San Pellegrino) through the “50 BEST DISCOVERY” project. It currently appears in the select list of only 1,000 best locations in the entire world, chosen by experts and diners alike.

More international recognition followed as Chef Radu and his culinary family at ΚΛΙΛΜO̲ were selected by the French Governmental Guide, La Liste, for its “Outstanding Cuisine” and were featured multiple times in the international mainstream and specialty media from CNN to Local Tongue, Das Erste, Sunday Times, to name just a few.

With more than 200 labels, the ΚΛΙΛΜO̲ Wine List has received an Award of Excellence from the famous Wine Spectator publication, who recognized its inspired synergy between the Old World and the New World wine, and its core focus on the grape varieties from Romania’s terroir and its craft vineyards, on which the wine pairing experience is primarily based.

After immersing themselves in Chef Radu’s universe of flavors and in the prestige atmosphere of his restaurant, visitors will be escorted back to their hotel by minivan (around 21:00 PM)