Over the past few months, a handful of new restaurants have opened in Bucharest that break the usual mold. What ties them together is the story behind each one: an old building, a chef with an international track record, a team that already knows how to build a successful venue. Merlin26 is one of them, occupying a building with a history of its own. Aura carries the name of a chef with an international track record. Mira comes from the portfolio of entrepreneurs who have already opened three well-known restaurants in the city. Three completely different fields (an esoteric cocktail bar, fine dining, a casual-chic spot built around community), yet none of the three started from scratch.

Merlin26

On Paleologu Street 26, in the Mântuleasa area, an older villa has been turned into a cocktail bar with an esoteric concept. The moment you walk in, you feel the light shift. The dark green walls absorb the dim lighting, and the red velvet on the chairs takes on a matte sheen. Thin candles on the tables give off a faint smell of melted wax that greets you before you even sit down, while pentagrams and runes appear on the walls, part of the decor rather than just a marketing story. Outside, the quiet, interwar-era streets of the neighborhood stand in contrast to an interior built as an immersive experience rather than a classic bar. The menu can be chosen the regular way, or left to a deck of tarot cards. Reservations are by phone, at 0757 643 981.

Aura

On Aron Cotruș Street 20, in Herăstrău, the kitchen at Aura is run by Bogdan Alexandrescu, known in the industry as Dexter. The chef completed the Hautes Études du Goût program, run by Le Cordon Bleu Paris in partnership with the Sorbonne and the University of Reims, and worked at Ibrik restaurant in Paris, which vogue.fr and other French publications listed among the city's best new openings. He has also worked with Michelin-starred chefs on projects in Paris, Athens, and Berlin.

Step inside and the first thing you notice is the quiet. There's no loud music, the tables are set well apart for privacy, and the warm lighting leaves all the visual attention on the plate, not the decor. The à la carte menu focuses on seasonal ingredients and wines from small producers, in a space that also includes a terrace.

Mira

On Jules Michelet Street 18, close to Piața Romană and the Nottara Theatre, Mira occupies the ground floor of a building that housed the McCann Romania agency's offices for years. It's the fourth project from Adriana Dănilă and Stelian Olaru, the same entrepreneurs behind Gram Bistro, Suento, and Ever After, officially opened in February 2026.

The architecture is by Radu Costăchescu, who has worked on all four of their locations. The interior leans on natural materials, warm textures, and plenty of greenery, while the terrace absorbed part of the former Grădina Verona, with old trees casting shade over the tables and a brick-paved floor. In the morning, the smell of specialty coffee sets the tone for the whole space; in the evening, the string lights on the terrace shift the mood entirely, from quiet to warm and lively.

Brunch is served daily between 9:00 and 15:00, and the rest of the day the menu moves through lunch and dinner, with dishes built for long, shared tables. The space also hosts photo exhibitions and pop-ups, and even the tableware you eat off comes from collaborations with Romanian designers.

The three restaurants have something in common beyond their opening dates: all of them build on something that already existed, and turn it into a new concept. If you want to try all three, the choice comes down to the mood you're after more than the order you visit them in: Merlin26 for an evening of ritual cocktails, Aura for a quiet dinner in a space designed to feel like a home, Mira for a long weekend brunch, with the table set out in the garden, under the trees of the former Grădina Verona.