For the generations who grew up after the December 1989 Revolution, evoking a place like Casata confectionery may seem like a journey into a mythical world. Not only because that Bucharest of the 1960s and 1970s had a vibrant urban life, but also because, in the absence of today’s abundance, sweets were a true ritual — a rare joy filled with meaning. Casata was, in those years, a temple of fine desserts, an oasis of refinement in a city that was changing under the banner of socialist modernization.

Sweet Bucharest of the old days

Historian Constantin C. Giurescu, in his monumental work The History of Bucharest (Sport-Turism Publishing House, 1979), offers some clues about the scale of confectioneries in the capital: 

“After the Second World War, a new increase in the number of confectioneries was recorded; the state confectioneries, which sold cakes, candies, and all kinds of standardized sweets at fixed prices, stood out.

New, spacious confectioneries, installed in an elegant setting with suitable furniture and attractive display cases, appeared in all parts of the city, not only in the center, the Turn, Scala, Universității, Athénée Palace, Teatrului, Albina confectioneries, etc.” In that mysterious “etc.” we can certainly include Casata — the place that would become synonymous with refinement and the perfect taste of profiterole.

Casata – an architectural and culinary jewel on Magheru Boulevard

Casata confectionery was located on Magheru Boulevard, at the corner with Take Ionescu Street, between the famous delicatessen store “Vânătorul” and the equally known “Grădinița” terrace. 

The building that housed it was an elegant construction, erected in 1938 based on the plans of architect Jean Văleanu, a perfect expression of interwar modernism. 

The ground floor of the building became, in the 1950s and 1960s, a pilgrimage site for all those who wanted to taste the best sweets in Bucharest.

Casata quickly turned into an urban landmark, and its name — which initially referred to an ice cream dessert — became a mark of quality. Historian Dan Falcan recalls with nostalgia: “Casata became famous after the war, thanks to the confectionery. It was the place I went to very often because they made extraordinary profiteroles. 

They also had casate — a long, triangular ice cream divided into three flavors: pistachio, vanilla, and chocolate, with a layer of jam in between, usually sour cherry or cherry. It was very good, wrapped in tin foil. They had parfaits, mascots, cakes with real whipped cream, all served in an elegant atmosphere.”

Delicacies with fixed prices and unforgettable taste

In an era when the planned economy dictated even the weight and price of each dessert, Casata still managed to preserve an air of exclusivity. Prices were quite high for the time: a serving of profiterole cost 11.25 lei, a casata 3 lei, and a café frappé around 6 lei. 

But, as historian Falcan remembered, “they were very good, with lots of whipped cream, served in tall glasses. There were also cookies and candies — it was one of the best confectioneries in town.”

What impressed people was not only the quality of the desserts but also the elegance of the service. The waiters wore white uniforms, the tables were covered with starched tablecloths, and the display cases sparkled with the light reflected off the colorful glazes of the cakes. 

Casata was more than a confectionery — it was a social stage where artists, students, high schoolers, and elegant ladies met for a chat after shopping.

The favorite spot of 1970s youth

Writer and journalist Stelian Tănase, who frequented Casata in his youth, left a vivid testimony about the atmosphere there: 

“This was where the high society gathered, the Bucharest elite, especially the spoiled sons and daughters of that time. Students from the Caragiale, MV, Lazăr, and Spiru Haret high schools. Casata was the most fashionable place for teenagers in those years between finishing high school and starting university, 1970–1973. 

The profiterole was expensive, 11 lei, but it was the most desired dessert. The café frappé cost 6 lei, the girls’ favorite, and you had to have exact change to offer one. It was a gentleman’s gesture. Casata was a costly adventure, but one worth telling stories about later.”

For the youth of that era, Casata was more than a place serving desserts. It was a gateway to modernity, to the Western dream. In an isolated Romania, where shop windows rarely sparkled, Casata confectionery brought a touch of Parisian refinement or Viennese elegance. 

The lightly Westernized music, the glasses filled with whipped cream, and the strong aroma of coffee turned every visit into a small celebration.

Profiterole – the sweet legend of the Capital

The undisputed star of Casata was the profiterole — the dessert that entered Bucharest’s culinary history. It was served with a small tower of ice cream covered with rich chocolate sauce, next to tiny cream-filled choux pastries. 

On top sat a perfect swirl of natural whipped cream, and every serving was a small visual spectacle. Those who lived through those years say that the taste of Casata’s profiterole has never been matched since.

The phrase “the profiterole from Casata” quickly became a symbol of quality. People often said, with both admiration and humor, that anyone who hadn’t tasted Casata’s profiterole couldn’t claim to know what a real dessert was. With their characteristic wit, Bucharest residents turned the confectionery’s name into an urban legend, passed down from generation to generation.

Other delicacies and a fairytale atmosphere

Although the profiterole was the undisputed star, Casata offered a wide range of desserts that delighted customers: parfaits made of vanilla and chocolate, chocolate-coated mascots, aromatic kataif pastries, fine charlottes, various ice creams, Coupe Jacques, Joffre, and the beloved “little mushrooms.” 

Each dessert had its carefully preserved recipe, and the ingredients — real whipped cream, authentic chocolate, pistachio, and sour cherry jam — were considered luxury items in a time when many goods were scarce.

Casata was also one of the few places where you could enjoy a genuine café frappé, prepared with ice cream, cold milk, and whipped cream. The atmosphere was cosmopolitan, and for the youth of the 1970s, a visit to Casata was an escape from the grayness of everyday life. They discussed films, exchanged books and thoughts about Western music, and built friendships and romances.

Casata – a mirror of Bucharest’s refinement

Looking back, Casata was not just a confectionery but a social and cultural phenomenon. In a city that was rapidly industrializing, where new architecture gradually replaced the old buildings, Casata preserved an interwar air, a discreet nobility, and a culture of good taste. 

There, time seemed to pass more slowly. It was a place for civilized conversation, politeness, and small shared joys.

Indeed, the confectioneries of that era represented true social institutions. They were spaces of encounter, of flirtation, of urban rituals. In the absence of modern cafés, Casata and its peers — Scala, Albina, Athénée Palace — offered an elegant setting where Bucharestians lived out their sweet everyday lives.

The disappearance and memory of a symbol

The 1980s brought a period of austerity, and Casata did not escape the general decline. The lack of ingredients, full nationalization, and the transformation of confectioneries into standardized production units gradually erased the charm of the old days. After 1989, the place lost its identity, and in today’s urban landscape, little remains to remind us of its former glory.

Still, in the collective memory, Casata continues to exist. Those who lived through those times remember with emotion the taste of the profiterole, the aroma of the ice cream, and the joy of spending even an hour in that corner of Bucharest where life seemed more beautiful. In an era of scarcity, Casata was a small window into elegance, refinement, and normalcy.

A taste that cannot be forgotten

Today, when shop windows overflow with sophisticated desserts, few realize how much emotion a single well-made cake could once evoke. Casata was not just a confectionery — it was a symbol of a world that sought beauty in details. 

Its profiterole remains in the memory of Bucharest’s people not only for its perfect taste but for what it represented: a drop of happiness in a gray world.

The story of Casata is, in the end, the story of a city that knew how to savor life even in difficult times. And perhaps that is why “the profiterole from Casata” is not just a famous dessert, but a symbol of elegance, nostalgia, and the Bucharest spirit that never fades.

 We also recommend: Zamfirescu, the first chocolate factory in Romania, supplier of Casa Capșa. From here, Iuliu Maniu bought candies for Queen Marie