![\"cluj](\"https:\/\/sprudge.com\/file\/2018\/07\/Old-Town-Cluj-Napoca-Romania-1-150x150.jpg\")
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The circumstances under which I found myself in Cluj-Napoca were definitely a case of doing it for the \u2018gram<\/em>. I\u2019m not alone in spending too much time on Instagram, looking at pretty travel photos and dreaming of my next holiday, usually one that involves good food and coffee. Sometimes, my wanderlusting turns into actual travel plans. That’s how I found myself on a budget airline flight from London to Romania, knowing virtually nothing about the city I was about to visit, except that it might just be<\/strong> Europe\u2019s best-kept secret speciality coffee haven. Taking a chance certainly paid off: the Cluj coffee scene blew my mind.<\/p>\n And if you\u2019ve never heard of Cluj-Napoca, don\u2019t worry. I hadn\u2019t either until just a few months ago\u2014you should definitely consider this an outsider’s view on this special place. Cluj (as the locals call it, dropping the pre-Roman denomination of Napoca) may be one of the most populous cities in Romania, but with a headcount of just 330,000 inhabitants, it retains a charming small-town feel.\u00a0It\u2019s considered the cultural heart of Transylvania, a region known worldwide for its beautiful scenery, rich history, and a population that is linguistically and ethnically diverse.<\/p>\n It\u2019s easy to see why Cluj appeals to a young demographic. Students come here from all over Romania to study at the city\u2019s universities. Young European expats and international tourists are attracted by the affordable cost of living, vibrant food scene, and wide offer of art, culture, and music events. And in the coffee realm, Cluj is home to many of country’s top baristas and roasters, pushing for coffee quality with a culinary approach and, together with Bucharest, paving the way for a booming young specialty coffee culture here in Romania.<\/p>\n YUME Coffee Roasters<\/strong><\/p>\n Mihai Sumedre and R\u0103zvan Ro\u0219u opened\u00a0YUME Coffee Roasters<\/a> in October 2014. The company focuses on roasting, producing a few hundred kilograms of coffee per week across different lines: six to eight light-roasted single origin coffees, a light-medium roasted espresso blend (YUME Espresso#1), a medium roasted 100% Arabica blend, and two single origins (Eclectic Line).<\/p>\n Inside YUME, a glass wall divides the roastery from the cafe area, where customers can taste the seasonal coffees and learn more about specialty and brewing through cuppings and workshops.\u00a0\u201cEducation plays a vital role in changing the Cluj-Napoca and Romanian coffee scene for the better,\u201d Ro\u0219u says.\u00a0\u201cWe pursue a dream of perfection that is never to be attained, but always to be striving for, through a continuous craft improvement.\u201d<\/p>\n Narcoffee Roasters <\/strong><\/p>\n Narcoffee<\/a> isn\u2019t just one of the most beautiful coffee shops I\u2019ve seen in Cluj. It’s an established coffee chain and roastery with five outlets in Romania (Cluj and Bucharest) and one location in Prague. It all started in Cluj-Napoca, where the first coffee shop was opened in late 2016 by restaurateurs Marcelus Suciu and Dan Isai. They are now planning an international expansion to Czech Republic, France, the United Kingdom, and USA.<\/p>\n Narcoffee\u2019s goal since the start was to import excellent speciality beans from origin and roast them in small batches at the roastery in Cluj-Napoca, home to head roaster Marius Nica, a national and international Latte Art and Cup Tasters competitor. Espresso is popular here, though increasingly more people choose filter coffee, both as V60<\/a> and AeroPress<\/a>.<\/p>\n “We take our mission of educating coffee drinkers very seriously. We taught a lot of our customers that coffee can be more than a bitter black liquid meant to wake you up,\u201d says Paul Farcas, Narcoffee’s Business Development Officer. “It’s paid off as we have regular customers coming every single day, and many have changed habits from large lattes with a lot of sugar to delicious small cappuccinos with just the natural sweetness of our local fresh milk.”<\/p>\n Roots <\/strong><\/p>\n Roots<\/a>\u00a0opened in January 2016 as an all-day eatery and cafe that delivers great experiences\u2014from specialty coffee and tea to cakes and hot dishes, and wines and craft cocktails in the evenings. Like most of the coffee shops in the old town, the space is small yet comfortable. The wooden furniture and long coffee bar are modern and give the impression that a lot of thought and work have gone into the creation of Roots.<\/p>\n Roots is best appreciated as a breakfast and brunch spot: the atmosphere in the morning is lively with lots of customers (many regulars) coming and going all the time. The pancakes with seasonal stonefruit and hazelnuts were excellent. The Portuguese style pasteis de nata<\/em> I tasted (after I saw them coming out of the kitchen) was quite possibly the best I\u2019ve ever tasted (and yes, before you ask, I have<\/em> been to Lisbon).<\/p>\n They choose to serve single origins for espresso and filter coffee here, with coffees roasted by one of Romania\u2019s top roasters, Origo Coffee Roasters<\/a>\u00a0of Bucharest. “We appreciate Origo\u2019s constant focus on quality and their passion for specialty coffee,\u201d Bogdan Gheorghiu, owner of Roots, explains. \u201cOur guests are open to new flavor experiences and we are happy to spread our passion for coffee with them.\u201d<\/p>\n I loved Roots and its approach to food and drinks. I had a fantastic breakfast of pancakes and a flat white, but I also had the pleasure of tasting one of the best custard tarts of my life.<\/p>\n Espresso Studio<\/strong><\/p>\n Espresso Studio<\/a> was opened at the end of 2017 by Ioan Sumedre Jr. (Sumi) to create a cultural hub where people can enjoy high-quality specialty coffee and tea served in handmade ceramics, while also connecting over art exhibitions as well as literary and musical events regularly hosted at this space. Sumi is so passionate about coffee and crafts, he creates the ceramic cups and plates himself.<\/p>\n Espresso Studio is proud to serve YUME coffee and a wide range of single origins is offered for espresso and filter. The barista asked me about my personal preferences and recommended a flavorful Ethiopian Kochere Burtukaana coffee as espresso with milk.<\/p>\n Tucked away in a small lane off the main Boulevard Eroilor, Espresso Studio is not as fancy as other Cluj coffee shops, but it\u2019s cosy and welcoming. At the time of my visit, during the Transylvania Film Festival<\/a>, the cafe was a hangout for film lovers to discuss films and arts. \u201cWe believe that having a cup of coffee while being immersed in culture amongst friends and\/or artists, musicians, actors, and other creative people is a plus, says Milena Surducan, the shop’s culture manager. “That\u2019s why Espresso Studio was born.”<\/p>\n Eggcetera<\/strong><\/p>\n Newcomer Eggcetera<\/a> (opened April 2018) is the second Cluj cafe by Ioana Laz\u00e2r and Vlad Udrea. The couple founded Victor. Fresh To Go<\/a> coffee shop in 2013 and have over five years\u2019 experience in speciality coffee. The shop\u2014as the name suggests\u2014offers coffee and breakfast fare at any time of day.<\/p>\n A team of baristas headed by Udrea himself regularly holds coffee cupping sessions to pick the next single origins for espresso and filter coffee. Laz\u00e2r and Udrea are proud to collaborate with top Romanian roasters Origo and Bob Coffee Lab<\/a> (whose Head Roaster was World Coffee Roasting Champion 2016 Alexandru Niculaie). They also work with foreign roasters such as Gardelli<\/a>, Fjord<\/a>, and The Underdog<\/a>.<\/p>\n Eggcetera looks and feels like a restaurant first more than a cafe; the small space is fully occupied by tables while the coffee counter is at the back. As a self-confessed brunch lover, I thoroughly enjoyed my pretty dish of smashed avo and a Flat White, on par with the best brunches I\u2019ve had in London.<\/p>\n Bujole<\/strong><\/p>\n Boasting an enviable location on the main square, Bujole<\/a> is a restaurant focused on speciality coffee paired with French-inspired cuisine. The interiors are modern, bright, and strikingly beautiful, but the best spot in the house is a table on the terrace overlooking the square, Pia\u021ba Unirii. Bujole is the second brand by Marcelus Suciu, which follows on the success of Olivo Coffee Roasters<\/a>.\u00a0You\u2019ll find Olivo a few minutes away on Bulevardul Eroilor. It is one of four speciality coffee roasters in Cluj-Napoca, supplying Bujole with coffee beans as well as specialised barista training.<\/p>\n Bujole works exclusively with single-origin coffees brought from all over the world to offer customers the experience of different flavors.\u00a0In the evenings, the La Marzocco Linea PB<\/a> machine goes under the counter (using a special mechanism, like a lift, which quickly lowers the machine underneath) and manual coffee brewing methods become the main attraction.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s Coffee<\/strong><\/p>\n Let’s Coffee<\/a> is the small business of Vasile Lupsac and Oana Moldovan who opened the coffee shop in August 2015.\u00a0The coffee is sourced from the best Romanian roasters such as YUME Coffee Rosters, Origo, Pressco<\/a> in Baia Mare, and Bob Coffee Lab in Bucharest. Lupsac and Moldovan also buy coffee roasted around Europe from The Barn<\/a>, April Coffee Roasters<\/a>, La Cabra Coffee<\/a>, JB Kaffee<\/a>, TAF<\/a>, and Gardelli Specialty Coffee Roasters.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were extremely excited when we received the first coffee from The Barn and we started preparing it. It was a great feeling for us and our customers,\u201d Lupsac says. \u201cWe weren’t sure what it would look like, didn’t know what coffee we were going to use, just that we want to deliver quality services for an unforgettable experience.\u201d<\/p>\n Lupsac and Moldocan prefer single-origin coffee, but don’t say no to a good blend. They explained that brewing methods like V60, AeroPress, and\u00a0Chemex<\/a> remain difficult to sell as many people in Romania associate filter coffee with tea and assume it is weaker than espresso. \u201cWe are trying to offer a range of filter coffees to raise interest and encourage our customers to try them,\u201d Lupsac says. \u201cThere is a real connection between baristas and customers here in Cluj. That\u2019s makes us special.\u201d<\/p>\n Coffee Addicts <\/strong><\/p>\n Coffee Addicts<\/a> is a small independent coffee shop opened in 2016 by Mihai (Mike) Tarta. I stopped at the cafe for a quick cappuccino to go on a hot Sunday morning, the cafe was quiet and I had the chance to chat a bit with the barista. The espresso was heavy-bodied, with hints of dark chocolate, prepared with a blend of four medium roasted Arabica coffee beans.<\/p>\n An eye-catching mural of a tree bedecked with multicolored toadstools and creatures sets the fun scene here, suggesting variety and intrigue are the main attractions at this cafe. Indeed, it’s a multi-roaster shop which is “always open to experiments and fresh ideas,” says Tarta. “The coffee culture in Cluj is expanding and our customers welcome the change.\u201d<\/p>\n Giulia Mule<\/a>\u00a0is a Sprudge.com contributor based in London. Read more\u00a0Giulia Mule on Sprudge<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n The post The Coffee Lover’s Guide To Cluj-Napoca, Romania<\/a> appeared first on Sprudge<\/a>.<\/p>\n Source: Coffee News<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The circumstances under which I found myself in Cluj-Napoca were definitely a case of doing it for the \u2018gram. I\u2019m not alone in spending too much time on Instagram, looking…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[26],"tags":[63,27,65,33,61,32,59,31,30],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thecurbkaimuki.com\/rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1901"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thecurbkaimuki.com\/rest\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thecurbkaimuki.com\/rest\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thecurbkaimuki.com\/rest\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thecurbkaimuki.com\/rest\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1901"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thecurbkaimuki.com\/rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1901\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thecurbkaimuki.com\/rest\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1901"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thecurbkaimuki.com\/rest\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1901"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thecurbkaimuki.com\/rest\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1901"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"cluj](\"https:\/\/sprudge.com\/file\/2018\/07\/Yume-Coffee-Roasters-Cluj-Napoca-Romania-1-1170x780.jpg\")
<\/strong><\/p>\nYUME Coffee Roasters is located at Strada Emil Petrovici 16, Cluj-Napoca<\/a>. Visit their official website<\/a> and follow them on Facebook<\/a>, Twitter,<\/a> and Instagram<\/a>.<\/div>\n![\"cluj](\"https:\/\/sprudge.com\/file\/2018\/07\/Narcoffee-Cluj-Napoca-Romania-2-1170x780.jpg\")
<\/strong><\/p>\nNarcoffee Roasters is located at Bulevardul Eroilor 49, Cluj-Napoca<\/a>. Visit their official website<\/a> and follow them on Facebook<\/a> and Instagram<\/a>.<\/div>\n![\"cluj](\"https:\/\/sprudge.com\/file\/2018\/07\/Roots-Cluj-Napoca-Romania-2-1170x780.jpg\")
<\/strong><\/p>\nRoots is located at Bulevardul Eroilor 4, Cluj-Napoca<\/a>. Follow them on Facebook.<\/a><\/div>\n![\"cluj](\"https:\/\/sprudge.com\/file\/2018\/07\/Espresso-Studio-Cluj-Napoca-Romania-1-1170x780.jpg\")
<\/strong><\/p>\nEspresso Studio is located at Strada Baba Novac 27, Cluj-Napoca<\/a>. Follow them on Facebook<\/a> and Instagram<\/a>.<\/div>\n![\"cluj](\"https:\/\/sprudge.com\/file\/2018\/07\/Eggcetera-Cluj-Napoca-Romania-2-1170x780.jpg\")
<\/strong><\/p>\nEggcetera is located at Strada Napoca 13, Cluj-Napoca<\/a>. Follow them on Facebook<\/a> and Instagram<\/a>.<\/div>\n![\"cluj](\"https:\/\/sprudge.com\/file\/2018\/07\/Bujole-Coffee-Cluj-Napoca-Romania-1170x780.jpg\")
<\/strong><\/p>\nBujole is located at Pia\u021ba Unirii 15, Cluj-Napoca.<\/a> Visit their official website<\/a> and follow them on Facebook<\/a> and Instagram<\/a>.<\/div>\n![\"cluj](\"https:\/\/sprudge.com\/file\/2018\/07\/Lets-Coffee-Cluj-Napoca-Romania-1-1170x780.jpg\")
<\/strong><\/p>\nLet’s Coffee is located at Strada Constantin Daicoviciu, Cluj-Napoca<\/a>. Follow them on Facebook<\/a> and Instagram<\/a>.<\/div>\n![\"cluj](\"https:\/\/sprudge.com\/file\/2018\/07\/Coffee-Addicts-Cluj-Napoca-Romania-1-1170x780.jpg\")
<\/strong><\/p>\nCoffee Addicts is located at Strada Regele Ferdinand 9, Cluj-Napoca<\/a>. Follow them on Facebook<\/a>\u00a0and Twitter<\/a>.<\/div>\n