The food take over 40 minutes to be delivered to our table. And the place was not crowded.
Opentable Diner
Just not worth it. Service lacking. Food quality was inconsistent. Some portions too small, some unusually large. Plating clunky.
Lawyer Traveler Dreamer
Check out my I G lawyer.traveler.dreamer for more footage of our dining experience.
Zola Bistro in Bucharest is one of those places that instantly makes you want to stay longer. The floral decor is beautiful without feeling overdone. The space feels cozy and stylish at the same time. I went there for lunch with a friend, and it was exactly the kind of place you want for a slow, easy conversation over good food.
The menu has a nice variety. Everything we tried was fresh and well-prepared. I ordered a matcha latte that came with a tiny bear-shaped foam on top, which was a fun touch. We also loved the comfortable seating. The swing chairs gave the place a playful vibe without feeling gimmicky.
Service was friendly and fairly quick, even though the place was busy. Prices are on the higher end for Bucharest but fair for the quality and atmosphere.
If you’re into places that balance aesthetics with solid food and a relaxed feel, Zola is worth checking out.
Meredith
So many delicious brunch/breakfast items to choose from! We had great service and great food. We will be back.
Bernadette
After a very enjoyable first visit to Cafe Zola a few months ago, I was again in town and made it a priority to go back. The second visit unfortunately left a lot to be desired between the food and the service. The only time our server really came across as warm and smiled was when I handed her $30 on a $150 check. The lobster/avocado dish I had loved was no longer being served so I went with the crab cake Benedict- I should have asked if this was lump crab. It was a little thick and soft in the middle, mushy- definitely room for improvement. Service took longer than expected as well, thankfully we were not in any rush. Sad to say I won't be making this a must-do on my next visit home to A2.
A2diner
We dined at Zola's on a Monday night the end of June. We had a completely different experience than on a Thursday Mid May. Mid May:excellent all around. The other day, not so much. Inexperienced waitperson. Bar tender did not compare. May: awesome drinks. June: awful. Food similar. We have heard, right or wrong, that most the staff were fired a month ago and replaced with less experienced people. Confirmed by our experience. Sadly, it will be a long time before we go back to Zola's after our last experience.
Mike
Delicious egg dishes make for a savory brunch. Service always first class. The place to see and be seen.
Emma
It took us an hour to get our food after ordering and we were served cold food and burnt food. My eggs were rubbery and room temperature and my friend's sandwich was fully burnt.
Haarika
My date and I went for Sunday brunch and the restaurant was terribly under-staffed so the wait for the food was excruciatingly long. However, the lemon ricotta pancakes absolutely made up for the wait. Definitely a great brunch spot, the food is otherworldly and there's a cute patio! Huge complaint that I have is the lack of a website. It's super important for me to be able to view a menu before going to a restaurant so this was definitely frustrating.
Steve
Very disappointing experience . My wife ordered the Arugula salad for dinner...In the past she had ordered this and it was much bigger (enough for a dinner). Last night, the salad covered about 1/3 of the plate. Our friends also ordered the same salad (as just part of their dinner), and their plate was definitely a significantly larger portion. We didn't say anything but our friends commented about it haha. Our friends ordered the Adan Lamb Kafte....they had questions about it and the server explained the components, including the tomato eggplant sauce/conserve. When the server brought the dish (after a very long wait), he said sorry there was no more tomato eggplant sauce and placed the dish down and then stated but we shouldn't worry about it because the flavor comes from the kafte. Nice....we declined the dish. (why wouldn't we be told this after ordering rather than when we were served??) Finally, I had the salmon burger....not bad, but honestly the toasted bun was so dry that it kept crumbling and it was very hard/messy to eat this without it all falling apart. I cannot remember the last time felt compelled to complain but all of this together was pretty disappointing, especially given the above average prices. I did try to contact the restaurant management before posting this, but the website has been down for 4 days at least and they didn't reply to my instagram message. I did run across some very disturbing information about the ownership of this restaurant online from many people, and I'll leave it to you to look this up.
I can not recommend this cafe enough! Great service and fantastic food! The dining experience was much better than the date I brought! Cafe Zola.. will you marry me? lol
Carol
The Alaskan Halibut with asparagus in a carrot purée was delicious. This was one of the chef's specials. We ordered a Caesar salad to share and the server placed it on separate plates. There was Plenty for each of us. Asked for fresh bread when we arrived, but was told it wouldn't be ready till 5:00. So we agreed to wait for it, but unfortunately it never came. Hubby ordered the crab cakes which he really enjoyed. A bit spicy though, could have been the dip. Great selection of wine and cocktails. Everything is a la carte. Will definitely go back!
Eve
The food was excellent as always. We love the hustle bustle of the restaurant, and our server Coco (sp?) was nice, genuine, and gracious.
Terese
I had two consecutive business meetings. Wait staff was very attentive. Coffee was great. Will be back.
Chirag
Wonderful quaint restaurant with good food and friendly service. The steaks were excellent as was the Arugula Salad
The food take over 40 minutes to be delivered to our table. And the place was not crowded.
Just not worth it. Service lacking. Food quality was inconsistent. Some portions too small, some unusually large. Plating clunky.
Check out my I G lawyer.traveler.dreamer for more footage of our dining experience. Zola Bistro in Bucharest is one of those places that instantly makes you want to stay longer. The floral decor is beautiful without feeling overdone. The space feels cozy and stylish at the same time. I went there for lunch with a friend, and it was exactly the kind of place you want for a slow, easy conversation over good food. The menu has a nice variety. Everything we tried was fresh and well-prepared. I ordered a matcha latte that came with a tiny bear-shaped foam on top, which was a fun touch. We also loved the comfortable seating. The swing chairs gave the place a playful vibe without feeling gimmicky. Service was friendly and fairly quick, even though the place was busy. Prices are on the higher end for Bucharest but fair for the quality and atmosphere. If you’re into places that balance aesthetics with solid food and a relaxed feel, Zola is worth checking out.
So many delicious brunch/breakfast items to choose from! We had great service and great food. We will be back.
After a very enjoyable first visit to Cafe Zola a few months ago, I was again in town and made it a priority to go back. The second visit unfortunately left a lot to be desired between the food and the service. The only time our server really came across as warm and smiled was when I handed her $30 on a $150 check. The lobster/avocado dish I had loved was no longer being served so I went with the crab cake Benedict- I should have asked if this was lump crab. It was a little thick and soft in the middle, mushy- definitely room for improvement. Service took longer than expected as well, thankfully we were not in any rush. Sad to say I won't be making this a must-do on my next visit home to A2.
We dined at Zola's on a Monday night the end of June. We had a completely different experience than on a Thursday Mid May. Mid May:excellent all around. The other day, not so much. Inexperienced waitperson. Bar tender did not compare. May: awesome drinks. June: awful. Food similar. We have heard, right or wrong, that most the staff were fired a month ago and replaced with less experienced people. Confirmed by our experience. Sadly, it will be a long time before we go back to Zola's after our last experience.
Delicious egg dishes make for a savory brunch. Service always first class. The place to see and be seen.
It took us an hour to get our food after ordering and we were served cold food and burnt food. My eggs were rubbery and room temperature and my friend's sandwich was fully burnt.
My date and I went for Sunday brunch and the restaurant was terribly under-staffed so the wait for the food was excruciatingly long. However, the lemon ricotta pancakes absolutely made up for the wait. Definitely a great brunch spot, the food is otherworldly and there's a cute patio! Huge complaint that I have is the lack of a website. It's super important for me to be able to view a menu before going to a restaurant so this was definitely frustrating.
Very disappointing experience . My wife ordered the Arugula salad for dinner...In the past she had ordered this and it was much bigger (enough for a dinner). Last night, the salad covered about 1/3 of the plate. Our friends also ordered the same salad (as just part of their dinner), and their plate was definitely a significantly larger portion. We didn't say anything but our friends commented about it haha. Our friends ordered the Adan Lamb Kafte....they had questions about it and the server explained the components, including the tomato eggplant sauce/conserve. When the server brought the dish (after a very long wait), he said sorry there was no more tomato eggplant sauce and placed the dish down and then stated but we shouldn't worry about it because the flavor comes from the kafte. Nice....we declined the dish. (why wouldn't we be told this after ordering rather than when we were served??) Finally, I had the salmon burger....not bad, but honestly the toasted bun was so dry that it kept crumbling and it was very hard/messy to eat this without it all falling apart. I cannot remember the last time felt compelled to complain but all of this together was pretty disappointing, especially given the above average prices. I did try to contact the restaurant management before posting this, but the website has been down for 4 days at least and they didn't reply to my instagram message. I did run across some very disturbing information about the ownership of this restaurant online from many people, and I'll leave it to you to look this up.
Restaurantji Recommends
I can not recommend this cafe enough! Great service and fantastic food! The dining experience was much better than the date I brought! Cafe Zola.. will you marry me? lol
The Alaskan Halibut with asparagus in a carrot purée was delicious. This was one of the chef's specials. We ordered a Caesar salad to share and the server placed it on separate plates. There was Plenty for each of us. Asked for fresh bread when we arrived, but was told it wouldn't be ready till 5:00. So we agreed to wait for it, but unfortunately it never came. Hubby ordered the crab cakes which he really enjoyed. A bit spicy though, could have been the dip. Great selection of wine and cocktails. Everything is a la carte. Will definitely go back!
The food was excellent as always. We love the hustle bustle of the restaurant, and our server Coco (sp?) was nice, genuine, and gracious.
I had two consecutive business meetings. Wait staff was very attentive. Coffee was great. Will be back.
Wonderful quaint restaurant with good food and friendly service. The steaks were excellent as was the Arugula Salad
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