Located just across the street from the Academy of Economic Studies, in the place where Căderea Bastiliei Street begins, this is the new competitor for the Cărturești in terms of stylish, relaxed bookstores which provide more than books appealing to more than one sense of the visitor. Having opened bookstores in 3 Romanian cities before Bucharest (Timișoara, Cluj and Iași), the company running the bookstore looked until it found a landmark, heritage property that could compete with Cărturești’s and nevertheless had a better location for one of the best markets when it comes to books: students. And they could have hardly got any better there.
The house. Built in 1913 and part of a 3 house lot meant for the same family, the house was initially meant for Painter Gheorghe Petrașcu. Petrașcu was a renowned figure of the Romanian artistic movement in the first part of the 20th century, founding his own style that employed deep colours and showed great force in evoking objects or landscape parts, all in their immediate environment. He received the great prize at two International Exhibitions, in Barcelona (1929) and Paris (1937); Bucharest’s Casa Zambaccian hosts some of his remarkable works. The Neo-Romanian style villa bordering Piața Romană will certainly draw one’s attention with its massive, glass and forged iron door, the fine columns reminding of Brâncoveanu style and the beautiful tile work employing fine floral patterns under the roof. It was designed by Architect Spiridon Cegăneanu, one of Master Ion Mincu’s apprentices; if the tile work on the facade reminded you of the Casa Doina or Școala Centrală, now you know why. High ceiling rooms on the ground floor, a wooden, squeaky stairway, an upper floor and an open space attic come complete with poems, jokes, sketches and words of wisdom painted along impeccably white walls and equally white paper lamps. While a bit of colour would bring a warm touch to it all, books aside, the effort to visit the house will certainly be rewarding.
The business. The bookstore comes first, with a good (and developing I believe) range of fiction books on the ground floor, while non-fiction, albums and foreign books lie mostly on the first floor, together with a limited stock of music and novel CDs, movie DVDs, as well as next to a good selection of teas of the berry and citrus sort. The second floor, a large attic, hosts a relaxed cafeteria (too relaxed, on the lonely side if there are just a couple of other people around) with small leather-covered chairs set around small round tables. Its name? Up there at cucurigu what else but ‘Al Nouălea Cer’ (En. ‘Seventh Heavens’). The menu has a few recommended Corcova reds (try the Merlot), South American coffee and several types of tea unfortunately not of the best quality and brand from my experience. A special, small division of the attic is dedicated to smokers. The walls come complete with interesting sketches (that hardly need translation) and jokes, while a poem has been written in a long line of words along the stairway leading from the first floor up here. The basement comes complete with a spa unit complete with jacuzzi and a fitness hall which is to open soon. A good addition to a bookstore? Maybe yes, maybe no, but, keeping in mind the many students passing by this house every day, who knows...
When all is said and done, this place is well worth a visit for its fine interiors, while the book stock is slowly getting better. While, at the time of writing (December 2011), the English book stock was very low and the album and guidebook one was modest with music CDs not straying too far from there, the cafeteria remains a great place to be and for those understanding Romanian, the bookstore has quite a good and diverse offer.
GPS - N44 26 50.61 E26 05 47.15
5 Piaţa Romană, tel.: 021-2240130
