Hi everyone! I have just come back from Romania and had the worst dining experience there. It's not about all the restaurants, no, most of them are very clean and food is delicious. But in two different restaurants I found bugs in my plates!!!!!! We showed the extra piece of meat to the waiter in the first restaurant but nevertheless he refused to change the plates and began complaining when we didn't tip him. (It's not necessary to add that the price for the bug-lasagna was included in the bill)... In the other restaurant (that tends to have a very good reputation) they didn't charge me for the spoiled meal. Oh thaaanks. But really is it only about my luck? (If it was a kind of lottery I would have been the winner twice and maybe I would have become two millions richer). Or it is normal to find something moving in your plate in Romania and other places of Eastern Europe? Tell me about your experience!

Yikes!

M8

Mice and rats tend to be rather common in restaurant kitchens located old buildings both in Eastern and Western Europe. Never knowingly encoutered any bugs but one particular Pelmeny place in St.Petersburg almost made myself and two companions leave after the rat race in the open kitchen became a little too irritating. Stayed and had a quite nice snack, though.

One of the more disappointing for me was the U Korbele at the Renaissance Hotel in Prague, just across the street from the Marriott. It had gotten very good reviews on the Internet, at least those I saw, and looked very inviting from the outside.
We know not to hope for much at a hotel restaurant, and we also know that if the place has no other customers, this also is not a good sign. But the menu promised authentic Czech cuisine, which I really like.
Ordered the pork, dumplings, sauce, sauerkraut, with a side order of potato soup. Was expecting the traditional versions. Labor-intensive homemade dumplings, sauce/gravy with drippings and maybe sour cream, cooked sauerkraut thickened with a roux, and potato-dill soup cooked in milk, with egg put in to poach right before serving, and vinegar on the side to pour in, to taste, into the soup.
What we got was what appeared to be dumplings made from a mix, a reddish, sugary sauce poured over meat and dumplings, ruining both, sugary sauerkraut, and a "potato soup" that consisted of what appeared to be diced potatoes and vegetables from a frozen package, and cooked in water.
Later saw pictures of the same reddish sauce and clear vegetable soup in a train restaurant, so suppose the U Korbele had some basis for this being a more common dish than I had believed. But still --
Waiter came over at one point and asked how we liked the meal. I saw my chance to complain about all the sugar. He left, then a few minutes later came back to gather our plates and he asked if we would like dessert.
Another group came in when we were half through. As we left, we passed them, and they were looking as glum as we felt.

I think in certain countries, the kitchen facilities of many restaurants are not as sanitized as those you would find back home. In your case, you may have found a clean dining facility but perhaps quite a filthy back kitchen of a restaurant. But at least you found the bug before consuming it and thus prevented yourself from a potential illness.

Hey! Please tell me what restaurants. Was it in Bucharest?
I'll be going back in December and I'd like to avoide the place if possible.
Thanks
Tom

Hi there,
I travel to Romania often (Mrs apx06 is Romanian) and the standards are rather different to here in the UK regarding bugs and the like...

There are innumerous times when I have found bugs on the food. Just don't eat them and it'll all be fine The resturants in Bucharest are pretty good, as are many (in fact probably most) of the others outside the capital. Romanian food is actually quite good and at this time of year uses an enormous amount of fresh vegtables. Try the various dishes and enjoy the food.

That said, I ought to go look for my passport as I'm flying out for lunch in Bucharest tomorrow...
Jason

deleted

Several years ago while eating in a well known rest.in Berkley Ca. looked on the floor next to my table and spotted a rat that was spaced out(maybe poisoned)walking in circles .that was a first for me ,but it happens in the US also,you don"t have to go abroad

Yuck but happens everywhere. Saw a rat scurry along the wall at a SF Chron reviewed Thai restaurant this year.

It happened in Constanta, Mamaia, the one of the best resorts there meant mostly for foreigners than for local people, we wanted to spend some days at the sea side... By the way, while we were in Bucharest everything was fine! I guess they have higher standards in the capital... And I don't remember the names of the restaurants, i notice the names of the places i like and want to visit one more time. Hope it won't happen to anyone of you, but please watch what you eat... maybe it's something still alive and moving... ewww...

we should tie this thread in with the "how many of you are vegan/vegetarian" thread and see how many converts are produced

i spent 2 weeks in the hinterlands of Ukraine, a lot of the "food" was simply inedible, but on the good side i lost about 10 pounds
until i got back to Kiev and picked out - daily - at the TGIF

Converts?! NEVER!