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Iasi Nightlife, Romania

With Iasi being the temporary home of 70000 students, it’s quite hard to imagine you’ll ever get bored, especially at nighttime, when pubs, cafés and clubs become overcrowded. However, if you prefer having a solitary walk, tasting some local specialties or just watching a movie, this Iasi nightlife guide will make an inventory of all possibilities.

Iasi Nightlife – Restaurants

There’s much to say about Romanian cuisine: although you can find most traditional dishes in other countries and under different names, foreigners never seem to have enough of the delicious ‘mititei’, ‘slanina’, ‘mamaliga’, ‘ciorba radauteana’, ‘ciorba de burta’ or ‘sarmale’. The Moldavian wines, especially the ‘Cotnari’ brand, are also worth of a try. You can try any of the delicious Moldavian dishes in restaurants like: Hanul Dacilor, Casa Bolta Rece, Trei Sarmale, Baron or Barbarosa (fish specialties).

If you’re on a budget, Iasi is just the place to be: you’ll find plenty of fast-foods around the campus or inside Iulius Mall. International specialties are also available in a wide range, varying from the classic Italian (Tosca), French (Casa Bilius), Chinese (Dragon), the less common Irish (Ginger Ale), Lebanese (Sindbad) or Dutch (Aad’s Place).

Iasi Nightlife – Pubs and Cafes

A night out in any Romanian town usually starts with friends gathering for a drink in a café or, during summer, on a terrace. Here, you have plenty of choices, from bohemian tea houses to trendy lounges: Deja-Vue, City Café, Black Out, Back Room 34, Alpin Weiss, Bourbon House. After some gossip and a couple of beers, people are just in the right mood for some dancing and some loud music (which can be a gig, DJ party, karaoke, you name it). Some of the most popular night clubs and discos in Iasi are: Traffic, Skin, Pub 25, Hypnotic and XS.

Iasi Nightlife – Cinemas and Theatres

You’ll find it easy to watch a movie in Iasi, as in Romania, movies come with their original score and voices, and have Romanian subtitles. There are five cinemas in Iasi: Victoria, Republica, Dacia, Glendale and Cinema City (the least two are modern, multiplex theaters). As for theatre plays, opera and classical music, Iasi is proud to present you the Vasile Alecsandri National Theatre (one of the oldest in the country), the Tatarasi Athenaeum and Bon Ton Theatre, as well as the Romanian National Opera of Iasi and the “Moldova” National Philharmonic.

The Iasi underground music scene might not be as active as in Bucharest or Timisoara, but Iasi nightlife will meet, if not go above, your expectations.

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