The oldest cafe in Bucharest, awarded for interior design at the National Architecture Biennale

Cafenea Veche 9, the oldest cafe in Bucharest, located in the Old Center of Bucharest, in a historic building, certified in 1812, is awarded for Interior Architecture at the National Architecture Biennale 2023.

Meeting place of the former elite, the Cafe had as guests personalities of Romanian culture: Mihai Eminescu, Veronica Micle, Ion Luca Caragiale and King Carol II. Cafenea Veche was the place where Mihai Eminescu enjoyed his coffee, at that time Editor-in-Chief of the Timpul publication, whose headquarters, Hotel Universal, was on Covaci street, right next to the place where from now on the refined coffee and complex menus are enjoyed by Bucharest.

In the official documents, the Old Cafe appears attested in 1812, but the story begins in 1781, when the Armenian Ștefan Antîlop received the permission of ruler Alexandru Ipsilanti to build a cafe near the Royal Court.

The culture and heritage of the place attracted investors in an ambitious project, which involved the renovation and reopening to the public of Bucharest’s oldest cafe. The current owners wanted to preserve the picturesque air of the past era, but at the same time to bring up-to-date a space that had lost its relevance after successive renovations.

Thus, there were no interventions on the exterior – the walls, the tile roof and the shutters are refurbished according to the old patterns. The 200 heads of lions and the eight faces engraved on the white walls date from the 19th century. The plaque inscribed with the name of the cafe and the two iron lamps suspended on the facade are among the architectural elements that have been preserved over the years.

The oldest cafe in Bucharest is located in front of Saint Anton Square and was documented in 1812.