What to eat in Moldova
Country cooking with Romanian, Turkish and Ukrainian threads running through it. Big portions, plenty of soup, and a glass that refills itself.
Moldovan cooking is a compelling mix of Romanian, Turkish, Ukrainian, Russian and Balkan influences. It is a cuisine of plenty — the portions are generous, the meals are long, and hospitality is a matter of honour.
At the table in Moldova
A Moldovan meal is in no hurry. It starts with răcituri (jellied meat) and pickles, sheep’s cheese and home-baked bread, and only then comes a soup — usually zeamă, soured with borș made from fermented wheat bran. The main course is something substantial: sarmale (stuffed vine or cabbage leaves), meat cooked in a cauldron, or mămăligă (polenta) with cheese and soured cream. And the glass of house wine is refilled before you have managed to empty it.
A good part of the flavour comes from the market, not the kitchen. At Chișinău’s Piața Centrală you buy cheese straight from the producer, pickles by the kilo, honey, walnuts and whatever fruit is in season. That is the difference from restaurant food: local ingredients, fresh, with little fuss.
Orthodox fasting has left its mark on the menu too. „De post" describes a whole category of dishes without meat or dairy — plăcinte filled with potato or cabbage, mashed bean paste, vegetable stews — and you will find them all year, not only during the fasts.
Frequently asked questions
Questions about Moldovan food
Which traditional dishes should I try in Moldova?
Plăcinte (filled pastries), zeamă (a soured chicken soup), mămăligă with cheese, sarmale and colțunași (dumplings) are fixtures of the Moldovan table.
What is zeamă?
A traditional chicken soup with home-made noodles, vegetables and lovage, soured with borș (fermented wheat bran liquid). It is one of Moldova’s signature dishes.
What do people drink in Moldova besides wine?
Divin (Moldovan brandy), fruit rachiu and fresh grape must during the harvest are the traditional favourites.
What does a traditional meal cost in Moldova?
Roughly, a traditional lunch costs €5–10 per person and dinner at a restaurant €15–30. Food and wine are very reasonable.
Is Moldovan food spicy?
Not very. It is a cuisine of plenty built on fresh ingredients, soured cream, cheese and vegetables, with mild, balanced flavours.
Where to sleep while you eat your way round Moldova
Hotels and guesthouses on the map, with prices compared across Booking, Airbnb and other platforms.
Map provided by Stay22. Bookings are completed on the partner platforms.
Where to taste it
Where to eat
Restaurants in Chișinău, from traditional kitchens to modern rooms.
SeeWineries & tastings
From record-breaking underground cities to family wineries. Almost all of them take visitors by appointment.
SeeWhere to stay
Real hotels and guesthouses, with prices compared on the map across Booking, Airbnb and other platforms.
SeeThe full food experience
A food tour built around you: restaurants, the market, tastings, a winery visit.
