Après-Ski and Restaurants in Poiana Brașov: Where to Eat and Drink

Set the scene: what après-ski means here

If you are picturing table-dancing in ski boots at four in the afternoon, recalibrate. Poiana Brașov has a few bars at the lift stations and some lively hotel lobbies, but no Alpine-style après scene. The rhythm is Romanian: a hot drink or a glass of mulled wine when the lifts close, a sauna, and then a long dinner that starts late and involves soup, grilled meat, polenta and a bottle of red. The big evenings out happen twenty minutes below, in Brașov.

That is not a complaint. Some of the pleasures of a ski trip here are gastronomic, and they are best enjoyed without a DJ.

On the mountain

• Cabana Postăvaru (Julius Römer). The historic mountain hut at around 1,600 m, a few hundred metres from the upper Ruia lifts, reachable on foot from the lifts, and in summer the classic stop on the hike up Postăvarul. Simple mountain food, soup and hot drinks; check the hut's own site or social pages for winter opening.
• Dudes Pub, by the top station of the Kanzel cable car, for a drink with a view at around 1,700 m.
• Pub Rossignol is the kind of place where the skiing day ends — and, according to the resort's rules, one of the two official starting points for evening uphill ski touring on Drumul Roșu.

Lunch at altitude on a busy Saturday means queues and a crowded terrace. Eating at 11:45 or after 13:30 is the same trick as with the lifts.

In the village: the classic dining rooms

Șura Dacilor — a Poiana institution whose concept dates back to 1967: a big rustic hall of timber and fire, Romanian and Transylvanian classics. Open from noon to midnight. Book at weekends.

Coliba Haiducilor — "the outlaws' hut", with around 180 seats in two dining rooms and another 120 on its terraces. The cooking is hearty and Romanian; it works best for a group after a long day. Open from noon to 23:30.

Restaurant Vânătorul — "the hunter", a long-established name in the village. We could not confirm its 2026 opening hours; call ahead.

Stâna Turistică Sergiana — on the road up from Brașov near Poiana Mică, a shepherd's-fold setting from the Sergiana group, known in the city for Transylvanian cooking and its own farm produce. A good stop on the way up or down.

Other addresses in the village include Hanul din Poiană, Casa Vlasin and Yager Chalet.

The hotel tables

The Artegianale Steak Restaurant at the Swissôtel is the choice for a quieter, more polished dinner. Many of the larger hotels also run their own restaurants and spas; if you are staying at one of them, a dinner at home after a massage is often the best evening of the week. Our where to stay in Poiana Brașov guide describes them.

What to order

• Ciorbă — a sour soup; *ciorbă de burtă* (tripe) or *ciorbă de fasole cu afumătură* (beans with smoked pork) are the classic cold-weather choices.
• Sarmale cu mămăligă — cabbage rolls with polenta, sour cream and a hot pepper.
• Tochitură — a pan of pork in a garlicky sauce with polenta, cheese and a fried egg: ski food by definition.
• Papanași — fried doughnuts with sour cream and jam, for sharing.
• Vin fiert — mulled wine, the après-ski drink of choice; țuică or pălincă — plum or fruit brandy, poured as a welcome.

Down in Brașov

For a serious dinner, go to town. No Romanian restaurant holds a Michelin star — the Michelin restaurant guide does not cover the country — so ignore anyone who claims otherwise. What Brașov does have is a handful of excellent kitchens:

• Bistro de l'Arte — chef Oana Coantă's small bistro on Piața George Enescu, long rated at the top of the city by Gault&Millau Romania.
• Dei Frati — Italian, named best Mediterranean restaurant at the Horeca Awards 2025.
• Casa Hirscher — a classic address a few steps from Piața Sfatului.
• Sergiana — the city branch of the Transylvanian group, with generous regional cooking.
• Panoramic — at the top of the Tâmpa cable car, which is authorised to run at night; dinner with the whole city lit up below.

For wine afterwards, try Pilvax, a wine bar and restaurant on Strada După Ziduri. The full list is on our restaurants page.

Practical notes

• Book at weekends and on public holidays, especially the big rustic rooms in Poiana.
• Tipping in Romania is voluntary and must be recorded on the fiscal receipt; card terminals and bills offer options from 0 to 15%, and 10% is usual for good service.
• Getting back from Brașov: bus 20 runs every 30 minutes until 23:30, or book a taxi or ride-hailing car in advance on busy nights — see getting to Poiana Brașov.
• No skiing tonight? The leisure centre has bowling and billiards, the ice rink runs in the evening, and Bradul may be floodlit — see night skiing.

For everything about the resort, start with the Poiana Brașov hub and our ski page.