Romania - Eastern Europe - page 511

anthropological study in excess and wealth. Apart from the unnaturally upmarket
crowd, things are pretty mellow, with just enough action on the dance floor to keep
things interesting. Str. Râmuri Tei 39. & 0788 - 296 - 776. Thurs-Sat 11:30pm-6am.
EXIT Who said you had to be a teenager to have fun in Bucharest; this swing-
ing club beneath Amsterdam Grand Café offers a refreshing take on the smoother
rhythms of New Jazz, Bosa Nova, and chill-out music, studiously mixed by knowing
DJs. Str. Covaci 6. & 021/313 - 7580. Fri-Sat 9pm-4am.
Impact Club Hard, sweaty club with a hot DJ lineup, this is Bucharest's most per-
ceptibly gay dance venue. Str. Viitorului 26. & 021/212 - 0620. www.go2impact.ro.
Lâptâria Enache Smart and wild, the National Theater bar attracts a swinging
following (mostly from among the university crowd). It's on the fourth floor of the
theater building, and you'll have to search for the anonymous entrance near the
Dominusart Gallery. Musical entertainments include good jazz. It's rooftop neighbor
is called La Motoare, great during summer. B-dul Nicolae Balcescu 2. & 021/315 - 8508.
www.laptaria.totalnet.ro. Mon-Thurs noon-2am; Fri-Sat noon-4am; Sun 1pm-2am.
The Office With a name this pretentious, you'd better dress for success; the
crowd is hot and eager and you'd best come armed with plenty of cash (credit cards
also accepted). Str. Tache Ionescu 2. & 021/211-6748. www.theoffice.ro. 8pm until late.
Salsa III Want to see how Romanians tune in to their Latino roots? The dedi-
cated salsa crowd (which seems to follow this club around as it reincarnates in differ-
ent venues) certainly knows a thing or two about getting its groove on. Str. Mihai
Eminescu 89. & 0723 - 531 - 841. Mon-Sat 8pm-last guest.
Tempo One of the swanky new places attracting Bucharest's chic crowd, Tempo
is actually a restaurant, but its eye-catching decor: padded bar, glass tabletops balanced
on short classical fluted columns, and trendy white-and-red theme make it a good for
a sundowner or perpetual people-watching any time of day. Str. George Enescu 10.
& 021/313 - 1228. [e-mail]. Daily 8am-late.
Tonka Soul Café Open round-the-clock, the vibe changes according to the
hour; great for early-morning coffee, it becomes a groovy hangout after dark and peaks
after midnight when tunes get loud and the youngish crowd gets wild, ordering from
a menu of cocktails and exclusively imported beers. Wooden deck chairs, orange cush-
ions, flatscreen TVs, and contemporary art combine in a relaxed haven near the Amzei
Market. Pia$a Amzei, Str. Biserica Amzei 19. & 021/317 - 8342. www.tonka.ro. Open all hours.
4 Wallachia
Wallachia, of which Bucharest is now the capital, is the traditional heart of Romania;
in fact, locals refer to it as # ar â Româneasc â —“The Romanian Land.” Named for the
landowner princes, the Wallachs (or Vlachs), who ruled southern Romania from the
14th to the 18th century, its key historical figures (including notorious Vlad # epe @ )
were committed to defying Turkish control in one way or another. Proud claims insist
that Wallachia was never actually part of the Ottoman Empire, enabling a distinctive
post-Byzantine evolution in the arts and architecture that set it apart from the rest of the
Balkans. Indeed, it was here that the uniquely Romanian architectural movement—
known as the Brâncovenesc style—was developed by Constantin Brâncoveanu in the
latter part of the 17th century; the best example of this being the beautifully frescoed
Great Church at the Horezu Monastery.