Boulevard 73 Corinthia BUCHAREST French, Portuguese and Romanian cuisines converge in a splendour-filled setting that promises to elevate the city’s fine-dining scene. Words: Abby Lowe • Photography: Courtesy of Corinthia Hotels
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weeping boulevards lined with Belle Époque façades, a cosmopolitan atmosphere and even its own version of the Arc de Triomphe, it’s no wonder that by the early
20th century Bucharest had earned the sobriquet ‘Little Paris’.
Francophilia was widespread in the Romanian capital at the time, with the city’s elite adopting French fashion, manners and politics in a bid to modernise and distance themselves from Slavic influences. That inherent notion of Frenchness became clouded in the post-war communist years, but its essence lingered – and its outline, though smudged, is still clearly observable today. It’s particularly vivid at Corinthia Bucharest, a grande dame that lived its first life as Grand Hotel du Boulevard, built in 1873. Sensitively restored by Corinthia Hotels over a 10-year period, it’s a tribute to its neoclassical roots – unsparingly opulent but with modern flourish – a fact that has proven popular with locals, who have long held the heritage building close to their hearts. “Corinthia’s mission is to create soulful places that feel both deeply rooted in history but also fully present in the now,” confirms Todd Cilano, the property’s Managing Director. “The redesign brings a new dimension to that legacy.” Central to the renaissance is Boulevard 73 – once an openair courtyard where noblemen would draw up in carriages, then a ballroom for high society soirées, and now a finedining restaurant drenched in enough glamorous detail to
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