Cărturești Verona is a bookstore in a historic house near Piața Romană, with rooms full of books, decorated ceilings and a garden café behind the street entrance. It is a good stop if you are walking around central Bucharest and want to browse English books, look at the building or sit down for a coffee.
I photographed the shop and garden on a Sunday afternoon in October. The tiled stoves and old rooms give Verona a different feel from the famous Cărturești Carusel in the Old Town. Here is what you can see inside, what the café menu looked like, and how to get there.
Cărturești Verona at a Glance
Visitor quick guide · Cărturești Verona
Bookstore ratings and hours checked 7 October 2026 · scores, counts and schedules can change. See the official bookstore directory for updates.
Inside Cărturești Verona
Historic Rooms and Architectural Details
The entrance has an arched doorway and a few steps up from the pavement. Inside, the shop is arranged through the rooms of an old house. Doorways lead from one book section to another, and the stairs take you to more displays.
Look above the shelves as you browse. I photographed a decorated ceiling with floral details, tall white tiled stoves and rooms with wooden floors. These features are easy to overlook if you head straight to a particular book section.
Some rooms have chairs or seating beside the books. Use the category signs as you explore and ask a bookseller if you are looking for a particular subject.
English Books and Reading Sections
Cărturești Verona sells books in English. The shelves I photographed included fiction, history and other nonfiction. Among the history titles were Mary Beard’s SPQR and William Dalrymple’s The Anarchy, alongside books on other countries and periods.
There are Romanian books and travel guides too. If you want something connected to your trip, look through the Romania and travel displays. The photographs show the stock during my 4 October 2026 visit; ask staff or check online for a specific title.
Music, Gifts, Stationery and Games
The music section has wooden browsing bins with CDs, and there are plenty of small gifts and stationery displays around the shop. You can also find mugs and tea and coffee accessories, so there is enough to browse even if you do not plan to buy a book.
The games section has shelves and tables of boxed games. I photographed Dixit among the selection. These sections make Verona useful for a gift-shopping stop as well as an architectural visit.
The Garden and Café at Cărturești Verona
BOB Coffee Bar and the Garden
The garden, often called Grădina Verona, has tables and chairs under trees, with a bar at the side. During my October visit, people were sitting outside and ordering drinks. It is a convenient place to take a break after browsing the bookstore.
The current bar is BOB Coffee Bar. My photographs show the BOB sign, the menu and a “servire la bar” notice: order at the bar. The drinks schedule on the sign and the official partner page is 10:00–22:00 daily.
A poster at the counter advertised a 20% student discount with a student/Cărturești card when I visited. It did not explain the eligible items or all the conditions, so check the terms at the bar before ordering.
Menu and Prices
The menu board I photographed on 4 October 2026 listed espresso drinks, lemonades, cakes and focaccia sandwiches. The food section was labelled “BOB & Gluten Glory”. These examples are in Romanian lei (RON):
The Gianni focaccia lists mortadella, pesto, parmesan, burrata, baby spinach and pistachio. The vegan option lists zucchini, tomato sauce, peppers, onion and tahini. For something sweet, the board also had lemon and poppy seed cake at 14 lei.
At these prices, a cappuccino and banana bread cost 32 lei; a Verona lemonade and vegan focaccia cost 48 lei. Plant milk or an extra shot was listed at an additional 3 lei. Check ingredients and allergens at the bar.
The cocktail board in the gallery below listed a Negroni and a Bob Hugo at 35 lei each. It gives another idea of the drinks on offer, but check the board again when you visit.
The History of Cărturești Verona
The bookstore occupies a 19th-century property associated with Dimitrie Sturdza, a former Romanian prime minister. Architect Șerban Sturdza describes the house and its adaptation in his account of the Verona project. The tiled stoves, decorative ceilings and sequence of rooms still show its residential origins.
Verona opened in 2003 as the second Cărturești bookstore. The chain’s first shop had opened on Edgar Quinet in 2000. According to Cărturești’s own history, the Verona garden followed in summer 2009.
- A restored historic house: The bookstore developed through successive stages of adaptation and restoration.
- The neighbouring property: It expanded into the house at number 15, formerly used by the Ion Creangă Theatre. Cărturești’s co-founder described how the project helped save that building from demolition.
- International recognition: Verona won Bookstore of the Year at the 2021 London Book Fair International Excellence Awards.
The official award announcement explains the restoration and the store’s role as a cultural space. That background helps explain the layout you walk through today: the old rooms remain part of the experience.
Cărturești Verona or Cărturești Carusel?
They are two branches of the same bookstore chain, in different parts of central Bucharest. Both have English books, gifts and a place for a coffee, but their architecture and café settings are different.
| Cărturești Verona | Cărturești Carusel | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Arthur Verona 13–15, near Piața Romană | Lipscani 55, in the Old Town |
| Building | Historic house with separate rooms, tiled stoves and decorated ceilings | White atrium with columns, balconies and curved stairs |
| Café setting | Garden with BOB Coffee Bar | Top-level café overlooking the bookstore |
| Fits well with | A walk around the Romanian Athenaeum and northern central Bucharest | An Old Town walk |
For the white balconies and the view down through the atrium, choose Cărturești Carusel. If the old house, browsing rooms and garden appeal to you, add Verona. You can visit both; allow time to explore the shelves and café settings.
How to Get to Cărturești Verona
Walking and Metro
The full address is Strada Pictor Arthur Verona 13–15, Sector 1, Bucharest, just off Bulevardul General Gheorghe Magheru. Look for the historic entrance and Cărturești sign on Arthur Verona.
Piața Romană on the M2 metro line is a useful stop; allow roughly 5–10 minutes on foot, depending on the exit. Universitate, also on M2, is another option farther south, with a walk of roughly 10–15 minutes. These are approximate walking times.
The Romanian Athenaeum and Revolution Square are nearby to the west and southwest. Verona fits naturally into a walk through this part of the centre, with a bookstore and garden break along the way. Casa Mița Biciclista, near Piața Amzei, is another historic interior to consider if you want to combine the walk with a meal.
Coming by Car
These parking zones around Arthur Verona and the Athenaeum area are listed by amParcat. The figures are total parking capacities, checked on 7 October 2026; they do not show how many spaces are currently free.
Arthur Verona 1 and 2 are useful first options near the bookstore. Arthur Verona 3 is farther east, while George Enescu and Nicolae Golescu are alternatives on the Athenaeum side. The map markers show approximate street zones. Follow the signs, payment rules and access restrictions where you park.
| Parking | Total Spots | Directions |
|---|---|---|
| Arthur Verona 1 Parking Strada Pictor Arthur Verona · P1808 | 40 | Get directions |
| Arthur Verona 2 Parking Strada Pictor Arthur Verona · P2674 | 15 | Get directions |
| Arthur Verona 3 Parking Strada Pictor Arthur Verona · P3880 | 40 | Get directions |
| George Enescu Parking Strada George Enescu · P1479 | 92 | Get directions |
| Nicolae Golescu Parking Strada Nicolae Golescu · P3526 | 32 | Get directions |
[→ View all parking spots on the map]
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, especially if you enjoy bookshops, historic interiors or a garden coffee stop. The decorated ceilings and tiled stoves make the building interesting even during a short browse. I would allow 30–60 minutes, plus time for the café.
Yes. An ordinary visit to browse the bookstore is free. Books, gifts and café orders are paid separately.
The official bookstore directory lists 10:00–22:00 every day, checked on 7 October 2026. The garden drinks service also lists 10:00–22:00. Check the official pages again around holidays or for a particular café service.
Yes. My October 2026 photographs show English fiction, history and other nonfiction. There are travel and Romania displays too. Ask a bookseller or check online if you need a specific title.
Yes. BOB Coffee Bar operates in Grădina Verona, the garden behind the bookstore. Order at the bar. The menu I photographed on 4 October 2026 listed coffee, lemonades, cakes and focaccia sandwiches.
The October menu board listed snacks, including focaccia, banana bread and brownies. The separate GG Flambée cooked-food pop-up is seasonal: its official page said it was closed until next summer when checked on 7 October 2026. Check the current menu and availability before planning a meal.
Verona is the historic-house bookstore on Arthur Verona, near Piața Romană, with separate rooms and a garden bar. Carusel is the white bookstore on Lipscani in the Old Town, with an open atrium, balconies and a top-level café. They are different branches of the same chain.
Cărturești Verona Photo Gallery
More photographs from my visit on 4 October 2026, including book rooms, travel guides, gifts, games and the garden. Displays, stock and menus may change.
