The beginning of 2016 brings with it numerous changes in the landscape of Cluj premises, most of them beneficial. We are talking about an increasingly educated and demanding public, and for the owners of small cafes, bistros and restaurants it is no longer enough to open a place and wait for customers to show up timidly at the door. People are increasingly looking for an experience, beyond food and drink, an emotional connection is created between them and their favorite place, away from the office and home.
The experience offered by the local could be a sufficient and satisfactory criterion in choosing it, but sometimes we look for even more than that. We want to be taken out of our comfort zone, to be challenged, to be surprised, and we are impressed by places that tell a story about coffee, about people, about friendship.
One such place is Bujole - a gem with a French feel located in the heart of Cluj. Built according to a special concept, at Bujole you feel at home as soon as you step inside the restaurant. Or in your best friend's living room. It is an open space, where the barrier imposed by the bar has been removed. A space built on the idea of transformation - being a cafe during the day and a bistro - restaurant in the evening. The transformation is also reflected in the structure of the menu, which changes periodically, but also in the coffee of origin that we can enjoy - the origin being a different one every week.
We at Olivo Coffee Roasters are proud to be the engine fueling the passion to prepare freshly roasted coffee and we are delighted with the special treatment our coffee receives at Bujole. Here guests can take the time to truly understand the subtler differences between the flavors of coffees from different regions and experience unique and distinctive tastes. Enter into dialogue with the extremely passionate Bujole baristas, and we guarantee that you will forget time and be absorbed by the story of the original coffee beans. Thus, through the dialogue with the barista, you will also go through the journey of the beans, from harvesting to the cup that you enjoy with such pleasure, right now.
We spoke with three key people of the Bujole project, who were involved body and soul from the concept to the jewel we see today. Meet Marius Nica, Bujole barista and multiple Latte Art and Cup Tasting national champion; Tudor Harmath, the local manager and sommelier and Nicu Ungureanu, marketing director of the Marty Restaurants group, of which Bujole is also a part.
1. How did it all start? From the idea to the implementation of the concept?
We wanted an open, friendly place, based on the idea of affordable luxury, that would transform during the evening. We do this through the menu, the lights, the bar area, which in turn transforms – in the evening, the coffee machine goes under the counter, giving way to the siphon and the brew bar.
2. What is unique at Bujole? What are the news that it brings?
I think the biggest novelty is the way the bar is made, which gives you the impression that you are in the living room of someone close to you. The barrier imposed by the bar has been removed, thus encouraging dialogue with our guests. We have nothing to hide, everything we do we do in front of the guests, they can see that we work cleanly, with passion.
3. Describe in 3 words the Bujole experience, as you feel it.
Friends, passion and coffee. A place for friends, made out of passion for coffee.
4. Tell us a few words about the specifics of the menu and the wine selection.
Absolutely all the dishes are homemade - from bread to main courses to dessert. For a perfect culinary experience, at Bujole you have the guarantee that what you taste is as it should be. The chefs are very passionate about what they do, we always experience new tastes together. As for wines, the strong point is represented by the diversity of very good Romanian labels.
5. What kind of coffee can Bujole guests enjoy?
Bujole guests can enjoy only coffees of origin, because we want to offer them the most authentic experience possible. Each origin has special characteristics. You can experience the differences between various preparation methods and become a connoisseur of the coffee of origin. What else can I tell you about the coffee is that it is freshly roasted, in small batches, so that it is always fresh.
6. What do you want for Bujole? How do you see the restaurant in the future?
I want us to have open guests who try our products and start a dialogue with our baristas and bartenders. I also want Bujole to be put on the Cluj map as a place that adds value to the HoReCa market in Cluj - in terms of the quality of services, dishes, prices and the experience offered.
1. How did it all start? From the idea to the implementation of the concept?
It all started from the idea of implementing a new concept – one of a friendly space, open to the guests who step on our doorstep. The design of the place is inspired by Barcelona, with elements adapted to the specifics of the location and to what we wanted - an open space, where you feel at home.
2. What is unique at Bujole? What are the news that it brings?
An absolute novelty is the espresso machine and the coffee extraction method. It is a different machine compared to what exists in Cluj at the present time and allows us to extract the coffee according to the preferences of each guest. Another special aspect is that we no longer serve espresso-based coffee after 18:00. As a rule, people drink espresso in the evening to help with digestion or to stay awake as much as possible, although brew coffee, for example V60 or Syphon, has a higher caffeine content and is more aromatic than an espresso.
3. Describe in 3 words the Bujole experience, as you feel it.
Surprising. Friendly. Passion. A place where passion befriends the surprising.
4. Tell us a few words about the specifics of the menu and the wine selection.
The specifics of the menu is a Mediterranean one, which will be even better highlighted in the spring-summer season, when we will have seasonal ingredients, such as: asparagus, tomatoes or grapes. We want to play with these ingredients and create unique dishes. Regarding wines, we offer both typical Romanian and international varieties. Romanian producers predominate, because we want to offer an experience as close as possible to our area, considering the flow of tourists from Cluj, who are looking for local experiences.
5. What kind of coffee can Bujole guests enjoy?
Specialty coffee that changes every few weeks as new origins appear. We always try different varieties, different origins, to offer as much variety as possible. Coffee is for connoisseurs, but also for people who want to know more about specialty coffee.
6. What do you want for Bujole? How do you see the restaurant in the future?
Let's appear in an international guide, let's always keep the passion with which we started and not lose the essence and identity of the place.
1. How did it all start? From the idea to the implementation of the concept?
We don't know how to do simple things or take things for granted. Corso was a very nice, popular, niche place, but it was not exploited to its full potential. Diamonds are beautiful, but if polished, they can be extraordinary.
2. What is unique at Bujole? What are the news that it brings?
The restaurant was conceived from the beginning as a place that transforms – during the day it is a cafe and in the evening a restaurant. What's unique about Bujole is the concept and the feeling you get when you walk into the restaurant - it's not the impression that you're entering a restaurant, but rather the living room of a loved one. It's a place that offers transparency through the way the prepared dishes are served and at the same time, creates an intimate connection with the atmosphere of the place.
3. Describe in 3 words the Bujole experience, as you feel it.
Perfect experience of the senses.
4. Tell us a few words about the specifics of the menu and the wine selection.
The menu is always new. Bujole offers a dynamic menu with a high-level presentation. The combination of tastes found in each dish surprises you every time, also because we pay extraordinary attention to each dish served. Regarding the wines, there is a good balance between Romanian labels and international wines. We have 70 tags and want to have even more over time. The very large offer of wines by the glass for a bistro is also special.
5. What kind of coffee can Bujole guests enjoy?
At Bujole, the coffee is special from several points of view: we only have original coffee, not blends; it can be enjoyed as espresso extraction until 18:00 or as filter coffee: brew V60, Aeropress, Woodneck or Syphon. Guests can choose between 3 coffees of origin per day, and for espresso you can have a personalized extraction profile, thanks to the device used, which allows manual control of the extraction, a unique experience so far in Cluj.
6. What do you want for Bujole? How do you see the restaurant in the future?
In the preferences of the people of Cluj for a choice of fine dining and as a must-have experience for all tourists who cross the threshold of our city.