I stopped by Rawdia Constanța on business. As part of the vegan cooking course I’m taking there, we get to experiment with how a restaurant kitchen actually runs. It’s not entirely new to me—I spent two months at Seed Cuisine back when it was open in Bucharest—but it’s always interesting to see different approaches. That said, this review might be a bit colored by my personal connection with the Rawdia Constanța team.

Before catching the train back to Bucharest, I swing by Rawdia one more time—this time without an apron and chef’s hat. I know it’s the weekend, so there’s no daily menu. I leave it in the hands of head chef Ștefan Niță and order a roulade with cheese, olives, and sun-dried tomatoes. While waiting, I snap a few photos to show you how the space is set up.

A welcoming, calm, and airy space

The design is clean and simple, with wooden tables and cozy chairs. They’ve mixed shades of blue and gray with a bold pop of yellow, keeping things natural—just like the motto above the bar: In healthy food we trust.

To my right, the windowsill is bursting with real plants, which thankfully dominate the room. Unfortunately, the terrace and some indoor areas feature plastic plants as well.

One thing I always love in restaurants is free, plastic-free water. Today mine is lightly infused with basil—a little touch that makes all the difference. I would have been even happier if there were cloth napkins instead of disposable ones, but hey, there’s always room for tiny improvements, and that’s part of the charm. 

Here comes the roulade. How’s it going to be?

On an oval plate, four slices of roulade are lined up on a bed of salad. I didn’t help make it during this week, but I’ve seen how it’s done: the pastry layer, packed with veggies, is rolled out thinly in trays and baked. Then it’s filled with cashew cheese with dill, Kalamata olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and green onion. A generous sprinkle of black and white sesame seeds tops off the slices. 

The first bite hits me with a surprise—way saltier than I like. It takes some effort to pick up the other flavors, but overall, it’s a solid combo. You can’t really go wrong pairing cream cheese with sun-dried tomatoes and olives. 

Still, something feels missing. Maybe a light salad dressing, a gentle sauce on the side, or just a touch less salt so the other flavors can really shine.

I’m still not full, so… dessert it is!

Picking one is easy—raw cakes aren’t really my thing, and they dominate the menu at Rawdia. So I go straight for the Brownie, the one with proper baked layers.

Sitting across from me is Elena, the mastermind behind these desserts, whom I had the joy of “annoying” in the kitchen for a whole week. I ask her to remind me of the ingredients. 

The layers are made from oats, chia, hazelnuts, cocoa, and coconut oil. Inside, there’s a chocolate cream and a cashew cream, with berries sneaking through. On top, a little decoration: raspberry jam, a quarter of an apricot, and a mint leaf.

I dive in, spoonful by spoonful. Bliss. The layers take the lead, and the creams are just there to cheer them on. 

Textures? Perfectly complementary. Flavor? Sweet, but balanced by the subtle bitterness of cocoa. The only thing I’m wishing for? A bit more tangy raspberry jam—give me that pop of freshness, please!

By the last quarter, I’m starting to feel it. Even with only a small amount of cashew cream, this brownie is hearty. 

Would I order it again? Absolutely. Would I tweak it if I could? Maybe swap the cashew cream for a lighter silken tofu cream. But that’s just my personal twist.

Last thing before I catch the train

Before heading to the station, I figure it would be smart to grab something to go—something to eat later that evening back in Bucharest. I pick up a wrap with crumble, which I had seen nicely toasted one day in the kitchen.

The ingredient list on the single-use packaging is long: flatbread, potatoes, soy, sunflower oil, lemon juice, mustard, salt, garlic, turmeric, sweet paprika, hot paprika, thyme, celery, zucchini, onion, oats, tomatoes, dill, psyllium, breadcrumbs, avocado.

By the time I finally eat it in the evening, the crumble is no longer crunchy, having sat half a day next to the sauces. I can still taste the thin slices of roasted potato, the avocado sauce, and the spices.

But fatigue has its say, so I’m not in the mood to dissect flavors or take notes. I do appreciate not having to cook, and I decide to top off the wrap with a drizzle of tahini, lemon, and sumac.

That’s it? I was hoping there’d be more.

I have to admit, I’m itching to try some of the more elaborate dishes created by Ștefan Niță, who casually mentioned that he might experiment with this version starting fall. I can’t wait!

Until then, Rawdia Constanța remains, alongside PlantEat /it/, one of the spots in Constanța I’ll happily return to whenever I’m by the sea.