Corinthia Bucharest: The Blue Flower of Hospitality
- Izabela Corina Bossi
- Jun 20
- 4 min read
Updated: Jun 21
In the heart of Bucharest, where the past still breathes beneath the cobblestones and urban elegance lingers in the air like an old perfume, rises an edifice that transcends time — Corinthia Bucharest.
A place not merely built, but dreamed.
From its neoclassical façade — a quiet echo of the Belle Époque — to the delicate dance of marble, gold, and velvet within, the hotel feels like a poem made flesh. You’re carried, almost instinctively, to Eminescu’s Blue Flower — that eternal symbol of longing, of beauty always just beyond reach, of the soul’s quiet yearning. Corinthia does not imitate the Blue Flower — it is the Blue Flower. Not because it chases romance, but because it embodies it. A living reverie, where design, emotion, and intention exist in delicate balance.
Each corner is a quatrain. Each hallway, a whispered rhyme.
The architecture tells stories of grace: restored columns and soaring ceilings, antique mirrors that capture and scatter sunlight. Here, design is not merely seen — it is revered. The rooms do not shout; they radiate emotion.
And then, there is the Spa — a sanctuary of deep relaxation and inner stillness.
Descending into its inner sanctum is like being enveloped in the warm fragrance of peace.
Beneath the soft, golden light and the hush of stone, life’s hurried rhythm gently dissolves. The spa at Corinthia is not just a wellness space — it is a return to the self. Here, touch becomes poetry, and time becomes gentleness. A deep, healing silence surrounds you. You feel the city melt away — along with your thoughts — and you are left with nothing but breath, and stillness, and inner peace.
Beyond design, beyond silence, Corinthia Bucharest sings through taste.
The hotel’s restaurants are true theatres of flavor. Each dish is composed like a verse — elegant, bold, resonant. Mornings begin with a breakfast that rivals the dawn itself: wildflower honey and artisanal cheeses, eggs as tender as a promise, breads still warm from the oven’s embrace. By evening, the menu becomes a canvas painted with seasonal ingredients — from wild mushrooms and heirloom vegetables to fine Romanian wines that carry the taste of earth and fire.
Here, a meal is not merely nourishment — it is a story. A story told in spices, in silences, in glances exchanged over candlelight.
But perhaps what defines Corinthia Bucharest most is not what you see, or taste, or even feel — but what you take with you when you leave. A feeling that beauty can be both grand and gentle. That luxury is not loud, but deeply human. That the Blue Flower — that elusive dream of meaning, elegance, and soul — does exist, if only for a moment, in places like this.
And as the city leans into evening and the sky softens above the boulevard, Corinthia remains aglow — a lighthouse of serenity in the storm of time.
Interview with Pedro Mendes, Executive Chef at Corinthia Bucharest
Q: How did you discover your passion for the culinary world?
A: It really is something I have had on me since very young, although the professional side to it came later, cooking for the family as a kid growing up was always something that I loved, experimenting with recipes and different flavors, sharing it with my brothers, sister and mother really amused me. It wasn't a professional option until later, but I still went to college, where I stayed for three years studying law. Something kept pushing me towards a more passionate job.
Q: Which ingredients inspire you the most at this moment?
A: Now I am on a mission to discover Romanian ingredients, but I am very passionate about everything that comes from the ocean, and not only animal, but vegetal as well. I have been promoting the use of seaweed and sea herbs for culinary purposes, on my dishes as well as in my most recent book, ‘Something with Seaweed’,
Q: If you were to describe the dining experience at Corinthia Bucharest in three words, what would they be?
A: Discovery, joy, surprise.
Q: How do you incorporate Portuguese influences into a fine dining menu in Romania?
A: Through ingredients and popular Portuguese recipes, it’s a challenge that I enjoy – crossing Portuguese and Romanian influences into the dishes.
Q: What role does visual presentation play on the plate?
A: It is a crucial role, after all that is the first sensation we get by receiving a dish and most definitely will affect the two others (smell and taste) that follow with great impact, a pleasant image will prepare your brain to a good experience, it is that moment where you see how much love and passion was placed on that dish.
Q: What is your culinary signature – the dish that best defines your style?
A: A ‘Seaweed Bras’, that’s a take on a traditional Portuguese dish that highlights my passion for both history and innovation, after all, there’s no tradition without innovation.
Q: What aroma tends to dominate your creations?
A: Sea/ocean.
Q: Is there an ingredient that instantly brings back memories of your childhood?
A: Coriander, yes!!!
Q: In your view, what is the connection between olfactory art and culinary art?
A: They are very much attached; one does not live without the other. The second, and not less important, impression as you are presented a plate is the aroma, if it is appealing, your brain is pleased, the other way around will obviously create a barrier against pleasure.
Q: If you were to interpret a perfume through gastronomy, which one would it be? Answer: It would most definitely be some fresh aroma that brought me to the ocean.
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