Cafe Ritazza at OTP: backup coffee when your gate is far
Gate-side Cafe Ritazza spots in Terminal 1 tend to show up near outlying gates, and reviews keep repeating the same point: they’re the only coffee within a short walk when you’re boarding soon. One Google reviewer mentions using Ritazza just because it was the only option near their gate, instead of trekking back to the main hall by security.
This is a basic contract-operator coffee bar: espresso, cappuccino, latte, a few teas, plus prepacked snacks and sandwiches in the €4–€8 range. Coffee prices sit in the mid-to-high bracket for Bucharest, lining up with the $$ tag but feeling steep compared to what you’d pay in the city. Think “standard airport coffee” quality, as one review phrases it, not specialty shots you’d hunt down on the ground.
The main competition in OTP Terminal 1 is Starbucks and Paul, both closer to the central area just past security, which several frequent flyers say they backtrack to when they have more than 20–30 minutes. Regulars basically treat Ritazza as a plan B when boarding from a nearby gate and the departure screens are already calling groups.
Watch out for the value equation: multiple reviewers complain about paying chain-level prices or higher for coffee that tastes below Starbucks standard, with small cappuccinos sometimes clearing 15–18 RON. Sandwiches are acceptable for a quick bite at 07:00 on an early departure, but nothing people mention by name, and you’re working with refrigerated, plastic-wrapped options rather than made-to-order.
Practical tip: if your flight from Terminal 1 boards from a gate close to the main hall and you’ve got 25 minutes free, walk back to Starbucks or Paul; save Cafe Ritazza for tight connections when your gate is more than a 5-minute walk from the central area.