This study was conducted to produce vegetable oil methyl ester from waste vegetable oil (cooking oil) sampled in restaurants. The base catalysed method was used for producing the methyl ester from waste cooking oil. For 1 litre of waste cooking oil, 205 g of methyl alcohol and 5.2 g NaOH were used; after the separation of glycerin and soap, 925 ml of methyl ester was obtained. Prior to methyl ester preparation, the cooking oil has been filtered and then heated to remove water. The initial waste cooking oil had poor physical properties (density, viscosity, surface tension, etc.); after esterification, the physical properties were significantly improved. Most of the values registered for the physical properties of biodiesel are very close to the ones required by the international standards; a further refinement of the production method could lead to the improvement of these properties and also to the recovery of the excess methyl alcohol.