123 replies to this topic

[Schneier]

This is a useful guide to Prague restaurants.

[Schneier]

Palac Kinskych (Tynska Ulicka 606/3, Prague 1; 224 810 750) was a really good find. The menu was in Czech, English, German, French, Italian, Russian, and Spanish. (I generally presume that the order of the languages roughly corresponds to the frequency of the language speaker.) I stuck with the Czech traditional dishes, which gave me a choice of two. Either "half of roasted duck with cabbage and traditional Czech dumplings," or "beef goulash serve the other way (sirloin of beef with gallette prepare on the minute)." I would normally have chosen the duck, but was seduced by the bizarre description of the beef. (Elsewhere on the menu, the "red rabbit in crisp basket with salad and color oil" also beckoned.) It was a hearty beef goulash, with some really tasty dumplings. I had soup to start, but can't remember a single detail about it.

U Modre Ruze (Rytirska 16, Prague 1; 224 25 873) advertises as serving game. And they do: four duck dishes, two deer dishes, pheasant, goose, ostrich, crocodile, and rattlesnake imported from Texas. The restaurant even serves fawn in the autumn, the closest to eating "Bambi" I've ever seen.

I was going to order Peter Vok's Duck: "Roasted duck on meadow herbs, served with variation of home made dumplings flavoured by fried onion and stewed sauerkraut." But at the last minute I changed my mind and ordered: "Grilled wild duck breast larded with bacon and plums in brandy served with red currant sauce." Really gamey, really tasty -- perfectly cooked, and great sauce. I started with the goose pate with pistachios, and was too full to even try dessert.

Like all but one restaurant I've been to in Prague, this one was in the basement. Are all good Prague restaurants in basements, I wondered. The restaurant's brochure gave a partial answer. The oldest known mention of a restaurant in the building is from 1364, which talks about a beer pub. At that time, the rooms of the restaurant were on the ground floor. Some time later -- I can't find a year -- the city decided to deal with the flooding problems from the Vltava River by raising the streets of the city one story. And yes, there were bricked up windows in the dining room.

In other news, I didn't go to the Kafka Museum. I wasn't sure I wanted an experience that was literally -- and not just figuratively -- Kafkaesque.

Bruce

Edited by Schneier, 25 March 2006 - 01:26 AM.

[Rehovot]

In other news, I didn't go to the Kafka Museum.  I wasn't sure I wanted an experience that was literally -- and not just figuratively -- Kafkaesque.

For a Kafkaesque experience in Prague, look no further than the foreigners' police. But I digress...

Another good choice in Prague 1 is the Zlaty Hrozen, on Železná 7, about 50 meters away from the Clock, off a side street. It's not in a basement/cave, but it's small and offers a good array of Czech and Continental dishes. Look for the sign with the golden grapes outside.

Very good choices you have there...

(The Dvořák, Smetana, and Mozart museums are all worth a trip, by the way...off the well-beaten path.)

[Megan Blocker]

Cerny Kohout (The Black Rooster) which is located in the 5th district, is about a 10 minute cab ride outside central Prague. The Prague Post review: “ elegant and remote. The perfect place for entertaining hard to impress visitors.”  The cab ride from the hotel cost 300 Kn - I was a bit concerned when the cab turned down a dirt road.  This restaurant specializes in game done in modern preparation - contemporary czech.  This was by far the best meal I had while in Prague. I had arranged in advanced an 8 course tasting menu.  Started off with a salad of wild duck with strawberries, orange, frisee, cherry tomatoes -  bright, beautiful presentation, perfectly balanced.  Soup of roasted zander (sweet water fish) with garlic, asparagus and carrot - clean and light.  White goose liver roasted with venison foam, served on stewed apple in sweet smelling muscatel, decorated with forest fruits and blackberry sauce - perfectly cooked and beautiful presentation. Roasted quail served on peas compote with dried plums - solid, on the mark. Baked zander with cucumber gnocchi and dill cream sauce - nice counterpoint to the meat dishes.  Roasted venison with bacon gnocchi, roasted pear, glazed apricots, raspberry sauce - rich, dense and satisfying. Dessert consisted of home made pie with forest berries on cream foam and smoked czech cheese, camembert and goat cheese baked in puff pastry - both delicious. Add to that 2 bottles of wine. And incredible meal - I recommend this restaurant highly. And the bill, including tip, came to about $80. Also the cab ride back to the hotel only cost 300 Kn.

http://www.cernykohout.cz

I'm headed to Prague in the fall, and am just wondering if this place is still worth checking out!!! I'll check back in for more general suggestions closer to the date, definitely!

[marktynernyc]

Megan -
Cerny Kohout has moved since I ate there (back in October 2002). It is now located - I believe - in Praha 1 - central Prague.

http://www.cernykohout.cz/

I'm hoping maybe next spring to get back to Prague (and Cesky Krumlov). Let us know how it is if you decide to go.

[andrewB]

Don't forget to check us out in Bratislava if you all are in Prague. we are only a hop, skip, and a jump away!!!!

[Megan Blocker]

Hey, all!

I am headed to Prague for five days (with my best girlfriend, minus her husband) at the beginning of October, and will be there for my (gulp) 27th birthday. Any suggestions on where we should dine that evening (it's a Sunday)?

I'd like something festive, but it needn't be high cuisine - though I'm open to all suggestions. We like beer, we like wine, we like all kinds of food, and we're both pretty adventurous, so bring it on!

Plus, I'll be there for five days and four nights, so I'll need some back-ups.

[BonVivantNL]

fantastic beers and food at the monastery on top of the hill. luckily my guesthouse is at the bottom of the hill so i went there just about everyday at least for the fabulous beers if not eating. try the massive pork knee [probably Czech Rep's most beloved dish] served with zeli, caraway seeded bread, and always always freshly grated horseradish with mustard. how i long to go back to Czech Rep...

[ann]

My husband and I and friends from London are celebrating my birthday in early October at David Restaurant, which comes highly recommended here and elsewhere.

[Megan Blocker]

My husband and I and friends from London are celebrating my birthday  in early October at David Restaurant, which comes highly recommended here and elsewhere.

Thanks, Ann!

I tried to make a reservation at the Black Rooster, but they're closed on Sunday, so we're going on Monday...maybe Sunday will be all about the sausage and beer!

[Nathan]

I was there only a couple months ago so I'll write a bunch of recs later.

For the record, the Black Rooster is decent enough and rather fun. It's also very empty...no ressies needed. (the food's too fussy for Praguers.)

[Megan Blocker]

I was there only a couple months ago so I'll write a bunch of recs later.

For the record, the Black Rooster is decent enough and rather fun.  It's also very empty...no ressies needed.  (the food's too fussy for Praguers.)

Hmmmmm, interesting.

Yes, I would love your recs! We want to have fun, so rowdy places are also very welcome...

[Nathan]

ok.

Here's the thing. Prague is one of the places where you actually generally don't want to rely on the natives for advice. If you're trying to find something with local flavor they'll direct you to a tourist trap, in my experience. As well, there is fine dining in Prague (sort of -- you have the trendy places like the Kampa Park Empire and then you have places like the Black Rooster that basically use old Escoffier recipes (seriously!) but do some interesting stuff with game...you'll like it)...but the locals don't do it. Too expensive and they don't have the palates.

With that said, I had an interesting meal at Alcron, a seafood restaurant in the Radisson SAS (we were the only diners on a Friday night!)...about $160 a person for a tasting menu and lots of wine. Part of the meal was 4-star (I've never had a comparable bread service in the U.S., the langoustines with foie gras in a champagne sabayon) and part of it was, eh...blah. It'd be a solid NY 2-star, with a shot at 3.

The best meal in a pivnice (pub...literally "beer place") I've had (and I've been a couple times to Prague) was at a large place across from the mall in Andel (just take the metro to the Andel stop) ....I think the mall is called Nový Smíchov....just look for a huge pub (it has a small bowling alley in the basement!) ....had an amazing pork knee, some excellent fallow deer from off the menu...etc.

I also highly recommend checking www.praguepost.com
the English language newspaper.

as for booze:
you might want to try a herna once for an anthropological experience...a seedy, 24-hour gambling bar. They're all over the place in the non-touristy areas (the sign will say "herna").
Any restaurant where natives actually eat is pretty much just a bar...so do sample lots of the local beer and drink Frenet Stock at the end of your meal. Do a shot of Berovchka as well.

For expat bars (generally tacky pick-up spots but a must to visit nonetheless): Chapeau Rouge, Madame de Sade and Joe's Garage are the standards.

There are some interesting bars with a genuine mix of natives and tourists all on one street near the Powder Gate (and a couple blocks from Old Town Square)...I don't remember the name offhand but I'll look it up.

There's also a lounge filled with locals with a dance floor (that plays the worst music...it's fun)....near the Black Rooster...just ask them.

[ludja]

Rick Rodger's "Kaffeehaus" has a nice listing in the back of Kaffehaus's in Vienna, Budapest and Prague so I checked it out see if there looked liked any promising listings in Prague. The good news is that he says there are still some traditional places with beautiful architecture (mainly in the Old Town and New Town sections) but he says that the quality or finesse of the actual pastry lags behind. He ascribes this as a slow recovery in this area from the years of Communism.

Does anyone have any good pastry shops or bakeries in Prague that they can recommend?

(I may also start another thread on this since I am interested to hear more about this...)

edited to add: This cookbook was published in 2002 so that his impressions, right or wrong, are probably from over five years ago.

Edited by ludja, 17 August 2006 - 10:28 AM.

[Rehovot]

the locals don't do it.  Too expensive and they don't have the palates. 

As for the first claim, you're right. Czech salaries are far less than Western European or American ones. However, as to the second claim, even "natives" who have not left the Czech Republic miraculously have managed to develop not only tastebuds, but taste. They can also smell condescension from way off.

To dismiss a whole class of people and food because they don't belong to the upper class is to miss out on the real food and flavors of a country. It's not all hernas or Kampa Park. As in the rest of the world, all you have to do is know people who will show you the hidden good spots.

as for booze:
you might want to try a herna once for an anthropological experience...a seedy, 24-hour gambling bar.  They're all over the place in the non-touristy areas (the sign will say "herna").
Any restaurant where natives actually eat is pretty much just a bar...so do sample lots of the local beer and drink Frenet Stock at the end of your meal.  Do a shot of Berovchka as well.

Becherovka. And I'd skip the hernas. You can get the same dose of second-hand smoke with a lot more insight into Czech culture at the Kavarna Lucerna, in the Lucerna Passage.

[Nathan]

Rehovot:

I think my words came out differently than intended. As I noted, I had some wonderful meals in Prague that weren't high-end at all.

But I detected no inclination on the part of any locals to sample haute French, Asian, etc. I had a long discussion on this topic with staff at the Black Rooster -- and this was their assertion. (we were wondering whether they received much local business...they do not.)
On my last trip my friends kept asking cab drivers, hotel staff and the like for recommendations (I'm not sure where the idea comes from that cab drivers know where good food is, in my experience no matter what part of the world you are in -- including New York -- they don't) and we were constantly steered to what were obviously tourist traps.

Curiously, when we were debating going to Alcron my friends asked staff at a couple different restaurants if they had gone to Alcron. They all claimed they had and said that it wasn't very good. Although our meal was indeed, uneven, we also ended up convinced that they had simply lied when they said they had been there.

[Nathan]

I realized, reading over my initial post...how it might have gotten confused.

I wasn't telling her to eat at a herna or dismissing some of the excellent pivnice food we had (and I gave recommendations on that score)....merely pointing out that a pivnice is where locals eat out.

[ann]

Megan, we're also going to Cerny Kohout, aka the Black Rooster, based on Mark's recommendation. I wonder if anyone has eaten at U Modré Kachnicky fairly recently - a friend recommended it highly, but Mark did not - and I've come to trust his recs so much that I'd love more recent input. Also wonder about U Patrona and V Zatisi, which my friend also recommended??? Thanks in advance for the help.

[pnapoli]

i really liked U Zavoje (was there about a month ago). click here for the Prague Post review (it's from 2004, but it gives you an idea). cool place.

[Megan Blocker]

i really liked U Zavoje (was there about a month ago).  click here for the Prague Post review (it's from 2004, but it gives you an idea).  cool place.

Oh, my, that does look good!

[Megan Blocker]

On September 29th, LouisaWhite and I headed off on American Airlines, bound for Prague, Strasbourg, Champagne, and Paris. The French leg of our journey will be recounted in the France forum, but I'll be posting here about our time in Prague.

We landed around 11:30 on Saturday morning after a breakfast of yogurt and shortbread on the plane from Brussels. We wanted to save room for dinner before the opera (we had tickets to Turandot at the State Opera), but I saw these during our walk through Stare Mesto (Old Town), and just had to try one. If anyone can tell me what it's called, that would be great! It almost seemed like a grilled puff pastry, with some nuts, cinnamon, and vanilla flavoring...



And, of course, coated in lots of sugar. This is how they were made:



We walked all over the right bank of the Vltava on our first day, then went home, showered, and got gussied up for l'opera! I snapped this picture as we walked along the riverbank on our first afternoon:



We weren't sure where we would go for dinner. We hadn't really explored the area where the opera was, and had no idea how close we were to all the cafes on Wenceslas Square. So, we were really excited to discover that there was a restaurant right next door to the opera, called The Garden in the Opera (in English, at least...I've tried to find the name in Czech, but with no luck).

No pictures from that dinner, but I can report that the room was really pretty and modern - it's in the Radio Free Europe building, and there are glass walls on two sides. Indoors it's got a definite botanical theme going on, with dried grasses and live flowers weaving through bamboo screens.

Louisa started with an arugula, ham, parmesan and pears, a salad which seems to be quite popular in Prague right now. I had two head-on shrimp served in a buttery sauce with an edible flower salad on the side.

We both had the "tagliarini piri-piri" for our main course - a chicken breast, coated with mysteriously crispy mix of spices, served with fresh pasta and a tikka masala-like sauce. I had a mojito to drink, and then we headed off to Turandot, and our box seats!

The next day was my 27th birthday. I woke up early and took a long bath, and then Louisa and I headed off to explore more of Prague. It was pretty rainy, so we decided to head down to the National (Narodni) Museum at the top of Wenceslas Square (little did we know how close it was to the opera). On the way there, we stopped for lunch at Cafe Savarin on na Prokipe, a pedestrian street full of shopping arcades.

Lunch for me was a capuccino and a chicken sandwich with "garlic cream," which I think was just aioli. Louisa had a cappucino and a savory crepe. The cafe was recommended by my Rough Guide and by Louisa's Hedonist's Guide to Prague, but neither of us was bowled over by the food. The coffee, however, was pretty good. We had the same brand (Darboven) in a couple of places, and loved it every time...





From Savarin, we walked up Wenceslas Square toward the National Museum...

Edited by Megan Blocker, 24 October 2006 - 07:54 PM.

[Megan Blocker]

We really enjoyed the National Museum, especially the frescoes depicting several scenes in the history of Prague. Our favorite was the ploughman receiving the crown, even though he was replacing the female ruler whose vision had identified him as her successor.

By the time we came out of the museum, the rain had stopped (though the sun had not reappeared). We decided to stop in at the Grand Hotel's Cafe Europa, and discovered what is undoubtedly the ultimate achievement of Czech cuisine (aside from their liberal use of the cucumber): hot chocolate. Europa's wasn't the best we had, but even as the worst, it was pretty damn good. Amazing. Thick, rich, dark - served with sugar on the side! (Neither of us used the sugar.)

Loved the mugs!



The interior of the Cafe Europa was very pretty - Art Nouveau architecture only slightly faded with time and tourists.





We followed Narodni down to the river from the bottom of Wenceslas square, noting with awe the HUGE number of KFC's - can someone who knows more about the Czech Republic than I do explain the popularity of KFC in Prague? It's amazing the market penetration they have.

After our walk down to the river, we decided a glass of wine was in order. We visited Kavarna Slavia, which is at 1 Narodni, right across from the National Thatre. We each had a quarter litre of the Frankovka, a Czech wine. Very drinkable!

[Lori in PA]

Oh, Megan, I gotta go to bed! I CANNOT stay up to read the undoubtedly wonderful posts you are writing even as I type this. In the morning, friend, I expect to read more about Prague. SOOO glad you are back and are telling your tales...

[Megan Blocker]

From Kavarna Slavia, we took a cab home to soak our tired feet and get ready for dinner out that night. We had decided to go to Pravda, a place we'd seen on our walk the day before. It's a beautiful space - all white, with high ceilings, mirrors, and red and black accents. The menu is really fun - very international, and each dish is named for a different country.

I started with the "Scandanavia," which was seared scallops served on green bean puree with a strawberry sauce and mint foam. The strawberry and mint were delicious - the green bean puree was a little tasteless. My main was the "New Zealand," featuring - you guessed it - lamb. The lamb was grilled with rosemary and served with eggplant stuffed with goat cheese and peppers. For dessert, Louisa and I split the tiramisu, and we shared a split of Taittinger with the meal.

After dinner, we went to Bugsy's, a block or two back toward Old Town Square, for a cocktail. We had high hopes, but were rather let down. I had a pretty tasteless Ramos Gin Fizz, but my second drink was definitely better. It was a champagne cocktail with calvados, apple juice, mint, and brown sugar - I really enjoyed it, but I still can't quite forget the fizz.

One of the best parts of Prague was being able to walk home at night feeling completely safe - so that's what we did.

The next day we got up a leeeettle late and decided to grab coffee at Ebel (a great coffee house with a couple of locations - I had a "long black coffee" and a bagel with cherry jam) before a walk over to the funicular up Petrin Hill. The walk was long, and we were psyched to ride the funicular up the hill and see the fantastic view. On the way, we passed a pastry shop on Karmelitska, where they were selling sunflower seed cookies and marzipan pigs.





We walked back down toward Nerudova, a twisty little street in Mala Strana. We were headed for Cafe Carolina in the Hotel Neruda.

Of course, what could I have but more hot chocolate? Louisa was a bit warm from the walk (as was I, it just didn't stop me), so she got the cold chocolate.





To eat, I had the apple streudel, and Louisa had the honey cake!





The hotel did a really neat job of modernizing the old courtyard space...and Louisa did a good job of enjoying her cold chocolate!

Edited by Megan Blocker, 23 October 2006 - 07:07 PM.

[Megan Blocker]

That night, we decided to try and find some traditional Czech food. My Rough Guide suggested a spot in the basement of the Municipal Building, which was on Namesti Republicky, just a block from our hotel on Trulharska. However, when we got there, the restaurant was closed! So, we wandered around Stare Mesto until we found a little place right behind Tyn Church

We started with dark beer on tap - sorry for the blurry pics, but I was using my "night" setting to avoid using the flash!



We both had a "salad mix," which had nice lettuce, good tomatoes, some corn, and cucumbers (!) - the dressing was milky and not terribly tasty, but thanks to the Czech custom of putting various condiments on the table (including vinegar, oil, and a vinegary hot sauce), I was able to spice things up a bit.



For my main course, I had a pork cutlet "Verona style," which seemed to mean buttery, garlicky sauce, with coleslaw and frites on the side. Odd, but not bad.



Louisa ordered well - half a roast duck and these DELICIOUS potato pancakes - they had these creamy centers that were just to die for.



On the side, she had two kinds of cabbage. Delicious! That night, another lovely, cool walk home to the hotel.

To be continued tomorrow, folks...still to come, one more night of traditional Czech food, and even more hot chocolate!

[Simon_S]

Megan, I'm really enjoying this. The last (and only) time I was in Prague was 7 years ago, and I don't remember KFC having much market penetration then. Still, at that time I was less interested in food and more interested in finding beer for 25 cents. I must go back and do it properly.

Oh, and Happy Birthday!!

Si

[Rehovot]

I think those puff-pastry things are called "trobičky", little tubes (or little trumpets).
Too bad the Municipal House's restaurant was closed; their cafe is lovely... (So many good cafes, here...such lousy service...)
Yay, dark beer!
I look forward to reading more!

Edited to add: strange about the KFCs. I have yet to go in one. They are ubiquitous. As is McDonald's. (I only go in those to fit in.)

Edited by Rehovot, 24 October 2006 - 02:46 AM.

[Chufi]

Lovely, Megan. I am so looking forward to the rest of your report, and the French part as well!

It's great to have you back.

[helenjp]

Wonderful! My sister didn't take NEARLY enough pictures of food in Prague, so I'm kind of re-living her trip vicariously as I enjoy your trip vicariously!

P.S. And how was the opera? Can't go past the human voice where music is concerned...

Edited by helenjp, 24 October 2006 - 05:24 AM.

[Megan Blocker]

I think those puff-pastry things are called "trobičky", little tubes (or little trumpets).
Too bad the Municipal House's restaurant was closed; their cafe is lovely... (So many good cafes, here...such lousy service...) 
Yay, dark beer!
I look forward to reading more!

Edited to add: strange about the KFCs. I have yet to go in one. They are ubiquitous. As is McDonald's. (I only go in those to fit in.) 

I KNEW you would know! I was hoping you might also know about the KFC phenomenon. I'm telling you, there's a great market strategy lesson to be learned there.

Your recommendations are coming into play shortly, Rehovot...

Oh, and Happy Birthday!!

Thanks!

Lovely, Megan. I am so looking forward to the rest of your report, and the French part as well!

It's great to have you back.

Thanks, Chufi...it's good to be back.

P.S. And how was the opera? Can't go past the human voice where music is concerned...

The opera was very good. I'd never seen Turandot before, and it's such a fun opera. I'd only ever been to the opera at the Met and at City Opera before this, so the experience was really different. Smaller (we didn't even need opera glasses), more casual, and the set was creaky. (Of course, I went to La Boheme two years ago at City Opera, and the snow they dropped made NOISE.)

But Turandot WASN'T a screamer, and even though the tenor wasn't fabulous, he wisely saved everything he had for Nessun Dorma.

Being in that space (and in the red velvet box) made me feel like I was in a scene straight out of Amadeus, though, which was priceless.