My new favorite lunch spot is Home Kitchen on Jungmannova. It's about the size of a large closet and only has a few seats, but it serves honest food made fresh several times a day. The menu changes frequently, with three different soups daily (I warmed myself up with a fantastic dill and potato version), a meat entree (like duck breast with rosehip sauce and gratinated potatoes), and a couple of vegetarian items (stuffed peppers or eggplant parmigiana with turnip purée). The cozy brick walls, pleasant service, and neat take-out packaging make Home Kitchen feel distinctly un-Prague-like (a more complete write-up can be found on Cuketka's blog).
I was very sad to
hear that one of our best and most innovative restaurants, Sofia Smith's Asian-inspired Angel, has apparently closed. Celèste, Angel's sister restaurant, is still open, and I recently had a great meal there -- the desserts were particularly awesome -- but Angel will be sorely missed.
More predictable, perhaps, is the closing of Le Cornichon, which was resurrected with a new chef after a hiatus last summer, but never managed to regain its buzz. La Casa Blu, meanwhile, is still fighting to renew its lease; updates can be found on its homepage.
As m
any of you know, I left my position as Lidove Noviny's restaurant critic at the end of last year (their farewell interview with me can be read here). I'll be putting the blog on hold while I pursue other passions and things. Thank you to all my readers, even the more vicious ones, for your support. You kept it interesting -- and kept me in check occasionally, too.
And if you find anyplace good to eat in this town, be sure to let me know.
photographs: homekitchen.cz, Tomáš Krist for Lidové Noviny, lecornichon.cz, Prague Spoon
Monday, February 1, 2010
Food news: Openings, closings, and goodbye Spoon
Friday, October 9, 2009
Las Adelitas to open restaurant in Vinohrady
Looks like Fosil will no longer be the only authentic Mexican restaurant in town.
The popular Mexican food delivery service Las Adelitas has announced it will open its first restaurant this month. There will be a grand opening party on Friday, October 16th -- but they are also holding a "pre-inauguration" party tonight at 8pm, at the new location on Americká 8 in Vinohrady. Delivery is on hold for now, but will restart as soon as the restaurant officially opens.
Margaritas and flautas... yum.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Ben & Jerry's to open in Prague (UPDATED)
American ice cream company Ben & Jerry's will be opening its first Czech store at the end of next week. The brand is known for its super-rich, unusual flavors, including Cherry Garcia (cherry ice cream with cherries and fudge flakes), Chunky Monkey (banana ice cream with fudge chunks & walnuts), and Chubby Hubby (fudge-covered peanut butter-filled pretzels in vanilla malt ice cream rippled with fudge and peanut butter). Frozen yogurts and sorbets are also available.
Ben & Jerry's will be located in the Koruna building at Václavské náměstí 1.
UPDATE: Looks like they're already serving cones, but the shop in back isn't open yet. The store is on the Na Příkopě side of the building.
image: benjerry.com
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Food news: the Food Fest sets up, Zinc debuts, and Kogo and Kolkovna make a baby
The weekend forecast doesn't look too promising, but I'm hoping the sun will come out for the third annual Prague Food Festival, organized by Maurer's Grand Restaura
nt Guide. This years' indulging will take place between Mánesův and Charles bridges on the Old Town side of the Vltava, with some booths located on land and others set up on waterside pontoons. Participating restaurants include Aromi, Café Imperial, and V Zátiší, among many others.
The Hilton Prague Old Town has officially opened the new version of its restaurant, following the departure of Gordon Ramsay's Michelin-starred venture Maze Prague earlier this year. The new concept, called Zinc, is headed up by Ari Mun
andar, former executive chef of Essensia at the Mandarin Oriental Prague. His menu is described as "modern European cooking with an Asian twist," and includes dishes like crab cake and sweet corn sorbet, miso-glazed Chilean sea bass, and baked pineapple with star anise and cinnamon.
Jean-François and Nadine Musso, formerly of Passion Chocolat in Vinohrady, are back to making their i
rresistible pastries and bonbons. This time, they're located in the U Nováků pasáž off Vodičkova, and their shop is called Pâtisserie St. Tropez. Meanwhile, Mama Coffee has opened up a new, roomier location on Korunní, and Aromi offshoot La Finestra is now in full, delicious swing.
Kogo Group's lackluster sister, L'Angolo, is being remade yet again -- this time with the help of Kolkovna Group, which is collaborating with Ko
go to form a third local dining superpower, Koko Group. Under Koko's management, L'Angolo will be transformed into Fragola, a high-end combination sushi/Mediterranean restaurant/bar/club/"art cafe" that will have live DJs, serve food into the wee hours, and offer a Sunday brunch.
A little complicated, maybe, but it just might work.
images: praguefoodfestival.com, zinc.cz, musso-praha.com, kogofragola.cz
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Food news: Maze gets a Michelin star, Veyrat eyes Beroun, and Angel and Aromi branch out
A month after the formal announcement that Gordon Ramsay was leaving town, his Prague restaurant, Maze, has been awarded a Michelin star. The Hilton hotel will contin
ue running Maze until the end of this month, when they will announce "a new concept and a new chef," according to Hilton Prague Old Town PR manager Marketa Šebková. Maze Prague's former head chef, Philip Carmichael, has already settled in to his new post at Maze Cape Town (pictured), set to open in early April.
In other Michelin news, Allegro at the Four Seasons held on to its star from last year, but this year's hot favorite, La Dégustation Bohême Bourgeoise, didn't gain a spot among Prague's top restaurants. Bib Michelins were again handed out to Aromi and Le Terroir, as well as to newcomer Le Cornichon. Brasserie M was (rightfully) denied a repeat Bib.
Three Michelin-starred chef Marc Veyrat reportedly wants to open a gastronomic complex near Beroun that will "bring meals in harmony with nature." Famous for his organic molecular cuisine, Veyrat plans to serve l
ocally-produced food in wooden houses set two meters above the ground. "Hobbit holes" in a nearby hillside will be available for overnight guests, and a cooking school will also be part of the complex. Whether the estimated 150 million-CZK project will be able to secure funding is still unclear.
Céleste, the new restaurant by the owners of Angel, is on the verge of its official opening on the seventh floor of Frank Gehry's Tančicí dům (a
lso known as the Fred and Ginger building), in the space formerly occupied by La Perle de Prague. April should also see the opening of a sister restaurant to Aromi, La Finestra on Platneřská in Old Town. According to owner Riccardo Lucque, his new spot will feature freshly-imported Italian meats to complement Aromi, which is more seafood-oriented.
images: gordonramsay.com, fourseasons.com, hospodarskenoviny.cz, celesterestaurant.cz
Friday, February 13, 2009
Food news: Goodbye Gordon, hello Hooters
After less than a year and a half of operation, Maze Prague by Gordon Ramsay will be changing hands. The news was confirmed by Ramsay's Czech PR rep, Michaela Dvořáková, who says that although the restaurant will keep its name (for now), Maze will be run by the Hilton Prague Old Town management and Gordon Ramsay Holdings will just "participate in the creation of the menu." Head chef Philip Carmichael is rumored to have already left Prague for his native U.K.
Maze Prague is only one of several restaurants in the Gordon Ramsay empire said t
o be struggling. Still, Ramsay's departure from the Czech market may discourage foreign restaurateurs, few of whom will realize that local patrons weren't Maze's problem -- its location was. Put your restaurant in a windowless box in the lobby of a hotel on the fringes of Old Town (in one of the world's most view-worthy cities, no less) and you are bound to fail, no matter how good your food is.
I sure will miss their chocolate fondant.
Meanwhile, Angus Burger and Angus Grill in Palladium and Cremeria Milano on Pařížská have closed, and Sapori Italiani, the Italian-goods specialty shop formerly located on Perlova, is moving to Bělohorská in Prague 6.
And in food-unrelated restaurant news, the sports bar/breast-ogling American chain Hooters will debut in Prague late in 2009. Franchise holder Na Zdravi Ventures is planning to open several Hooters restaurants in the Czech and Slovak Republics over the next few years. Na Zdravi CEO J. Steven Parker says, "The time is right for the introduction of the Hooters brand."
I hate to admit it, but he might be onto something.
images: gordonramsay.com, saporiitaliani.cz, hooters.com
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Food news: Buddha Bar opens, Prague discovers fusion food, and a Czech team debuts at the Bocuse
Last Thursday, the long-awaited Buddha Bar Hotel held a massive grand openin
g party -- an affair notable for its many czelebrity attendees, a live electric violin interpretation of Metallica, and some very uninspired hors d'oeuvres (tomato and mozzarella balls on toothpicks, for one). The Buddha Bar Restaurant and its upstairs lunch spot, Siddharta Café, are ready for business, too, offering fancily-priced Asian food along with Caesar salads, club sandwiches, and other room service standards.
Around the corner from Buddha Bar, another newly-opened upscale hotel, the Barcelo, has introduced a fusion restaurant of its own: Zlatý Anděl Fusion Restaurant & Café. The kitchen is headed up by the respected French chef Martial Clement, who recently bailed on his short-lived post at Zahrada v Opeře. No word yet on who will replace Mr. Clement in the RFE building restaurant.
Pish-posh members' club LS Club will officially launch this month in the Old Town space formerly occupied by La Scene and (later) La Scena. Its amenities are to include a Library, Crystal Bar, and a signature eatery, Restaurant Shiso. The restaurant will be run by freshly-imported English chef Paul Day -- who specializes, naturally, in Asian cuisine.
Kampa Park sous chef Jan Všetečka traveled to Lyon last week to represent the Czech Republic in the final round of the prestigious international cooking competition Bocuse d'Or. Všetečka and his team placed fourteenth out of twenty-four countries, a very respectable ranking for the first Czech team ever to participate in the Bocuse. 2009's top honors went to Norway (gold), Sweden (silver), and France (bronze).
photos: buddha-bar-hotel.cz, barcelo.com, lsclub.cz, bocusedor.com
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Food news: The new Grand Restaurant Guide is released, La Casa Blů airs out, and Marks 'n' Sparks considers expansion
Last week saw the release of the 2009 Grand Restaurant Guide, with listings of 455 restaurants across the Czech Republic. The top-rated establishment according to the voting public was Alcron at the SAS Radisson, followed by La Degustation Bohême Bourgeoise, Francouzská Restaurace at Obecní dům, Rialto Ristorante in Brno, and V Zátiší. 2008's bizarre overall winner (and #1 and #3 in service and food, respectively), U Lípy, was conspicuously absent from the rankings.
Congratulations to La Casa Blů, whose owners decided to make their restaurant and bar complet
"House of Personal Development" Maitrea on Týnská ulička plans to open a vegetarian restaurant in early 2009. The center
Starbucks-esque Polish chain Coffee Heaven has announced that it will be consolidating its operations and closing six of its nineteen Czech stores as we
And some good news for home chefs frustrated by Albert's perenially moldy produce: Marks and Spencer is reportedly considering opening a series of grocery-only stores (known as Marks and Spencer Simply Food in the UK) in the Czech Republic. They've already experienced success here with their in-store food sections, which feature M&S-brand canned goods, frozen foods, wines, and more.
photographs kanzelsberger.cz, lacasablu.cz, maitrea.cz, marksandspencer.cz
Monday, November 24, 2008
Food news: Where to have Thanksgiving in Prague
Fear not, turkey-loving Americans: Prague has plenty of places where you can get your fill of Thanksgiving this Thursday.
If you want to eat your holiday dinner at home (but don't want to cook it yourself), Bakeshop will be selling Thanksgiving to go. They'll be making fresh turkey caramelized with dark beer, Italian sausage and bread stuffing, parmesan roasted butternut squash and more, all for 800 CZK per kilo. Pick up a bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau while you're there, too.
Bohemia Bagel in Holešovice will be having an all-you-can-eat Thanksgiving buffet for 490 CZK per person starting at 7 pm, and Jáma is celebrating
For those who want to get all fancy-like, Allegro will be serving something along the lines of Thanksgiving dinner, and Hilton's CzecHouse and the Mandarin Oriental's Essensia will have holiday menus as well.
Reservations are strongly recommended for all of the above restaurants. Happy gobbling!
images: countryliving.com
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Food news: Slowdown at Savoy, new bakeries, Burger King, and more
Over the summer, Café Savoy closed its doors for a little while to do some renovating, the most notable change being a much-needed improvement to the toilet situation (the restrooms are now located in a new downstairs area and have multiple stalls). But it looks like they might have forgotten a few basics in the meantime.
I've had issues with Savoy's service before, but I've never had to deal with a server as surly, impatient, and incompetent as the woman in charge of our table during brunch last Sunday. She huffed and puffed and rolled her eyes as we were giving our orders, then forgot to bring half of what we'd asked for. And on a recent dinner visit, every step (ordering food, asking for another beer, getting the check) took several attempts, and our wine list didn't come until we'd ordered the first course.
A VIP sitting at the table next to ours seemed to be getting more than enough attention. Well, at least someone was happy...
Whopper fans rejoice: the Czech Republic's first Burger King will open next week in Metropole Zličín shopping mall. The franchise is owned by AmRest, the Polish company that also brought us KFC and Starbucks.
In pastry shop / bakery news, scrumptious French
patisserie Passion Chocolat has left its spot in Vinohrady and will soon be reopening in Pasáž U Nováků (on Vodičkova, connected to Lucerna Pasáž). I'm a little skeptical that the new location will give them the kind of foot traffic they need, but let's hope for the best. French chain bakery Paul has opened in Palác Flora, of all places. And Bakeshop is promising great things for Thanksg
Finally, for those who understand Czech and might want to find out a little more about me and the Prague Spoon, Lidovky's Pátek magazine published an interview with me last week, written by the positively lovely chef and food writer Hanka Michopulu.
images ambi.cz, burgerking.com, Prague Spoon, paul.fr
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Food news returns, but some restaurants are gone for good
Prague has seen lots of restaurant closings recently, thanks in part to rising rents
and a sharp drop in tourist traffic during the summer months. Among the departed: the tasty but unatmospheric Alexander's, health food spot Albio, Bombay Cafe's downstairs neighbor Rasoi, and Dejvice Asian fusion restaurant Monsoon. And not that anybody noticed or cared, but Josefov tourist trap Marco Polo and Russian club/restaurant/horseradish vodka bar Petrovič have shut down, too.
Still no official word on Kogo offshoot L'Angolo, which locked its doors after a kitchen fire a few months back. And rumor has it that Cremeria Milano on Pařížská will be closing in favor of a more profitable business venture -- a high-end clothing store.
Despite having shuttered 600 "underperforming" locations in the U.S., Starbucks has been popping up all over Prague. New coffeshops have opened in Ruzyně Airport, by the Zličín shopping center, and on Staroměstské náměstí at the former home of a Nordsee.
And everyone seems to be talking about Cloud 9, the new sky bar on the top floor of the Hilton. Besides mixing a mean cocktail, they have an interesting-looking bar menu of fancy little bites. I hear the view isn't bad, either. More on all that once I make it up there myself.
images: monsoon-restaurant.cz, cream-dream.com, cloud9.cz
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Food news: Food and drink fests, and a sweet new hideaway for Luka Lu
Official dates have been announced for the second annual Prague Food Festival, w
ith the feasting set for a few months earlier this time around. From June 20th to the 22nd, you'll be able to sample selected delicacies from some of the city's finest restaurants, including Aromi, Allegro, Essensia, maze, and The Sushi Bar, under open summer skies at Žofín on Slovanský Island. Tickets should be on sale soon.
And there's a whole new kind of food fest coming to Prague this year, too: the Cze
ch Beer Festival, which is touting itself as the largest gastronomic event in the Czech Republic. With an enormous supply of beer to be tapped into glass mugs, an extensive menu of local specialties, and an anticipated attendance of 150,000 - 200,000 visitors, the 10-day guzzlathon promises to be every bit as raucous and sloppy as Munich's famed Oktoberfest. Still, its organizers insist that they plan on encouraging the "sensible and cultural consumption of beer." We'll see how well that goes for them...
On a recent trip to Balkan restaurant Luka Lu (formerly Louka Lu), I discovered that they've transformed the drab courtyard out back into a picturesque winter gard
en. It's quite removed from the front part of the restaurant, so you really have to know the room is there in order to find it, but it's really adorable and cozy -- definitely worth a special visit. Go have a look and let me know what you think.
images: praguefoodfestival.cz, staropramen.cz, lukalu.cz
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Food news: Prague gets its first Michelin star
As has been widely reported in the local press, the Czech Republic can now claim i
ts first Michelin star. The winner of the coveted French honor is Prague Four Seasons Hotel's Allegro, helmed by Italian chef Andrea Accordi. Michelin's lesser prize, the Bib Gourmand ("good food at good prices") was re-awarded to last years' honorees, Aromi, Brasserie M, and Le Terroir. For those who read Czech, my op-ed piece for Lidové Noviny about Michelin and its significance (or lack therof) for Czech gastronomy can be found here. The 2008 Michelin Red Guide: Main cities of Europe will be published in May.
Speaking of Michelin favorites, both Allegro and Brasserie M will have special Easter menus prepared for the holiday. Meanwhile, CzecHouse is to hol
d their lavish annual Easter brunch on Sunday, and Oliva will be serving up spring lamb specialties all weekend, starting today.
Jiří Štift has announced that he'll be leaving his executive chef position at the Radisson SAS (home of Alcron and La Rotonde) to open a restaurant of his own. La Rotonde will be running a fresh fish and seafood special until the end of the month.
And after months of rumors about its closure, Dinitz has indeed closed -- and reopened as Metropol Music Club / Oriental Restaurant, with a full kitchen running every night until 1 a.m. More on that once I check it out for myself.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Food news: Cooking classes, paella, and rumors of noodles
I've gotten a few queries lately about whether or not any cooking classes are being held in Prague. There are actually lots of them -- but they're mostly in Czech, of course. Cooking schools seem to be popping up everywhere at the moment; the most notable is the Pražský kulinářský institut (Prague Culinary Institute), where a huge range of classes are taught almost daily by some of the city's most well-known chefs. Then there's Chef Parade in Žižkov, which offers (among other
courses) a "Cookdating" class designated for singles only. Culinaria gives sporadic lessons in Indian and Italian cuisine in English. And there have also been some informal group cooking lessons occasionally put together by expats. If anyone knows of any other English-language cooking classes, give us a heads up by putting a note in the comments!
As for food events this week, Monsoon is preparing a Singaporean menu as part of their One night stand in Singapore this Thursday, while Oliva is going Spanish with a special paella weekend -- check it out here.
It looks like new Asian fusion restaurant Angel may be listening to its customers (or its reviewers): they've rounded out their meat- and fish- heavy menu with two additional vegetarian options. And another Asian-themed restaurant, The Noodle Bar, is apparently looking to open a second location in Vinohrady. More on that when it happens...
Friday, February 29, 2008
Food news: Confusion over Kolkovna, chaos in Palladium, and more sushi for Prague
There's been some apparent confusion over the Kolkovna Group lately. All of its Pilsn
er Urquell Original Resturants (including Olympia and Celnice) are now called Kolkovna, presumably to differentiate these locations from other, similar-looking PUOR franchises around Prague (such as Deminka and U Vejvodů). In a broken-English statement posted on Expats.cz, a Kolkovna Group representative accused Deminka's owners of breaching copyright by using Kolkovna's logographer. It was also confirmed that the group will be launching a fourth Prague Pilsner Urquell restaurant, Sokolovna, in Vinohrady.
Prague's s
econd and third Starbucks locations opened in Palladium on February 19th, just one day before the electrical fire that is now expected to shut down the shopping mall for at least the next three weeks. Meanwhile, Starbucks rival Coffee Heaven continues to expand, with a new branch about to set up shop on heavily touristed street Na Můstku.
In other openings, Ivan Havel and his wife, Dagmar, have debuted their new restaurant in the Lucerna pasáž. Monarchie's menu is inspired by cuisine from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and much of the meat and produce is to be delivered fresh from the Havels' personal farm outside of Prague.
Finally, karaoke box club BeKaraOk! is now serving Japanese delicacies in its upstairs Sushi Bistro, where the sushi and maki come pre-packaged in handy take-out containers. Note: the Bistro's opening hours are from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Friday only.
images: kolkovna.cz, coffeeheaven.eu, lucerna.cz, bekaraok.cz
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Food news: I'll have the scallops. And hold the tobacco, please
At a recent dinner, an American friend of mine was surprised to find out that the "mussels St. Jacob" she had ordered actually weren't mussels, but scallops. The mistake was in the translation: in Czech, scallops are "mušle Svatého Jakuba," which, if translated literally, can mean "St. Jacob's mussels." On that note, Oliva is holding a scallop event this weekend. Have a look at the menu here.
If you've never tried Persian food before, now's your chance: the Hotel Praha, in conjunction with the Islamic 
Republic of Iran, is hosting a Festival of Persian Cuisine on February 20th and 21st from 19:00. Entry is only 400 CZK and includes Iranian cooking demonstrations and an all-you-can-eat buffet. Call 224 342 621 for reservations.
For a few days only, Italian chef Christian Bertogna is leaving his post at the Ristorante Imperiolino to cook at the Hotel Paris's Sarah Bernhardt restaurant. A four-course menu costs 850 CZK; the event runs through Sunday.
And if inhaling cigarette smoke with your food irritates you as much as it does me, take a look at this handy website. Sponsored by the Czech Anti-Tobacco Coalition, dokurte.cz maintains a list of restaurants that are smoke-free or have separate areas for smokers. Until the Czech Republic decides to wise up and follow the example of its European neighbors, it's the best we can do.
images: olivarestaurant.cz, insiderpages.com, usmlemd.wordpress.com
