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City Guide - Prague - Food and Drink | ||
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Food and Drink Czech national cuisine is, by and large, high in carbohydrates and cholesterol. Main courses are predominantly based on meat (beef and pork) and poultry, with complex sauces. Accompaniments are traditionally dumplings or potatoes and sauerkraut. In the past, vegetarians were regarded as eccentric but, with the new market economy, their lot has improved dramatically and even organic restaurants are beginning to appear; the phrase 'bez masá' ('without meat') should be treated with care - in many cases it actually means 'without much meat'. Many dishes bear puzzling names, for example 'Moravian sparrows' (Moravsky vrabec) which are actually filled veal rolls, while 'bear's paws' are potato pancakes filled with a tasty pork and vegetable ragout. Starters can often prove to be the high point of a meal. Soups, more often served at lunchtime, are generally excellent, and Prague ham, often served with whipped cream and horseradish, is highly recommended. Czech game dishes are renowned. Accompanying sauces are complex, based either on cream or wine and berries. Freshwater fish presents an attractive alternative. Trout and eel are normally in season in October. Carp is not to be missed and is probably at its best grilled with onions, peppers and mushrooms 'gypsy style'. Dumplings (knedlicky) form a staple part of the diet and are essential for mopping up rich sauces. Resembling thick slices of bread rather than balls, they come in many different recipies, made with plain flour and potatoes, or flour with added pieces of stale bread or bacon. Dessert favourites include pala?cinky (pancakes with ice cream, topped with chocolate sauce and whipped cream) and lívanec (buckwheat pancakes topped with blueberry preserves and whipped cream); if ovocné knedlinky (fruit dumplings) are on the menu, they should be ordered without any hesitation. Czech beers are exceptional - Plze?n (Pilsen) is the traditional home of lager. The most popular are the yeasty Pilsner Urquell and the hoppy Gambrinus, Budvar and Staropramen; smaller breweries produce excellent beers and micro-breweries are beginning to appear. Dark beers, bittersweet in taste, are becoming popular. Czech wines - notably the reds of M?elník and the Moravian whites - can be excellent; however, few establishments serve the best examples so it is wise to stick to beer. One should also be careful with older vintages (archivní) since wines are improving steadily year by year. Restaurace (restaurant) is one Czech word immediately recognisable. Pubs (hospoda) offer a limited menu to accompany and complement the fine beers. Service and preparation can be leisurely and evening meals normally take about two hours. Serious pre-theatre dining should not be attempted; a lunchtime main meal with a light evening snack is the best option. Price ranges are still relatively cheap by Western standards: inexpensive (K?c120-450), moderate (K?c450-750) and expensive (K?c750-1800 and up). Daily specials, especially at lunchtime when most Czechs eat their main meal, offer the best value for money. Although most waiters are honest, it is always advisable to check the bill (unordered items, 'mistakes' in addition, etc) and change. Restaurants As well as the following, the top hotel restaurants (see the Accommodation section) are also to be recommended. The Bellevue, Smetanova náb?re?zi 18 (tel: (02) 24 22 76 14), provides the quality and service by which every other restaurant measures itself. Although pricey at K?c1300, every dish on the menu is a masterpiece of modern Czech cuisine and the views of the Castle are superb. Daily jazz brunches are recommended. Prague's Art Nouveau gem, Francouská Restaurace, in the newly restored Municipal House, náme?stí Republiky 5 (tel: (02) 22 00 27 77) serves fine Czech and international dishes for K?c800. Kampa Park, at Na Kamp?e 8b (tel: (02) 57 31 34 93; cost: K?c850) has unarguably the finest location in Prague - beneath the Charles Bridge on Kampa Island. When the weather is warm, the restaurant spills out onto a terrace directly on the river. The bar is favoured by Czech businesspeople and the menu is good all year; however, the restaurant reaches its peak in summer, with its alfresco selection of fresh oysters, swordfish and salads with the owner's original sauces and dressings. Long a favourite with politicians and celebrities, U modré kachni?cky, at Nebovidská 6 (tel: (02) 57 32 03 08; cost: Kc?600), specialises in Czech game cooking; among their best offerings are roast duck and roebuck in rosehip wine sauce. U Malt?ezskych rytí?ru, Prokopská 10 (tel: (02) 536 357; cost: K?c450), also features game dishes and is noted for venison châteaubriand. Situated in a candlelit Gothic cellar, this is an excellent place for romantic dates. On the riverbank, Na rybárn?e, Gorazdova 17 (tel: (02) 299 795; cost: Kc?400), was for a long time a well-kept secret. The local and favourite restaurant of President Havel, everyone knows it now, but the grilled freshwater fish is as good as ever. Trout and carp are especially recommended. More unusual dining options are now appearing, often offering less expensive menus. Although not central, the best Russian restaurant, Rasputin, at Koda?nská 47 (tel: (02) 733 585), is well worth the trip (cost: K?c800). Their borscht (beetroot soup) is a must, as are regional dishes from the old Soviet Union and their Black Sea fish selection. Live traditional music is performed nightly. The recently opened Masada, at Michalská 16 (tel: (02) 24 21 34 18; cost: K?c750), is the first kosher restaurant in Prague since 1939. A dairy section is on the ground floor and a meat menu is available upstairs. Booking is essential on Friday and Saturday. U pasty?rky, B?elehradská 15 (tel: (02) 691 3555; cost: K?c350), reproduces a Slovak inn, with an open grill; in summer, a beer garden opens. After visiting Vy?sehrad, the surreal Dolly Bell, at Neklanova 20 (tel: (02) 298 815; cost: Kc?300), with furniture nailed to the ceiling, is an unusual option. It features Yugoslavian cuisine and lamb dishes that are particularly good. Bazaar Mediterranée at Nerudova 40 (tel: (02) 90 05 45 10; cost: K?c350), specialises in light Italian and Greek food in a maze of cellars, rooms and patios; the terrace presents one of the best views of Prague from Malá Strana. Vegetarians' best choice is Lotos, at Platné?rská 13 (tel: (02) 232 2390; cost: K?c300); the banana ragout, in particular, is not to be missed. The ubiquitous pizza always offers a light alternative; at present one of the best places is Pizza Coloseum, Vodi?ckova 32 (tel: (02) 24 21 49 14; cost: K?c250). Cafés As befitted the 'Paris of Central Europe', café society played a vital part in Prague's artistic life - until the Communists attempted to suppress it as bourgeois. It certainly suffered setbacks, but the Czech demand for daily hits of caffeine and sugar won out. The recent reopening of Café Slavia, Smetanvo náb?re?zí 2, has given a welcome boost to the process. Open daily until midnight, it features the finest strudel in town, wonderful views of the Castle and the bustling Národní, and the most varied mix of visitors in the city. The Municipal House (see the Key Attractions section), also newly restored, includes a spectacular Art Nouveau kavárna, complete with pianist and, incongruously, several internet terminals. The numerous kavárnas provide probably the best approach to seeing Prague on foot: walk a bit, visit an attraction, stop for a rich, dark coffee (kava), and repeat the procedure at will. Tea rooms are becoming a trendy alternative and come in two varieties: those with eastern decor serving countless varieties of tea (?caj), such as Dobrá ?cojovna, 14 Václavské námestí, and those favouring a cosy Czech farmhouse ambience, such as U zeleného ?caje, on the main route to the Castle at Nerudova 19. |