Sample some of the best food Prague has to offer during the Prague Restaurant Festival

For the third year running, the Grand Restaurant Festival returns to restaurants across the twelve regions of the Czech Republic from Sunday, January 15 to Wednesday, February 15. Twenty-eight eateries will participate in Prague alone – all of them listed in the Grand Restaurant Guide assembled by the event's organiser and famed food critic Pavel Maurer, who has also founded the annual Prague Food Festival.The Festival promotes high-quality Czech cuisine by Prague’s top and brightest chefs, along with local, seasonal ingredients and traditional recipes. Therefore, it offers a unique chance to taste some of the best food Prague and the rest of the Czech Republic have to offer for something between CZK 200 and 600.

So, have a look at the menus and tell us what are your cravings! Here is the list of restaurants we are definitely going to visit…

V Zátiší – as a treat for Jan’s mum, I especially look forward to the appetizer plate and warm gingerbread with caramel sauce

Bellevue – want to try their version of crème bulee

Alcron – their glazed beef belly sounds wonderful

Sansho – the 12-hour beef rendang is out of this world

SaSaZu – this is one of our most favourite places in Prague

Miyabi – just because we’ve never been to but heard great things about this oldest Japanese restaurant in Prague

Chateau Mcely, Piano Nobile – I’ve wanted to take my boyfriend there for a long time

Koishi – a necessary stop on our way to Moravia to visit my father... ...and take home his homemade slivovitz...

Christmas dining in Prague

Czech Christmas in a nutshell: Christmas tree decorating and gift-wrapping with joyful songs in the background, family having a substantial meal followed by Christmas cookies and unwrapping presents. This all is done on the 24th - Christmas Eve. There is no Santa nor St. Nicholas, but Baby Jesus who delivers all the presents (the imagery stops there - there is no sled or rain deer; Baby Jesus just gets the job done without going into the specifics). Traditionally, one member of the family (my sister) decorates the tree while the others prepare dinner or watch fairy tales. When everything is ready, the whole family (except the mum who is finishing the dinner) usually goes out to get some fresh air and little kids are being taken for sleigh rides. Arriving home to a house smelling of wonderful fish soup, fried carp, potato salad, Christmas cookies and "vánočka" Christmas bread with a huge Christmas tree and heaps of present magically appearing out of nowhere is the best part of being a kid during Christmas.Spending Christmas abroad is another story, but it doesn’t necessarily mean having to miss out on the whole Christmas tree, Christmas dinner and presents business! In Prague, the whole city wonderfully becomes a Christmas wonderland with Christmas lights, fairs, and countless festive things to do and eat! Happen to be in Prague on Christmas Eve and Day? Do you want to celebrate Christmas with your family and friends in one of the outstanding Prague restaurants? We’ve rounded up some inspiration for a truly festive fun time.

Aromi

Italian restaurant Aromi has prepared a special four-course menu that combines both Italian and Czech cuisines and that aims to offer the best of both countries'   Christmas traditions.

Restaurant La Finestra

The meaty counterpart to its sister restaurant Aromi has also prepared a Christmas menu inspired by both Czech and Italian traditional cuisines.

La Rotonde and Alcron

For Christmas Eve, La Rotonde restaurant offers a special buffet menu featuring traditional Christmas specialties such as fried carp and potato salad, roast duck with dumplings and red cabbage, all accompanied by holiday music. 
The guests of the award-winning Alcron Restaurant, an intimate restaurant that seats only 24 people, can savor an exclusive seven-course dinner.

Terasa U Zlaté Studně

Terasa U Zlaté Studně (Golden Well) restaurant, a spot that boast one of the nicest views over historical Prague, offers an exclusive seven-course menu. However, they also serve a la carte dishes.

Chateau Mcely

If you feel like enjoying calm and worry-free Christmas, just take a short ride from Prague to the Chateau Mcely - their team will take good care of you. This place has a unique atmosphere that combines the aristocratic traditions of the Thurn-Taxis family with the magic of Advent, and the food is divine.

The Dos and Don'ts of Prague Christmas Markets

Whether you are a fan of Baby Jesus or Santa, one thing is undeniable: Christmas is just around the corner. and with it come the Christmas Markets. The Christmas markets are a specialty of Central Europe: in addition to the Czech Republic, they have a very strong tradition especially in Germany and Austria. These markets combine Christmas souvenirs (usually of the folk tradition genre) with food that is either served on the spot or can make a nice Christmas present.Several Christmas markets have sprung around the city recently, occupying most of the places attractive to tourists: like every year, the Old Town Square accommodates the largest Christmas market, which is visited both by foreign tourists and locals who crowd the square on two occasions: the ceremonial lighting of the official Prague Christmas tree, and the New Year's Eve celebration. Other Christmas markets can be found at the bottom of the Wenceslas Square and at the Namesti Republiky square in front of the Paladium shopping mall. The novelty this year are the Christmas farmers' markets held especially during the advent weekends. So what should you do and what should you avoid at these markets? Here are a few tips:

DO try to stretch out and visit the farmers' markets outside the centre - OK, the Old Town Square Christmas market is nice and all, but let's face it: it is overpriced and aimed at the general tourist crowd. Zuzi and I visited the market today to check it out and we bough and tasted nothing. CZK 110 for a Coke-sausage-bread combo? Please. But if you've never been to Prague, you should go anyway - it is a beautiful place, and the tree is nice, especially when the sun sets down. But if you want to try any food, look elsewhere. In addition, the Czech farmers' markets usually have a great atmosphere and include live music, not Christmas carols from a CD.

DON'T buy Czech souvenirs at the markets in the centre - What can I say - they are overpriced. Buy them in smaller shops or in a department store.

DO try Czech Christmas sweets - Christmas sweets are a great Central European tradition - virtually all Czech families are locked in their kitchens over the December weekends making these small sweets, only to share and compare them at work and eating them all up before the New Year's Eve (the fitness centers are full in the first few weeks of January, as we all try to shed the pounds gained during Christmas). I would suggest you try the ones with poppy seeds (no, they are not hallucinogenic, and taste great!), nuts and Czech rum.

DON'T buy foreign food - Some markets may include stands that do not sell Czech food. I am talking about booths that sell Hungarian sausages and spices, foods and cosmetics with French lavender, Italian cheeses and hams etc. To be sure, they carry nice souvenirs. But why buy them in Prague? Opt for fresh, local produce. As a rule of thumb, don't buy food wrapped in plastic; opt for the fresh stuff instead.

DO have some hot liquids - After a few minutes browsing the stands out in the cold weather, nothing is as comforting as it a bowl of hot soup, or hot wine or mead. Having hot wine at a Christmas market has become a tradition - the hot red wine with spices truly smells and tastes like Christmas!

Where to go for Christmas farmers' markets:

Jiriho z Podebrad square - Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays (8 a.m. to 6 p.m.) and Sundays (11 a.m. to 6 p.m.), 28 December (8 to 6) and 31 December (8 to 4)

Dejvice market - Thursdays and Fridays (12 to 6 p.m.) and Saturdays (8 a.m. to 2 p.m.)

Old Town Square, Wenceslas Square and Namesti Republiky and Namesti miru square - not really farmers' market, just regular Christmas markets. The first one is the biggest one, the last one is near the centre and targeted at locals.

The only Czech Michelin-star restaurant to change its concept

[2014-3-23 update: This blog post was written in November 2011 and is now outdated. Allegro was replaced by CottoCrudo, which does not have a Michelin star. Prague at this moment (2014) has two Michelin-star restaurants: La Degustation and Alcron].

Allegro, the Italian dining hall at Prague's Four Seasons Hotel helmed by the Italian chef Andrea Accordi, was the first eatery in the former communist countries of Central and Eastern Europe to gain a Michelin star. In October, chef Accordi left Prague Four Season hotel’s Allegro restaurant and was replaced by the well-known Richard Fuchs, the first Czech to be the head chef at the hotel’s restaurant. It an interview, he proclaimed that together with his team, he would be introducing a new concept of the Allegro restaurant in February. To be honest, I cannot wait.We ate in Allegro only once. The interior of this restaurant was so over-the-top ornate and reminded us of some Palais. Although we generally liked the food (sorry about the pics, we forgot the camera at home), it wasn't flawless either. Overall, we were a bit disappointed: we didn't think it was worth the money. We expected a remarkable experience, but it just didn't happen. If this place had not been so highly rated and regarded, our experience might have been different, but back then we just thought there were many other more interesting places to eat in Prague?

However, we have learned that Allegro will be undergoing a process of modernisation from November 2011 to February 2012, to re-open as a stylish urban restaurant, lounge and bar that offers high-quality Italian cuisine based on traditional recipes with modern twists. During the works, go to La Finestra, or contact us for other recommendations. We hope the redone Allegro with the new concept will deliver a great dining experience and will uphold the famous French accolade.

Prague Take-Homes: Designer Souvenirs

In Prague, there are plenty of shabby shops selling cheap souvenirs to tourists (Russian dolls, anyone?). As an alternative to getting an unmemorable present, you can pop into one of the unique design shops and choose an interesting gift you or your loved-ones back home will appreciate as an original piece of Prague. Wandering through the streets of Prague, you can stumble across design shops that feature rare and alluring designs just waiting for you to take home.Here are a few of our favorite stores with unique souvenirs:

Belda Factory

They offer original and unique jewelry, porcelain and glass, all from Czech producers and designers that will accommodate any budget.

Studio Pirsc Porcelain

Studio Pirsc Porcelain has become one of the leading studios in porcelain design and production. They offer high quality and limited decorations, along with useful household items. You can purchase them online or at various Prague stores (e.g. Belda, Qubus, Futurista, Modernista).

Papelote

This original Czech stationary gives paper a brand new, creative dimension. In Papelote you can find exercise books, notebooks, postcards and many other things that a good stationery shop should carry. You will be surprised by the original design that develops ordinary paper goods to unique pieces of art.

66 Gallery

The 66 Gallery is a wonderful mixture of a sales gallery and the Botas Concept Store. This traditional Czech sport shoes brand has become extremely popular, as illustrated by the fact that the Czech word "botasky" is the universal word for any sneakers.

Qubus

Here you will find unique treats for anyone exceptional in your life, things like a weird porcelain candleholder looking as baby head, a porcelain vase in the shape of a wellington boot or plenty of other cool design items to show your friends back home.

Futurista

Over 100 m2 of unique space where you can browse a broad collection of art, design books and magazines, pick an original gift for your loved ones or just meet up for a cup of coffee.

Modernista

This design shop offers broad and diverse selection of furniture, ceramics, glass, lighting, jewelry and toys from the Art Deco, Bauhaus, and Czech Cubism movements.

Kubista

Presenting the best of decorative art and design from the most important stylistic periods of the 20th century, particularly cubism and art deco, Kubista offers rare originals of applied arts.

Popout

Design lifestyle store full of original ideas, cool accessories and unique gifts such as a beautiful porcelain “babovka” form.

TEG (Timoure et Group)

This boutique is run by one of Prague’s most respected fashion designers; their quarterly collections feature sophisticated yet wearable clothes.

Sansho - arguably the best Asian fusion food in Prague

When ex-Nobu chef, Paul Day, opened a much-praised restaurant in Prague, we could not resist being one of its first visitors. Our expectations were high… Were they eventually met?This small, down-to-earth place has both communal seating arrangement and individual tables, along with an open kitchen. Rather than spending thousands on posh furniture and accessories, they decided to go for a minimalist look, which we loved. Although some may find the interior dull, smart touches extend throughout the interior décor: the contrast between the cold surface of concrete and the warmth of the wood and vibrant flowers in vases, eye-catching bulb lams; witty The Real Meat Society (where Sansho gets its meat) coasters; checked decor on both napkins and wardrobe of the staff. Nevertheless, the focus is definitely on the food.

Although the restaurant serves Asian-inspired food, it cooperates with local farmers and uses their organic eggs, meat and vegetables, and offers beer from a microbrewery. While à la carte menu is offered during lunch time, only a tasting menu is available for dinner (you can select only one dish from the menu, but the menu works much better as a cohesive whole) and it is served family-style. Quite unusual in the Czech Republic (we like our portions really big), this informal and sociable drew a lot of criticism as the restaurant opened.

We opted for the six-course menu - a lovely combination of complementary flavors. The first course, Scottish salmon sashimi, was a wonderful combination of fine fish with a citrus soy marinade, fresh ginger, pink peppercorns, chives and sesame seeds that awakened our slumbering taste buds with a sweet and sour tang.

Next up was a salad of green and white asparagus coated with a beautiful, aromatic dressing of coriander, mint, chili and Thai basil (and probably many more ingredients we were not able to identify) with an egg fried in goose fat.

Honzi’s least favorite but still tasty dish – chicken satay – followed: tender chicken legs were covered with rather salty than sweet peanut sauce that had a little bit of heat. Crispy fried onions on the top added extra texture.

The fourth dish was duck sliders; steamed buns were light in texture and reminded us of our dumplings. Slow-roasted duck, cucumber and scallions with a little bit of hoisin sauce were stuck into the buns. While still nice, I could hardly taste the filling. Therefore, the sliders seemed the weakest dish of the night to me.

Then an unusual combination of pork belly and watermelon salad “landed” on out table. This powerful combination of flavors and contrasts was wonderful. Juicy, caramelized bites of pork melted on the tongue and paired beautifully with the sweetness of fresh watermelon that removed the heaviness of the dish.

The standout of the evening was the final dish, the 12-hour cooked beef redang. The meat was slowly cooked in coconut milk with lots of spices (we bet there was chilli, ginger, galangal, and lemon grass) and was so tender that you could eat it even if you had no teeth. Crunchy toasted coconut and a jar of homemade hot jam were served on the side. It came with steamed rice, roti and wok-fried broccoli and bok choy with fish sauce, ginger and chilies.

Already stuffed, we decided to have desserts. Sticky toffee pudding was served warm with vanilla ice cream on the top. It was delicious, super rich and Honzi almost licked the plate clean. We also tried the homemade passion fruit ice cream with pink peppercorns. Yummy.

It was not a cheap meal. If you eat and drink as much as we did you could easily get to EUR 40 per person. There are certainly places where you can spend less in Prague, but hardly any of them pays so much attention to every dish. For that reason, we think it is definitely worth it.

Listen to an interview with Sansho's chef, Paul Day.

Coming soon: recipe for Pork Belly and Watermelon salad

Delicious Beer From Microbreweries

Are you planning your trip to Prague? If you are, then you will already know that we consider Czech regional beers our crown jewels. But do you know what beer tastes the best? Well, that’s tough one.

During our tours we often hear that Czech beer is the best in the world… but when we ask the participants what Czech beer they liked the most, we rarely get a straightforward answer. Frequently, it’s either Gambrinus or Pilsner Urquell, Budějovický Budvar and Staropramen, ubiquitous brands of giant breweries that have been dominating the Czech beer market. That’s not to say these aren’t great beers – at least Pilsner and Budvar – but too much of a good thing can get a bit boring.

Luckily, a new generation of Prague pubs is beginning to draw beers from a plethora of strange brews, going well beyond the traditional big-name lagers. These pubs are gaining popularity among locals: the beers they are selling usually have distinctive flavors, and freshness is always guaranteed. This trend is well illustrated by the recent list of the 10 best places to have a beer in Prague (alright, we are also tired of the generic Top 10 articles) published by Hospodářské noviny, one of the largest newspapers in the Czech republic – four of the top five spots are occupied by pubs selling beers from microbreweries. We encourage you to sample some of these harder-to-find beers and pubs that are worth the search.

Where should you be heading for a pint then?

Zlý Časy is the perfect place to try some fantastic Czech beer - with 24 beers on tap and upbeat but still traditional Czech pub atmosphere. Due to the crowds of happy beer drinkers, it may be harder to get service at the bar.

Zubatý pes – with 15 beers on tap, 5 or 6 of which are foreign beers and the rest being some of the best Czech beers, you are sure to find a few that will suit your liking.

První pivní tramvaj - if you are looking for something a little more adventurous, try this odd little pub. Take the number 11 tram to the last stop at Spořilov. The tram will stop just a few steps from the pub's door. At first sight it might look like a dive, and maybe at second and third sight as well. But it has a unique atmosphere (seats from an old tram bench, tram handrails at the toilets, curious cartoon graffiti) and they serve some wonderful beers. Btw, have you heard of the fourth tap?

Bulovka Pivovar – a famous Czech pub that is almost always packed. Bustling and noisy, like a traditional Czech pub should be, U Bulovky has a very unique atmosphere which is very hard to find nowadays.  The beer is excellent – always fresh-tasting and rich, each beer has its own unique taste.

Vietnamese Food in Prague

Although we focus primarily on Czech cuisine, we should definitely point out a new phenomenon on the Prague dining scene - Vietnamese food. For historical reasons, there is a big Vietnamese minority in the Czech Republic. There is no better proof of that fact than a visit to "Little Hanoi", officially called the SAPA market - a large Vietnamese "town in a town" full of Vietnamese shops and bistros on the outskirts of Prague. Because of these and other establishments, you can taste some delicious authentic Vietnamese dishes... right in the centre of Europe. If you want to find out more about the Vietnamese community and food in Prague, join us on a Prague tasting walk! The Czechs have embraced the concept, and lower-end Vietnamese bistros are becoming more and more popular. Although, these places are not exactly fine dining, be assured that the food is finger-licking good!

Prague Castle by Night

When people tell us that they want to see the Prague Castle and the Charles Bridge, we always recommend visiting these two marvelous sights either early in the morning or later in the evening to beat the crowds. Alternatively, you can visit the Castle during the day to enter the St. Vitus Cathedral and have a stroll in the Castle gardens (which is highly recommended), and then come back in the evening to truly enjoy the Castle's exteriors.

To illustrate what we mean, we took a short walk to the Castle yesterday (our kitchen is located within walking distance of the Castle) and took these photos for you. These shots were snapped at about 9:00 p.m. There was hardly anyone there, except for the attendants of a BMW party (yes, you can rent the halls of the Prague Castle for corporate events).

Designblok 2011

You may have already guessed by now that we love food. But there is another passion that Zuzi and I share - modern design. Whenever we go to a museum abroad, we never forget to check out the design shop. And when we are eating out, food always tastes better to us from a nice plate than from a mediocre one.

Well, if you're like us and you are visiting Prague next week, this post is for you.

From Tuesday, 4 October through Sunday, 9 October, Prague will be hosting the 13th edition of the Designblok annual design exhibition that focuses on Czech design and fashion. This is THE event on the design-lover's calendar in Prague, and definitely the event to attend if you're in Prague next week.

Designblok (and Czech design in general) has witnessed some dramatic development in the past decade or so. I had the honor of being the interpreter for the opening night of the 3rd Designblok - back then, it was a small affair held in a forsaken industrial building with no promotion and just a few young, Czech designers showing their newest creations to a handful of design aficionados. Fast forward ten years, and you can see crowds of people standing in lines to get in one of the "superstudios", lured in by the ubiquitous posters around Prague, just to see the newest products from global names such as Kartell, Nespresso, MaxMara, Ikea, Nike, Nokia, Escada and many others. But if you look carefully, you will have the opportunity to see, and buy, many interesting products by Czech designers - products that can make a great present for your loved ones or yourself.

When and where to go?

The exhibit Designblok exhibition starts on Tuesday, 4 October, and ends on Sunday, 9 October. The main events will be held in two "superstudios". This year, one superstudio is located in the Sporkovsky Palace at Hybernska 5 street, just a few steps from the Powder Tower and the Municipal House. This superstudio will focus on fashion, jewelry and accessories. To see the other superstudio (Superstudio Futurama), you'll have to visit the Karlin district. This superstudio will focus on furniture, lighting, and home accessories. Other events will be held in the shops and studios of the exhibitors that have been admitted to join the Designblok. For a comprehensive list of the exhibitors, click here.

What to look for?

We definitely recommend that you look for some Czech jewelry, crystal and porcelain products, the traditional Czech craftsmanship strongholds. As regards jewelry, definitely check out the Belda Factory, Deers.cz (which makes very popular brooches in the shape of deers), and the jewelry of Zdenek Vacek and Trash made (jewelry made of used materials)

If you love products made of glass, or tableware, don't miss exhibitions by Moser, Rony Plesl, Atelier Pelcl (if you attend our cooking courses, you will be eating from Mr Pelcl's lovely plates), and Pirsc Porcelain

For fashion junkies among you, be sure to visit the exhibitions or shops of Czech fashion designers such as Klara Nademlynska, Timoure et Group, the Sister Conspiracy, Tatiana Kovarikova, Hard"de"core, Denisa Nova and others.

For more information on Designblok and its events, exhibitors, and locations, please visit http://www.designblok.cz/2011/en/.