How to Stay Cool in Prague

The summer is officially here and while the temperatures in Prague are not as high as they may be in other places (anything over 30C/85F is considered a heat wave here), it can still get very hot in Prague, especially given that we have no benefit of sea breezes and the like.

Prague is the perfect walking city: everything is within walking distance and the hills offer some beautiful vistas, but in a scorching heat, you want to walk smart. Here are some tips that may help you survive the heat while still enjoying some great food and walking (mostly) in the shade:

Pedestrian Tunnel - Kampa Island - Café Lounge

The first trip looks like a visit to the Prague Castle, but it's not (reserve that for the night hours). Walking down from the Strahov Monastery, turn left to the New World area, one of the most beautiful corners of Prague in our book. Get some refreshments in the beautiful Novy svet cafe and then follow on to the "Deer Moat" in front of the castle, cool down in the pedestrian tunnel, sit on a bench. Walk down along the slopes to the Malostranska station and from there to the Kampa Island, passing some wonderful walled gardens on the right. Feel free to walk inside and rest there. Make a few snapshots of the opposite bank with the yellow penguins on the riverside, explore the Kampa museum located in the beautiful Sova's mills, tap the babies by David Cerny and just enjoy the lazy atmosphere of the park. Follow towards the Ujezd and rest at one of our favorite cafés in town - Café Lounge at the Plaska street (just look for the "Hunger Wall" banner).

Convent of St Agnes of Bohemia - Lokal/Nase Maso/Sisters/Sansho - Muj salek kavy/Tea Mountain/Veltlin

Often missed by many travelers, Convent of St Agnes near the Hastalske square is a beautiful gothic complex that accommodates a minimalist exhibition of Czech and European medieval art from the National Gallery collections. After you're done exploring the Convent, cool down with a cold beer and a light snack at the Lokal restaurant nearby. Alternatively, you can have an updated Czech classic - an open-faced sandwich at the Sisters bistro (they do delicious daily soups, too), or have the fantastic meatloaf, burger or sausages at the Nase Maso butcher shop right opposite the hall. Finally, Sansho, one of our favorite restaurants in town, has a great outdoor seating for lunches (served until 3pm on weekdays - closed on Mondays) and serves fantastic Asian-fusion dishes, some of them lighter and thus perfectly suited for this weather.

Once you have eaten, take the 8 tram to the Urxova stop (or walk for about two miles) and have coffee at the air-conditioned Muj salek kavy cafe at the corner of the Krizikova and Saldova streets. You can literally spend the whole day there - in addition to coffee, they serve nice cakes, home-made lemonades, and ice-cream. On the other hand, you don't have to: you can just walk two blocks further to reach two great and fairly recent openings. Tea Mountain is currently our top pick for a tea room in Prague, and they offer fantastic, high-quality cold teas in the summer. Finally, if you want to spend a lazy, hot afternoon drinking wine, Veltlin, located right next door, has wines. And absolutely great, organic, Central European wines at that.  

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Beer Gardens

Another cool idea for the hot days to come is to go and just relax in a beer garden - you don't have to have a beer, of course. Instead, you can have Kofola, the Czech coke, for instance. On top of that, beer gardens tend to be integrated in parks, which offers the exciting possibility to just buy a beer and sit on a bench and enjoy the shade and views. Yes, life can be beautiful here in Prague.

Here are the three beer gardens that we would recommend: the Riegrovy sady beer garden, which can be found in the Vinohrady district. Many people buy beer into a plastic cup and go about 100 m from the garden to the park and enjoy the beautiful view of the centre, just sitting on the grass. Alternatively, have some craft beers and a great pulled pork burger at The Tavern on the edge of the park.

The second beer garden is at Letna, again with a great view. You can combine your visit with a visit to the National Technical Museum nearby. The best way to get there is to climb to the metronome above the Jewish Quarter and then turn right. You'll be there in about five to ten minutes. Finally, if you really want to avoid tourists and combine beer drinking with a great walk, visit Hospudka na hradbach within the Vysehrad fortress south of the centre. After the city cools down, just walk back down and head to the town on the riverside.

Last but not least, two tips: if the heat really gets to you, there is always ice-cream: we have posted about it recently here. And, even if ice-cream fails, you should definitely hide from the sun at one of our favorite independent movie theaters in Prague. It is always cool and nice there. We have blogged about them here. Have a great, cool day!


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Meet a local: Mr Ksana of Nase Maso

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Mr Ksána and we go way back. When we started Taste of Prague about two and half years ago, we did home cooking classes, too, and inevitably ended at the Ksana and son butcher shop for meat. It was the same all the time: four people in the line in front of you, but you waited for 20 minutes because Mr Ksana jr. (the “son” in the name of the establishment) would explain everything to everyone, sharing recipes and tips. The side effect? Everyone (including us) was going out with two bags of meat instead of the one cut they wanted to buy in the first place.

About a year ago, the son left the father and joined forces with AMaso, the butcher shop project by the almightily Ambiente Group. For a long time, you could only buy meat from them online but now, about two months ago, the project culminated with the opening of the Nase maso ("Our Meat”) butcher shop at the Dlouha street. Immediately it became one of our two favorite butcher shops in town (another being the wonderful Real Meat Society with their amazing organic and sustainable meat sold separately or in the popular farmer’s boxes). And not only ours: the shop that sells raw meat, sausages and ham (along with organic eggs, dairy products and spice) and also prepares some burgers, steaks and meat loaf on the spot became very popular.

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We met with Mr Ksana for the interview on a Tuesday morning before the opening time in a small cafe opposite the butcher shop. Throughout the time we spent there, you could see his eyes locked on the shop whenever he registered any activity, losing his string of thought. The diagnosis is clear: Mr Ksana is a total workoholic. We like that. It was also hard to steer the interview to anything but the meat. Mr Ksana is a butcher from head to toe, and a really nice person at that. We like that, too.

Have you ever, in your life, thought of being something other than a butcher?

I still want to be a pilot. It’s a big dream for me. My grandpa was a pilot. But I'm colorblind so it is likely to remain a hobby for me: I have a powered paraglide at home, though. But I love to do pretty much anything. I get very excited about different things. But pilot is still the no. 1 dream for me.

Why Nase Maso? Why the split from your dad?

Have you ever worked with your parents? I have. For twenty years. :-) My father is the nicest guy in the world but unfortunately, he always chose business partners who betrayed him. So he became a bit mistrustful and very stubborn: it's either his way or nothing at all. I always had an idea in my head for the butcher shop but could not push it through my dad. 

These high-end butcher shops are nothing new but they were missing here. So me and Mr Karpisek put it together: I sketched up a few ideas and Mr Karpisek added some of his own. My father and I became known because we sold sausages to the former Allegro restaurant (the first Michelin-star restaurant in Prague) and to Emanuele Ridi (one of the most famous TV chefs here in the Czech Republic) and appeared in the Apetit food magazine. But my father has never liked the publicity.

What are you trying to do with the butcher shop?

We call it "our meat" because the animals are raised the way we want them to be. Our manager visits farms around the Czech Republic, and the farms raise the animals specifically for us because they know we will buy the meat from them: they would get less money from the slaughterhouse because the meat is too fatty for them. We control all the details, incl. the slaughtering process. Then we take the meat to our facility and we dry age it ourselves. That's why we call it "our meat".

The same thing happens with the Prestice pigs (an old Czech breed of pigs). We cooperate with the Mladotice farm, now we work with a new Moravian farm in Cejc and so on. We try to get more farms involved because we want to do the proper Prague ham and we need more Prestice pigs available. And we do retail at Nase Mase and wholesale at A-Maso.

What should a tourist in Prague order at your butcher shop?

Exactly what you are getting for your tours: the meatloaf, Prague ham, our hot dogs. 

And why?

Because they are really good and I love them myself! I have now spent a year and a half in the production facilities, tasting things and trying different recipes. We really use no chemicals or additives. That means our meat will do you no wrong. It's all good and natural and it tastes great.

Where do you go for a meal yourself?

I'd love to visit many places :-) But I mostly eat in our butcher shop and when I want some alone time, I go to the Lokal pub nearby. And at home. We love to eat at home. My dad has finally built a house so we like to meet there with my family.

And where do you go with your kids?

I don't want to sound like an Ambiente salesman here, but my family and I love Cafe Savoy. The schnitzel there is perfect. And we love going outdoors, sit in the grass, grill a sausage over a fire and enjoy the sunset. I love to spend time with my family: we start with a big breakfast and then leave Prague and do something outdoors, e.g. in the Brdy forests nearby. 

And your favorite vegetarian restaurant?

What? Could you pick one?


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(Nearly) Licking Fingers at La Degustation

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La Degustation is a special place for us. You see, we met online. Before we even met in person, we chatted about our favorite places to eat in the city. Jan actually always wanted to go to “La Degu” but never had the chance, so he suggested a dinner there as the setting for the first date. Zuzi freaked out: “OMG, I don’t even know the guy and we’re going to have a date at La Degu?” So she bailed out, making up they had a closing at work (she was still a lawyer working for big law). In the end, we settled for something less fancy and quicker. Didn’t matter, really. We obviously hit it off. 

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We did go to La Degustation some time later to celebrate Zuzi’s birthday. In the meantime, La Degu became the first Michelin starred restaurant focusing on Czech food. We absolutely loved it: the food, the atmosphere, everything. Yes, it was pricey but we felt it was definitely worth it: familiar Czech tastes but with a modern presentation. 

Now we have decided to visit La Degustation again to celebrate our fifth anniversary. (Feels like the twentieth, Zuzi likes to say.) We were a bit nervous: we have been recommending it to our guests but have not really eaten there for nearly two years. Would it be still good?

We were lucky to get the table right next to the kitchen (totally by accident - no hidden perks there). La Degu changed its layout about a year ago and now has an open kitchen with a central table where all the dishes are put together in plain sight. It’s a great spectacle: you can see the chefs preparing the dishes and the whole scene looks like a Formula 1 pit rather than a kitchen. No talking but instead total focus on the food. Everybody knows exactly what to do. 

What we have always liked about La Degu was its relaxed atmosphere. Unlike some other Michelin star restaurants we visited, it does not feel stuffy at all and you don’t have to worry about using the wrong fork. Mr Sahajdak, the Executive Chef, wants a dinner at La Degu to be fun (he even said he wanted the guests to lick their fingers), and we think they have achieved that.

So how was it? We absolutely loved it again. The reasons why we would recommend La Degu are simple. They try to use only Czech ingredients, especially for their Czech tasting menu. They have a purchasing officer who calls the Executive Chef every morning and tells him what he found that day on the markets and in the farms. Mr Sahajdak then creates the menu for the day. Their dishes are also based on old Czech recipes, especially those found in the 1894 cookbook by Marie Svobodova, a Czech Julia Child before there was Julia Child. 

They work with seasonal products only. They have a rule that no ingredient should be on the menu twice, with two exceptions: butter and salt. All the dishes made perfect sense to us as Czechs: local flavors fine-tuned to perfection in a stunning form and with modern presentation. 

We had the more extensive menu paired with Czech wines. The sommeliers do actually suggest Czech wines first, and they do have great wines, including limited editions that are rarely seen elsewhere. The number of sommeliers matches that of the waiters. Besides the wines, La Degustation pairs the cheese course with an IPA beer by Matuska, a Czech microbrewery. The dessert (bread ice-cream) is also paired with smoked grape juice, one of the highlights of the dinner by itself.

We really liked all the courses. Our highlights included the smoked beef tongue with yellow pea and apple, which had fantastic texture and rich flavor; the perfectly cooked peeled barley, herbs and horseradish side that came with the chicken course; the melt-in-your-mouth poached trout with kohlrabi and almonds, and the “skubanky” course (absolutely amazing combination of silky potato dumplings with pork cracklings and kefir dressing), and.... you see we can't actually agree which dish we liked the best.

For us, La Degustation fills a very big void on the Prague culinary scene: Czech cuisine approached in a playful and modern way. A visit to Budapest shows that the Hungarians are not afraid to update their traditional dishes. On the other hand, Czech food tends to be presented mostly as pub dishes - greasy and in huge portions - served with lots of beer. We think that's a shame because La Degustation shows that a modern approach to Czech classics can in reality produce exciting results.

The only downside was the final bill :-) But still, comparing La Degustation to other Michelin star restaurants in Berlin, London or you name it, the experience was worth every penny. 

We know where we will be celebrating our twentieth anniversary…

La Degustation Boheme Bourgeoise

Website * Address: Hastalska 18, Prague 1 * Phone: (+420)222-311-234 * Open daily from 6pm


Meet a local: Karen of ARTEL Glass

We met Karen, the owner of ARTEL Glass, by mere coincidence. We had been recommending her glass work and her shop for a long time to our guests, and her Prague: ARTEL Style Guide - the best Prague guide in our opinion - lies by the bed of our Prague rental apartment. When Beth, one of our guests, told us she wanted to try glass blowing here in the Czech Republic, we just gave it a try and wrote an email to Karen. She called us back within an hour… on a Sunday. Later we took her along on one of our tours and our guests absolutely loved her and her stories from Prague, which we think may have lead to some actual sales in her shop later on. 

The ARTEL shops are great. They sell both the original glass works, all designed by Karen and made here in the Czech Republic, and a selection of jewelry and other items by local designers. They also sell quirky local artifacts like the infamous Mikov fish-knife, an absolute necessity for any 10-year old when we were kids, or Antiperle, the 1960s Czechoslovak answer to the Tic Tac. We love the works by ARTEL for their colors and design. They have recently opened a third shop at the Platnerska street.  

Why did you come to Prague and why did you stay?

I came to Prague in 94’ to work for a shampoo start-up and my only qualification was that I could be trusted. But after 10 months they moved me to Phoenix, Arizona. It was not for me. So I moved back to Prague 8 months later. I had studied fine art photography, so I wanted to do something creative – yet business oriented. When I looked around and saw Czech did a lot of glass, I decided this is the industry I wanted to work in. I wrote a letter to Moser offering to be a free-intern, but I never heard back from them. So I just started my own company. I saw an article about the original ARTEL in a magazine called Glass Review, and the rest is history. I never planned to stay really.

Have things changed since the beginnings?

Tremendously, at the beginning, you would cue for everything. The service was painful, and it still is in some places. The buildings had no colors. Prague is a noble city now. Also, back then you could clearly tell who was Czech and who was a tourist. Now you can’t anymore. 

How did the Prague travel guide come about? 

When I was going to open my first store, I decided to make an add-on-purchase that would be a shopping guide as people were always asking for my recommendations. The store got delayed and the book good bigger so I ended up with a complete Prague travel guide. The process took one year start to finish. 

Your favorite places to eat?

The best bagel and lox in Prague is served at the Augustine Hotel. It’s surprisingly affordable and a big part of the experience is their extensive newspaper collection. I also love to go for croissant and coffee to La Bottega di Finestra bistro in Platnerska street. I like Café Savoy for breakfast, lunch and dinner. There aren’t many places that do all three well – so Café Savory is a real find. I must say I also love the “Strudel Man”, i.e. the Susta strudel in the Zizkov district. It’s really just a hole in the wall operation and he seems genuinely annoyed by any customer but I love the oddities of it all so it makes for a memorable experience, and the strudel also happens to be great. Finally, for a local experience, I would visit the U Sadu pub in Vinohrady. It’s surprisingly good and its nice to be drinking and eating with the locals. I would, however, recommend to sit either upstairs or outside as the downstairs is disgusting.

Your favorite place outside of Prague?

We recently visited and loved Capi hnizdo, a farm just behind Benesov. It is owned by Mr. Babis (one of the richest Czechs and now the Finance Minister) and it is absolutely beautiful: it’s an organic farm with a restaurant, hotel, indoor swimming pool and other facilities too. The farm and the premises are so pristine you keep thinking: “do the animals actually poop?” 

What are your favorite places to visit with your daughter?

We like to visit Cafe Savoy and then the parks in Prague: Riegrovy sady or Stromovka. We also like the kiddie train at the Zofin Island. Another good tip is the swimming pool at the Intercontinental hotel. It’s a salt water pool; it’s a bit more expensive but it’s great. 

Your perfect Saturday?

My perfect Saturday would be spent antiquing. I love the bazars in Prague including the ones at the Zizkov train station. In downtown I like the smaller, specialized shops where you can spend time hunting for that perfect fabulous find. After that, I would go to The Augustine for the bagel and lox and to read the weekend paper. Finally, to finish the day I would then head to the Mandarin Oriental Spa for a Time Ritual spa treatment (ideally 3 hours if I am feeling indulgent). And for dinner, I would head to Sansho or La Finestra as they never let me down

Your secret shopping address?

OK, I am going to let you in on a little secret – this is my all-time favorite shopping haunt for vintage in Prague: P&J Bazar. I love sifting through piles of necklaces in search of a fabulous find – there always seem to be one! You’ll need more patience than money in your treasure hunt here, but the atmosphere is fun and well organized and the prices low. I’ve had very good luck with costume jewelry and novelties here, but I encourage you to check out the picture gallery on their website so you can see the full scope of buying possibilities at this little gem.


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Best schnitzels in Prague

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There’s nothing that says Sunday home-made lunch more than a schnitzel to us. We all grew up on schnitzels here and we dare to say that even the worst cooks among us (that would include Jan, too) could probably say how you bread a piece of meat for a schnitzel.

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Now, the Czechs have the amazing ability to bread nearly everything: while the Wiener Schnitzel is typically made of veal, most Czech schnitzels would be probably made of pork (either the leg or the neck) or chicken. That said, Czechs can bread and fry nearly everything: mushrooms, cauliflower, zucchini and, famously, cheese (most foreign visitors mistakenly - and mercifully - think the fried cheese in Prague is mozzarella sticks. It’s not, it’s fried breaded Eidam cheese). 

The schnitzel is also where Central Europe meets in one delicious, breaded and fried union. Wherever you travel - Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Bratislava or Munich - the odds are you will bump into a schnitzel on the menu sooner rather than later. Sure, Viennese claim the Wiener Schnitzel, but if you look at the Cotoletta alla Milanese from Milan, Italy, for instance, you’ll get nearly the same thing. A proper schnitzel is all about texture: the meat should be tenderized into smaller thickness and the breading should be crispy, not soggy.

Schnitzel in Prague is served mostly with potato salad, which, by itself, is a matter for an entirely different - and probably heated - debate. Another option is to have it with creamy potato mash. Together, they make a wonderfully tasty combination that reminds many Czechs of their childhood because, let’s face it, the best schnitzels are always made by grandma!

Now, if you regrettably do not have a Czech grandma, where can you have the best schnitzel in town? We have a few tips.  

Cafe Savoy

In addition to one of the best breakfasts in Prague, Café Savoy also serves near perfect schnitzels in our book. Made of pork, it is served here with potato salad and, unlike in many restaurants in Prague, with cranberry compote. We also like their higher-end “gourmet” option that includes fried sweetbreads. The size of the portion is right, too. You can also get the veal schnitzel, but my-oh-my, the price is quite high. [website]

Cestr 

Unbeknown to many, Cestr also serves one killer of a chicken schnitzel if you ask for it. Whenever we served it to our guests, it was one of the favorites, especially when paired with their awesome milk mash. Now, this is an off-the-menu item that may not be available every single day, but it is usually prepared for kids, and for good reason: even the pickiest Czech kids will east a good chicken schnitzel when everything else fails. [website]

Lokal at Dlouha St 

This popular pub serves two types of pork schnitzels. One is made of the roast pork leg, which is fried on butter (just like their fried cheese), while the roast pork neck schnitzel is fried on pork ard. The former one will be leaner, the latter will be a bit fattier but also juicier. Again, paired with their potato salad, it’s a winner. [website]

Krystal Mozaika Bistro

If you want a proper veal schnitzel, head over to the Karlin district and try Krystal’s version fried on butter and served with a leaner potato salad version. Finish it off with their fabulous plum dumplings served in butter with poppies, plum jam and a dash of Slivovitz, the local plum brandy. [website]

SCHNITZEL RECIPE

Normally, we would put our own recipe here. But we will make an exception today and instead post a link to a great Wiener Schnitzel recipe by no other than Ewald Plachutta, the founder of the famous Plachutta restaurant in Vienna. It is so well made (and with pictures!) that we thought not posting this one would be a big mistake. For the recipe, please follow this link.

Bon apetit! 


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What to eat in Prague: Czech sweet buns

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Today, we have a suggestion what you should try when you are in Prague. A true Czech classic. Only a few things remind us of our childhood more than a tray of hot, wonderfully fragrant buns prepared by our grandma. The magnificent bun is even embedded in the local mythology: whenever Honza, the smart popular hero of many Czech fairy tales, left the house to fight the dragon, break the princess' evil curse or do whatever was on the agenda that day, he always first ordered his mom to make a few buns for the road. One of the most common children's disputes was the favorite filling: plum jam? poppies? curd cheese? Our grandmas always preempted these disputes by making sure the tray included a few of each. A popular breakfast treat, the poor grandma had to wake up early in the morning to make sure the yeast dough was ready by the time we sprang out of bed. Luckily, you don't have to - you can simply stay in bed and go to one of the following places and buy them. Easy!

Simply Good: Yeast dough is really the specialty of this small bakery in the Karlin district. Buns with poppy seeds, plum jam or curd cheese is not where it stops - it's where it starts: you can have kolachees, the "Czech sweet yeast dough pizza", or wonderful cakes with streusel, which is also their forte. The owner, a former corporate executive, is a great lady. This is the place we go whenever our grandma is not available for service :-)

EMA Espresso Bar: You know what is better than a great, tasty bun? A bun with a cup of great coffee! And that's exactly where EMA excels. EMA's baristas are living proof that you don't have to be a bearded hipster with inked forearms to prepare a cup of tasty coffee. Just don't sit on the bench near the entry - that's our spot! 

Café Lounge: EMA's older sister also serves the Czech buns. Although they may serve other sweets, we always keep coming back to the classic.    

Sisters: Sometimes you can find the sweet buns on the menu of this cool and lovely bistro that focuses primarily on the modern versions of the "chlebicek", the classic Czech open-faced sandwich. A perfect ending to their daily soup and one or two sandwiches. 

Bistro 8: For those visiting the National Gallery or the National Technical Museum, this popular hipster hangout in the heart of the Letna district is a must. Recently expanded, they may now have more space and time to bake the Czech buns more often!

One word of caution: sweet buns are highly addictive. But don't worry - even when you leave Prague, you can get your fill wherever you live with the recipe we have adapted for you. Sadly, our grandmas passed away before they could share their secret recipes with us. Luckily, we have found a perfectly good substitute: a recipe published by our friend and popular food blogger, Lucka of the Chez Lucie fame. If you wish to get a taste of what Lucka does, you must visit Café Lounge where she works as a pastry chef now that she's left her corporate job for her true passion. Alternatively, EMA Espresso Bar, Cafe Lounge's sister, gets the same products. So, without further ado, here's the 

Czech sweet buns recipe

For the dough:
- 600g all purpose flour
- 100g caster sugar
- 80g butter or lard
- pinch of salt
- 3 large eggs
- 250ml lukewarm milk
- 30g fresh yeast
- 1/2 vanilla pod or a teaspoon of vanilla extract
- zest of one lemon
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For the fillings:
- 250g full fat creamy farmer’s cheese
- 50g powdered sugar
- 1 yolk
- juice and zest of half a lemon
- handful of raisins, previously soaked in rum
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- 300g plum jam
- ½ ts cinammon
- 3 tbs rum
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- 3dl milk
- 60g caster sugar
- 200g ground poppy seeds
- 3 tbs rum
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To finish:
- 1 tbs melted butter
- 2 tbs rum
- icing sugar

How to make the buns:

  1. Always take all ingredients for the dough out of the fridge about 2 hours before you make the dough.
  2. First, prepare the starter: in a small bowl I mix the fresh yeast with a teaspoon of sugar, 3 tablespoons of lukewarm milk and a tablespoon of flour. Cover the bowl with a tea cloth and leave the dough to raise for about 30 min.
  3. In the meantime, mix other ingredients in a big bowl and when the yeast is ready, mix it in. 
  4. Now comes the hard work - kneading. But don’t worry – there’s a shortcut. It’s called the kneading machine. I just like kneading the dough with my hands, I’ve always found it relaxing. Whatever way you choose, work the dough really well and let it rise for about an hour under a tea cloth in a warm place.
  5. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas 3 and prepare the fillings. For plum jam or farmer’s cheese fillings, I simply mix all the ingredients together. For poppy seed filling, I put the milk on the stove until it’s warm and then add all the other ingredients and cook the filling until it thickens. I put it aside and let it cool down.
  6. When the dough is ready, roll the dough on a floured board into about 1cm think dough. Cut the dough into squares (about 7x7cm – 3x3 inch) and put different fillings into the center of each square. Then wrap each square together into a small bun. Put all the buns on the baking tray one next to the other and then butter them with melted butter mixed with rum. Let the buns raise for about 10 min and then put them into the oven and bake them for about 30 minutes until golden brown. 
  7. When you remove the buns from the oven, butter them with butter and rum once again. When we have visitors, I usually also sprinkle them with sugar. 

Wherever you have the buns out or at home, enjoy! We know you will.


Our Budapest Trip

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Ahh Budapest! We visit Budapest quite often because Jan's mom's family is from Eastern Slovakia and the easiest way to get there is via the Hungarian highways on the south (and breaking the 9-hour drive into two bearable halves with some good food in Budapest doesn't hurt, either). Many of our guests visit Budapest as part of the Central European Prague-Vienna-Budapest pilgrimage, too.

An because we are love to travel throughout Europe and Zuzi likes to do her research properly, we will, once in a while, post about our experience in various European cities. It is nice to have a head start with your research, right? We will try to post nice pictures, too, but not this time: our Budapest photos died with the hard drive they were on, but the few surviving photos aren't bad, either. So, without further ado, these are the places we visited and our impressions:

Where to stay:

Brody House 

The Brody House is much more than a hotel - it is a collection of individual apartments appointed by local artists and designers who find support in the facility. The Brody House often holds exhibitions and public readings with local artists. It is conveniently located near the Astoria on the Pest side, near Fekete for good coffee. We also liked the nearby parking facility that charges about 10 EUR a day. [website]

Where to eat:

Borkonyha Wine Kitchen

So far, this has been our favorite place in Budapest both in terms of the food and value. They have a huge selection of wines with many by glass and that's only the start. They use local ingredients, including the Mangalica pork and foie gras, which we both recommend.

We loved the simple but nicely decorated interiors. This is clearly a favorite for business lunches and the atmosphere was bustling yet relaxed, especially for a Michelin-star restaurant. We wore jeans and did not feel out of place. [website]

Bock Bisztro

A wonderful selection of wines. Put yourselves in the hands of your waiter; he'll give you good advice. As for the food, they focus on Hungarian cuisine (sometimes deconstructed) and they do it well. As a welcome gift you get fresh bread with a tub of bacon-studded lard, and it only gets better from there. They also have a sister restaurant in Buda which we've not visited, but heard that it was of a great quality too with more relaxed atmosphere. Well, there is always next time, right? [website]

Csalogany 26

Located in the Buda district, this place serves very affordable lunches and tasting menus in the evenings (you can opt for a la carte dishes). Not all dishes are perfect, but we really enjoyed our evening. We really enjoyed the local vibe and cooking, which reminded Jan of his childhood spent in Eastern Slovakia. The only complaints we had were the simple interiors and the unfriendly service but we believe they just had a bad night. [website]

Onyx

Onyx really shows that the Hungarians are proud of their food, using lots of locally sourced ingredients and turning them into dishes worthy of the Michelin star. That said, it did feel a bit stuffy, with their protocol and etiquette policy and all. [website]

We did not visit Costes, the third Michelin star restaurant in Budapest.

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Where to go for coffee

Espresso Embassy

Opened by a former barista at Printa Coffee, this place is very serious about coffee. You can get virtually anything: drip coffee, flat white, cortado, you name it. On our second visit, we were served cappuccino by an intern/salesman from Drop Coffee, a café/roastery in Stockholm that we visited in October 2012. The café has a nice atmosphere and lots of locals work there with their laptops. [website]

Tamp and Pull

This is a small café where things are clearly done with love. We had a great cappuccino there, and in addition to coffee-making supplies, the shelves included a "6th place" trophy from the 2009 World Barista Championships. They also offered small things to eat like croissants, breakfast sets etc. [website]

Fekete

Fekete is a tiny espresso bar near the Astoria subway stop. The really nice outdoor seating invites you to get a cup, have a seat, read a book and catch a few rays. It is clear that this place is run by coffee nerds... ehm... we mean aficionados. You can get both espresso and filter. If the only complaint Zuzi had was that the cortado glass was too thick, you know they're not that bad. [website]

Madal Coffee

As soon as we saw their La Marzocco machine dominating the room, we knew we were going to be happy here. They offer many single origin coffees either as espresso or brews. [website]

My Little Melbourne

This is a very diminutive, two-story café with a very lively vibe. The coffee is good and the barista is very skillful. They also serve some small food there, too. [website]

Where to go for something sweet

Rozsavolgyi Csokolade

A chocolate lover's dream and a great place to buy presents for someone at home who loves great chocolate. This small chocolate shop sells its own chocolates and pralines of very high quality. We tasted some pralines and although we are not usually fans, we loved these ones. [website]

Levendula Kézműves Fagylaltozó

If you like ice cream, you will probably love this place. In addition to classics, they offer some unique and interesting flavors, incl. the Tokai wine or lavender/lemon, Japanese green tea, caramelised fig and so on. You just have to disregard the violet paint job that... ehm... stands out. [website]

Cakeshop

Small and relatively new cake shop run by a very passionate owner. In a fairly rare move, they also offer lactose and gluten-free cakes, all made in house, which is reflected in the pleasant smell that hits your nose when you walk in. [website] 

A Table

A small French bakery/pastry shop. This is a great place for breakfasts - we had a great croissant with two marmelades and a pain au pistache that packed about a million calories, but who counts them when you're on vacation. However, we will not be rushing back: the service was not particularly friendly and we're putting it mildly. They have two branches. We visited the one at Arany János Utca opposite Espresso Embassy. The other branch should be better, we've heard. [website]

Daubner Cukraszda

This pastry shop is recommended by virtually every Budapest guide. From the Pest side, it's a rather long bus ride (line 206) from the Nyugati train station, and then a 10 minute walk up a hill to get there. It's a really local experience - when we asked the bus driver where to get off, we received an answer in the universal language: Hungarian spoken v-e-r-y  s-l-o-w-l-y. We suggest you ask someone younger for directions to get a response in English. The pastry shop is more shop than café: most of the orders are take-away and there are really no seats there. But the cakes were good, and the ice cream was even better. In all honesty, we thought it was not really worth the long ride. But if you love cakes, this one might be for you. [website]

Where to drink

DiVino

There are so many nice wine bars with a great selection of Hungarian wines in Budapest. However, we liked this one a lot. The place is buzzing with a nice mix of locals and tourists. Great Hungarian wine selection and friendly, helpful service if you don't know the wines. [website]

Kandalló

Nevertheless, if you are into beer, this artisanal pub is great! Interesting home-brewed beers and traditional Hungarian side dishes in a lovely place. [website]

Boutiq'Bar

We had great cocktails in this popular bar. 'Nuff said. [website]

Lehütö

In addition to testing your keyboard skills when you try to type the name, Lehütö offers a great selection of local and international craft beers. All the attention is paid here to beers, which means they serve no accompanying food. Opt for the outside seating if the weather permits. [website]

Where to shop

Printa Coffee

This café/gallery/printshop is a great place for small souvenirs or a rest, and we recommend it as your start to exploring Pest. We bought their map and guide of Pest and used it throughout our trip. They use Has Been coffee; however, you can see that their best barista left a while ago: our cappuccino was far from perfect. Still, we loved the place and we got a lot of tips from the staff. [website]

Food Market

A big indoors market with a bustling mix of locals and foreigners. You can see Csabai sausages and dried paprika everywhere. They have special national weeks: on one visit, we actually went in and realised the Czech week was on (all the lagers you could buy - lucky us ;).

Nanushka

For fashion lovers among you, Nanushka offers interesting models made of great materials in inspiring interiors. Btw if you can not make it to Budapest, they also sell their beautiful clothing online. [website]

Culinaris

A few steps from the Parliament, this is a place for the foodie inside of you - a small shop that carries lots of ingredients from all around the world - cheeses, hams, chocolates, teas, fruits and vegetables, more exotic spices etc. The place also serves food - we had soups and were satisfied. [website]

Hybridart Design Shop and Café

A great, centrally located shop with designer jewelry, homeware and accessories made by local designers. Stay away from the coffee. [website]

Culinary Budapest

Cooking classes and food tours run by a couple, Agnes and Istvan. You can see that Agnes and Istvan love what they do and we are sure that if you have a special request, they will do everything to accommodate it. We absolutely endorse them. [website]


Meet a local: Usito

Usito_6.JPG

“Food is not a toy!" Do you remember your mom telling you off at the dinner table when you were a child? And do you remember disagreeing with her,  convinced that, in fact, food in an excellent toy? Well, if you still carry some inner wounds from that time of your life, we have some good news for you: there is somebody who was not afraid to make this unfulfilled child's dream come true and they are based in Prague, too! 

Usito [read "oo-shi-to"] is a fun label run by two friends, Kateřina Holaskova and Veronika Holadova, who create food-themed hand-made toys and decorations from fabric. They met in college in the Moravian town of Zlin where they both studied arts. One day they were having a cup of coffee in one of Prague's cafes, when suddenly they got inspired by the poor little bored face of Katka's child... And that is how the idea of cloth pizzas and cakes was born; to make sure kids enjoy some quality coffee time, too! Yes, the Slivovitz plum brandy toy particularly makes you wonder who the stuff is REALLY designed for, but everyone who has ever been on our tour knows that… ehm… “cultural heritage” must be passed on to the next generation from early age!:-)

Usito_3.jpg

1) What do you love the most about Prague?

V: I'm a Prague native, so my relationship with the city is quite typical; I love the old center, all the sights, Petřín... What I love about Prague is all the possibilities. The fact that you get an idea and you can also go and make it happen. There are pubs, galleries, theatres... In the real life, nobody actually has the time for all these things, but it's the feeling that you simply CAN."

K: I'm quite the opposite: I was not born here, so even I've lived here for 10 years, I'm still getting to know the city... or actually, I don't know it at all! I haven't had time to walk it all around yet. But I love all the classy Czech pubs!"

2) Do you have any secret tip for a hang-out place in Prague?

V: You mean where we hang-out together with Katka? Definitely pubs! ;-) Well, I love walking so I have my own routes that I like. I start, for instance, in the Vinohrady district and go to the Lesser Town as I like passing trough the city center. Then Petřín and also Letná. This is where I live right now and I just feel like I can walk anywhere I like from there!"

K: This is sad as I don't actually have any secret tip and listening to you, Veronika, I have just realized how little I have walked trough Prague! This is also why I'm so glad when someone comes to visit, because that's my chance to get to see the city. I don't really feel any urge to go to the Charles Bridge, to be honest, actually, I avoid that, but just Iike Veronika, I do love the Lesser Town.

3) What does your ideal Saturday in Prague look like?

K: I go to see an exhibition when I have some free time. Veletrzni Palace or Rudolfinum Gallery are my favorites. I make plans only for myself and... don't really care about the kids now when I think of it! :-D But even with kids you can often go to a gallery as they usually have some activities for children too. 

V: When I have some time off, I definitely don't go to the city center. :-) I prefer parks and a nice and calm walk like to the ZOO and back. Stromovka and Letna parks or even the green suburbs of Prague like Dablice or Cimice. No people, basically!:-)

5) You get the best coffee at...

V: Mama Coffee Pod lipami in the Letna district. We really got to like this place recently, as it is such a nice space for both formal and informal meetings. Then Mama Coffee in Vodickova street.

K: I agree!

V: Oh, and a real heart-warmer is that little tiny place close to U.S. embassy... Kafirna is the name! It's a small family business with just two tables or so.

6) Where do you shop for toys when you don't make them yourself?

K: We shop at our friends!:-) At Lumpidu, for example, but they only have an e-shop. Actually, I also got to like Hrackoteka in the Skolska street quite a bit.

V: I must confess, I prefer to buy books over toys because, being from the "industry”, I'm a bit biased. I feel like there are toys everywhere, so I rather buy a book or a board game.

7) What are your favorite eating out places in Prague?

K: Recently, we started going to Wine & Food Market on Strakonicka street. That's not quite as Czech, sorry for that,:-) but it's guaranteed for quality! For the proper Czech classics it's definitely Lokal.

V: I have to say I'm up for even the real low-end pubs. Ztráty a nálezy in the Vinohrady district or Jehuda just around the corner. That's where I meet up with friends.

Where can you get Usito toys and decorations?

Hrackoteka, Školská 34, Prague 1()
Kuraz, Benediktská 7, Prague 1 - they have hand-made deer clock in there. Our absolute favorite!


Prague shopping - Botas 66 sneakers

Jan's Botas sneakers in front of the Ossuary in Sedlec, Kutna Hora. 

Jan's Botas sneakers in front of the Ossuary in Sedlec, Kutna Hora. 

"Hey, Zuzi and Jan, what is the coolest thing we can buy here in Prague?”

We get that a lot during our Prague food tours. And we do have suggestions that we like: instead of the tacky tchotchkes they sell around the Charles Bridge, we like things that mean something to us as Prague locals and that would normally go unnoticed by foreign visitors.

Our most common suggestion? Easy: the Czech Botas 66 sneakers. Virtually the only brand of sneakers available when we grew up in the 80s (yes, it was so hard being cool at that time), the Botas have now been slowly becoming the local hipster favorite since about five years ago when two design students came up with the idea to brush up the 1966 model and turn it into a street style fashion statement. Today they are one of the most popular sneakers around here. 

Now, we have a confession to make: Jan was suggesting them on almost every occasion but did not actually own a pair until about a month ago when he finally opted for the “track” model that is based on the 1980s running model. The model he chose (and which is pictured above) is called “Insane Track” (or “clown shoes”, as the baristas at EMA Espresso Bar dubbed them). They are still hand-made here in the Czech Republic and they allegedly retained all the original suppliers, so it’s still the “Eastern block” sneaker. They are fairly light and very comfortable.

Source: botas.cz

Source: botas.cz

OK, and now for the details:

How much are they?
The prices start at about EUR 50 and never go beyond EUR 75.

Where can I get them?
That’s a tricky one. Botas did close its central concept shop about a year ago and hasn’t found a replacement location since. JB Sport at Dlazdena 3 street in the centre has a small selection. If you want to see the full assortment, you’d have to travel a bit out of the centre to Artis-Botas Praha at Radlicka 11 street (tram 7 or 10 from Andel subway stop to Braunova stop). Finally, they do sell online within the EU (visit their online shop here). If you want to have them delivered to your hotel, why not? (Jan bought them online, too. Their fit is a bit tight so if you are in between regular sizes, he recommends you get the bigger one). 

May 2014 update:

Botas 66 finally has a designated store! (And a really cool one at that.) You can find it at Krizkovskeho 18 street on the border of the Vinohrady and Zizkov districts very near the TV Tower. Visit their website for further details.


Meet a local: Dominika and Hanka of Café Jen

We've been saying it for years and we'll say it again: there's nothing like starting a day with a good breakfast. If you are like us, you will like Café Jen at the Kodanska street in the Vrsovice district just a few minutes off the tourist centre. Since its opening, Café Jen has gained quite a reputation for relaxed atmosphere, good coffee, great breakfasts all day and home-made cakes. They were even mentioned by Adam of EMA Espresso Bar as one of Prague cafes serving great coffee when we interviewed him for these series.

What makes Café Jen really special, in our eyes, are the two owners and bosses, Dominika and Hanka. Former classmates at university in Brno, Moravia, they enjoyed the Brno café scene during their studies to the fullest but were longing to open their own place one day. After Hanka returned from her travels, their dream came true not in Brno but in Prague instead. Their café is a labour of love: their tidily kept chronicle of the café shows their moms sewing the pillows and their boyfriends moving in and assembling furniture. 

You can feel the love and dedication not only in the venue itself but in everything they serve. During our interview at the small bar, Dominika and Hanka exchanged roles as baristas, bakers, chefs and waiters, while talking about the places they love, and they do love them: in the days leading up to the interview, we are bumping into Dominika in various cafes so much it felt like we were stalking her (we were not, just for the record). We asked them a few questions but we could just keep talking and chatting with them the whole day. And that what makes their place special for us: the time stops for a while and you just relax... and have some breakfast.

When not in your own cafe, where can we bump into you?

D: Here in the district? Definitely the Jiriho z Podebrad farmers' market here. We like to buy things there.   

H: Gastromica is a nice new opening close to the place we live. I like it there..:o). Kofein is also great for some tapas and wine or some lunch. 

D: What really wowed me recently is Kastrol - great food and not rushed. We went there with my boyfriend and liked it: lots of families, big tables, just a place to get away and have an honest meal.

H: And, of course, Můj šálek kávy, Kavárna pražírna and EMA Espresso Bar - great places, too.  We can´t miss our favourite tiny Mezi Zrnky café, actually you can find us pretty often there.

D: Tricafé in the centre - love that place. I like to walk through the centre and Tricafé is a nice stop for take-away coffee or just to sit down for a bit. The staff is super nice and the bench outside is a great place for a rest in the summer.

Can you describe your ideal Saturday?

D: I have thought about this, actually, and I have come up with two ideal Saturdays: one when I am at work and people are having breakfasts here at Café Jen. Then I am happy to be here because my favorite meal of the day is breakfast so I love having people over for breakfast or for our weekend breakfast specials.  

So this is one plan. And when I have a Saturday off, I love going somewhere for breakfast. In the summer, we have take-away coffee from Kavovy klub at the Jiriho z Podebrad farmers' market on our way to Mezi zrnky, or go for the omelette at Cafe Slagr. That's lunch rather than breakfast. 

H: My ideal Saturday? I would have breakfast here at Café Jen or at Gastronomica. Then I would go out for a walk through the Stromovka park, head over to the Svata Klara vineyards for some wine and chill-out on the sun, or have a run in the Kunraticky forest. Then perhaps go back along the river, stop for some more wine at Na brehu Rhony, and then... bed time! :-)

Would you suggest any trips outside of Prague?

H: I love to visit my home town of Opava and the Jeseniky mountains - the most beautiful Czech mountains in my mind. Everyone should go there...:o)

D: Outside of Prague? Brno (the capital of Moravia). I would visit our friends in the V melounovem cukru café, then the Industra café, have a cup of coffee at Saggio Cafe, a stroll on the Kravi hora...

H: Bistro Franz for me..The Veveri area is exciting: Rosebud, an "alternative flower shop", Preclik, a "snack shop", and Patizon, a "vegetable boutique", are all owned by Ms Rozarka Stresovska. All their shops are magical and lovely.

D: We like Pastyr with their halusky, Cattani pasta bar, Tri ocasci and so on...

H: I really miss café Avia here in Prague... and Bar, který neexistuje.

D: What is great about Brno is that everything is really close to each other so it is always worth a trip. If you where to do a tour there, you would be fine with walking everywhere.

And your secret shopping address?

H: Papelote. I love it there! And in terms of food, I really like Sklizeno.

D: I must say I like Gran Moravia, their cheeses and butter. They have a shop in Brno, too. We also buy things from the Jezkuv statek farm. Their food is good. 

 

Alright, so where is Café Jen?

Café Jen

Kodanska 37, Prague

Open Mon 8-19, Tue-Fri 8-21.30, Sat 9.30-21.30, Sun 9.30-9


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