Prague Food with a View

"Like tourists huffing and puffing to reach the peak, we forget the view on the way up." Friedrich Nietzsche

Spring arrives and Prague's streets start sprouting tables. They can be nice places to eat and observe both people and architecture

But I sometimes hunger for something extra special when dining al fresco. After all, Prague is a feast for the eyes. Glimpses of the Golden City can add magic to a meal.

I now give you a list of special spots, in no particular order, from which you can marvel at the view while you chew. I've been to many, but not all of them. There are certainly more restaurants with a view than I have time or space to cover here. But I'll tell you what I know:

Terasa U Zlaté Studně (Terrace at the Golden Well)

I've seen very nice photos of the views from here. I've never had the pleasure of dining in the actual restaurant, but I've sampled their food a few times. I attended a party last year for Maurer's Grand Restaurant Guide's top 10 restaurants. It's sort of a Zagat's guide for the Czech Republic, and diners voted this place number one. The dishes they served there were, indeed, the best. And I loved their entries at this year's Prague Food Festival. Be sure though that the great food and view will come with a big price tag.

Grosseto Marina Ristorante


This big barge on the Vltava takes the prize for best view for a bargain. The top deck gives you open air access to the sight of Prague Castle, all for the price of a pizza. The Italian fare is usually decent and reasonably priced. They serve quite good wines by the glass, but they tend to be expensive. Your tab can climb quickly. I'd stick to beer, but they serve Staropramen and Stella and I'm not a fan. Note that they don't take reservations for the top deck. Unlike the lower deck, it's first come, first served, though it's very large and the waiting list moves quickly.

Boat Hotel Matylda Ristorante

This smaller boat is further up river and has a more romantic atmosphere. The menu is also Italian, but  it's a little more sophisticated and expensive. There is no pizza. I ate here more than a year ago and the food was decent. In good weather, it's nice to sit outside on the fantail of the boat.

Kampa Park

The tables down by the river have a wonderful view of the Charles Bridge, which sits next to the restaurant. This is one of Prague's most famous high-end spots, attracting the likes of Bill and Hillary Clinton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Vaclav Havel. More than 10 years ago, I thought it was a good deal and ate there a lot. Now, main courses can be close to 900 CZK ($45 at today's rate) and so it is more for big spenders and splurgers. I haven't been there in a few years, but I know a serious foodie who thinks it is still quite good.

Hergetova Cihelna

This is a member of the same restaurant group as Kampa Park and also a neighbor on the river. Many of the tables inside don't have a good view unless you are right by a window. But their large outdoor terrace has a prime position to gaze upon the Charles Bridge and Old Town. I ate inside by a window with a view a few months ago. I didn't think I would like their foie gras pizza and foie gras burger, but I was wrong. I loved them both. It's not cheap, either, but you'll spend less than at Kampa Park.

Letenský zámeček (Letna Beer Garden)

This is one of my favorite summer hangouts, weather permitting. For the higher-end experience, you can eat (or have your wedding party) at Restaurant Belcredi in the top part of this old villa in Letna Park. I've never done this. If you want the mid-range experience, you can eat at Brasserie Ullmann in the lower part of the villa or just in front of it. I've done this twice. It was OK. If you want pizza, grilled meat, beer, and wine, there is the Garden Restaurant. This is where you'll usually find me. If you just want beers and maybe a sausage, you can sit at the tables and benches that have the best view of the truly Golden City as the sun goes down. This option attracts the biggest crowd.

Coda at the Aria Hotel

I ate here long ago, right after the opening, so it's not worth going over the experience, except to say that I ate in the restaurant on the ground level. But they also have tables perched on top of the hotel, in the middle of Malá Strana. The dome of the St. Nicholas Church is practically in your lap. I can't tell you how it tastes, but the food is just as pretty as the scenery. And the prices match the altitude.

Terasa Hotel U Prince

The rooftop of this restaurant overlooks Old Town Square. It's just across from the Astronomical Clock and is a popular place to be when the weather is good. Finding a table is not always easy. I ate there with two friends a couple of years ago and no one was happy with their food, especially given the prices. But I'll agree with the opinions I've seen on TripAdvisor and elsewhere: it's worth it to climb up there for drinks. Their mojitos pair well with the Týn Church on a warm afternoon or evening.

Céleste

This restaurant's menu has changed completely since I was there in 2009 (in fact, it was the first story I wrote for Expats.cz). A number of credible reviewers on Tripadvisor say the food is very good now, though even more expensive than when I visited. There are some tables that don't have good sight lines for seeing the city, but the view of the river and Prague Castle from their terrace is one of the best. The impression from outside the building is something special, too. The restaurant is in the "Dancing House" -- sometimes called the "Fred and Ginger building" -- created by Vlado Milunić and Frank Gehry.

Villa Richter

This is an amazing location, sitting on what is still a working vineyard right next to Prague Castle. The steep hills join into the castle gardens and roll down to Malá Strana below. This villa and grounds, restored about four years ago, is divided into three different venues. There is the fancy Piano Nobile, with main courses in the 400-500 CZK range. There is the lower priced Terra restaurant which serves Czech specialties. And there is the casual outdoor "bistro" where you can have wine from the grapes grown around you and light snack. I went to the Sunday brunch at Terra in 2010. While I wasn't impressed with the food back then, the beauty of the city and the reasonable price left me feeling it was a Sunday well spent.

Here are a few other options to combine Prague's beauty and a feast: Aureole, Mlynec, Bellevue, La Terrassa, Nebozízek, Restaurace Petřínské Terasy, Cowboys, and Občanská plovárna. Feel free to add to the list in comments.

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Prague Food Festival 2012

"Did perpetual happiness in the Garden of Eden maybe get so boring that eating the apple was justified?" Chuck Palahniuk

People used to call the Czech Republic a culinary backwater. Some still do. Ten years ago, I'd agree with them.

While this country doesn't have the depth of the great world capitals, it does have world class quality. Assembling much of it in one place is something to behold.

That's what the Prague Food Festival does. It is the event of the year for foodies: a perpetual showcase for more and more inspiring restaurants.

I've only missed the fest once since it began. This year, it returned to the fairy tale-like setting of Prague Castle's Royal Garden.

It is the best of the locations they've used, and I hope it stays there.

The deal remained the same this year.

It cost 400 CZK to get in, which includes 250 CZK worth of food tickets called "Grands." You buy more books of 10 tickets for 250 CZK as needed. And you will need.

I attended with my Italian companion on Friday evening. We enjoyed good weather and almost no lines.

I was warned Saturday would be the busiest day, but several people told me Sunday was actually busier, with occasional 15 minute waits for the most popular offerings.

The festival tried to manage the crowds more efficiently this year by selling tickets with entry times. Mid-day slots were sold out in advance.

The event was founded by Pavel Maurer, who publishes the Grand Restaurant guide.

One welcome new addition this year was much more seating for diners.

My only criticism is that many dining areas were not close enough to where food was being served. I mostly ate while standing at the small tables near the food tents. You had to be lucky sometimes to find a free spot.

We started off in the lower garden.

The first place I hit was V Zátiší.

I've greatly enjoyed their offerings in previous years. This was no exception.

They served slow-roasted lamb, organic quinoa, lemon yogurt, and lamb jus (150 CZK).

I love lamb, and I loved this. The meat was rare and tender, if a little too salty. The jus caught the essence of the meat. A dab of that and the tangy yogurt sauce made for a lovely bite. I really dug the quinoa. I wish it would appear on more menus.

We moved up the narrow path to try Le Patio. Chef Sofia Smith has completely redone the restaurant's menu with an Asian theme. There were so many tempting options like slow-cooked Indonesian-style organic beef or calamari confit.

I settled on Singapore shrimp with black pepper, curry leaves, and green chili served with rice and banana leaf essence (125 CZK).

The three small shrimp were properly cooked and had a delicate crunch. The sauce certainly provided a peppery heat. I wished there was more of it to coat the rice. It was gone all too quickly.

The next stop was La Truffe. I've heard good things about this truffle-inspired restaurant. It's not cheap though, and their dishes carried the top price of 250 CZK.

I had the puff pastry filled with baked black truffle, a slice of foie gras, and pancetta on a sauce Bordelaise. I sliced it in half for further inspection.

There was a decent-sized chunk of the dear and subtle flavored mushroom inside. It was somewhat overwhelmed by the other ingredients. The foie gras didn't fare so well in the cooking process and didn't have the smoothest texture. The pastry was nice.

Surprisingly, the sauce, made with a rich demi-glace, was the best part. Thick and beefy, with a hint of wine, it was so damn good I licked the plate, even though I know this mortifies my more refined companion. The dish got a tongue lashing and so did I.

We walked back to the upper garden and went to Alcron at the Radisson Blu, which received a Michelin star this year. Here we purchased their dorade (sea bream) with candied eggplant purée (150 CZK).

The fish was simply done, and the Italian lady liked it very much. I thought one part of the fish had gotten a little dry. In any case, the quite sweet purée balanced well with the flavor of the fresh fish filet.

Le Grill Restaurant at the Kempinski had an interesting creation: barley risotto with beetroot juice, goat cream cheese, and rucola, topped with Pecorino (100 CZK).

My friend and I split on this. She loved the combinations of textures and flavors. I thought it could have been great, but I found it too salty. The Pecorino was quite intense by itself.

Not far away, we checked out U Zlaté Studně. This restaurant got the most diners' votes for best restaurant in Maurer's Grand Restaurant guide for 2012.

We tasted the pork loin cooked sous-vide, served with a sauce of smoked bones and mashed potatoes with truffle butter (175 CZK).

The meat was so tender. The vacuum bag cooking method gave it a wonderfully silky texture. The creamy potatoes, with the strong flavor of truffle, were fantastic.

My companion is not a big meat eater, and she actually went back for a second portion of this. It doesn't get much better than that.

We also tried their goat cheese mousse with marinated green asparagus and a spicy honey sauce (100 CZK).

The cheese was light and creamy and the tiny asparagus was surprisingly sweet, but with none of the expected sharpness. It was nice, but nothing to write home about.

We realized we needed something to drink. A bottle of Mattoni could be had for 25 CZK. For the same price, one could have a glass of Master beer, a premium brand by Pilsner Urquell. Unfortunately, when I tried, only one tap was working, and painfully slowly at that.

We waited in a line that didn't move for a while and gave up. A few others did as well.

We saw a restaurant I often recommend, U Emy Destinnové. First, I picked up the ceviche of Yellowfin tuna with coconut-ginger-lime vinaigrette with toasted sesame seeds (125 CZK).

The ruby red little cubes of fish were pristine and I liked the interplay of sesame, slivers of pepper, and the tangy dressing.

Then I tried their Maryland crab cakes with roasted corn sauce and chili (175 CZK).

I was amazed to find that this was the real deal, with big chunks of genuine crab meat. I'm very particular about crab cakes and these tasted very good. I prefer them with slightly less bread crumbs, but it is a real trick to get them to hold together.

I asked the American chef and owner, Steve Trumpfheller, where he got such precious seafood at an affordable price in this town. He told me his mother brought him something like 150 kilos. I've rarely seen this American dish served in Prague, so it was a rare opportunity for many to try it.

While resting, we stopped for a glass of wine. Many were at least 75 CZK for a tiny glass, so we went for the cheapest option -- a rosé Merlot for 25 CZK.

Neither of us liked it. That's what you get when you try to save money on wine. Bad idea.

I like Krystal Mozaika Bistro and I used to be a regular at its sister restaurant, Mozaika. I tried their boar shoulder cooked sous-vide with red wine, served with an herb dumpling (150 CZK).

The meat was tender and had good flavor. The sauce was OK, but was similar to the one served with the Beef Bourguignon at the bistro. You could taste the wine clearly, but it was too sweet for me.

Last but not least, we tried the food from Rickshaw, the restaurant at the Corinthia Towers Hotel. We had the tempura tuna and pickled radish roll with seaweed salad and wasabi cream (100 CZK).

My date liked it. Everything was fresh and tasted fine, but I've just never found anything exceptional about sushi in Prague.

Before I go, I should say something about the prices, as I heard a few complaints last year. We spent over 2000 CZK. That's not a cheap night out for most, but then again  you could spend that for an evening at just one of these restaurants. Some of them can run even double that.

For me, it's great to be able to sample them all in one place on one evening. I know I'd feel that way even if I wasn't writing about it. But I understand if not everyone feels the same.

I'd also add that there were plenty of restaurants we missed for lack further appetite. I was sorry I didn't taste the "culinary lab" offering from Essensia at the Mandarin Oriental.

It looked interesting, and everything was edible, except for the containers.

Top restaurants like Aromi, La Finestra, Bellvue, and Buddha Bar only served on Saturday and Sunday, so we missed those. But there's always next year.

I'm still far from bored with the festival, so I'm pretty sure I'll be back for another visit to this garden of eatin'.

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Tacos El Paisa

"Texas is a big taco right now. We want to follow that through. Florida is a big tamale." Dan Rather

Since 2009, Las Adelitas has been the only Mexican restaurant for me in Prague. It was the only one I knew of that was owned and operated by Mexicans.

Cantina, which I think of as Tex-Mex, has many fans, but it never thrilled me.

Now, just beneath the walls of Vyšehrad, there's a new Mexican-run joint in town. It is Tacos El Paisa, which bills itself as Prague's first taqueria.

Las Adelitas has some tacos on their menu, but El Paisa is much more taco-centric. I spoke to one of the managers of El Paisa and he told me worked for a while with the guys at Las Adelitas.

The new restaurant is just one room, about six tables and a few stools at the bar area.

The walls are covered in bright pastel-like orange and blue. The dining room is small, but the high ceilings give it an airy, open feeling.

On my first visit, I started with guacamole and chips (99 CZK). There were chunks of avocado, tomato, onion, cilantro (coriander), and lime juice.

When I make it myself, I'm not shy with the salt or the lime juice. I like it to make its presence known on the chip.

But theirs was just over the salty/sour line for me. The tortilla chips were heavily salted, too. I had the guacamole again on another visit, and it was much better, so they need to work on consistency.

To wash this down, I ordered up a classic margarita on the rocks with no salt (99 CZK). Excelente!

It was not too sweet and the tartness of the fresh-squeezed lime juice was just right.

To go with that, I got the Tacos al Pastor (150 CZK).

It is sliced pork in a chili sauce topped with onion, cilantro, and fresh pineapple.Their corn tortillas are really top notch, and the meat was tender and tasty. I only wished for more pineapple and another lime wedge.

All tacos are served with frijoles charros, basically a bean soup with smoky chorizo mixed in.

They also come with salsa. I asked for roja and verde, though these tacos didn't really need much augmentation.

These are not the chunky salsas you may have experienced with bottled versions and are quite sharp.

I went to Las Adelitas the same week to compare Al Pastors.

They've had an issue for some time with their pork getting dried out. The blue corn tortillas are a nice touch and they've added a good chili sauce on the side.

They were more generous with the meat, pineapple and lime, though the price is higher (179 CZK). I prefer their refried black beans and fantastic coriander rice as side dishes.

Both versions of this taco have positives and negatives so I'll call this one a draw.

It's worth noting that after two margaritas on a beautiful late afternoon, I saw they make them to go.

I imagined a plastic-topped cup with a straw, but hey, it worked. I had a refreshing beverage for the long, hot trip up to Letna beer garden that evening.

On my second visit, I went for the Nachos Paisa with chicken (179 CZK).

The tortilla chips were covered with beans, sour cream, melted cheese, and jalapenos. I found this plate disappointing.

The chicken pieces were juicy and tender but bland. The beans were basic, and the cheese hardened and fused the chips together. I'm not a fan of the thick, salty chips they use.

The question about whether nachos are authentic Mexican or Tex-Mex is for another time and place. These didn't work for me.

To drink, I had a half-liter of Pilsner Urquell (35 CZK).

It was perfectly fine.

I took my Italian companion on my third visit. She had the guacamole and liked it. She started with the Ensalada El Paisa con camarones (160 CZK).

This was lettuce, corn, tomato, avocado, and spring onion.

The six small shrimp were properly cooked, and I liked the garlic-lime dressing. The avocado was not particularly ripe. Overall, we both found the salad dull and uninspired. Perhaps a bit of cilantro would have jazzed it up.

I suggested we try a frozen mango margarita (99 CZK). This was a hit.

It had the clear flavor of the fruit and just enough sweetness. I only wished for more of a tart note for balance. If you order one, all conversation will grind to a halt for a minute while they noisily turn the ice into slush.

I got the Tacos de Arrachera (199 CZK). This is the taco with their top quality steak, the equivalent of rib eye.

The beef was tender and delicious, with not much detectable seasoning beyond salt. It rested on their great corn tortillas, along with chopped onion and cilantro.

There were the frijoles charros and red salsa roja on the side and that's all. If you want different flavors or heat levels, they have an array of bottles sauces to spice things up even more.

I liked the fruity Salsa Chamoy.

We could have stopped there, but decided to get one more round of food. We went for the Tacos de Camaron (199 CZK). It's the same basic arrangement as the beef, but you get four shrimp per taco.

Unfortunately, the little crustaceans were overcooked and tough.

Service was friendly, with plenty of smiles. It's hard to judge the efficiency because the restaurant, which is non-smoking, was mostly empty when I was there. There was one point where I had to get up to get a server's attention.

I didn't sample everything on the menu, but after three visits, I didn't feel there was much to pull me back on a regular basis unless I lived close by.

Perhaps it is telling that I was more impressed with the flavor of the soft corn tortillas than that of the meats. I also wished for more variety on the menu.

Tacos with just meat, onions, coriander and salsa are certainly authentic (though defining an authentic taco is like defining an authentic sandwich). But they may be too simple for some.

Given a choice, this gringo is going to go for the more complex dishes on offer at Las Adelitas.

Though there are many similarities, perhaps it's not a fair to compare Tacos El Paisa with my favorite Mexican restaurant. One is a seasoned veteran and the other just started up. It may evolve, and I hope it does.

But fairness does not enter into the equation when I decide where to eat. For me, Las Adelitas is still the big taco in this town.

Tacos El Paisa
Vratislavova 21
Prague 2 - Vyšehrad
Tel. (+420) 223 019 223

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