Prague, Czech Republic - Where to Eat

Anyone who knows me is aware of the fact that, besides walking around a new city, all I ever seem to do on holiday is eat and drink. My long weekend in Prague was no exception. Here I have put together my favorite eating spots:

Old Town (shown above): In the center of the historical Old Town, you will find a market with stands selling great local fare. Pork is the most famous meat, cooked in various different ways: pork knuckle, sausages, even prosciutto di Praga. Another key staple is potatoes, usually cooked with onion and, you guessed it, pork. Not to be missed is the delicious sweet bread called Trdelnik, which is rolled into a thin strip and wrapped around a long stainless steel 3 inch thick cylinder. It's covered in a sugar syrup and rotated over the heat source. After it is browned and the sugar syrup is a bit crispy, it is rolled in a sugar, cinnamon, nut mixture and then slipped off to be eaten warm. Yum!

Various potato, pork and goulash dishes at the market



Prosciutto di Praga, the smell of the wood fire is amazing



The largest pan I have ever seen in my life: potatoes, onions and pork cooked over a wood fire



I had to sample some of course



Sausages and chicken skewers



Yes, we tried this too



Become hypnotised as the Trdlnik spin round and round, become an addict once you taste it

Bakeshop: A fabulous and informal cafe, take a break from the tourists and eat amongst the locals who come here for light soups, salads, quiche and other prepared foods along with to-die-for cakes, cookies and sweets, as well as sourdough bread made from their very own yeast, which they have named Bertha. (Yes, they gave their yeast a name!) They use all local and seasonal ingredients. Believe me, your biggest dilemma is going to be what to order. Check out these pictures.

Cafe Savoy:  An all day cafe, perfect for stopping in at any hour. They serve traditional Czech dishes as well as amazing bread, and even have their own in-house patisserie (complete with a glass observation wall so you can watch the baking action) that makes some delicious cakes you can order by the slice. There is a great wine list and they serve my favorite tea: Mariage Freres.  An art nouveau gem and once a decadent coffeehouse dating back to 1893, Café Savoy was a favorite haunt after the Velvet Revolution. The Savoy has since received a face-lift, but has stayed true to its Art Nouveau past. The 7-meter high neo-renaissance ceiling with sparkling chandeliers transports you back to the days when Prague boasted one of the highest standards of living in all of Europe.

How beautiful is the ceiling in the Cafe Savoy?!?

We ordered a "light" afternoon snack around 4pm called the Platter Savoy:

roasted Prague ham, delicate frankfurter and merguezi (lamb sausage), housemade cabbage, buttered potatoes, housemade ginger mustard and bread

Of course followed up by Mariage Freres tea and some homemade sweets!

Tahitian Vanilla Cheesecake

Love the ambience!

V Zatisi:  Our favorite place for dinner, great interior design, lovely dark and romantic dining rooms and some pretty delicious food. While we were there, Michelin Star Master Chef Mahavir Kansval presented a special Indian dinner set menu as well. There is also excellent service here, which is something I thought was lacking in Prague restaurants in general. We had a rich and decadent porcini mushroom, parmesan and truffle oil arborio risotto as well as a lovely fillet of sea bass.

Kampa Park: A perfect perch for a drink smack on the river and overlooking the famous Charles Bridge. In summer they even have an outdoor champagne bar. We were wrapped in warm wool blankets that they provided for us, as it was November, but when in Prague, you just have to have a cold Czech beer or some lovely mulled wine, and this view can't be beat. Though I didn't dine here, the restaurant at Kampa Park always receives high reviews (again dining room with the same view), and even Matt Damon ate here when he was filming the Brothers Grimm.

A Pilsner Urquell and some mulled wine overlooking the Charles Bridge at Kampa Park

**The Michelin starred Allegro at the Four Season Hotel was closed for renovations during our stay, but comes very highly recommended. Pin It

Prague, Czech Republic - Mandarin Oriental Prague

Charles Bridge

I just got back from a long weekend in Prague: one of the many benefits of living in London and being so close to a myriad of great European destinations. I decided to stay at the Mandarin Oriental, which was included in the Condé Nast Traveler Gold List for 2011 this year. The Mandarin Oriental Prague is located in a quiet and secluded section of Mala Strana, literally a two minute walk from the famous Charles Bridge. The hotel occupies the site of a 14^th century monastery and many of the original artifacts are on display in glass cases in the hallway.

I have to say, the staff and the service at the Mandarin are exceptional. From the moment you check in, they walk you through the entire hotel and familiarize you with all of the amenities of both the building and your guest room. They are always on hand to make suggestions for dinner and sightseeing and to book reservations. No request we made during our stay went unfulfilled.  

Monastery Lounge

Monastery Lounge

Many of the rooms, including the Monastery Lounge, feature vaulted ceilings, oak wood parquet floors and limestone bathrooms. Bathrooms offer separate bathtubs and showers, televisions, phones, and bathrobes and slippers. In addition to daily maid service, there is a turndown service in the evening with complimentary bottled water and scented sleep spray to be spritzed on your pillow if you like.



View from the room



Limestone bathroom with double sinks, separate shower and bathtub



Full English breakfast was included in our room rate, which essentially meant that we could order anything at all off of the extensive breakfast menu. At no additional charge, you could have your breakfast delivered to you in your room, which is what we did each morning. I just loved eating breakfast in pyjamas in my room without having to get dressed to go down to the dining room: this for me is what it truly means to be on vacation!

The Spa at the Mandarin is the only one in the world located in a former Renaissance chapel, and indeed there is a glass floor through which you can see the remnants of the actual chapel. There are six treatment rooms as well as a tea lounge and relaxation area, and a shop selling all those amazing Aromatherapy products they use on you during treatments. I had a one hour Oriental Essence massage, and it was the perfect way to undo the damage of walking on cobblestone streets for two days. From my guest room, I could wear my bathrobe and descend directly to the spa by an elevator outside my door that connected to an underground passageway, without anyone ever seeing me.

The Spa with glass floor showing the ruins of the former chapel

The hotel offers a few complimentary activities, which are both fun and educational. While we were there, they held an evening Czech beer tasting class in their cocktail bar called Barego, as well as a private tour of the property that highlighted the history of the building and the antique artefacts on display. We tasted different beers that had hints of chocolate, caramel and even banana, and another beer that had champagne in it and was served in a champagne flute! This was an enjoyable class and a great way to kick off the evening before heading out for dinner in the Old Town.

A complimentary Czech beer tasting at the hotel bar, Barego

For location, service and sleep quality, you will not be disappointed at the Mandarin Oriental Prague.

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