Top 6 Vegetarian Restaurants in Prague

What if I told you that you could find great vegetarian food in Prague...would you believe me? You should. And here is a list of the top 6 restaurants serving the best greens out there. Whether you're vegetarian or you've had your fair share of goulash and are looking for a change, you should drop in - these restaurants serve not only great food but will also dazzle you with their unique interiors.

And if you're not vegetarian, you're gonna wish you were. Promise! :)


Maitrea
Týnská ulička 6/1064
Prague 1
www.restaurace-maitrea.cz

Photo courtesy of Maitrea

Lehká hlava
Boršov 2/280
Prague 1
www.lehkahlava.cz

Photo courtesy of Lehká hlava

Radost FX
Bělehradská 120
Prague 2
www.radostfx.cz

Photo courtesy of Radost FX

Secret of Raw
Seifertova 13
Prague 3
www.secretofraw.cz

Photo courtesy of Secret of Raw

Plevel Restaurant
Krymská 126/2 101 00
Prague 10
www.restauraceplevel.cz 
 

 

 Photo courtesy of Plevel Restaurant

Bílý jeřáb
Štefánikova 51
Prague 5
www.bily-jerab.cz

 

Photo courtesy of Bílý jeřáb

Coffee / tea collection, Good Design 2013

For all you lovers of great design and good coffee, here comes a product that should sit proudly on your kitchen worktop. Designed by Martin Žampach and Matěj Chabera, this tea / coffee maker set has recently won the prestigious Good Design 2013 award. The set is manufactured by Kavalierglass A.S. in Prague for the brand SIMAX and is available for purchase at the Kavalierglass store in Smíchov.

Good Design is the world’s oldest Design Awards program, founded in Chicago in the 1950s, and is organized annually by The Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design in cooperation with the European Centre for Architecture, Art, Design and Urban Studies.

Photo: Petr Karšulín, foodstyling: Iva Jakešová

Apartment restaurants, Prague & Hospozín

We like to keep you updated on the latest trends in dining, so that you're always in the know when it comes to good food. Let's just say we like you to be the cool kid on the block. This time we have discovered a trend that will not only please your palate but will also take care of your social life. We're talking about apartment dining.

Some of you may have come across this trend in other countries, others may be hearing about this for the first time. The principle is quite simple. Food enthusiasts organize dinners in their own homes and offer a seat at the table to anyone interested to join. Hence, the name apartment restaurant. We already found two in the Czech Republic that are active and becoming increasingly popular.

This form of dining is not only the perfect way to enjoy some great food but also a great opportunity to meet new people. So how can you attend a house dinner and how much will it cost? Follow the Facebook page of any of the two below mentioned restaurants and look out for the dates and menu of their upcoming dinners. The price for the dinner will be mentioned on the menu. If you find something you like, sign up fast because there are limited seats available and they do get booked quickly! Happy dining! Oh and do drop us a note if you attend, we would love to hear how the food was and

Balcony restaurant Nová Harfa

Image courtesy of Balcony restaurant Nová Harfa

Apartment restaurant Na faře

 Image courtesy of Apartment restaurant Na faře

The Real Meat Society, Prague

This post may seem a little out of place compared to the usual things we blog about but let me assure you that it rightly deserves to be in the spotlight. Remember our post about the Sansho restaurant in Prague? Well, its chef Paul Day has caught our attention once again, this time with his meat shop The Real Meat Society.

Unique not only in its concept but also its product offering, The Real Meat Society will please even the most demanding carnivore. This meat shop prides itself on selling meat that is antibiotic and hormone free and comes from small local farms. The shop also sells less famous breeds and abides by a nose to tail philosophy (all animal parts can be effectively consumed, including parts rarely used). Though the price of the meat is on the higher side, Paul Day's experience as a butcher and a famous chef should serve as an assurance of quality. 

Though right now their website is only in Czech, it is worth a visit to get a sense of the entire unique concept of the store. Who would have thought there is an art in selling meat? For those of you who understand Czech, you may enjoy browsing through some of the recipes The Real Meat Society regularly posts online.  

The Real Meat Society
Náplavní 5, Prague 2
http://www.trms.cz/
Opening hours:
Tue - Wed 11-18
Thur - Fri 11-19
Sat 9-13

Tower Park Prague / Žižkov TV Tower, Prague

The Prague TV tower (also know as the Žižkov tower - located in Prague's Žižkov district) is a dominant feature of the city skyline. Built between 1985 and 1992, the 216 meter high tower has been a target of criticism much too often. It has even made the list of the ugliest buildings in the world on several occasions, both at home and internationally. If you try to compare the tower to some of Prague's iconic buildings you may perhaps agree with the building's critics. But if you view it as a stand alone structure, you might just discover its unique nature and beauty.

Photos courtesy of Tower Park Prague

Since the year 2000 the tower has been decorated with fiberglass sculptures in the shape of babies; the work of art of David Černý. The installation was originally temporary but with the babies' increasing popularity, the sculptures became a permanent feature of the tower.

Photo courtesy of Tower Park Prague

As much as the exterior of the tower has been the center of many debates, it is on the interior that we will focus today. Over the past year, the tower underwent construction and opened its doors to the public only yesterday. The result is a more modern and practical interior. Apart from dazzling views of Prague, the tower's observatory now also offers comfortable seating in original bubble chairs.

Photos courtesy of Tower Park Prague

The tower also houses three restaurants with just as unique interiors. The visitor has a choice between the luxurious Oblaca (a play on the Czech word for skies - oblaka) restaurant, a bistro and a bar, which recently won an award for its interior design.

Photos courtesy of Tower Park Prague

Finally, perhaps the most unique feature of the tower is its newly opened One Room Hotel. As the name indicates, it consists only of one room with undoubtedly the most beautiful and holistic view of Prague. The price for a nights stay is yet to be announced but is expected to be around 1,000 EUR per night.

Photo courtesy of Tower Park Prague

So whether you're looking for the best view of Prague, a romantic dinner, a fab night out or a unique nights stay, the Prague TV tower (now branded as Tower Park Prague) is the place to be. A visit to the observatory will cost you 150 CZK, dinner ranges between 200 and 300 CZK, a drink is around 150 CZK and a sleepover will come to 25,000 CZK. 

Sansho, Prague

Very recently the Czech daily Hospodářské noviny set out to find the top 25 restaurants in the Czech Republic. Their strategy was simple. First they selected 16 Czech gastronomy experts and asked them to list their top 10 favorite restaurants across the country. The lists could cover anything from Michelin- starred restaurants to pubs and diners. Then they awarded the highly ranked restaurants points and added up the results. And the winner? Sansho restaurant in Prague.

Sansho opened only a year and a few months back and has already managed to capture the hearts (and palates) of the locals. Its chef, the Stafford born Paul Day, manages to uniquely combine Czech ingredients to create state of the art Asian cuisine. With great food and a homely setting, we can only recommend you to check Sansho out for yourself.   

 Photo courtesy of Sansho restaurant

Fusion Hotel, Prague

Lovers of great design, lend me your ears...

... and eyes!

Hotel Fusion opened in Prague and  it is here to attack your senses. The hotel opened on 16th March and it has already received all the media attention it deserves. So what is so special about this place, you ask...

The man behind the concept, the Dutch Chinese designer Nah-dja Tien, says: "It's like a social network but in real life." With rooms equipped with Apple TV and iTunes, a Skype booth, a variety of restaurants and bars, one cannot but agree. This is hospitality at its best.

As the website claims: "Hotels have traditionally been a place to sleep, some great, some indifferent and some we’d rather forget.But traditions get old, it’s time to evolve. We think hotels are a place to BE."

 

Photos courtesy of Fusion Hotel

Bistro Franz, Brno

Opened since December last year, Bistro Franz has been pleasing the palates of Brno food lovers for only a few months. Despite this, the bistro has already gained a remarkable reputation, which it continues to build with its fresh seasonal dishes, as well as its unique interior. Bistro Franz also serves as evidence that the tradition of bistros is not only returning to the capital Prague but is also becoming a trend in the regions.

Photos courtesy of Bistro Franz.

Prague Bistros

Bistros are becoming increasingly popular in Prague. As the demand for quality food & groceries is rising, bistros & markets are sprouting across the city. Below is a selection of a few of the new places, which caught my attention for their design, as well as overall concept and of course quality food.

Home Kitchen
Jungmannova 8, Prague 1

Photo courtesy of Home Kitchen


La Bottega
Plátnéřská 11, Prague 1

Photo courtesy of La Bottega


Kidó
Šmeralova 22, Prague 7

Photos courtesy of Kidó

Wine Food Market, Prague

Now with a total of four stores running in Prague, the Wine Food Market caters to lovers of good wine and great food in practically all corners of the city. The center for Italian delicacies and wine recently opened its market in Smíchov - Prague 5, completing its full range of offerings, from a bistro and bakery to its specialized stores.

The Wine Food Market concept recently won the prestigious award "Shop of the Year" for the second consecutive year, being appraised by the magazine Regal for its interior & exterior design, as well as its quality service and marketing strategy. For those of you visiting Prague for the first time, drop by the Wine Food Market Bistro, which is conveniently located in the heart of the city at Ovocný trh.

Photos courtesy of Wine Food Market.

B. Braun Café, Prague

An original café concept has managed to breathe new life into the Medical House in Prague. With the opening of B. Braun Café, the building has regained its original status. The intention of the Medical House, which dates back to the 1930s and is owned by the Czech Medical Association of J.E. Purkyně, has always been to bring together and serve the needs of the medical community. Offering conferencing facilities and office premises, the house now also serves as a space for personal meetings. The B. Braun Café is a social center, bringing together doctors and the general public over a cup of good coffee.

The café owes its modern design entirely to the famous Czech architect Eva Jiřičná, whose name has come up in this blog particularly in the context of the city of Zlín, where she is a native. The premises of the café are let by the leading manufacturer of medical products B. Braun.

The café is (understandably) non-smoking and your visit contributes toward the charity project Úsměv pro život (Smile for Life).

Photos courtesy of B. Braun café.

Café Tungsram, Brno

Tungsram is not only the Hungarian manufacturer of light bulbs but also an intimate non-smoking café in Brno. Café Tungsram opened its doors in November 2008 and till this day attracts visitors with its unique design and original event marketing.   

The theme of the café is film, from which it also takes its name - after all light bulbs are an essential part of the industry. The interior reflects this obsession with film artifacts nicely; you'll be surprised to see what one can do with as simple an object as a light bulb.

Photos courtesy of kiva.cz (2009) 

Oskar Schindler Café, Svitavy

The town of Svitavy is located in the Pardubice region. With a population of 18,000 one wouldn't expect to find much here. Wrong! How many of you knew that Oskar Schindler, the famous industrialist credited for saving near to 1,200 Jews during the Second World War, was a Svitavy native?

And how many of you have heard of the Oskar Schindler café and info centre? The project, lead by the architect Petr Stolín, was started in 2006 and opened its doors to the public in 2009. The result is a renovated barn with the appearance of a "house within a house" and is certainly worth checking out.

Photos courtesy of Svitavy.

Café Fara, Klentnice

The village of Klentnice lies at the foot of the mountain "Stolová hora" in Southern Moravia, about 5km outside of Mikulov. Although the area is renowned for its vineyards, the village can now pride itself for brewing Czech Republic's finest coffee. Indeed, Café Fara offers a unique blend of experience and design.

A rustic house from the outside, Café Fara seduces visitors with its cozy & homely interior.

Though its history only dates back to April 2009, the café can already boast of making the top 10 cafés in the Czech Republic list, compiled by the daily MF Dnes. What is particularly pleasing for town visitors - Café Fara will soon offer accommodation services.

Photos courtesy of Štěpán Vrzala and Café Fara