The food is also better than expected, even good, especially considering the price. This is not true of the chips with salsa and guacamole, however. Even just 52 Kč ($2) is not worth satisfying your curiosity: The liquid salsa occupies a bizarre midpoint somewhere between gazpacho and a bloody mary, with the strange taste of watermelon thrown in, and the seafoam-green guacamole is as creamy as cheap mayonnaise, though less appetizing.

Much better is the English salad, a large plate of iceberg, raddichio and Chinese cabbage topped with tomatoes, more mayonnaise and slices of roast beef and wheels of buttery, falling-apart grilled eggplant. Small pieces of tangy feta cheese hide inside. It's nice and sour and rich, with plenty of good flavors in each bite.

The same is true of the baguettes, which are good enough for a light meal, but only if you choose well. The chicken baguette is fine, a few pieces of not-as-dry roast chicken inside a French-style baguette that has been attacked by a light pesto sauce. That one is recommendable. The salmon version, howerver, tastes like taramosalata, the Greek salad composed of cod roe. Taramosalata can be excellent or terrible, with very little variation in between; this tends toward the latter.

Mirage also serves sushi, but to judge by the California rolls, it's not their strongest suit: The sticky rice is overcooked and too sticky. The best things here seem to be the 99 Kč lunch specials, three courses that vary daily, including items such as duck with sausage gravy and pot roast with red wine.

People have been talking about Smíchov's gentrification for years, but it's still a surprise to find such a nice place in the area, despite the few shortcomings on the menu. Perhaps the most surprising thing about Mirage is its playful sense of humor: The neighborhood is listed as "Smeechow" on the menu, and the restaurant's Web site includes directions for travel by foot, bus, tram, train, plane and helicopter. If you need to take the last three, it's not worth the trouble. But if you're looking for a good new lunch or dinner place near metro Anděl, this might be it. Enjoy the videos.