Soho, a trendy new restaurant on the banks of the Vltava, may take its name from the bohemian neighborhood of lower Manhattan. But in decor and style, it's pure Upper West Side. An ultramodern blend of outstanding interior design and eclectic cuisine from places such as Greece, France, Italy and Japan combine for a sublime, sophisticated dining experience.

Sheer, gauzy curtains separate most tables in a veil of silver and white, which is given a soft ambient glow by delicately muted lighting. Carefully spaced candles, plush couches and oversize vases filled with bamboo, palm and other exotic flora further orchestrate the sense of privacy, even with other diners seated just a few feet away.

The menu itself reflects similar thoughtfulness, reading like a foodie's dream trip around the globe. You can warm up the meal with New Zealand mussels au gratin with parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs (190 Kč/$8), or tuck into a fusion-friendly plate of Chilean salmon sashimi (245 Kč) perched delicately on asparagus tips and complemented with a dollop of caviar and spicy wasabi. Amid this assortment you'll find a common dish like chicken soup (65 Kč), though even that is executed with style: a mellow medley of vegetables mixed in with the chicken and flavorful broth, with long, flat noodles that dissolve in your mouth.

It took some time before we were approached to order drinks and appetizers, but savoring the decor took the edge off the delay. Otherwise, the waitstaff was friendly, gracious and attentive, though servers sometimes struggled with the décor restrictions of form over function: Serving soup through the slit of a translucent hanging curtain while balancing two plates on another arm made for some tense, potentially disastrous moments, though ultimately our server negotiated it without incident.

We started the meal with a plunge into the mini Mediterranean plate (195 Kč), a fine display of delicate grape leaves and sun-dried tomatoes, plump black olives and feta cheese drizzled with rosemary and fresh herbs. The nutty taste of the grape leaves mixes well with the sweet tang of the tomatoes, with an attractive presentation that sets the stage for the warmer dishes to follow.

We traveled to France and Italy for the main event, diving into lamb and piglet chops (480 Kč), and a bowl of handmade gnocchi swimming in gorgonzola, blue cheese and pine nuts (260 Kč). The piglet and lamb, marinated in fresh herbs with a taste of rosemary in the lead, complemented each other nicely under a glaze of mint jelly. The lamb stood out above its pork partner, though both had been roasted to tender perfection.

The homemade gnocchi, pillow-soft and inviting in a generous sea of gorgonzola and pine nuts, made us forget the number of times we have been disappointed by this dish in many of the city's other eateries. Its melt-in-your-mouth taste, from simple ingredients and a recipe that dates to the 13th century, offers a warm, creamy approach with a satisfying aftertaste.

A garden dining area that overlooks the river is not yet open. We're looking forward to a return visit when the weather gets warmer. The location is a bit off the beaten path for such a high-scale eatery, but it's just footsteps away from the Dvorce tram stop, so it's easily accessible from tram routes that run directly into the heart of the city.