Palazzo, now playing in a tent on Letná Plain opposite the Sparta Praha stadium, offers pretty much the same shtick, scaled down to fit smaller venues (and budgets): hokey emcees, jugglers, trapeze artists, a guy balancing on a narrow wire while three topless women gyrate to the music.

The biggest difference is that Palazzo is basically dinner theater, stretched out over three and a half hours. Some of it is grueling, such as the painfully drawn-out Bollywood send-up by an Indian performer. Some of it mesmerizing: the female trapeze artist, the tightrope act — in fact, all of the gymnastic elements.

Operating out of a temporary kitchen, Rychter (of Kampa Fish), Mira Prosá (chef at Bellavista) and a staff cobbled together from Kolkovna Group restaurants put together a rather elaborate meal that includes swordfish tartare with an intriguing walnut-pepper sauce, shredded duck on cranberry-ginger risotto and a reasonably tender sirloin.

Between courses, performers go through their paces. Meanwhile, in a mobile kitchen unit backstage, the staff faces the considerable challenge of expediting up to 350 orders so they're all ready to serve at the same instant. Waiters rush plates out to the tables with much pomp, covering the entire room in eight minutes or less. It's a performance requiring thorough prep work, exact timing and no mistakes — or acrobats willing to stretch their act while line cooks recover from the inevitable kitchen disasters.

Difficult? "It's no problem," Rychtr says nonchalantly. "There's no pastry station, but that's the only thing we can't do here."

Serving raw seafood (the swordfish tartare) under a tent in Prague is a brazen act, certainly. But the food served at Palazzo matches that doled out by some of Prague's better permanent restaurants on any given night.

Unfortunately, crowds have been slow to materialize. "We haven't been too successful this year in Prague, but it's our first," explains stage manager Andy Gardner. "It's always difficult the first year. We're not the cheapest" — 1,400 Kč ($66) to 2,590 Kč per person for dinner and show, not including drinks — "and people want to hear what it's like, first."

Well, it's like that other show, only with food ... and the aforementioned topless women (their hands positioned strategically during the entire segment). Palazzo, which has been in operation since the late '90s, stages shows in five countries each winter.

As for the final verdict, Gardner points out, "Everybody leaves happy."

The show runs through Feb. 5. Call 222 333 300 for more information.

They were expandable

Since it opened last spring, Fluidum has stuck fast to a six-day workweek. After all, even chefs and wait staff need a day off. But management at the standout Prague 3 destination recently recognized the value of hard work and long hours. So they now open the doors on Sundays as well.

The vegetarian restaurant Lehká Hlava, tucked on Prague's shortest street, has been open one year. To celebrate this feat of longevity on a fickle market, the owners are expanding their menu.

Soup to cocktail nuts

Some warm news from the Radisson: Through Jan. 31, La Rotonde restaurant is offering a selection of seven different soups from around the world, including borscht and cabbage soup and whatever else the chef finds inspiring. Meanwhile, Be Bop Bar fires up the night with a selection of hot drinks designed to warm you up and knock you out.

Krušo-vice

The Bubeneč expat favorite, Fraktal, finally ditched its stash of much-maligned Krušovice in favor of the holy trinity: Pilsner Urquell, Gambrinus and Kozel. The shiny new tap behind the threadbare bar works beautifully, and the beer tastes great, according to management. If the pub sells enough — meaning about 40 kegs a month — Pilsner Urquell will turn the popular dive into a tankovna. Of course, fitting the new equipment might be a problem. But, says part-owner Fredrik Aurell, "If man can land on the moon, they can install tank beer here." And that would be a giant leap for alcoholics.

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