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Fine Christmas dining

Eating out for the holiday, with or without carp
Restaurant Review | Search restaurants | Archives

By Dave Faries
Staff Writer, The Prague Post
December 12th, 2007 issue

VLADIMÍR WEISS/THE PRAGUE POST
A full-blown traditional Czech table set for Christmas dining.
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The signs are everywhere: decorated trees, mulled wine, tubs full of thrashing carp. It must be the holiday season.
Many of Prague’s hotel restaurants and a few other destinations will stay open for the big day, some for Christmas Eve only, others serving special meals Dec. 25. And a few will keep things rolling through Boxing Day.
Here is a selection of holiday dining options. Prices listed are per person. And as always, you should call to confirm days and times.
Ada (Hotel Hoffmeister, Pod Bruskou 7, Prague 1–Malá Strana. Tel. 251 017 133)
Courses: Four
Highlights: Savory fish soup with vegetables and saffron aioli. Finish with hot chestnut cake in bitter chocolate
Carp: Three styles, ranging from traditional Czech to fancy, distracted by foie gras and black truffle
Cost: 1,890 Kč ($106)
Allegro (Four Seasons, Veleslavínova 2a, Prague 1–Old Town. Tel. 221 427 000)
Courses: Degustation menu
Highlights: Start with scallop and tuna carpaccio, progress to seared foie gras in Calvados sauce, then to the main dishes — wild mushroom risotto, roasted turkey and so forth
Carp: Nope
Cost: 2,300 Kč (four courses), 2,700 Kč (four courses). Wine pairings extra
Asmera (Best Western Majestic Plaza, Štěpánská 33, Prague 1–New Town.
Tel. 221 486 100)
Courses: Three
Highlights: Creamed green pea soup with mascarpone. A “carol” of Christmas pastries completes the meal
Carp: Fried and plated with lemon mousse
Cost: 350 Kč
Bellevue (Smetanovo nábř. 18, Prague 1–Old Town. Tel. 222 221 443)
Courses: Four
Highlights: Terrine of foie gras topped by black truffles, drake breast in licorice sauce and more
Carp: No way, Jose
Cost: 1,290 Kč
Coda (Aria Hotel, Třžiště 9, Prague 1–Malá Strana. Tel. 225 334 761)
Courses: Degustation menu, four-course Czech menu
Highlights: Cold smoked duck breast, baked veal in a wild morel sauce (degustation menu)
Carp: Fish soup and filet with potato salad (Czech menu)
Cost: 2,250 Kč (Degustation); 1,450 Kč (Czech). Not including wine
Cowboys (Nerudova 40, Prague 1–Malá Strana. Tel. 296 826 105)
Courses: Three or buffet
Highlights: Lobster bisque and duck confit (three-course dinner), blini with salmon roe, roasted ham and saffron fish soup (buffet)
Carp: Maybe in the saffron fish soup
Cost: 1,195 Kč (three courses), 1,850 Kč (buffet)
CzecHouse (Hilton Prague, Pobřežní 1, Prague 8–Karlín. Tel. 224 841 111)
Courses: Four on Christmas Eve, brunch Christmas day
Highlights: Lobster and king prawns stand out from the four-course dinner. The brunch includes foie gras, baked ham and an array of desserts
Carp: Doubtful, unless part of the buffet
Cost: Approximately 1,890 Kč (evening), 1,050 Kč (brunch). Half-price for kids 3–12, free for infants and toddlers
Essensia (Mandarin Oriental, Nebovidská 1, Prague 1–Malá Strana. Tel. 233 088 777)
Courses: Four
Highlights: Scottish salmon, lobster tortellini, roast pheasant (dinner on the 24th); Thai seafood broth and veal filet in an herbal crust (lunch on the 25th).
Carp: Sweet and sour, but only on the Christmas lunch menu
Cost: 2,190 Kč (Dec. 24), 1,640 Kč (Dec. 25)
Gourmet Club (Hotel Palace, Panská 12, Prague 1–New Town. Tel. 224 093 111)
Courses: Three
Highlights: Venison pate with plums and rosemary chips, grilled monkfish and fennel polenta
Carp: None
Cost: Approximately 2,900 Kč
Hergetova Cihelna (Cihelna 2b, Prague 1–Malá Strana. Tel. 296 826 103)
Courses: Three
Highlights: To start, a smoked salmon terrine and cucumber jelly; to finish, baked apples alongside almond ice cream
Carp: A carp-free zone
Cost: 1,250 Kč
Il Giardino (Movenpick Hotel, Mozartova 1, Prague 5–Smíchov. Tel. 257 154 262)
Courses: Three
Highlights: Morel consommé sounds good, as does the red mullet filet backed by a pesto of pistachios and sun-dried tomatoes.
Carp: Don’t think so
Cost: Approximately 1,350 Kč
Kampa Park (Na Kampě 8b, Prague 1–Malá Strana. Tel. 257 532 685)
Courses: Three
Highlights: Foie gras soup spiked with chanterelles and langoustine, or the dessert of creme Catalina
Carp: Sorry, Charlie
Cost: 1,795 Kč
La Provence (Štupartská 9, Prague 1–Old Town. Tel 296 826 155)
Courses: Option of three or four
Highlights: Crab soup and seared scallops, venison with chestnut puree, red mullet supported by braised fennel and foie gras
Carp: Non, ne, no
Cost: 995 Kč (four courses), 895 Kč (three courses)
La Rotonde (Radisson Hotel, Štěpánská 40, Prague 1–New Town. Tel. 222 820 410)
Courses: A la carte and buffet
Highlights: Sushi, scallops in walnut oil, an oyster bar, a carving station, Waldorf salad, cheese from around the world … a lot
Carp: Yessiree, both fried and probably in the fish soup
Cost: TBD
Le Papillon (Le Palais Hotel, U Zvonařky 1, Prague 2–New Town. Tel. 234 634 111)
Courses: Four (International or Czech menu)
Highlights: Grilled goat cheese, venison consommé (international), fish consommé and veal steak (Czech)
Carp: Yep, on the Czech menu, done “blue style”
Cost: 1,350 Kč
Sovovy Mlýny (U Sovových mlýnů 2, Prague 1–Malá Strana. Tel. 257 535 900)
Courses: Buffet
Highlights: Escargot stewed in vegetable broth and served with a quail egg, simple rice pilaf or good old Czech apple strudel
Carp: Not really, but you can try the fried pike perch
Cost: 590 Kč
V Zátiší (Liliová 1, Prague 1–Old Town. Tel. 222 221 155)
Courses: Four, in either the Bohemian or international options
Highlights: Black cod poached in white wine, topped off by a dessert of baked Alaska (international), venison in sour cherry sauce (Bohemian).
Carp: Probably in the fish soup, otherwise it’s pike perch
Cost: 1,475 Kč (international), 1,175 Kč (Bohemian)
Vltava (President Hotel, nám. Curieových 100, Prague 1–Old Town. Tel. 234 614 138)
Courses: Three
Highlights: Turkey breast stuffed with chestnuts and salmon carpaccio in orange sauce
Carp: Yep, the traditional way
Cost: 750 Kč
Also worth checking on are the Alchymist Grand Hotel (Aquarius Restaurant) in Malá Strana (257 286 019), Zlatá Praha at the InterContinental in Old Town (296 630 522) and Hradčany in the Hotel Savoy near the castle (224 302 122). Last year Les Moules, Pálffy Palác and U Malířů hosted holiday meals as well.
Take-away menus
Brasserie M (Vladislavova 17, Prague 1–New Town. Tel. 224 054 070)
Highlights: Whole crabs and lobsters, foie gras terrine with Armagnac, oyster creuse Normandie, stuffed capon, whole duck — all the makings of a French extravaganza
Carp: Don’t believe so
Cost: Per item, but orders must be placed by Dec. 15
Also check with Culinaria (Skořepka 9, Prague 1–Old Town. Tel. 224 231 237) and Bohemia Bagel (Masná 2, Prague 2; Dukelských hrdínů 48, Prague 7, Lázeňská 19, Prague 1).

Dave Faries can be reached at dfaries@praguepost.com


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