Sign of the times

Anyone questioning the accuracy of published reports on the stagnant state of Prague's tourist trade need only visit Brasserie Délice, the flagship restaurant of the Sheraton Prague Charles Square Hotel, which opened March 1 on busy Žitná street.

On its Web site, the hotel hypes the eatery as serving "exceptional French cuisine ? with genuine service, fresh quality products and a wide variety of specials." Having award-winning executive chef Jan Pipal running the kitchen also set expectations high.

Sadly, the restaurant's atmosphere - on both an initial lunch hour and a midweek dinner visit - was more reminiscent of a scene from Les Misérables than the hustle and bustle of the Left Bank. With candles flickering onto unoccupied tables and the clink of our forks echoing in foreboding silence, the otherwise empty dining room carried more than a whiff of desperation.

While the tourism downturn may be forcing Brasserie Délice to join the city's rank of eateries having trouble filling seats, it would likely face a few hurdles even in smoother economic times. Though Pipal's menu includes some solid renditions of French specialties and other dishes, not everything that comes out of his kitchen is exceptional. The prices seem a bit on the steep side, too, given that most dishes comprise ingredients presumably available locally, coupled with the somewhat charmless décor, which feels like an extension of the hotel's lobby, dressed up with a few oddly Asian accents.

Business lunches at Brasserie Délice are available as rotating two- and three-course affairs, which is what we opted for during the first visit. The daily starter of cauliflower velouté (French for "velvety," and a dish which can be alternately prepped as a soup or a sauce) sets the bar quite high. A small disc composed of roasted cauliflower and watercress rested amid a thick broth that was especially buttery in taste and creamy in texture. The soup's incredibly rich flavor is both a blessing and a curse; while it's initially easy on the tastebuds, it became quickly impossible to finish, at least for those hoping to preserve their appetite for the main courses.

The two entrees were also quite good. The fried veal schnitzel, served with a grenailles potato salad, was as good as any to be found in Vienna. The meat was juicy and contrasted nicely with its crisp, bready casing. While many potato salads suffer from an overabundance of ingredients and artery-clogging globs of mayonnaise, Brasserie Délice's version is done in the delicious, traditional Bavarian style - a mix of thin potato slices flavored with fresh leeks and tossed with a simple yet zesty oil and vinegar dressing.

The roasted Atlantic salmon was flaky, tender and ample in size. While the cylindrical-shaped side of gratin potatoes seemed a bit run-of-the-mill, this dish also held an extra special surprise - a refreshingly generous helping of steamed spinach that came hidden underneath the fish filet.    

A subsequent dinner visit proved disappointing. Brasserie Délice's coq au vin, arguably the most popular French fricassee dish, was rather dull. Black rooster meat came stewed in Burgundy wine and slices of truffle and carrots, but the entrée seemed less of a proper stew and more like isolated hunks of marinated meat with a tiny sprinkling of sauce that barely coated the accompanying side of soggy tagliatelle. Ironically enough in a French restaurant, the risotto of bulgur (an Italian recipe made with a cereal grain common in Turkish and Middle Eastern dishes) was far superior, particularly due to its smooth tomato sauce spiced with hints of arugula.      

Appetizers were also a bit shaky. The duck foie gras seemed particularly mismatched with tiny slices of Granny Smith apples and a sour cherry sauce that did little to offset the bold, meaty flavors of the paté. The overall experience was comparable to eating salted butter by the spoonful, prompting us to leave more than half the serving untouched; some fresh bread or even a few crackers would have been welcome additions. Better was the torn salad with Pata Negra, a lively mix of colorful greens tossed in a tangy mango-nut vinaigrette, with small slices of dried ham adding savory dashes throughout, though we expected more given the price.   

Fortunately, the dessert was a hit. The offerings mainly comprise a series of ice creams and parfaits, so we smartly opted for the baked marzipan balls. Soft, warm almond-flavored balls - similar in size and consistency to doughnut holes - came fresh from the oven and topped with sour cherries and creme fraiche. Finally, in a meal that contained several hits and a few misses, here was a home run.

Service on both visits was consistently good, though leaning a bit on the solicitous side. Still, it would be churlish to fault the staff for seeming overly enthusiastic, as they gave the impression that we were the first customers they'd seen all day.   

While it may be too soon to sound the death knell for Brasserie Délice, the restaurant's prices and chilly atmosphere are likely to continue working against it. The kitchen shows potential, so let's hope a few menu revisions, some sprucing-up of the dining room - and, perhaps, a turn in the tourist trade - will help this restaurant find its footing.

Curtis Wong can be reached at
cwong@praguepost.com