For the child in everyone

Walking upstairs to Výtopna, I found it hard to conceal a grin and had to ball up my fists to stop from clapping gleefully. Who can honestly resist cracking a smile at a restaurant filled with model trains - complete with drawbridges, mountain passes and stations - that chug and whistle their way to track-laden tables, delivering drinks? Výtopna is located in one of the most touristed spots in Prague, Wenceslas Square, but its prices don't feel like banditry.

Výtopna first opened in Brno, and the chain's popularity with locals and visitors alike can be equally attributed to the quality Czech cooking and to the novelty of the experience. I went for the trains, expecting The Mediocre Express where the food was concerned, but lo and behold, several of the dishes were on par with the best that I've sampled.

But, first stop: the trains. Výtopna has a great deal of space to work with, and the rails extend across the main room and around the bar. Lighting is provided by replica lampposts, as well as vast windows overlooking the square. Waiters are more like conductors, as they press a button when diners order drinks to direct the trains to the right table. The servers bring the food, but the trains deliver the drinks, and it's fun to see the colorful Czech Railways and Deutschebahn cars pulling up with pints as their cargo.

Empty glasses can be loaded back into the train cars and returned to the bar, an ingenuity for which the servers must be grateful. But on one recent visit, which lasted until clean-up began (the nicely drinkable Gambrinus 11° is, after all, a shockingly reasonable 29 Kč for a half-liter), we witnessed the comical sight of a runaway train full of empties barreling down the line, chased by several servers, who managed with sighs of relief to bring it to a halt.

Everything else ran smoothly, save for one extended wait for two beers. After politely telling an inquiring waiter that yes, we'd already ordered, we heard heated words exchanged between the server and the barman, with the former exclaiming, "They've waited 20 minutes, and they still don't have a train!" an expression that almost made up for the delay (which, ironically, caused me to miss my real train home).

Výtopna's menu is surprisingly concise for such a chain, supplemented by a daily menu - a standard at most restaurants in Prague. Since Výtopna is situated in the heart of tourist country and amid many offices, I ordered from the lunch specials to see how the restaurant fared (yet another pun intended).

While not as well-executed as items from the main menu, the lunch dishes were filling and a good deal for around 100 Kč. Lasagna, at 99 Kč, was a sizable portion with nice components - a hearty tomato sauce, oozing béchamel and plentiful zucchini - but was a bit too soft, giving the impression of being overcooked.

The chicken schnitzel stuffed with ham and cheese, at 109 Kč, was better. The tasty breaded and fried steak had a crunchy, not greasy, crust, and the ham was thick, cooked ham, and not a processed slice. The plate came with forgettable but edible mashed potatoes and a refreshing bowl of grated cucumber in a sugary dressing.

Quite a few dishes off the main menu aren't much more expensive than the lunch specials, and are of much greater quality. A starter of grilled Camembert, while it could have been a tad warmer, was lovely to spread on the fresh, sliced baguettes brought to the table (not automatically, but upon request). A dribbling of bright pink cranberry mousse added a tart sweetness to the mild, lightly smoky cheese.

The entrees are where the dining car, as it were, really excels. With the infinite number of mediocre pork-and-dumpling dishes out there, truly well-made Czech food can be a revelation, and Výtopna is confident with the classics. Goulash came in a soup bowl, along with a generous homemade loaf of freshly baked bread, ready-sliced. I was unable to finish the meal: There were so many chunks of tender, quality meat - without any gristle - packed into the heady broth, topped with slices of raw red onion. My friend, who normally dislikes beef, tasted and raved about the rich flavor. 

The roast duck was presented nicely, an herb-flecked meaty leg reclining atop sprawling red cabbage, with two sets of potato dumplings sprinkled with crunchy, deep-fried onions. The meat fell off the bone, and for once it didn't taste of duck fat but tasted of sweet, gamey duck.

Desserts are worth a whistle stop, as well. The mascarpone with ice cream was one of the best sweets I've had in a while: a scoop of French vanilla ice cream topping a mascarpone and hazelnut mousse mix. What looked like a wafer stuck in the middle turned out to be a warm twist of dough covered in sugar and cinnamon that took the cup to another level.

Výtopna has a children's menu (complete with pictures of trains to color in) and a sizeable play corner for little ones. With its model trains, Výtopna caters to the child in all of us, and the quality of the food, not to mention the prices, ensure that it's on the right track.

Fiona Gaze can be reached at
fgaze@praguepost.com