On our second trip back to Prague, we decided to go a bit more off the beaten path, seeking out some local spots to get away from the touristy areas of Prague. Our favorite part about traveling is indeed the eating out. There is something so indulgent about dining while on vacation. No planning, no grocery shopping, and most importantly, no clean up. That's the essence of vacation in my book.
We find the best spots by reading local blogs or by chatting up the baristas in the corner cafes in the early part of our stay. It's important to us to get the flavor of a city when visiting, to truly eat what the locals eat, in the spots they actually frequent. Yes, the Bavarian pretzel I had at Hofbrau House in Munich was a great tourist moment, but the meal I had at the hole-in-the-wall vegan restaurant was far superior. So, the key is to do your homework.
Three particular spots stood out to us on our most recent trip to Prague. Here's your guide.
St. Martin
St. Martin is located in the Mala Strana neighborhood of Prague. Nestled in the shadow of Prague Castle, it is located on an out-of-the-way winding side street up a steep hill on the way to the Castle steps. The street is so small and so narrow, you are constatly shocked when a car squeezes by. But, I can tell you the hike is well worth it. Inside, the restaurant is a warm, nearly all white haven against the cold winter evenings in Prague. The minimalist decor was tasteful and almost Scandinavian, but the service was excellent. Their menu boasted Czech and international dishes that included meat, fish, and vegetarian options. Though they were out of the soup I'd come in for, they had several other dishes that accomodated a vegan. Ryan enjoyed the steak and mashed potatoes, and I had raosted vetebales with crisp and perfectly seasoned potatoes, and quite possibly the best side salad I've ever eaten--made with a simple dressing, radicchio and endive. We shared the tapenade as a starter. Though Ryan enjoyed their "chocolate shot" dessert, I opted to walk just down the street to Giardino Gelato where I found a vegan dark chocolate gelato that tasted like real ice cream. St. Martin is a place we would return to again in a heartbeat. A great meal, and a perfect excuse to visit the Prague Castle at night when you have the place to yourself!
The tapenade starter, served with warm butter bread for Ryan and rice cakes for me.
Roasted veggies and perfect potatoes in the foreground, Ryan's steak and mashed potatoes in the background.
My radicchio and endive side salad.
Ryan's "chocolate shot" dessert with egg nog and rum. I love the grapes and rosemary used for artful plating.
Prague Castle is a five minute (uphill) walk from St. Martin. We had the whole grounds to ourselves (save for the security guards).
Giardino dark chocolate vegan gelato. My mouth is watering just thinking about how good this was.
Aromi
Located in Praha 2, Aromi is an authentic Italian restaurant that uses ingredients straight from Italy. Let's just say, I googled the olive oil brand immediately so I could order it on Amazon. It was that good. But I digress. Aromi is a beautiful fine dining restaurant that has earned the Michelin Bib Gourmand Award. As is customary in Europe, you reserve the table for a set number of hours, in our case we were there from 5 to 8:30 on New Years Eve. It's the kind of place where you linger, savoring the atmosphere, the excellent service, and the romantic corner table by the fireplace. Our three course meal, plus an amuse bouche here and there, was nothing short of decadent. Ryan started with buttery fried prawns, then tucked into a plate of angle hair pasta topped with freshly grated truffles done tableside, and finisehd with the restaurant's signature seafood dish, the grilled octopus. And because dessert is always a good idea, he also went for the molten chocolate cake. I opted for a mixed greens salad served with a chickpea shooter on the side, followed by grilled vegetables served with carrot puree and beluga lentils. Though the menu is fairly seafood heavy, they are always willing to accomodate a vegan and the chef artfully plated my perfectly cooked vegetables. The bottle of champagne we indulged in, thanks to the somelier's recommendation, was perfectly dry and festively bubbly for the start of our New Year's Eve night out.
Gorgeous greens with the ripest cherry tomatoes.
The tart tomatoes offset the dry champagne beautifully.
Ryan's fried prawns with acid and fat (lemon and aioli), the perfect balance.
Angel hair pasta adorned with truffles, shaved tableside for an artful presentation.
A surprise roasted vegetable amuse bouche! Crispy chickpeas were served as a snack on the side as well.
A gorgeous plate of plant based food. The carrot puree and beluga lentils were a lovely pairing to the veggies.
Portfolio
This restaurant happened to be just around the corner from our hotel, the Carlo IV. Nestled in an unassuming building across from one of Prague's train stations, Portfolio is a haven from the hustle and bustle of the street outside. A fine dining experience, you are relieved of your coats and ushered to a cozy booth, complete with pillows to make the seating more comfortable. Though there were linen napkins and elegant candles adorning our table, the service and ambiance was anything but stuffy. Our server was attentive, but not overbearing, and he knew exactly how to pace out the meal so it felt exquisitely timed and liesurely, without being so drawn out that you wondered where your next course was. It was the perfect pace. Thought Portfolio offers a multicourse tasting menu, we opted for the a la carte route. Ryan selected the salmon appetizer and had venison as his main. I went for a chef's choice starter which arrived as a beautiful plate of greens and roasted tomatoes served on a plate with a gorgeous smear of housemade hummus. My entree was a regular item on the menu, the smoked tempeh with avocado, steamed artichoke hearts, and radishes, all dressed in a beetroot reduction sauce. It's the meal we came away still talking about nearly a week later, and the first stop should we find ourselves in Prague again.
A chef created amuse bouche to start. Ryan's was fish while mine was all kinds of yummy vegetables.
View of the train station from our cozy corner booth.
I let the chef play and this is what he created as my starter.
Ryan's salmon arrived with a coconut milk "foam" that he said was delish.
The tempeh entree. Look at that plating!
We find the best spots by reading local blogs or by chatting up the baristas in the corner cafes in the early part of our stay. It's important to us to get the flavor of a city when visiting, to truly eat what the locals eat, in the spots they actually frequent. Yes, the Bavarian pretzel I had at Hofbrau House in Munich was a great tourist moment, but the meal I had at the hole-in-the-wall vegan restaurant was far superior. So, the key is to do your homework.
Three particular spots stood out to us on our most recent trip to Prague. Here's your guide.
St. Martin
St. Martin is located in the Mala Strana neighborhood of Prague. Nestled in the shadow of Prague Castle, it is located on an out-of-the-way winding side street up a steep hill on the way to the Castle steps. The street is so small and so narrow, you are constatly shocked when a car squeezes by. But, I can tell you the hike is well worth it. Inside, the restaurant is a warm, nearly all white haven against the cold winter evenings in Prague. The minimalist decor was tasteful and almost Scandinavian, but the service was excellent. Their menu boasted Czech and international dishes that included meat, fish, and vegetarian options. Though they were out of the soup I'd come in for, they had several other dishes that accomodated a vegan. Ryan enjoyed the steak and mashed potatoes, and I had raosted vetebales with crisp and perfectly seasoned potatoes, and quite possibly the best side salad I've ever eaten--made with a simple dressing, radicchio and endive. We shared the tapenade as a starter. Though Ryan enjoyed their "chocolate shot" dessert, I opted to walk just down the street to Giardino Gelato where I found a vegan dark chocolate gelato that tasted like real ice cream. St. Martin is a place we would return to again in a heartbeat. A great meal, and a perfect excuse to visit the Prague Castle at night when you have the place to yourself!
The tapenade starter, served with warm butter bread for Ryan and rice cakes for me.
Roasted veggies and perfect potatoes in the foreground, Ryan's steak and mashed potatoes in the background.
My radicchio and endive side salad.
Ryan's "chocolate shot" dessert with egg nog and rum. I love the grapes and rosemary used for artful plating.
Love the wood doors and simple signage out front.
Prague Castle is a five minute (uphill) walk from St. Martin. We had the whole grounds to ourselves (save for the security guards).
Giardino dark chocolate vegan gelato. My mouth is watering just thinking about how good this was.
Aromi
Located in Praha 2, Aromi is an authentic Italian restaurant that uses ingredients straight from Italy. Let's just say, I googled the olive oil brand immediately so I could order it on Amazon. It was that good. But I digress. Aromi is a beautiful fine dining restaurant that has earned the Michelin Bib Gourmand Award. As is customary in Europe, you reserve the table for a set number of hours, in our case we were there from 5 to 8:30 on New Years Eve. It's the kind of place where you linger, savoring the atmosphere, the excellent service, and the romantic corner table by the fireplace. Our three course meal, plus an amuse bouche here and there, was nothing short of decadent. Ryan started with buttery fried prawns, then tucked into a plate of angle hair pasta topped with freshly grated truffles done tableside, and finisehd with the restaurant's signature seafood dish, the grilled octopus. And because dessert is always a good idea, he also went for the molten chocolate cake. I opted for a mixed greens salad served with a chickpea shooter on the side, followed by grilled vegetables served with carrot puree and beluga lentils. Though the menu is fairly seafood heavy, they are always willing to accomodate a vegan and the chef artfully plated my perfectly cooked vegetables. The bottle of champagne we indulged in, thanks to the somelier's recommendation, was perfectly dry and festively bubbly for the start of our New Year's Eve night out.
Gorgeous greens with the ripest cherry tomatoes.
The tart tomatoes offset the dry champagne beautifully.
Ryan's fried prawns with acid and fat (lemon and aioli), the perfect balance.
Angel hair pasta adorned with truffles, shaved tableside for an artful presentation.
A surprise roasted vegetable amuse bouche! Crispy chickpeas were served as a snack on the side as well.
A gorgeous plate of plant based food. The carrot puree and beluga lentils were a lovely pairing to the veggies.
Portfolio
This restaurant happened to be just around the corner from our hotel, the Carlo IV. Nestled in an unassuming building across from one of Prague's train stations, Portfolio is a haven from the hustle and bustle of the street outside. A fine dining experience, you are relieved of your coats and ushered to a cozy booth, complete with pillows to make the seating more comfortable. Though there were linen napkins and elegant candles adorning our table, the service and ambiance was anything but stuffy. Our server was attentive, but not overbearing, and he knew exactly how to pace out the meal so it felt exquisitely timed and liesurely, without being so drawn out that you wondered where your next course was. It was the perfect pace. Thought Portfolio offers a multicourse tasting menu, we opted for the a la carte route. Ryan selected the salmon appetizer and had venison as his main. I went for a chef's choice starter which arrived as a beautiful plate of greens and roasted tomatoes served on a plate with a gorgeous smear of housemade hummus. My entree was a regular item on the menu, the smoked tempeh with avocado, steamed artichoke hearts, and radishes, all dressed in a beetroot reduction sauce. It's the meal we came away still talking about nearly a week later, and the first stop should we find ourselves in Prague again.
A chef created amuse bouche to start. Ryan's was fish while mine was all kinds of yummy vegetables.
View of the train station from our cozy corner booth.
I let the chef play and this is what he created as my starter.
Ryan's salmon arrived with a coconut milk "foam" that he said was delish.
The tempeh entree. Look at that plating!
