Babiččina zahrada

Babiččina zahrada, opened a few months ago in Průhonice by chef Radek David of La Veranda fame, takes a different tack by elevating time-honored, simple plates that are accessibly priced and presented in a country-chic setting of a renovated farmhouse. Instead of looking to modern takes on traditional recipes, David pays tribute to simplicity, reviving some dishes that haven’t made it much past a grandmother’s kitchen and others that demonstrate the Continental influence on local tastes in the 19th century. He does this mostly with skill, although responses can vary; a Czech friend was less intrigued than I to try the potato šišky (roast potato dumplings) or the dense škubánky with poppy seeds, saying darkly that some things were better left in the past.

The restaurant is ideal for daytrip dining, as the well-to-do suburb has long attracted weekend throngs for a stroll around the chateau’s sprawling gardens. As the name implies, one of Babiččina zahrada’s main draws is its garden, which features a large covered patio with an outdoor bar and a winding path leading among the tomato vines and rosehips to a series of copper-domed gazebos holding individual tables. Inside, there’s a cozy room with floral-printed banquettes and a bright-blue ceramic wood-burning stove; the building also contains a spa, and a hotel is planned, as well.

The namesake garden makes for a pleasantly intimate experience, as we learned on a recent visit, arriving late afternoon to a near-empty garden, only to be instructed by the waitress to sit at the back – the very back – which is at a considerable distance. The service proved perfectly attentive, though, providing the waitress with more than enough exercise. When we were first seated, she brought over a blackboard with the day’s specials, which she thoughtfully left leant against the gazebo for us to mull over, instead of having to ask one another “What was the special again?” as can often be the case. Later on that evening, after a double rainbow gave way to a clearer sky, we were brought blankets to stave off the chill.

Babiččina zahrada sources all of its ingredients from within the Czech Republic, something that worked in its favor in most, if not all, of the dishes we sampled. A basket of home-baked, flour-dusted Sumavsky-style bread, studded with pumpkin seeds and satisfyingly chewy, came free of couvert, along with a small pot of whipped cream cheese with chives and a winning pot of elegant, silky goose cracklings, smooth and chunky like a crunchy peanut butter. On a later visit, the bread was of a white farmhouse variety, equally as tasty, leaving us wondering if it would be possible to order some to go.

Each of the mains we sampled had at least one component than detracted, to different degrees, from the overall quality. Veal schnitzels (240 CZK) were wonderfully juicy, the tender meat not pounded dry or too greasy from the batter, a breadcrumb mix with brown sugar and a hint of nutmeg. The restaurant also does incredible, creamy mashed potatoes, which went well with each bite of veal. On the side, however, was a disappointing cream-based cucumber and dill salad, which came across as too heavy; a tart, pickley salad would have been better suited.