Experience a magical midsummer picnic in a Prague vineyard

Prague’s plentiful parks and beer gardens are an ideal setting for a midsummer picnic but its vineyards present a lesser-known option for spreading a blanket and raising a glass to the waning moments of summer. 

In July, Salabka, a restaurant set in a 4.5-hectare vineyard in the Troja district, began its sixth picnic season. The experience is truly something special: From now until autumn weather sets in, guests can enjoy a picnic with a view in the award-winning restaurant-winery complex just steps away from Prague’s Botanical Gardens. 

If a packed picnic from a Michelin-Plate-awarded fine-dining restaurant isn’t enough of an enticement, the experience includes a bottle of wine from Salabka’s own vineyard which recently won the VINOZOOM Winery of the Year (2021) in the boutique winery category.

“Every year there is a competition in the Czech Republic that awards the best vineyard that produces a maximum of 50,000 liters of wine, and in this group we won as the best,” says Salabka manager Gabriela Kunc Lacherová.  “To win something like this over South Moravian vineyards is a big deal.” 

Located on the right bank of the Vltava River, Salabka grows grapes on the southwest slope between Troja and Bohnice. It primarily produces white wines but does offer some sparkling and red wines including Pinot Noirs and a rare deep-red, full bodied Neronet.

“We are able to grow wines in an optimal way, thanks to the perfect southwest orientation and chalk and shale soil,” says Lacherová.  who adds, “We practice reduction in order to maintain high quality grapes and as a result, we produce approximately 15,000-18,000 bottles of wine annually.”

Whether you eat inside or out, the restaurant side of the complex is just as appealing as the wine offerings. Lacherová says that their dishes use only the freshest ingredients sourced from local producers.

“One of our suppliers, for instance, is a Czech farmer who trained in Holland and spent two years learning how to raise and take care of chickens in a farm really close to Prague and his chickens live on a field outside.”

The picnic is also a good value in these thrifty times. For 650 CZK per person, the classic picnic option includes a beef pastrami sandwich, carrot tartare and nibbles (furikake crisps, marinated olives, capers and sundried tomatoes, marinated cheese and crackers) plus a dessert of chocolate mousse, hazelnut praline, and seasonal fruit.

The vegetarian option replaces the beef pastrami sandwich with a Nodino mozzarella sandwich with salsa verde, and marinated and grilled vegetables; all the other extras remain the same.

Both baskets include a half liter bottle of the restaurant’s own homemade lemonade.

Salabka will also provide a blanket, sun umbrella, bottle opener, and a wine cooler.

To complete the perfect vineyard picnic, you can add a bottle of carefully selected wine. “We can suggest pairings,” the restaurant’s manager says. “Every single person on our staff is trained to work with wine and you can try the wine at the bar before you get a bottle.” 

Salabka’s idyllic setting makes the picnic even more special by giving visitors the option of sitting in the middle of the vineyard or finding a quiet spot with a great view, like their gazebo.

In the wake of Covid, diners are looking for exciting culinary experiences that include food they can’t make at home. “People are more interested in going out and eating and dining outside,” says the manager.