Valentine's Day

Valentine´s Day is nearly upon us again, and there´s no shortage of fine dining options in Prague to make for a romantic evening. By default, a lot of the restaurants considered to be the Vltava River. The area also contains a few of Prague´s more renowned restaurants, including the old standbys Kampa Park and Hergetova Cihelna, and a somewhat new addition, Kampa Fish. Personally, I can only speak for Kampa Park and Hergetova Cihelna, but I found the food at both locations to be somewhat disappointing considering the amount of money you´ll pay for it. Still, the atmosphere was wonderful, and the location unbeatable. Kampa Fish seems to have received some good press, and specializes in seafood; if you´re in the area, at least take a peek inside the place – it´s one of the most uniquely designed restaurants I´ve seen, a harsh metallic interior mixed with plush zebra couches. All three venues are among the most expensive in Prague, but the wonderful surroundings can make for quite a romantic evening.

Mala Strana in general can be quite romantic, despite the masses of tourists on the main streets. The area is also home to a plethora of other fine restaurants. One of my favorites is Gitanes, located a short walk from the American Embassy; it´s a cozy, pleasant Mediterranean place with excellent food at reasonable prices. Restaurant Alchymist is a gloriously designed place with a wonderful atmosphere and fine food. Palffy Palac is another popular destination, with lush surroundings and atmosphere, though the food may leave something to be desired. Nebozizek, on Petrin Hill, offers a fantastic view of the city. Ozivle Drevo, by the Prague Castle, is another fine choice with a fantastic location.

The Zatisi Group also offers a number of fine dining options, though they´re some of more expensive ones in Prague. Restaurant Bellevue is one of the best, however: great location, rich atmosphere and wonderful food. Restaurants V Zatisi and Mlynec can also offer top dining in wonderful surroundings. All three restaurants are in prime location on the Old Town side of the Charles Bridge, offering some great surroundings as long they aren´t too crowded.

A number of fine restaurant are also contained in Josefov, the Jewish Quarter. La Scene is at the top of the list – one of the most elegant restaurants in Prague, a fine choice for a romantic evening. Barock is another top destination with a great atmosphere.

Hotel-housed restaurants can also be some of the finest: Allegro at the Four Seasons, Alcron, Sarah Bernhardt at the Hotel Pariz, Rickshaw Restaurant at the Corinthia Towers, and Zlata Praha at Hotel Intercontinental (with a beautiful view of the city) are all excellent choices. Some other restaurants with great views of Old Town can also be found in Letna – Hanavsky Pavilion is one of the best, along with Restaurant Belcredi. Old Town itself houses a great number of fine restaurants – too many to list – but Flambee is one of the most renowned, with excellent atmosphere, top cuisine, and great location next to Bethlehem Palace.

Strange how I haven´t included any real Czech restaurants here; somehow, the idea of a typical Czech place doesn´t seem to evoke the most romantic thoughts. However, Restaurant Amos is one my personal favorites; located just a few blocks from Old Town Square, but well-hidden enough to avoid the masses of tourists, it´s a warm, cozy place, quite small (only a handful of seats in the whole restaurant), and completely, traditionally, Czech. The food is great (everyone I´ve eaten there with tells me they have some of the best steaks in Prague) and the restaurant isn’t expensive at all; a perfect option if you prefer beer to wine on V-Day.

Also nearby is what I consider to be the best pizzeria in Prague: Giallo Rossa. Many know it as the late-night by-the-slice stand next to Chapeau Rouge, but the actual restaurant has quite an intimate, romantic atmosphere. The pizza is fantastic, as are the desserts, and the prices are low; the only problem can be the occasional groups of tourists that overstuff the small venue. Another reasonably priced favorite of mine is Credo – perhaps more for the trendy set, I nevertheless find it to be a romantic destination, with great food, a wide-ranging menu, and pleasant atmosphere. Its out-of-the-way location, despite being in Prague 1, usually means you have the place nearly to yourself, to boot.

I´ve only covered a small fraction of the romantic restaurants to have a fine Valentine´s Day; the list is endless, really. And I didn´t want to only focus on Prague 1 – some of the finest international cuisine, in fact, can be found in Prague 2: Olympos for Greek, Aromi for Italian; Taj Mahal for Indian. And any of the Ambiente restaurants would make decent alternatives to some of the higher priced venues.

After dinner, you´ll find no shortage of places in Prague to have a few drinks – especially in and around Old Town. In particular, Bar and Books on Tynska will be having a special Valentine´s Day celebration, with a complimentary strawberry fondue and cigar for the ladies (with the purchase of a bottle of champagne) and a courtesy multi-flavored condom for the gents.

Jason Pirodsky can be reached at jason@expats.cz