REVIEW: Igniting culinary excitement in Prague's Masaryčka building

A visit to Fuze, a bright new addition to the burgeoning foodie scene unfolding in Prague’s newly minted Masaryčka district, starts with a big bang: the kaleidoscopic space, with exposed glass brewing equipment and an explosion of mixed-medium art, sets the stage for a flashy dining experience that one hopes lives up to its visual appeal.

The brewery-restaurant is one of several eateries that have taken up residence in the Masaryčka building, designed by the studio of the late architect Zaha Hadid. Other eateries in the building include pizzeria L'Osteria, espresso bar Loka, confectionery Ollies, and the recently opened Sakura’s sushi bar.

Fuze co-owner Jan Murdoch told Czech Forbes: “I think that Penta managed to deliver a modern building to the public, which has not been around for a long time. We wanted to build on that and create a modern cosmopolitan business that would be open to a wide range of people.”

The newest in the Gare Restaurants’ portfolio, known for long-established ventures such as La Gare and Les Moules, Fuze sees chef Luděk Munzar (whose pedigree includes a stint at the Michelin-starred Moto in Chicago) and brewer Aleš Paik join forces to serve up an ambitious menu that fuses the Czech and Belgian elements of those restaurants with Asian flavors.

The concept pairs small bites, clay-oven fare, and seafood with beer brewed in-house and high-voltage cocktails. Open for almost two weeks, it’s one of Prague’s youngest and one of its biggest restaurants. Spread over three floors, multiple bars, space for DJs, and open kitchens and brewing areas lend to the expansive feel.

Beers brewed on-site, including a semi-dark 13-degree FUZEnáč with a divisive smoky flavor, complement specialties fired in the Indian-style clay ovens on the restaurant’s upper level, which turns out meat from nose to tail at 450 degrees Celsius.

With neon tubing, industrial elements, dangling greenery, and a bathroom homage to Jack Nicholson in The Shining, the space syncs up with the funky facade of the mothership in which it resides. The restaurant’s eye-popping interior combines the talents of Prague architect Pizingers Morix, whose controlled-chaos aesthetic marries up well with the works of local artist David Strauzz, best known for his large-scale outdoor murals.

Large-scale is the only way to describe the entire Fuze project. Covering an expansive 1,400 square meters spread across three floors and seating 320 guests – outdoor seating will add another 200 spots for al fresco dining, which is soon to come – the lower floor serves as a dining area, the upper floor, connected to the terrace to the train station, houses a second bar.

Given the eatery’s roots, it’s no surprise that mussels have their own section on the menu (you can try four different kinds including mussels with blood orange, Thai basil, and beer or fennel, chorizo, and pastis). Disappointingly, no mussels were available on the day of our visit, and the clay oven had yet to be fired up.

We started with small plates and cocktails. Croquettes stuffed with ducked rillettes and a side of kimchi satisfied the promise of “Asian flavors and non-traditional preparation.” A steamed bun with pork belly and mackerel-filled gyozas stood out, as did a Fizzy Fuze cocktail of gin, lychee, pineapple juice, and elderflower, and a generous A.M. Spritz (gin, Crémant, and peach). The menu offers beer and cocktail pairing suggestions for each dish.

The mains of pork knee with sweet chili sauce and seafood spaghetti with yuzu, ginger, Thai basil, and white wine were accompanied by FUZEnáč Polotmavý 13 and dark cherry Kasteel Rouge. The pasta was studded with garlic, mussels, calamari, and cherry tomatoes. Dessert was a decadent plate of freshly fried donut holes with beer ice cream.

With its view of rooftops overlooking the Masaryčka district, Fuze offers a vibrant atmosphere with killer cocktails, a diverse beer menu, and a unique aesthetic that blends Guggenheim vibes with a gastropub feel. The waitstaff is attentive and eager to please. And it's fun: when the lights dimmed, the playlist segued from Alison Krauss to more bombastic beats; a screen above the second-floor bar played a loop of food scenes from iconic Czech and Hollywood films.

The small bites are a highlight, particularly the beautifully crafted pork bun. This snow-white creation boasts a light, fluffy texture reminiscent of a Czech bread dumpling but that looked more like a burger than a traditional bao bun. But the sweet chili sauce served with pork knee veered towards cloying, and the spaghetti, while featuring a generous portion of redolent seafood, lacked a distinct flavor profile.

But a few missteps are expected during a soft opening, and with its potential, Fuze is sure to catch a spark and avoid fizzling out, evolving into a truly exciting neighborhood destination not just for dining but also for lunch, cocktails, or casual beer.