We both really enjoyed our dinner here. We made reservations kind of late in the game, but they were able to get us a table for the night that we had originally requested.
We showed up a bit early, and were asked to wait at the bar. We ordered a couple of drinks (martini for him, mojito for me) and waited a bit for our table to be ready.
The hostess stopped by our bar table a few times to apologize for the delay, and to keep us appraised. I guess they were serving a party of 50 (!), so it was taking a bit longer for our table to be prepped than they had expected. Not that it mattered to us - we had nowhere else in the world to be.
The hostess then came back to let us know that the table was ready, and showed us to a small table sandwiched in between two large parties. Not ideal, as it was very loud, but it was better than the first table we were offered.
We had taken a look at their menu online the day before, and while I was excited about the food, the thing that appealed to me the most was the soft drink pairing that they offered with their "Most Popular" tasting menu.
A soft drink pairing! Normally I'd go wine pairing, but I'd never seen anything like that before, and was intrigued enough to give it a try. Because, of course, we both decided to go with the "Most Popular" tasting menu (though, the hubs did go old school and pair his with wine.)
The first thing brought out to us was an amuse bouche, which was a celery foam and bacon shot. It was interesting - a bit soupy, a bit celery-y, a bit bacon-y. I enjoyed it.
Course 1 was the Smoked Veal Tartar, which was my favorite by far. It was smoky, with a fresh, clean flavor to the meat. The smoke didn't overpower the meat, and the truffle mayonnaise that was served with it really brought all the different flavors together.
The soft drink pairing for course 1 was a beetroot, violet syrup and lemon concoction. I love me some beets, I do. But this was overpoweringly beet-y. The earthiness of the beets made it almost undrinkable. I did my level best, but it was difficult to finish. Certainly not my favorite. I can't imagine what people who hate beets would think of it.
Course 2 was a Carpaccio of Scallops, served with apple, avocado puree and fennel. This was nice and refreshing - the scallops were sliced thin, and the apple added a tart bite to the dish that actually paired really well.
The soft drink pairing for this course was an apple, rhubarb, elderberry drink, and it was much more palatable. Where the first drink was thick and strong, this drink was light and easy to drink. It did pair with the scallop dish rather well, too.
Course 3 was my second favorite dish of the night - a seared sea bass served with a vanilla potato purée, capers, olives, and a baked lemon juice. It's hard for me to hate any fish dish, so it's not surprising that I enjoyed this. The fish was buttery and flaky, and the potatoes underneath added a nice bit of depth to the flakiness of the fish.
The soft drink pairing was by far my favorite - made of jasmine, vanilla and lemon. This was also very light and easy to drink, and the vanilla in the drink brought out the vanilla in the potatoes.
Course 4 was a filet mignon a la Schnitzel, which, while it was perfectly cooked, was a bit odd. I know this is one of their signature dishes, but it's just odd to bread and fry a beautiful piece of meat like that. Still, it was tasty, and it was served with a medley of vegetables.
The drink with this dish was a carrot, raspberry and honey one. This was definitely savory, and had both of us in the mind of a tomato-based soup. It wasn't terrible, but it was a little much by that point.
The 5th and final course was dessert - a chocolate lava cake with mint ice cream and mint crumble. This was served with a cherry, chocolate and orange drink, which I found discordant. The mint was delicious, but was overpowered by the cherry in the soft drink pairing. It's odd that that was their choice for this one. The cake itself was divine - all ooey and gooey and perfectly paired with the mint ice cream. Plus, they put a huge sparkler on my plate to celebrate our anniversary.
PS - all the wines that they served my husband were local blends, and he loved them all.
We enjoyed our evening immensely. Every person we came in contact with - from the hostess to the bartender to the team of waitstaff - was friendly and helpful and informative. And while I did enjoy the idea of the soft drink pairing, I wouldn't do it again. Not that I didn't enjoy the creations, but it's just SO MUCH liquid. The serving sizes are twice as big as a wine pour, and they just kept coming!
Still, highly recommend this restaurant for any occasion - the food is delicious and the service is top notch. Plus, the views are brilliant - they're right on the river and have views of the Charles Bridge from the plate glass windows. read more