So 2020 is behind us. Right now, everything’s shut down and indoor dining is out. Our daily new coronavirus infections in the Czech Republic have reached record highs, so no one can predict when indoor dining will be an option again. Things look bleak at the moment but hey, let’s look at the silver lining here.

This can be an opportunity for a change. A change for the better. It may seem like an odd idea to complain at this particular moment, but we honestly see this as a challenge, and opportunity to improve.

Trust us - we’re coming from the hospitality and tourism industry and we are not alone in thinking we don’t want to go „back to normal“ when it comes to tourism in Prague. Tourism in Prague, or at least the mass tourism in the historical centre, was absolutely insufferable before the pandemic, and we are the first ones to admit it. So while we’re looking for ways to improve our own operation and its impact on the local community if and when tourism gets back, we think a few suggestions to the food scene in Prague won’t hurt. So here we go.

Smaller pastries

Are we the first ones to complain that pastries in Prague are too… big? This applies mostly to croissants, but also the loupák, and just about anything else. Have you ever heard that „less is more“? We really dislike the humongous croissants available everywhere around Prague - and that includes places that we otherwise really like. They don’t taste like much, are dry, and smell of yeast. The only two places that do this really right and come to mind is Laforme in Bubeneč and Les Délices (with some reservations though) over at Žižkov. We mean, you don’t need a croissant that feeds a family of four for lunch. Just give us a nice, small croissant that is buttery, flaky and delicious. We’ll buy a second one if we need it, okay? We’re adults here.

The same applies to the Czech loupák. The best loupák we’ve had in Prague - by far - is the one sold by Karlín’s Etapa bistro. And you know what? Compared to other loupáks out there, it is tiny. But it’s also crunchy and firm and utterly delicious… and sold out within minutes. Hey, when it comes to pastries, size really doesn’t matter.

Cocktails in restaurants

We know, we know. Czechia is a land of beer, bla bla blah. But haven’t you had enough of beer and wine already? Wouldn’t it be fun to have a cocktail with your dinner from time to time? Czechia seems to be a place where the worlds of good food and good cocktails don’t overlap, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Just look at Kro Kitchen, or Sansho, or Mr Hot Dog. You just need an inventive bartender to come up with easy recipes to be replicated by the staff on a daily basis, and some nice glasses.

Sure, we love beer and wine just like the other guy. But do you know what we also like? Feeling better about ourselves than we really are. And a nice cocktail, served in a beautiful vintage glass (wasn’t Bohemia supposed to be the country of crystal, hello?) does exactly that: we feel fancier and more classy. And on the restaurant end, you can make more money on a cocktail than a glass of beer or wine. So what’s the problem here, honestly?

Good soundtracks

In many Prague restaurants, soundtracks seem like an afterthought: you often end up preferring the „thousands drunk monkeys pushing buttons“ playlist on Spotify is over the „hey, let’s just play a radio station“ approach, or the dreaded „hey, mindless escapist Communist pop is now ironic, isn’t it?“. (No, it ain’t.)

So what we’d like to see more of this year is more attention to music. We honestly don’t get it: you spend hundreds of thousands on fittings, chairs, tables and cutlery, only to give us horrible soundtracks that show a lack of imagination or - even worst - lack of consideration for the guest you as a restaurant would like to serve. As you reopen after the current shut down, let’s put in some effort and come with a playlist that makes sense in the context of the food you want to serve, the atmosphere you’d like to create, and the diner you’d like to attract.

(And if you’re a restaurant that wants to be fancy, two words for you: classical music. Dvorák’s New World Symphony and Smetana’s Vltava on infinite repeat if need be. You’re welcome.)

Cheffy fast food

Great, cheffy fast food was on a roll even before the coronavirus hit last year, but with restaurants closed, indoor dining out of the question, and the number of infections skyrocketing, what else did you want to eat but something nasty in a greasy wrapper? Exactly.

And with indoor dining still not in sight here in Prague, fast food is poised to rule for some time to come. But it does not have to be all bad - just look at Kro Kitchen, who have really mastered the art of serving you something fast without making you feel guilty for days. We’s like to see something fast and easy, to be eaten in the car, or on the go or - fingers crossed - when indoor dining returns for good, inside of a restaurant, that shows great technique and punches above its weight in terms of culinary experience. Think Momofuku, which have been bringing high-end techniques to the masses for years, or even Eggslut, using sous-vide en masse before it was cool.

Great food outside of the major cities

Let’s be honest here: with indoor dining out and everybody with a functioning brain avoiding crowds, trips outside of the main cities have become the new black in 2020 here in the Czech Republic. Heck, even we have bought a summer house in the country. So people from big cities have discovered the country. Now it’s time to eat well in the country without bringing your own provisions.

What we’re saying is: restaurants in small towns and farms, shut up and take our money. Just give us some nice food in exchange. 2020 has changed nearly everything on the Czech food scene, so let’s change this, too. This can be an opportunity to find our pride in super-local food again. And there are smaller towns that have shown that having great food on a small town is indeed an option (we’re looking at you, Tábor), so don’t tell us it can’t be done. Heck, we’ve been thinking of opening a coffee shop in Čáslav ourselves. (It’s near our summer house and we need some proper coffee. Any baristas out there looking for work?)

Great service

Read our lips: this is a short list of things we don’t ever want to hear again when we ask the staff for a recommendation:

„I don’t know what you guys like.“
„People order this one a lot, too.“
„I’m not sure, this is my first day here. I haven’t tasted anything yet.“

Now, let’s be honest here - the managers in Prague restaurants tend to recognise us when we walk in, so we often get the service everybody should be getting. But that does not mean everything’s perfect on planet Taste of Prague.

Prague is still full of wait staff who either really dislike their job, or think their job is simply moving plates from the kitchen to the tables. Now, don’t get us wrong - we think that the service in general has made a giant leap forward in the past few years, and there are true professionals in the field who are a joy to watch, but there’s also room for improvement… and perhaps a bit more training here and there. And when indoor dining is back again, we bet people will want more for their dollar, especially when it comes to service. We want to be pampered, otherwise what’s the point of indoor dining anyway?

And one bonus one: