Artisan Restaurant & Cafe

Perhaps the portions could be bigger or the prices could be lower. Not every dish was exactingly executed.

But more importantly, some dishes were great, we were well-cared for, there was a nice atmosphere with good music, and there were several items on the innovative menu I want to go back for.

I wouldn't go as far as saying Artisan Restaurant & Cafe is a fine dining Utopia. Those are few and far between.

But we liked our dinner enough to recommend it to friends, and I think it deserves a place on the city's culinary map.

read more...

Garden is so close, so excruciatingly close to reaching the summit, that it’s almost painful to watch it suddenly stumble and careen downhill — especially when just one nagging flaw unravels the promise of what could be a very good restaurant.

If there’s any consolation, it’s this: Garden does everything else reasonably well. The owners found a secluded location. Service and décor suggest refinement and comfort, a kind of hidden gem feel. The understated menu includes Czech and Continental classics, fitting the casual-chic atmosphere.

To stand among Prague’s better restaurants, however, kitchen staff must learn to rely a little more on the quality of their ingredients than on free-flowing salt shakers.

read more...