« back
A recent visit to the Prague Czech Beer Restaurant in Kings Cross left little doubt that this is a serious beer and meat-lovers haven. Add in incredible value for money (not sure how they do it, really), and you’ve got a restaurant sure to thrive.
And thriving it was on the recent Thursday night I dined there with a friend. I was told they were fully booked by the beautiful Czech waitress who seated me – not only are the Czech staff friendly and helpful with the exotic menu but they are also easy on the eyes!
When you walk in, it truly is like being transported to the Old Country. With the rustic feel of a wood bar on the ground floor, low lighting, tables loaded down with food and huge mugs and glasses of beer being hauled to every table, you could forget you’re in Sydney. All of the rooms, from the front room of serious diners to the upstairs where we sat and surveyed the whole affair, were bustling from the minute we arrived.
Let’s start with the beer. What a treat to be able to try a range of internationally renowned Czech beers for so little money. I started with a small glass of the Gambrinus 12% (versus the lighter 10%) for a mere $3.90 (large, $5.50) on tap. This was a great and very drinkable beer and such a change from lighter Australian lagers. Next, my waiter recommended a Krusovice Dark served in three sizes ($4.40 - $5.90) and a quick comparison suggested I was the only one ordering the smaller glasses. Another great drink and terrific with food.
The Prague also has seven Czech bottled beers including Pilsner Urquell, Kozel and Breznak Extra Premium, all for under $5! I’ll be back to try the others.
The restaurant’s website link http://www.prague-restaurant.com.au/?p=beer states that the first Czech brewery started in 1118, so you are getting centuries of experience in every glass. Drink up, I say. And that’s not all. Shots of the usual alcohol varieties to unusual liqueurs from countries such as Hungary make the place an obvious party magnet. All around us, large groups were happily putting away the food and drink.
As for the food, Prague specialises in traditional Czech fare and meat is definitely the star attraction, although there are three vegetarian main dishes and a range of salads. As you have to eat to drink at Prague, the restaurant has conveniently provided a range of small dishes and entrées that can be shared over a beer.
Sadly, as my dinner companion was somewhat digestively challenged, I was the only real eater at my table. This turned out to be no easy task as the menu is huge and the portions, even for the smaller dishes, enormous. Again, the value for money is outstanding.
I opted for a sampling of some of the smaller dishes so I could get a feel for the regional cuisine. To start, the creamy Prague-style potato and mushroom soup ($7.90), just the thing on a cold night, thought I. The Digestively Challenged One was lucky a clear bouillon with vegetable and liver balls was on the menu. In truth, I found my soup rather unexciting and a bit stodgy but his bouillon was loaded with flavour.
Next, the traditional Czech potato pancakes with sauerkraut and raw onion garnish ($7.90). These were good but, to my taste, lacking sour cream or some kind of sauce to ensure they weren’t too dry. Perhaps it isn’t traditional, but it would have made the dish for me.
For meat lovers, I highly recommend the "Utopenci", marinated Czech style sausages with onion and fefferoni. It was a real surprise as it was cold rather than hot and stuffed with onion and carrot. It had a lovely vinegar twang to it that I really enjoyed. At $7.90 for two giant sausages, this dish was enough for four to sample comfortably.
Finally, a mistake, probably, given it wasn’t exactly a traditional dish but recommended by the staff, I tried the marinated prawns in garlic and sour cream with toast. This was a real let down. The prawns were small and not particularly fresh looking and the toast looked as if it had hung around the kitchen for days. Definitely missable and a good lesson in the importance of sticking to the local specialities.
I can’t begin to list all of the things on the huge Prague menu but to give you feeling for it, the list runs from beef goulash with bread dumplings ($14.50) and juicy roast pork knuckle with horseradish, mustard and bread ($16.50) to Cordon Bleu Schnitzel with Czech potato salad ($19.50) and traditional Czech roasted young duck served with red cabbage, sauerkraut and potato dumplings ($19.90). Basically, meat, meat and more meat. The interestingly named Mystery of the Head Chef dish and Grandma's Liver Balls are no-doubt for the brave of gullet.
Side dishes include dumplings, potatoes and a range of salad such as cabbage with carrots and caraway seeds ($6.50) that beg investigation on a future trip.
For dessert – hard to believe but in the interest of a full review, I ordered it – I couldn’t pass up the sweet fruit dumplings with cottage cheese ($7.50) and my friend tried the hot raspberry sauce on vanilla ice cream. Having trudged all over Prague a few years ago in search of fruit dumplings, this seemed too all too easy. In fact, this version was so heavy that I wondered if they had gone out of fashion in the home country for this reason. I did enjoy that the dumplings themselves, stuffed with cherry, I believe, were not sweet but that the cottage cheese was. The ice cream dish wasn’t exciting but was enjoyable, with the same tart fruit flavours.
Prague also has a huge list of coffees, including Turkish ($3) and teas as well as the aforementioned liqueurs in case you haven’t had enough to drink.
All in all, Prague Czech Beer Restaurant was a treat. When I go back, and I will, knowing that I can eat well and drink excellent imported beers without breaking the bank, I’ll stick to the traditional meat dishes and leave very satisfied.
Bella Aspire 26/07/05
Reviews and Testimonials » Prague Czech Beer Restaurant
[original on subscriptions.fasfind.com]A recent visit to the Prague Czech Beer Restaurant in Kings Cross left little doubt that this is a serious beer and meat-lovers haven. Add in incredible value for money (not sure how they do it, really), and you’ve got a restaurant sure to thrive.
And thriving it was on the recent Thursday night I dined there with a friend. I was told they were fully booked by the beautiful Czech waitress who seated me – not only are the Czech staff friendly and helpful with the exotic menu but they are also easy on the eyes!
When you walk in, it truly is like being transported to the Old Country. With the rustic feel of a wood bar on the ground floor, low lighting, tables loaded down with food and huge mugs and glasses of beer being hauled to every table, you could forget you’re in Sydney. All of the rooms, from the front room of serious diners to the upstairs where we sat and surveyed the whole affair, were bustling from the minute we arrived.
Let’s start with the beer. What a treat to be able to try a range of internationally renowned Czech beers for so little money. I started with a small glass of the Gambrinus 12% (versus the lighter 10%) for a mere $3.90 (large, $5.50) on tap. This was a great and very drinkable beer and such a change from lighter Australian lagers. Next, my waiter recommended a Krusovice Dark served in three sizes ($4.40 - $5.90) and a quick comparison suggested I was the only one ordering the smaller glasses. Another great drink and terrific with food.
The Prague also has seven Czech bottled beers including Pilsner Urquell, Kozel and Breznak Extra Premium, all for under $5! I’ll be back to try the others.
The restaurant’s website link http://www.prague-restaurant.com.au/?p=beer states that the first Czech brewery started in 1118, so you are getting centuries of experience in every glass. Drink up, I say. And that’s not all. Shots of the usual alcohol varieties to unusual liqueurs from countries such as Hungary make the place an obvious party magnet. All around us, large groups were happily putting away the food and drink.
As for the food, Prague specialises in traditional Czech fare and meat is definitely the star attraction, although there are three vegetarian main dishes and a range of salads. As you have to eat to drink at Prague, the restaurant has conveniently provided a range of small dishes and entrées that can be shared over a beer.
Sadly, as my dinner companion was somewhat digestively challenged, I was the only real eater at my table. This turned out to be no easy task as the menu is huge and the portions, even for the smaller dishes, enormous. Again, the value for money is outstanding.
I opted for a sampling of some of the smaller dishes so I could get a feel for the regional cuisine. To start, the creamy Prague-style potato and mushroom soup ($7.90), just the thing on a cold night, thought I. The Digestively Challenged One was lucky a clear bouillon with vegetable and liver balls was on the menu. In truth, I found my soup rather unexciting and a bit stodgy but his bouillon was loaded with flavour.
Next, the traditional Czech potato pancakes with sauerkraut and raw onion garnish ($7.90). These were good but, to my taste, lacking sour cream or some kind of sauce to ensure they weren’t too dry. Perhaps it isn’t traditional, but it would have made the dish for me.
For meat lovers, I highly recommend the "Utopenci", marinated Czech style sausages with onion and fefferoni. It was a real surprise as it was cold rather than hot and stuffed with onion and carrot. It had a lovely vinegar twang to it that I really enjoyed. At $7.90 for two giant sausages, this dish was enough for four to sample comfortably.
Finally, a mistake, probably, given it wasn’t exactly a traditional dish but recommended by the staff, I tried the marinated prawns in garlic and sour cream with toast. This was a real let down. The prawns were small and not particularly fresh looking and the toast looked as if it had hung around the kitchen for days. Definitely missable and a good lesson in the importance of sticking to the local specialities.
I can’t begin to list all of the things on the huge Prague menu but to give you feeling for it, the list runs from beef goulash with bread dumplings ($14.50) and juicy roast pork knuckle with horseradish, mustard and bread ($16.50) to Cordon Bleu Schnitzel with Czech potato salad ($19.50) and traditional Czech roasted young duck served with red cabbage, sauerkraut and potato dumplings ($19.90). Basically, meat, meat and more meat. The interestingly named Mystery of the Head Chef dish and Grandma's Liver Balls are no-doubt for the brave of gullet.
Side dishes include dumplings, potatoes and a range of salad such as cabbage with carrots and caraway seeds ($6.50) that beg investigation on a future trip.
For dessert – hard to believe but in the interest of a full review, I ordered it – I couldn’t pass up the sweet fruit dumplings with cottage cheese ($7.50) and my friend tried the hot raspberry sauce on vanilla ice cream. Having trudged all over Prague a few years ago in search of fruit dumplings, this seemed too all too easy. In fact, this version was so heavy that I wondered if they had gone out of fashion in the home country for this reason. I did enjoy that the dumplings themselves, stuffed with cherry, I believe, were not sweet but that the cottage cheese was. The ice cream dish wasn’t exciting but was enjoyable, with the same tart fruit flavours.
Prague also has a huge list of coffees, including Turkish ($3) and teas as well as the aforementioned liqueurs in case you haven’t had enough to drink.
All in all, Prague Czech Beer Restaurant was a treat. When I go back, and I will, knowing that I can eat well and drink excellent imported beers without breaking the bank, I’ll stick to the traditional meat dishes and leave very satisfied.
Bella Aspire 26/07/05