Holiday Foodsteps: More duck in Prague

While we didn't have anymore accordion-accompanied meals while we were in Prague, we still sat down to some good food. I love that food there is honest and hearty - dishes that truly warm the heart and satisfy. I remember having dinner at a rustic beer house on our second night there. Smoke filled and with wooden furnishings, it felt a little bit like being in a log cabin up in the mountains. We had taken a chance with this place, having stumbled upon it on the net - it promised authentic food and a local feel, away from the more touristy spots. Unfortunately, it was so off the beaten track that I cannot seem to recall the name of the restaurant or which road it is on - it's funny because I can still imagine sitting in our booth at the corner of the restaurant, tucking into some amazing food.

Potato pancakes topped with goat's cheese.

Ribs. Enough said.

Yes, more Bohemian duck. We knew we had to have the duck one more time before we said goodbye to Prague but were afraid that after the lovely duck we had at the Plzenska Beer Hall, any subsequent ones would pale in comparison. I don't know if Prague as a city just really knows how to cook it's duck or if we were twice lucky but this topped even the one we had the previous night. Half a duck appeared at our table - more tender and served with red cabbage that was even more addictive than before. While props still goes to Plzenska's duck in terms of skin-crispiness, this one wins in terms of flavour and texture.

After all our main courses, we were stuffed but couldn't resist dessert (it goes into a separate section of the stomach!). We went with crepes an ice cream, something that seemed to be a local favourite.

I find it amusing that I remember the meal so well - the smell of the place, the childish delight we all felt when our little mountain of food arrived at the table, the conversations that we were having, the way the duck-dumpling-cabbage-gravy combination tasted. I just cannot seem to remember the name of the place. I suppose that's the power of a great meal.

Holiday Foodsteps: Plzenska Beer Hall Restaurant, Prague.

We were this close to giving up on trying to find the restaurant, having walked passed the restaurant a few times before realising it was there. It isn't that it's hidden in a little corner on a quiet street - far from it actually. We just didn't expect a restaurant that had been described as "affordable" to actually be in the gorgeous Municipal House itself.

Plzenska Beer Hall Restaurant
Republic Square 5
Old Town, Prague 1
Czech Republic

After a day spent in the day exploring Kutna Hora and experiencing the simultaneously fascinating and disturbing bone chapel first hand, we were eager to settle down in a less gruesome setting to sample some of the Czech Republic's tradtional fare. The beer hall is a lively place - an accordion duo provides some happy folk tunes, entertaining customers as they tuck into their meals in the rather lavishly decorated hall.

We ordered with our eyes - taking a bit of time to survey the table-tops of our neighbours before deciding what we wanted. A basket of rolls appeared at our table together with the beer the solitary guy in our group ordered - to whet our appetites before the main dishes arrived.

Roasted Pork Joint - arriving at the table in all it's glory, the joint was a huge chunk of meltingly tender pork that was absolutely delicious when eaten with gravy made out of its roasting juices and a selection of dips and sauces.

Bohemian duck - roast duck served with braised red cabbage and dumplings. Crispy skin, tender duck, delicious gravy and the most addictive red cabbage - this was our first encounter with the famous dish, and what an incredible introduction it was.

Our meal at the Plezenska Beer Hall Restaurant pretty much set the tone for the rest of our Eastern European holiday. So the place has a name I still cannot pronounce but with a lovely setting, good food that's affordable and huge portions - the restaurant is definitely worth a visit.