In Czech households, Christmas baking begins long before December 24. Kitchens turn into production lines, recipes are pulled from handwritten notebooks, and cookies are baked days—or even weeks—in advance. Among the dozens of traditional sweets prepared each year, two appear almost without exception: linecké cukroví (Linzer cookies) and vanilkové rohlíčky (vanilla crescents). Both rely on simple ingredients, careful handling, and time. And both tell a story of Central European tradition that has changed very little over generations. Linecké cukroví (Czech Linzer cookies) Linecké cukroví are delicate sandwich cookies made from shortbread dough and filled with fruit jam, usually red currant or raspberry. They are traditionally shaped as hearts, flowers, or stars, with a small cut-out in the top layer so the jam shows through. Czechs bake them several days before Christmas, allowing the cookies to soften and develop their characteristic tender texture. Ingredients All-purpose flour (plus extra for dusting) Unsalted butter, cold but slightly softened Powdered sugar (for the dough and for dusting) Egg yolk Freshly grated lemon zest Vanilla (paste or extract) Seedless red currant jam or raspberry jam Method Sift the flour into a bowl. Add the cold butter cut into small pieces, powdered sugar, egg yolk, lemon...
Czech gastronomy reached a milestone this week when Restaurant Papilio in Vysoké Újezd near Beroun became the first dining spot in the country to earn two Michelin stars. The recognition arrived as the Michelin Guide released its new Czech edition — the first to assess restaurants beyond Prague. The expansion of Michelin’s focus reshaped the national culinary map. Inspectors awarded 9 starred restaurants across the country, while another 18 venues received Bib Gourmand, the guide’s mark for quality food at reasonable prices. Four restaurants were also honored with Green Stars for sustainability, along with several individual awards for service and young talent. Until now, Michelin had concentrated on Prague, where La Degustation Bohême Bourgeoise and Field have long held one star each — and both retained their status. The restaurants Entrée in Olomouc, Vila in Zlín, Essens in Hlohovec in the Břeclav region and the Prague restaurants Levitate, Štangl, Pole, and Casa De Carli each received one star. But the spotlight largely shifted outside the capital for the first time. The biggest attention fell on Papilio, now holding two stars, led by chef Jan Knedla, who previously worked in acclaimed Michelin kitchens worldwide, including the three-star Amber in Hong Kong. Inspectors...
Hue Kafe opened in July 2025 at Karoliny Světlé 283/24 in Old Town as Prague’s first Indian café. The idea came from owner Sameer Shaikh, who wanted a place where he could serve the street food he knows well and keep a clear connection to his art background. Sameer moved to the Czech Republic as a student in 2021 with a simple aim: to build a place that feels like home, where food and art come together. Alongside the welcoming atmosphere created by Sameer and his staff, Hue Kafe offers a range of Indian street food, including the chef’s specialties such as Egg Chaat, Dahi Puri, Sev Puri, and Bhel Chaat. The café also serves tea, coffee, and milkshakes. Each dish is served with attention to colour and detail, reflecting Sameer’s background in art — the idea behind the name Hues Kafe. On their website, one customer described Hues Kafe as “a unique art café in Prague with fresh and healthy food, specialty coffee, and local art displays. A perfect spot for food lovers and art fans.” Visualizza questo post su Instagram Un post condiviso da Hues Kafe (@hueskafe) Sameer wanted the café to show a different side...
Milk or heavy cream, eggs, sugar, spices, and something slightly stronger. The combination of ingredients is well-known all over the world. In the Czech Republic, it’s called vaječný likér, vaječný koňak, ajrkoňak, vaječňák. The rest of the world calls it eggnog, rompope, or koquito. Eggnog has a rich tradition even in the Czech Republic. Due to the simplicity of preparation and limited possibilities during the communist era, people prepared eggnog at home for many generations. After 1989, the commercial product range has expanded but eggnog is a beverage that is still created according to inherited family recipes. Various recipes claim they’re ‘the best’, ‘the most simple’, or ‘100% homemade’. Ingredients: 500 g cream (30%) 250 ml whole milk 8 egg yolks from L-sized eggs 20 g vanilla sugar 60 g caster sugar 1 vanilla pod (seeds) pinch of salt 155 g of rum Method: Beat the egg yolks in a large bowl with the vanilla and caster sugar until it forms a light and fluffy foam. Heat and stir the milk, cream, vanilla bean seeds, and a pinch of salt in a heavy-bottomed saucepan – do not boil, bring just below boiling point (stir constantly to prevent milk skin)....
Prague has entered a new stage of urban delivery services as Foodora. has started testing autonomous delivery robots in the capital. Instead of launching citywide, the company chose the Karlín district as its trial zone. The machines operate within a two-kilometer area around the McDonald’s branch on Thámova Street, where they pick up meals and bring them directly to customers. City officials approved the pilot earlier this year. Prague 8 councilor Martin Štěrba said the robots are programmed to behave as carefully as pedestrians. Their onboard system — a combination of sensors and twelve cameras — continuously scans the surroundings. The machines are able to detect people, bicycles, prams, wheelchairs, and traffic. When the robot encounters a situation it cannot classify, it immediately connects to a remote operator. Because Czech legislation groups these robots under the category of pedestrians, their use on sidewalks is permitted. They stick to marked footpaths and cross the street only with a green signal. Top speed is capped at 8 km/h, similar to a brisk walk, though most trips are slower. Each unit offers a 360-degree view and can manage small curbs, rain, and snow. According to Starship Technologies, the manufacturer, robots worldwide complete millions...
Pinoys Groceries & Bistro is Prague’s new cultural and culinary hub, offering authentic Filipino cuisine and original Asian products. For the growing Filipino community in the Czech Republic, the recently opened Pinoys Groceries & Bistro isn’t just a place to eat; it feels like home. Founded by Crisjel Dablo and her husband Daniel Kuklovský, the grocery and bistro represent a shared dream to bring authentic Filipino flavors and warm hospitality to Prague. What began as a modest grocery store in Palmovka seven years ago — serving Filipino and Asian products to expatriates — has now expanded into a new location just off Wenceslas Square, at Štěpánská 626/63. On November 1, Pinoys celebrated the grand opening of their bistro, attended by the Philippine Ambassador to the Czech Republic Eduardo Martin Meñez, Philippine Migrant Workers Office labor attache Atty. Llewelyn Perez, and other staff from the Philippine Embassy in Prague. Every dish served at Pinoys Bistro reflects the heart of Filipino cooking: fresh, homemade, and deeply rooted in tradition. Its chef, Dario Lleva, a Filipino with years of experience in a four-star hotel restaurant, crafts each plate to remind diners of home. A staple of Filipino cuisine, adobo — chicken simmered in...
From November 24 to 27, 2025, Prague will host a unique celebration of Colombian culture, offering both culinary and artistic experiences in the heart of the city. The Colombian Embassy in the Czech Republic, together with the NH Collection Prague Carlo IV hotel, is hosting Colombian chef Jorge Méndez for a special culinary event at the hotel’s 1890 Restaurant & Bar. Méndez, known in Colombia for his focus on regional products and modern interpretations of Caribbean dishes, will design both a breakfast offering and an à la carte menu prepared exclusively for this event. His cooking is rooted in the flavours of the Colombian tropics, shaped by time spent in his hometown of Montería and by several years working in New Zealand, where he refined his style. In Colombia, Méndez leads two projects. Menderek, his fine-dining brand, presents reimagined dishes based on local ingredients from the Caribbean coast. He avoids reproducing traditional recipes as they are; instead, he builds new expressions of familiar flavours, working closely with producers and treating ingredients with precision. His second project, Obrero Casa de Pan, founded with Isabella Perez, is a bakery in Montería that has become a reference point in the city. It...
The European Commission is weighing a new tax on foods high in fat, sugar and salt, aiming to curb the EU’s rising burden of cardiovascular and metabolic illnesses. The plan, described in internal material reviewed by DPA and reported by TASR, outlines a bloc-wide levy that would apply to heavily processed products. The concept, still under discussion, is expected to surface formally in mid-December. Officials behind the draft argue that a modest, uniform surcharge across member states could shift eating habits without placing an excessive burden on households. The tax would also encourage food manufacturers to reformulate products toward healthier standards. Underlying the proposal is a long-standing concern: cardiovascular disease remains the EU’s deadliest health problem, responsible for more than 1.7 million deaths each year. The economic cost is estimated above €280 billion annually, a figure Brussels considers unsustainable. The document ties frequent consumption of processed foods to higher risks of obesity, diabetes and other metabolic disorders. In addition to the food-related levy, the Commission plans to update tobacco control rules by 2027 and introduce a shared European rating system for processed food. If approved, the tax would form part of a wider strategy to reduce cardiovascular mortality by 20...
Reborn with a new design and garden, Aleb Kitchen & Bar returns on Friday, November 14, with a Grand Reopening Party featuring wines from HokusPokus and the official launch of its new brand, Levantina. Levantina brings Aleb’s most beloved flavors beyond the restaurant — a collection of signature dips made at home with honest ingredients and no added preservatives. The line includes Hummus, Mama Ghanouj, Muhammara, Falafel Dip, and Minted Labneh — crafted with the same care and heart that define Aleb’s kitchen. Guests can take Levantina dips to go or enjoy them at Lao Tea House near I. P. Pavlova, where Aleb’s Levantine spirit finds a new home in a cozy, tea-filled corner of the city. The celebration begins at 6 PM on Londýnská Street, just steps from I. P. Pavlova. The festivities continue with Shawarma Lunch Saturdays, when Aleb opens from 12:00 to 22:00, serving its signature Levantine dishes — a vibrant mix of flavors from Lebanon, Palestine, and Syria. The team invites everyone to “join the big table” and share a meal in their relaxed, welcoming atmosphere. Visualizza questo post su Instagram Un post condiviso da Aleb Kitchen & Bar (@alebprague) Starting this season, Aleb...
The world is a more dangerous place than it was a decade ago. At least, it is for Europe, whose position looks increasingly precarious as the war in Ukraine threatens to spill beyond its borders. Food security has returned to the centre of strategic thinking. As relations with neighbours become more hostile and global supply chains more fragile, the European Union must ensure it can rely on its own food production. “Overall, there is a policy of Europe to increase its strategic autonomy,” explains Michiel Scheffer, president of the European Innovation Council (EIC). The EIC, a funding arm of the European Commission, is investing in technologies that promise greater resilience from plant-based protein research to new monitoring systems for soil and biodiversity. Scheffer argues that Europe must “create a production basis” for the companies it supports, so that innovation strengthens self-reliance rather than dependence. The same logic should apply to Europe’s food system as a whole. Yet while the Commission funds satellites, sensors and “protein transition” startups, it continues to entertain a front-of-pack label, Nutri-Score, that weakens one of Europe’s most strategic assets: its diverse, decentralised, and culturally rooted food economy. A useless label Nutri-Score was launched in France with...
Sometimes, it’s not just about the food but the atmosphere. Prague offers several restaurants where outstanding dishes are paired with breathtaking views. Here’s a selection of five places where top-class cuisine meets panoramic vistas, turning any dinner into an unforgettable experience. Il Giardino Toscano Ristorante Il Giardino Toscano at the NH Collection Prague hotel offers an experience that begins even before you sit down. The hotel’s cable car takes you directly from Smíchov district to the top of Mrázovka Park. Here, the city’s towers and rooftops unfold before you, creating a sense of escape. On your plate, authentic Tuscan cuisine awaits: homemade pasta, fresh fish, carefully prepared meats, and desserts crafted with high-quality ingredients. The Tuscan-inspired atmosphere, combined with the Prague panorama, makes this restaurant ideal for a romantic dinner, celebration, or business meeting. Ginger & Fred Hidden on the seventh floor of the iconic Dancing House, Ginger & Fred offers one of Prague’s most stunning views. You are within walking distance of the Old Town, Charles Bridge, and Hradčany. Every dish on Chef Ondřej Slanina’s menu is a miniature work of art, both in flavor and presentation, featuring seasonal ingredients. Ginger & Fred is perfect for a leisurely culinary...
After several delays and months of speculation, the American fast food chain Five Guys is finally set to open its first restaurant in Prague. The branch, located in the Máj shopping center on Národní třída, is expected to open its doors by the end of the year, according to CzechCrunch, which first reported the news. Originally planned for last summer, the opening was postponed multiple times — first to autumn, then to spring, and most recently to early autumn — due to construction delays and logistical complications at the Máj site. “We can confirm that the first Czech branch of Five Guys will open in the premises of Máj by the end of this year,” said Jiří Janoušek, spokesperson for the shopping center. Patrik Němeček from PP Partners, the agency managing communications for Five Guys in Czechia, added that more details about the launch will be announced in late November. In June, Jan Kotrbáček, head of retail leasing for Central and Eastern Europe at Cushman & Wakefield, told iDNES.cz that the company was targeting a September opening. That timeline was later adjusted as final interior work continued. Five Guys has also launched an official Czech website, where it is already...
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