One of the goals of this blog and Taste of Prague in general is to promote Czech cuisine. We will often write about Prague restaurants and food-related events in the Czech Republic, but we think it is our duty to promote our national cuisine abroad, too, and let you know where to get a... ....ehm... ...taste of Prague... near you. Well, if "near you" includes the New York City, now you have a great chance to do just that.
Why? Because Hospoda, a new Czech high-end restaurant, has just opened its doors to diners in Manhattan, NYC. The menu has been conceived by Oldrich Sahajdak, the chef of the Prague-based La Degustation, which is arguably the best Czech restaurant on the planet. The dishes are reincarnations of traditional recipes found on old Czech cookbooks printed in the late 19th Century, but with a modern twist a la nouvelle cuisine.
The Hospoda restaurant is the result of a collaboration between Tomas Karpisek, the owner of the Czech Ambiente Restaurant Group, which, by the way, operates some of our favorite restaurants in Prague, and the Czech consulate in New York, which owns the premises. These have been given a completely new look. The floor in front of the beer taps is made of glass and shows the steel barrels of beers waiting in the storage room.
Of course, we haven't visited Hospoda so far, but according to the reviews, they serve excellent food, albeit in smaller portions (but don't forget, this is a high-end restaurant, after all, and the value for the price seems excellent). They have Pilsner Urquell on tap and offer many traditional variations of how the beer is draught.
If you haven't had the opportunity to eat at Hospoda, check out photos of some of their dishes below. If you've been to Hospoda, please share your impressions in the comments. And if you want to repeat, and enhance, the experience here in Prague and taste some great Czech food, please contact us! We'll be happy to help!