44travel

My itinerary is complete for our June 10 departure. I've gathered and learned alot of information from this board (Thank you). We are a family of 2 adults and 2 children (13 & 11). What are the specialties and good/safe choices for first timers. We'll be in Prague, Krakow, Budapest, Vienna, Salzburg, and Fussen.
Feel free to give as much feedback as you want, I will print and take this thread with me.

Thanks again.

ira

Hi 44,

In Prague, I found the best (and cheapest) bagels I've had in decades.

Czech Rep is also known for wild game (boar particularly), dumplings and beer.

In Vienna, anything with schlag on top.

laurie_ann

In Prague as a family you will probably like best the pubs. Great beer and simple food (grilled sausage or chicken with fries, etc.,), all quite inexpensive. If you want more of a splurge (although it wasn't really expensive) I recommend the Blue Duck (the second location was the one we went to) a pretty restaurant with good traditional dishes. The address and website are

RESTAURANT U MODRÉ KACHNIÈKY 2

otevøeno dennì / open daily
11.30 - 24.00

Michalská 16, Praha 1
T: 224 21 34 18

[email protected] (there is a map on the website too.)

I copy the English menu from their website here. (Price in koruny, so 30 to US$)

Cold Appetizers
Sliced duck breast on a bed of lettuce with orange jelly 240,-
Sliced smoked tongue with apple-horseradish gnocchi 155,-
Venison pate with cranberry sauce 175,-
Slices of smoked trout with horseradish cream and toast 190,-
Marinated salmon with honey-mustard sauce and toast 215,-
Jumbo shrimp served on a bed of lettuce with cocktail sauce 295,-
Pear stuffed with whipped blue cheese 145,-
Soups
Savory beef broth with vegetables 75,-
Cream of potato with carrots and mushrooms served in bread 85,-
Warm appetizers
White goose liver with dijonnaise pear 245,-
Venison ragout prepared with red wine and mushrooms served in a pastry shell 195,-
Fried chicken nuggets in a potato batter served on a bed of lettuce 170,-
Baked artichoke with parmesan, capers and mushrooms 185,-
Asparagus with Hollandaise sauce 145,-
Grilled tiger prawn tails with squid ink rice 295,-
Salads
Marinated chicken breasts served on a bed of fresh greens topped with 325,-
fried blue cheese and served with a spicy homemade dressing (large)
Salad platter with marinated salmon and black olives serverd with a dill sauce dressing (large) 290,-
Fresh mixed greens and rocket salad with marinated mushrooms, rosemary grilled oyster mushrooms, dried tomatoes and artichoke hearts (large) 295,-
Grilled drake breasts served on a bed of fresh rocket and endive topped with olives and croutons (large) 390,-
Small mixed salad with your choice of dressing 95,-
Šopsky salad (tomato, cucumber, lettuce, pepper, black olives, fetta cheese) 105,-
Fish
Fresh water trout in dill sauce with parsley potatoes 295,-
Grilled salmon in a delicate lemon sauce and spinach tagliatele 395,-
Grilled shrimp with garlic served on a bed of lettuce 685,-
Scallops in a delicate vermouth sauce and fresh spinach served in a pastry shell 635,-
Fresh home-made squid ink spaghetti with calamari, basil, oregano and chilli oil 265,-
Vegetarian dishes
Spinach tagliatelle with grilled squash, eggplant, tomatoes and sweet peas drizzled with truffle oil 240,-
Risotto with forest mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes 240,-
Steamed vegetables in marscarpone topped with nuts 240,-
Duck specialties
Roast duck with stuffing served with white and red cabbage, and potato dumplings 345,-
Roast duck served with Brussels sprouts and bacon, with potato pancakes 325,-
Roast duck with pears and potato croquettes 320,-
Drake breasts with baked artichoke with marjoram and lime juice served with miniature potato kegs 445,-
Roast drake breast with mushrooms and potato gnocchi 455,-
Drake breasts marinated in apricot brandy served with a bundle beans tied together with bacon and fried miniature potato kegs topped with small pieces of dried apricots 465,-
Game
Boar steak in a tender sauce of wild forest mushrooms served and creamy potatoes au gratin325,-
Pheasant breasts in rose hip sauce, home-made dumplings 315,-
Fallow deer medallions with juniper berries, flambéed in “Borovicka” (gin-like spirit) served with mushroom potatoes 385,-
Saddle of deer in wine served with potato croquettes 425,-
Hare in a rich cream sauce served with traditional Czech dumplings 375,-
Venison goulash served with bacon dumplings 295,-
Traditional Czech cuisine
Roast pork spiked with bacon served with sauerkraut and potato rolls 325,-
Pork tenderloin filled with plums, flambéed in Slivovice (plum brandy) and served with potato croquettes 395,-
Rabbit leg in garlic served with spinach and potato dumplings 325,-
Leg of lamb baked together with spicy vegetables and garlic served with buttery spinach leaves and mashed potatoes 375,-
Classic meat dishes
Grilled beefsteak served with cashmere spinach, grilled oyster mushrooms and creamy potatoes au gratin 390,-
Beefsteak in red wine and mushrooms with potato croquettes 395,-
Sirloin cuts au gratin with marinated vegetables and served with raisin-lentil rice 395,-
Veal medallions served with slices of apple cooked in Calvados and raison rice 355,-
Lamb cutlets in a white goose liver and green pepper sauce served with spinach potatoes 485,-
Pork medallions in thyme served with baked peppers filled with potato puree 325,-
Chicken breasts in butter with broccoli, baby carrots and cauliflower 305,-
Chicken in thyme sauce served with roast potatoes 305,-
Dishes for two persons
Traditional Czech country-style mixed meat platter right from Grandma’s oven (duck, rabbit, pork, smoked pork, red and white cabbage, two types of classic Czech dumplings) 795,-
Chateubriand 955,-
Deserts
Warm curd cheese strudel in an apple purre 115,-
Griddlecakes with hot raspberries and whipped cream 115,-
Pancakes with raspberries and strawberries flambéed in Armagnac 275,-
Fried apple with honey dressing 115,-
Rich chocolate cream with strawberry puree 185,-
Vanilla ice cream with warm berry sauce 130,-
Your choice of Sobet (Campari, Vodka) 150,-
Mixed ice cream 95,-
Cheese
Selection of fine cheeses 190,-
Goat cheese 185,-


Also, try www.timeout.com, the sections on Prague (and other cities you are visiting) have some general explanations of cuisine and a few suggestions, all in the more "hip" category.

Enjoy planning your trip!

elaine

for Prague, light lunch or snack:

One good café quite close to Old Town Square is Café Metamorphis, Tynsky dvur, Malastupartska 5-- attached to the small hotel of the same name. It’s in the Ungelt, a small and quiet square behind the Tyn Church, which houses some charming cafes and shops The Ungelt also has one outstanding coffee house, the Ebel. At Café Metamorphis I sat outside, enjoyed the view of the Tyn Church, and had good soup and an excellent thin-crust pizza. They offer a wide range of other choices as well.

for fine dining (but a large and varied menu)
David, in Mala Strana, Trziste 21/611. This is one of Prague’s great restaurants, it is definitely more than the sum of its parts. Equally-good food, more elaborate décor, more central location, all of these can be found elsewhere. But David provides something extra, a peaceful, enjoyable Czech meal of excellent quality, traditional cuisine and yet with some modern touches, professional and interested service, in a setting that seems like a country inn, on a narrow hilly street in an untouristed neighborhood near the American Embassy (if you take a taxi, it will be stopped for a search by the police). It’s only a 20-25 minute walk from Old Town Square. restaurant-david.cz

In between those two in price and ambiance: We had a very good meal recently at Le Café Colonial, in Josefov, at Siroka 6. It has a romantic atmosphere, very good food, and outstanding desserts. Dinner for two, with a couple of glasses of wine, came to about 1600 crowns last month, but we could have spent less. www.lecafecolonial.cz

Christina

As for Krakow, they have a lot of really good restaurants there, and they are very reasonable in cost. I pretty much just used the reviews and descriptions in the local city guide www.inyourpocket.com, and they were all accurate.

My favorite restaurant in Krakow was Hawelka, which is right on the main swuare Rynek Glowny (at 34). They have an expensive upper restaurant, but the ground floor is a little more casual (I don't mean fast food casual, but you wouldn't have to "dress up&quot and cheaper, but still a lovely dining room and wonderful food. Aside from that, I mainly just picked out restaurant around the square that looked good and had a good menu. I never had a terrible meal, they have a lot of good restaurants.

I can't remember names, but I especially liked a typical Polish one on the bottom side of the square (towards the castle) right in the middle as it was very cozy and attractive (I think with a fireplace).

As far as food, I like borscht and had that at Hawelka for an appetizer. In the cafe and casual places, you get a lot of pork and potatoes, which are usually good, if monotonous after a while. I ate in a French restaurant one night which was very good, and a good place to go as prices are so cheap in Krakow. I think that was La Fontaine on Slawkowska.

just read restaurant info in www.inyourpocket.com, and you won't do badly.

44travel

Great replies I guess I'll be coming back home about 10 pounds heavier.