Opened in 1991, V ZATIŠÍ was one of the pioneers of privately owned restaurants in Prague. One might doubt the merits of a dining spot in a country where just a year or two ago there was a very limited choice of ingredients, restricted imports and as in the majority of communist settlements quantity was ranked above quality. The founder took his job seriously though and created one of the best and most consistent gourmet restaurants in the Czech Republic, where you will not hesitate returning.
Cuisine: Gourmet Czech, Indian and Continental.
Visit: September 2012

Price: Medium (For foreigners) to high (for Czech people). For two courses you pay CZK 890 (just under $US50); three courses CZK 1090 (less than $US60); each additional course CZK 150 (about $US 8). So the more you eat, the more value you get. The quality and creativity of the meals is very high so it is worth the money spent.

Atmosphere: V Zatiší means “In retreat” and the restaurant is unquestionably devoted to its name as it is where hidden from the curious sights of hordes of tourists and sensation seeking tabloid press, the important and the famous dine, date and close business deals. There are three secluded rooms for ultra-confident meetings and celebrations. On the left there is a bar and a larger room for these preferring an open space to wine and dine in.
The interior is cosy, relaxing and stylish. Designed by a trio of local artists Bára Škorpilová, Barbara Hamplová and ‘glassmaster’ Rony Plesl you will be surrounded by plant motifs on wallpapers, vases filled with stylish flowers and elegantly curved branches and gently lit by intimate and classy chandeliers. Wear anything classy, elegant and rather understated than flashy. The entire restaurant is non-smoking which is in the current loosely regulated environment in the Czech hospitality a huge advantage. You can savor your meal and wine without any distracting cigarette odour.
Chef:  Milan Hořejší cares about his ingredients getting fresh vegetables and fruits from farmers, mushrooms from his friend and fish and meat the freshest possible. His experience from the high-end Prague’s restaurants and from Switzerland shows in his culinary adventure on each plate. He serves fish and meat with two different sauces so you can savor the dish from two perspectives. Mahavir Kansval is a one Michelin experienced chef responsible for the Indian dishes at Zatisi.

Food:Flexible, creative and fearless. If you are in the mood of exploration, then you can choose either from the five-course Czech degustation (“The Best of Bohemian”) or the international Zátiší menu (“Taste explosion”). Going a la carte is the best if you would like to mix both.
Starting light (at least for the Czech standards) with Mixed Lettuce Salad with Butternut Squash, Fried Okra and Yuzu Citrus Dressing, you will be ready for any of the richer main courses. This original salad with a Japanese twist and fashionable okra spears is excellent with a glass of grassy Moravian Sauvignon Blanc (such as the one from Milan Sůkal).
Another refreshing starter is the Chilled vegetable and fruit gazpacho, avocado guacamole, mojito foam. Generous plate will satisfy the price conscious diners and unique mexican take without too much spice pleases the exotic flavors seeking connoisseurs.
Choosing the Duo of warm goat cheese, apple purée and salad with balsamic dressing will not disappoint cheese aficionados. This is a bit heavier starter, but excellent with wine either an aromatic Chardonnay or a delicate Pinot Noir. One part of cheese is breaded in a crust, melting in your mouth like a warm cream, another is sizzling hot on a toast resembling the french version, and both are lightened up by the accompanying salad with balsamic vinegar. Apple purée adds the necessary sweetness to the goat cheese in a delicious condiment.
Moving to meat with Pan seared pepper crusted beef carpaccio with celeriac remoulade and veal-truffle Jus one wonders if it is a starter or a main course, yet it is up to you what you make out of it as it can really be both. The juicy beef is tender and bursting with meaty and peppery flavors. The celeriac remoulade freshens up the meat and the veal juice infused with truffles adds complexity creating a genuine gastronomic experience.

The main courses are tantalizing and it is very hard to choose one. I felt like testing the Indian chef’s skills and went for the Tandoori home smoked salmon, tandoori grilled vegetables, tomato chutney and aubergine raita. Visiting India myself and being spoiled by the European bastion of Indian food – London, I am a harsh critique of authentic Indian cuisine. The chef Mahavir Kansval has not disappointed my palate as the spices infusing the salmon as well as the vegetables were intriguing and authentic. The tomato chutney was generous, not spicy and the yoghurt based aubergine raita balanced the spices of the tandoori prepared fish and vegetables.

You are in the Czech Republic so go for something Czech if you feel like it. Be sure though that you will get a hearty meal not leaving you hungry. The Czech staple and favorite of many foreign visitors is the Beef tournedos with traditional creamy vegetable sauce “svícková”, herb dumplings and cranberries, which is made to perfection at Zatisi. It is almost as good as the grandmother’s style and that says a lot! ( You can never say it is as good as the svíčková your granny makes, so judge yourself how good it is here). It is an industrious endeavor to make this sauce. Cooking the beef for about five to six hours, then separating it and preparing the creamy sauce with carrots. The dumplings need to be tender and not chewy and cranberries juicy and slightly sour. To me drinking beer with this is too heavy, a light red wine such as Pinot Noir is ideal and aids digestion with its slightly acidic nature.

Looking at the above picture of  Pistachio cheesecake with raspberry sauce, you might be seduced to safe some space for a dessert. The cheesecake is so soft and lighter than most of the American and British versions so go for it! The berries and fruity sauce are so refreshing that you will not feel stuffed at the end of the meal. Right the opposite, you might end up cooing like my sister after this tasty dessert, she would keep talking about it days after and I understand why.
I also liked the indian frozen dessert called Mango “Kulfi” served with fresh mango. It was delicious, refreshing and reminded me my favorite mango lassi, which I got in India often as a liquid dessert.
Drinks: The wine list is very broad. Covering Europe as well as the New world you will find a bit of everything including selection of well-known bubbly Champagne. If you come here regularly, you can bring your own bottle for a 345 CZK (less than $US20) corkage fee. Otherwise the sommelier is very helpful and eager to recommend a glass of wine to pair with each course. I would advise doing this since it seemed to be very popular. We started with a glass of white wine each and then moved to a bottle of red Pinot Noir 2005 from Stapleton and Springer. I have had their Moravian Pinot Noir many times and in various vintages and was never disappointed. It is light, well-balanced and shows juicy strawberry so easy to pair with a wide range of dishes from fish to meat.
The selection of teas is very extensive. You can choose your favorite from a box from Tchaba.
Opening hours: Mon-Sun: Lunch:  12:00 – 15:00; Dinner: 17:30 – 23:00
Address: Betlémské nám. / Liliová 1, Prague 1, 110 00, Czech Republic
Contact: Tel: +420 222 221 155