Tag Archives: Prague

Czech Repubrick, Prague, Czech Republic

25 Monday Jun 2018

Posted by in Sightseeing, Travel News & Tips

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

Czech Repubrick is a Lego model exhibition located in the basement of Hamleys* Toy Store Prague.

I love Lego! Doesn’t everybody love Lego? When I was a kid, Lego just came in boxes of bricks, baseplates and wheels – you invented something every time. These days, there seem to be more pre-designed sets with instructions to build a specific model.

We visited 5.45pm on Saturday 23rd June. I was hoping that it wouldn’t be busy – as it was there were less than 10 visitors while we were there. This may have been because I’d chosen a perfect time, or could be a mixture of lack of awareness and a high ticket price (CZK 290 per adult if bought at the door).

The Lego model displays are numbered and so it’s easy to self-navigate around – which is handy as you aren’t offered any guide on entry. They’d made good use of a giant safe door, left by the bank that previously occupied the building – a model of the Bohemia Crown Jewels.

There was a fantastic model of Saint Vitus Cathedral – someone spent 1800 hours building that and certainly didn’t have any instructions.

The place felt more museum than family attraction – perhaps because it was so quiet, or perhaps because the majority of the models are static and not interactive. The model of Prague Airport in Terminal 2 of Václav Havel Airport is a good example of a great model with plenty of interactive features.

The Amusement Park (not based on anywhere in the Czech Republic) had some buttons to push and some carousels would rotate.

The park also had a roller coaster that ran every 15 minutes.

Here’s a video of the rollercoaster.

Along the side wall were some interactive models – buttons opened this car’s doors and spun the wheels.

For this Rock Concert display, a button started the concert music video, but none of the figures moved around – I suppose I’m asking too much really.

There was a marble track that looked really fascinating – sadly it wasn’t working.

There was an impressive life-size Terminator.

And even more impressive ‘Sally’ figure from ‘Nightmare before Christmas’

The model of the proposed new home for the Czech National Library – known locally as ‘The Blob’ or “Chobotnice” (The Octopus) with design by Jan Kaplicky – shows how versatile Lego can be. I still don’t think the actual building should be constructed though!

The Dancing House is a modern building that I do think fits well into the Prague landscape.

Would have been fun if the trams moved in the model though.

Jested. I love the design of that building and also stayed in the hotel there one time. Look closely (when you visit not at this photo!) and you’ll see that the model maker also included all the detail of the statue Alien by Jaroslav Rona.

The Old Town Hall and Astronomical Clock were nicely done.

I like to challenge the Czech Repubrick model builders to re-create a larger version of the Astronomical Clock in Lego, with all moving parts matching the original – and I mean when the original has completed it’s repairs.

There was a fun room where you were shrunk into a Lego world – and you could move the Lego around. There were some Lego-style hard hats on the viewing platform and these would have been fun to wear in this room – maybe also some fake Lego hands.

There was a camera obscura room, where images from exterior pinholes were projected onto a screen. To be honest it wasn’t that impressive and I have a feeling most visitors wander in, find the room dark and wander our again.

Our visit lasted about 45 minutes – exit is via a small gift shop with oddly-few Lego sets available. You can continue from there to visit the excellent Papilonia Butterfly House, also in the basement of Hamleys.

We enjoyed our visit, although I think there are rooms for improvement; more enthusiastic staff could be on hand to assist with the displays, interactive pieces and answer questions, a Lego builder on call to repair broken displays and a bit more model movement added. I also think the price is a little high – halving the price would most likely treble the visitor numbers.

But if you love Lego – you should go! There are plenty more models than I featured in this article.

Czech Repubrick
Inside Hamleys Toy Store
Na Příkopě 854/14
110 00 Nové Město

Hours: 10:00 – 20:00

Adult: CZK 247 online CZK 290 door
Children up to 100cm: Free
Family 2+1: CZK 580 online
Family 2+2: CZK 730 online

https://www.czechrepubrick.cz/en/home

Phone: 730 529 612

  • Note that the apostrophe was dropped from Hamleys name around 1911, when they started to be referred to as Messers Hamley Bros. That lasted until about 1920, when the branding became Messrs Hamleys (without the apostrophe). Soon after, it became just Hamleys.

 

Giardino Restaurant, Prague, Czech Republic

08 Tuesday May 2018

Posted by in Restaurants and Bars

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,

I visited this location many years ago when I seem to remember it was a French restaurant. I can’t remember how long it’s been an Italian restaurant, despite walking past a few times each week and even sitting across the road eating at Pho.

The one thing I did remember was that there was a large garden at the rear. Our regular hot weather pasta choice has been Pizzeria Grosseto at nearby Náměstí Míru, but it’s quite noisy there and the prices have risen.

Sunday 29th April 2018 was a lovely warm day and so we decided to try the garden at Giardino. The garden is boarded and there’s even a small wooden house at the rear for rainy weather.

We asked for a jug of water and two glasses of Montepulciano (70 Kč for 0.15dl although our glasses looked more like 0.2dl). Sadly the jug of water didn’t appear and we were given a bottle of water (99Kč) – I think this was just miscommunication and I’m going to push for tap water on our next visit.

Some delicious bread and dips arrived – I later found that this was charged at 25 Kč which is a bit cheeky as we didn’t ask for it. However, I would have been happy to pay 25 Kč for it.

We asked for one ‘Selection of italian and balkan cold cuts and cheeses decorated
with strawberries, olives, capers and rocket’ to share (250 Kč) and really enjoyed that.

We both chose Ravioli with asparagus in a saffron sauce (210 Kč each). It was excellent.

I think we’ve found a regular restaurant for the Summer. Hopefully they’ll provide free tap water next time we visit.

Giardino Restaurant
Záhřebská 24
Praha 2
120 00

http://www.restgiardino.cz/

Open every day: 11:00 do 23:00

Email: info@restgiardino.cz

+420 222 513 427
+420 774 455 243
+420 775 600 575

Exhibition of Paintings by Martina Krupičková, Prague, Czech Republic

20 Friday Apr 2018

Posted by in Sightseeing, Travel News & Tips

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,

Thursday 19th April evening, I attended the opening party for an exhibition of Paintings by renowned Czech artist Martina Krupičková https://martinakrupickova.com/.

The exhibition is integrated into the showroom of ‘Luxury Sleeping’ http://www.postele-ls.cz/ (high-end beds and bedding) and runs until 31st May. There is also a prize draw – anyone who purchases a Kuperus or Pullman bed before the end of April can win a painting by the artist.

The party started quite formally with a glass of Prosecco and delicious canapés. There was plenty of good-quality wine available and this certainly helped to more than relax the formalities as the evening progressed!

There were short speeches, live cello and violin music, bed testing and a little bit of dancing – certainly one of the most enjoyable art openings I’ve attended in a while.

This is how the exhibition looks today:

I’m guessing there may still be some wine left – so don’t be surprised if you’re offered a glass while you visit.

LUXURY SLEEPING
KORUNNÍ 2569/108b
VINOHRADY, PRAHA 10 (budova Rezidence Korunní)

Open:
10:00 to 18:00 weekdays
weekends by appointment 773 503 100 or 775 431 469 or mail: sales@postele-ls.cz

http://postele-ls.cz/cs/predmetem-umeni-neni-jednoducha-pravda-ale-slozita-krasa-264.html

Martina Krupičková https://martinakrupickova.com/

Terasa U Prince (rooftop terrace), Prague, Czech Republic

19 Thursday Apr 2018

Posted by in Restaurants and Bars, Travel News & Tips

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,

The bars and restaurants that line the Old Town Square (Staroměstské nám.) are typically for tourists and usually over-priced. You should be able to find a 0.5l of Czech beer in the centre of Prague for 35Kč – on the square you could easily pay over 100Kč.

As a result, I’ve tended to avoid those places, including the Hotel U Prince. However, on Monday this week, I found myself sitting on their rooftop terrace drinking a ‘one for the road’ 115Kč 0.5l beer. And I do it again.

Hotel U Prince has street-level tables outside, opposite the town hall and astronomical clock. It’s easy to miss the hotel entrance that leads to what looked like a good cocktail bar (https://www.blackangelsbar.com/ but didn’t try yet) and then to a rooftop terrace bar and restaurant.

It was around 22.30 when we wandered into the hotel entrance. Disappointingly the elevator was out of order – or perhaps they just told us that on the basis that if we were too drunk to climb the stairs, we wouldn’t be welcome on the terrace!

The hotel reception desk looked like something out of the movie ‘Grand Budapest Hotel’.

Although the elevator would have been easier, we were able to see interesting parts of the hotel.

Several exhausting flights of stairs later and we found ourselves on the roof terrace. The terrace has a glass roof and heaters. The views to Prague Castle and the Old Town Square were amazing. We just had beer but the place also operates as a restaurant.

The terrace was almost empty and we wondered if this hidden gem was so hidden that nobody visited. We asked about weekends and our waitress said they were fully booked.

We vainly tried the elevator down button and then set about walking back down the stairs.

I’m sure I’ll be back and it’s also a great place to take friends who are visiting Prague – but only if the elevator is working.

Hotel U Prince
Staroměstské náměstí 29

Open daily:
11:00 – 23:30

management@hoteluprince.com
+420 737 261 842

https://www.terasauprince.com/terrace

Colloredo-Mansfeld Palace, Prague, Czech Republic

13 Friday Apr 2018

Posted by in Sightseeing, Travel News & Tips

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

The Colloredo-Mansfeld Palace is probably the most ignored place in Prague – it’s also the least expensive with admission set at just 1Kč.

Walking along Karlova Street (the street that links the Old Town Square (Staroměstské nám.) to Charles Bridge (Karlův most), most will ignore the last entrance on the left before you cross the street and onto Charles Bridge.

If you turn left into that entrance, there is a door on the right – inside is a lady who sells you a ticket. I’m guessing she’d prefer a 1Kč coin but you can always try and see if she can change a 1000Kč note just for the hell of it.

You then exit that room and go across to the door opposite and up some stairs.

At the top of the stairs is an attendant, who takes your ticket and usually tells you that photographs aren’t allowed – I later found that pictures on an iPhone are okay, just not cameras with a flash.

The rooms facing the street are not that impressive, but they are interesting. There’s also a great view from the window.

The dance hall (Piano Nobile) at the back is really impressive and was used in the filming of the 1983 film Amadeus by Milos Forman.

When you exit the dance hall, you follow the corridor back towards the street-facing rooms and back down the stairs – well that is unless the third floor is also open. When I visited there was an exhibition there and my 1Kč wasn’t good for that.

Note that you may be offered concert tickets to the Colloredo-Mansfeld Palace at a much higher price – they won’t mention that you can just visit for 1Kč.

Colloredo-Mansfeld Palace
Karlova 189/2
Prague 1

Summer season:
Tue-Sun 10 am.–6 pm.
Winter season (from 1 November to 30 March)
Tue-Sun 10 am.–4 pm. (except exhibitions on the 3rd floor)
admission 1 CZK

contact
phone +420 222 232 053

en.ghmp.cz/colloredo-mansfeld-palace/

Salabka Restaurant, Prague, Czech Republic

06 Friday Apr 2018

Posted by in Restaurants and Bars

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,

Salabka has only been open for a few months. The location is in the Troja area of Prague and is best reached by car or taxi. To be honest, we only made the trip from Vinohrady because we’d been given a voucher for 2000Kč – not by the restaurant.

There was some confusion as our taxi driver first found the entrance to the Salabka apartments, run as a hotel. The entrance to the restaurant is around the other side of the building and has a large car park.

There is also a large vineyard and they produce their own wines. That rang some alarm bells as wasps love vineyards and I can imagine that customers on their summer terrace might suffer from these evil creatures.

The downstairs area was empty, but looked good.

We were invited to climb to the first, mezzanine, floor.

The main area had a section of tables, none were close together. It was clear that a lot of money had been spent on design and fixtures. The waiter was friendly and hung our coats in a nearby open-fronted wardrobe.

There were only two menu options; degustation (1650Kč) or three-course (1250Kč) menu. We chose the three-course menu.

The wine list didn’t contain any familiar favourites and was also pretty expensive. We decided to have the wine pairing (450Kč per person). The three glasses were all good, different from what we’d normally order and poured generously. All wines came from the Salabka winery.

Most dishes were served with some flair, with foams and sauces added after the dish was presented to the table. Everything was very professional.

Breads

Amuse-bouche

Starters

Wild boar tartare
egg yolk cream, plum mayonnaise, shallot confit, cornichons, pickled celery, capers, yuzu juice, leek powder, furikake chips with pumpkin seeds

Ton Coeur, Pinot Noir Rosé, Semidry 2016

Quail
carrot & vanilla purée, Brussel sprouts, physalis, shallots purée, rhubarb gel, marinated radish, coconut & lemongrass foam, jus

L’Ancetre, Gewurztraminer, Semidry 2016

Mains (we both had the same)

Saddle of deer
salsify, black pudding purée, baked & pickled beetroot, meringue,
pickled shimeji mushrooms, aronia jus

Ton Sourire, Pinot Noir, Dry 2012

Puddings

Chocolate textures
macaroon with salted caramel, espresso mousse, coconut espuma, pecan nut praline, yuzu gel, rosemary fizzy powder, spiced chocolate ice cream

Le Précieux, Neronet, fortified wine, Sweet 2015

Semolina Porridge
caramelised banana, rosemary chilli pineapple, chocolate crumble, white chocolate dust, baked plum jam, forest fruit espuma

La Perle, Rosé de Noirs, Sec 2013

I wish I’d had the quail to start as the sample offered to me was delicious – whereas my wild boar tartare was a bit boring. The saddle of deer and puddings were excellent.

To finish: The most over-elaborately presented petit fours that I have ever seen – only the two chocolates were the edible part:

As you can guess, our 2000Kč voucher only covered four sevenths of the bill. We also spent another 500Kč on taxi fares.

The bathrooms were modern and spotless. Only paper towels were available and if Salabka is reaching for a Michelin star I think mini, mini hand towels are required.

Would I make a return visit? Probably not, but mostly because the restaurant is too far away. And while I applaud Salabka for making their own wine, I’d prefer that a reasonably-priced Malbec was available from the wine list.

However, if you are in the area or live in Troja and have at least 3500Kč burning a hole in your pocket, you won’t be disappointed.

Salabka Restaurant
K Bohnicím 2, 171 00 Praha 7

https://www.salabka.cz/?lang=en

Monday – closed
Tuesday – Saturday – lunch 12.00 -15.00 dinner 17:30-22.00
Last order is 21:30 although I saw a couple on a nearby table try to order the degustation menu earlier than 21:30, only to told that it was already too late for that many courses to be prepared.

Sunday – lunch 12.00 -16.00

Václav Havel Airport in Lego, Prague, Czech Republic

05 Thursday Apr 2018

Posted by in Air Travel, Sightseeing, Travel News & Tips

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , , ,

Václav Havel Airport was formerly known as Prague Ruzyně – the airport changed its name on the 5th October 2012 on what would have been former Czech President Havel’s 76th birthday).

There are two Terminals; Terminal One is dedicated to flights outside the Schengen Area (free movement between ten EU countries) and Terminal Two for Schengen Area flights. Terminal Two is much nicer and also has a single security channel. In Terminal One, each gate has security – this leads to increased confiscation of water bottles, poor management of Fast Track access and means that all duty free outlets have to enclose liquids in tamper-proof plastic bags.

But what’s this about the Lego? Terminal Two’s landside concourse has a large Lego model of the airport – that means its accessible to anyone, even non-flyers who might like to visit. The model is interactive, in that you can press various buttons and see vehicles and aircraft move around.

Below some pictures of Václav Havel Airport – in Lego:

Restaurace a kavárna Sovovy mlýny, Prague, Czech Republic

18 Sunday Mar 2018

Posted by in Restaurants and Bars

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,

We found a special offer on the Czech slevomat.cz site – only 999Kc for a four course menu plus a bottle of wine. The restaurant is in Kampa Park (the park not the fine-dining restaurant that takes it name) and you have to walk through the park to get there. We booked in advance – for the 17th March 2018. It snowed most of the day and evening – the park was deserted.

We arrived at the entrance:

Inside we were shown to our table and given the slevomat menu (only in Czech).

The wine was a Czech Rosé – we asked if we could pay extra for something from their wine list, but they weren’t able to do that. As it was the wine wasn’t bad. We also asked for a carafe of tap water. Regular readers of this blog will know how much I hate it when restaurants over charge for tap water – here they charged a ridiculous 70Kc.

For our starters we chose, one of each of a duck terrine with salad and a goat’s cheese salad. There was no amuse bouche, nor bread – but then I suppose we were only paying 999Kc.

The interior was quite cosy and I imagine the terrace would be nice in the summer.

Other diners arrived and were served burgers. It was 45 minutes before our starters arrived – we initially couldn’t work out why these took so long. Then we realised that another couple, who arrived 30 minutes after us, were having the slevomat menu – the chef had obviously decided it would be easier to serve us all at the same time.

The salads were nicely presented and pretty good.

Now that we were in synch with the other slevomats, our plates arrived on time. The next course, a really delicious artichoke soup with rose foam.

For our next course we’d chosen one sea bass fillet with pak choi and one beef striploin with cauliflower puree. Both dishes were pretty good.

Pudding was a mandarin semifredo, which was okay. I would have preferred some warm chocolate cake – but having already been unable to change the wine, I didn’t even ask.

The bathrooms are downstairs; the basement area was a bit run down and messy – but the bathrooms were clean.

Overall, this was a good meal for a good price. I’d be tempted to return in the summer and order a la carte from their terrace. I see that a 0.5l Czech beer is 59Kc which isn’t a bad price for such a central location with view across the river – it’s true what they say about the Czech Republic ‘beer is cheaper than water’!

We booked a taxi from the nearest driveable location – Říční 563/1 about 5 minutes walk away.

Restaurace a kavárna Sovovy mlýny
U Sovových Mlýnu 2
Praha – Malá Strana
Zobrazit na mapě

www.sovovy-mlyny.cz
info@sovovy-mlyny.cz
+420 724 036 036

Saint Patrick’s Day March 17th 2018 in Prague

14 Wednesday Mar 2018

Posted by in Restaurants and Bars, Travel News & Tips

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Late afternoon update: all the Irish pubs are packed with a combination of those trying to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day and those watching the rugby. Expect standing room only. I retired to Napa Bar where I have a seat – only bottled Guinness available for 75kc though.

http://www.napabar.cz

Saint Patrick’s Day is a worldwide celebration that usually involves some parades and a visit to a pub for a pint of Guinness. Prague is no exception.

For the first time, there will be a parade from Hybernská Street around the city centre through Old Town Square, Národní třída and Wenceslas Square and back to Hybernská Street. I haven’t yet been able to find a time for the start of this parade.

Plenty of bars and clubs are getting in on the act, with Irish-themed activities, music and film. Jameson Irish Whiskey is sponsoring the parade and various events including the Rock Café and Prague University Kampus Hybernská. Their Facebook page is: https://www.facebook.com/events/1690971687589471/

My choice will be pint of Guinness (109 CZK) in what I think is the most Irish of the Irish pubs in Prague – The James Joyce. My review from 2015 is here: James Joyce. The tables are already outside so let’s hope the weather stays as good as last weekend.

If you are in Vinohrady and don’t want to trek into town, then Becketts is a good option, they also have a garden. A pint (actually not completely sure if it is pint or 0.5l) of Guinness there is 95 CZK. My review from 2016 here: Becketts.

Here’s a list of some other Irish Pubs in Prague, in no particular order, with a link to their web page and the price for a pint of Guinness:

Rocky O’Reilly’s – Guinness 109

O’Che’s – Guinness 110

Irish Times – Guinness 109

The Dubliner – Guinness 109

Caffrey’s – Guinness 119 and this one is 0.5l and not a full pint which is 0,568 l

McCarthy’s – Guinness 100

JJ Murphy’s – Guinness 99

Merlin – A friend of mine observed that ‘Merlin isn’t an Irish Pub, more a Czech pub that sells Guinness”. The Guinness is served in 0.4l glasses and costs 69 – so a pint is actually 98.

Sia Restaurant, Prague, Czech Republic

26 Monday Feb 2018

Posted by in Restaurants and Bars

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

11th March 2018 update: Another great meal at Sia last night; the ‘duck with broth’ dim sum were amazing. This time we had two litre carafes of tap water (only two of us but thirsty – we also had wine) and were charged 75 Kč for each – the carafes have lumps of shungit (which is a bit like coal, but known for some anti-bacterial properties) in the bottom. Next time I’m just going to refill the first carafe myself in the bathroom!

Sia opened in December 2017. It looks like the Potrefená Husa chain of restaurants financed the place, although there aren’t any direct references. Head Chef is Jiří Štift, previously of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. I remember eating there and loved the Asian-themed menu he’d put together.

Sia writes this on their webpage:

The Asian menu of the Sia restaurant is based on the traditional recipes, procedures and technologies which we connected with the experience and ideas of the international team of the chef Jiří Štift. Under his management, the menu is prepared in cooperation of the cooks from Indonesia, Nepal, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Moravia and China.

Sia is just a few steps away from the Marriott Hotel on V Celnici street in central Prague. I’m struggling to remember what was there before – the restaurant has been custom built from the ground up and must have cost a fortune.

We booked a basement floor table in advance as I’d read that the top floor can be hot – heat rising from the kitchens on each floor. We were led along glass walkways and down stairs, past steaming kitchens and ducks hanging in windows.

It already felt like a trip to Asia. Our table was just away from a bar where diners can sit and watch the chefs at work.

The waiter was friendly and I ordered a bottle of Malbec – a little expensive at 990 Kč. The waiter returned to advise that they had run out. So we chose to just drink the Cabernet Sauvignon 0.15l at 75 Kč per glass. We also ordered a carafe of tap water, which arrived with what turned out to be lumps of shungit (which is a bit like coal, but known for some anti-bacterial properties) in the bottom – that styling didn’t come cheap as we later found the carafe cost 75 Kč. I have to say that I really object to paying more than 20 Kč for tap water, no matter how they dress it up.

We were given a complimentary sake-style cocktail:

Our food order was the reason for our visit: two types of dim sum and Peking duck – both really hard to find in Prague:

  • Shaomai – steamed dumplings, pork, prawns, soy sauce (3 pieces) 169 Kč
  • Har Gow – steamed dumplings with prawns, ginger and soy sauce (3 pieces) 169 Kč
  • Half Peking duck served in two courses: 595 Kč
    First with 10 pancakes, ginger, cucumber, cantaloupe melon and plum sauce
    Second boneless duck legs with fried rice, egg, spring onion, carrot and sesame

Everything was absolutely delicious. If I could change anything, I’d order a side of hoi sin sauce for the duck pancakes as the Sia sauce, although I’m sure authentic, wasn’t what I like to complete my pancakes.

The bathrooms were spotless, with shared hand basins and a sign that took a second look before I could decide which was my side:

Our total bill (we had four glasses of wine) 1308 Kč.

We took a walk around the other floors – they were all busy with diners and kitchens:

The top floor wasn’t hot – although it was -5 °C outside. I think the basement was the right choice and I’d book to sit there again. Our clothes didn’t retain any food smells.

I’d certainly recommend a visit – but you’ll need to make a reservation in advance.

Sia restaurant
V Celnici 1034/6
110 00 Praha 1

+420 220 199 380
info@siarestaurant.cz

http://www.siarestaurant.cz/en/

Monday – Wednesday 11:00–24:00
Thursday & Friday 11:00 – 01:00
Saturday 12:00 – 01:00
Sunday 12:00–23:00