"All right, brain. I don't like you, and you don't like me. So let's just do this, and I'll get back to killing you with beer." Homer SimpsonI'll be honest at the risk of offending lovers of Czech cuisine. When someone tells me, a place does a great koleno (pork knee), I don't go rushing over to check it out.
I've eaten large quantities of Czech food over the years. But that's partly because I have also consumed large quantities of Czech beers over the years.
So when I agreed to meet a friend in Dejvice a couple of months ago, I chose Budvarka.


I really loved its clean, crispy flavor. And there was something extra-fine about the carbonation. I was hooked.
Looking for an excuse to go back more recently, I found my inspiration in an entry on The Prague Post blog, which said the food was much improved from earlier years. And another friend told me he'd tried the koleno and duck and enjoyed it.
So I went with the English Patient and A Lady Friend. The interior was pleasant enough, with attractive wood-paneled ceilings and brass fixtures.


ALF started with a glass of hot wine (50 CZK). I thought it would be red, but they served the white variety.

ALF ordered a bowl of the zelňačka (38 CZK).

I got the venison pâté with basil pesto (75 CZK).

For a main course, EP had the Cmunda po Kaplicku or Kaplice-style potato pancake (110 CZK).

But there was one positive note. There was a generous amount of good-quality smoked pork.

ALF tried the ginger chicken wings (125 CZK).

The flavor was less pleasing. I didn't taste ginger. ALF said it reminded her of "UHO." The acronym stands for "univerzální hnědá omáčka," which translates as "universal brown sauce." We didn't like it.
I felt guilty for not following the recommendations on the duck or koleno, but I didn't want those. I ordered the krkovička or grilled pork neck (145 CZK). It was served under a goulash sauce with batter-fried onions on the side.

The only thing I liked was the warm, toasted mini-loaf of Czech bread that came on the side.

At the end of the meal, we got to talking, story-telling, and laughing, and EP decided we needed some Becherovka shots (35 CZK each). I tried and failed to talk him out of it.


The bill for the three of us, including the drinks that I can document, was 1104 CZK. Basically, the food was cheap, and the quality was low.
I felt very bad the next day. I remembered why I generally swore off Becherovka a long time ago.
But through my headache haze, I decided I'd be happy to return to Budvarka for the beer. It'd be the best way to kill my memories of the food.
Original pivnice Budvarka
Wuchterlova 22
Prague 6 - Dejvice
Tel: (+420) 222 960 820
3 comments:
I've always been impressed with the food, its quality and its quantity, and the price, at Budvarka. And, of course, impressed by the beer. The 1/2 duck is outstanding. I have found the service to be very attentive, too. What I don't like is the atmosphere, or lack thereof. It's too much like a typical Czech pub, with harsh lighting and bare tables and a certain brown coldness to it all. (The front room with the taps is slightly better, but I believe that's the smoking room.) It's my go-to place for Czech food, either with visitors or when you just need a good duck and a half-liter of Budvar.
Hi
Am I the only one who gets an error if i click this link
Beer Culture by Evan Rail
He moved his blog to a new URL. I've fixed it -- should work now.
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