A Restaurant Review: Restaurace Zvonarka in Prague, Czech Republic

As more and more savvy travelers are finding the Vinohrady neighborhood of Prague, with its largely tourist-free streets, lovely 19^th century architecture, and affordable boutique hotels, the neighborhood restaurant industry has been experiencing a boom. And one of those restaurants that best combines the neighborhood restaurant with its tourist counterpart is Restaurace Zvonarka. (See below for specific directions.)

Unlike most Czech restaurants, one needn't have the skills of an explorer to find the dining area. First of all, most of the dining area can been seen from the sidewalk. And the basic floor plan is that of a typical modern restaurant in America. You enter where the bar is, then proceed to the dining area. The restrooms are located behind the bar in a corridor between it and the kitchen. That said, the interior décor is not very Czech. If you like a modern look with little ornamentation, you'll like the décor of Zvonarka. There is one treat, however. Weather permitting, they open a fairly large garden area in the rear which overlooks the Nusle Valley. Don't' get too close to the edge, however, if you've had too much too drink. It's unlikely you'll survive the fall. It's a long way down.

In regards to the menu, the food is pretty good, and it's priced fairly. An appetizer I can recommend is the Caprese at 75,-kc, which is slices of mozzarella with tomato and basil pesto. If you want to experience a common Czech dish, try the Vinohradsky Piquant Beef Goulash with onions and dumpling, 125,-kc. It's really done quite nicely, better than you'd find at a beer hall. If you're feeling homesick, Zvonarka has a nicely priced dish, it's Buffalo Wings with a traditional sauce, but in a cheese sauce with cucumbers. At 95,-kc, it's one of the better priced items on the menu.

Entrees include a very tasty marinated chicken breast served swimming in a cheese sauce, which at 135,-kc is a nice meal. Zvonorka also does a marinated chicken au gratin with tomato and cheese which is also quite good at 125,-kc. If you like pork, I'd recommend the Grilled Fillet of Pork with 3 Sauces, 160,-kc. One dish that I've never had, but sounds pretty good is what they call the Beefsteak Jalapenos. It's a sirloin served up with peppers and roasted bacon. At 310,-kc, it's a little too expensive for me. The pasta at Zvonarka is quite good for Prague. I prefer the Penne Carbonara. It's really quite good, and at 105,-kc, it's one of the better food bargains in Prague.

The bar is better stocked than most bars in Prague. And the prices are fair. Nearly all the internationally known brands of vodka, rum, tequila, and whiskey are represented, and they go for 50,-kc to 60,-kc. By glass, Zvonarka only serves two types of Czech wines, a white and a red. I would recommend them. The Czech Republic may be better known for its beer, but the country also produces quality wine - for the price. At 30,-kc a glass, it's a pretty good deal. Now for the beer! Zvonarka serves Gambrinus 10° at 26,-kc and Pilsner Urquell 12° at 30,-kc. Basically, the difference is that Gambrinus 10° has less alcohol than the Pilsner Urquell 12° .

All this said, I must divulge that Zvonarka has a horrible reputation regarding its service. I've read many complaints about it on the internet, and I have had personal experience with it. The last time I was there, I only had two beers, and I wanted to pay, but the girl who served me had disappeared. Okay, that's common in the Czech Republic. So I just went up to the bar with my bill to pay. And the bartender tells me he cannot take my money. Only the server can take the money. I asked, "where is she?" Nobody knew. She took off someplace, it took them twenty minutes to find her. Meanwhile, I was just left to sit there. I wasn't even offered a complimentary drink while I waited. This was my fourth bad experience with the service at Zvonarka. So, I haven't been back since.

If you still want to check it out, it can be a little hard to find (though like I said, in the summer months there is a beautiful view from the outside terrace). If you're at Namesti Miru with the church at your back and the tram stop in front of you, go right down Rumunska (street). The first cross street will be Belgicka, the second will be Londynska, and the third will be Belehradska. At Belehradska, take a left. At the first block, there will be a split. You want to go to the left down Safarikova. In the next block, there will be another split and you again want to stay to the left. Go all the way to the end. It's on the right hand side at the address Safarikova 1, Prague.