Strelecký Ostrov

Frommer's Review

The island sitting in the middle of the Vltava near the National Theater has been a destination for artisans, romantics, and political activists throughout the centuries. From here the Czech labor movement held its rallies and found its footing in the 19th century, and the unique riverside perspectives of the castle and National Theater have been featured in many paintings and photographs, and even in rock band INXS's melancholy "Never Tear Us Apart" video. The floods of 2002 brought misery here, destroying a fine Italian restaurant. In its place is now one of the more elegant attempts at delivering Czech cuisine to an upscale local and international clientele. The riverside terrace is the restaurant's calling card in the summer, a fine place for lunch with gorgeous snapshots of the gold-topped National Theater, as the boaters row below. The brick-cellar dining room is cozy on a winter's night before the curtain goes up in theaters across the water.

Main courses boast a standard version of the Czech national dish svícková (sirloin in cream sauce), plus plenty of wild game dishes, including venison in cranberry, lamb in rosemary, duck with cabbage and a pleasant pheasant in plum sauce. Nothing is too inventive here, but all is well prepared, warm, and satisfying.

If you are having the evening meal in the cellar, leave time for an aperitif or nightcap in the tasteful and modern upstairs bar.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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