Fine Dining: La Dégustation Bohême Bourgeoise
La Dégustation Bohême Bourgeoise may be a French name for a restaurant, but it’s a Czech restaurant in lovely Prague. It’s also a famous one at that thanks to its Michelin star. Reading about it before my trip, had me planning a night out to sample the cuisine inspired by traditional and modern concepts.
The restaurant isn’t the first Prague restaurant to receive a Michelin distinction, but it is the first ever Czech restaurant serving Czech dishes to be recognized. Other awarded Prague restaurants have served various other cuisines such as Italian or French.
The Place
The restaurant was located in the the lovely lanes in the old town of Prague. Think old Europe with cobblestone streets and fairy-tale like architecture. A minimalist yet warm atmosphere greeted us. The dining room was lit fairly dark — I’d say it was romantic. A low-lighted open and immaculate black- and white-tiled kitchen caught my attention. It was built as a side slice of the dining area.
The Cuisine
We started out with an envelope.
Inside the envelope was a letter listing two preset menus: “Degustation Boheme Bourgeoise” and “Degustation Du Chef.” The smaller menu had six courses. The dishes were created with the help of recipes from an 1880 century Czech cookbook then given a modern touch. The second was a list of 11 courses.
The Czech inspired dishes that arrived, course after course, were hardly the hearty and heaping plates of traditional Czech cuisine we had experienced so far in our trip including sizable servings of goulash, meats covered in sauce and stacks of pancakes.
The courses were small, even defined as tiny, but they added up. The signature petite dishes were full of flavor and presented wth such creativity.
I savored each bite.
I thought of that 19th-century Czech cuisine cookbook and how fantastic it must have been for the chef to come up with the unique combination of tastes I was experiencing.
Some highlights included:
THIRD (course): pumpkin, prague ham, whipped cream
FOURTH: potates, ash, cracklinks
SIXTH: pork ears, white truffle
A photo of the aforementioned fourth course is pictured below. It may look like a pile of rocks. It was indeed a pile of hot rocks, but look closer to find the potatoes. They were warm and gently dusted in black ash. You don’t eat the rocks, by the way. 😉
The La Dégustation Bohême Bourgeoise menu is 2,150 czk per person or 80 Euro per person. The 11 course Dégustation Du Chef menu was 3,150 czk per person or 115 Euro per person. Wine pairings are extra. Pricey for sure considering the average dining prices in the Czech Republic.
The Conclusion
If you can afford it, eating at La Dégustation is a delight for any foodie. The service and quality of the dishes are worth it.
I loved the new tastes I experienced. The small portions turned out to be a perfect gourmet experience, tiny bites that brought out the nature of each ingredient. I never thought I’d ever try potatoes dipped in ash and served on hot rocks!
One other tip is to dine with good company. With a six or 11 course menu ahead of you, you should plan for a leisurely meal. Savor each bite and enjoy.
Finally, it was my birthday! The very professional staff managed to “whip up” a little dessert complete with a candle.
It was a perfect gourmet meal to end my birthday in beautiful Prague.
La Dégustation Bohême Bourgeoise
Haštalská 18
110 00 Prague 1
Reservations after 3 pm
+420 222 311 234
Have you been to the famous La Dégustation Bohême Bourgeoise? Tell me about your experience.
