Giardino - Enoteca con cucinaSeafood and outdoor seating form a winning combination at this Italian restaurant in a fashionable area of Vinohrady
|
||||||
"How fair is a garden amid the trials and passions of existence."V loves gardens. Looking at them, working in them. She also loves seafood. Cooking it, eating it. That's why I thought Giardino - Enoteca con cucina would be perfect for her. And I was right. She was wowed by the place when we went for dinner on a Friday night.  It's in a fashionable part of Vinohrady, close to the weird fountain on Americká street and not far from Náměstí Míru.  We walked in and both thought the dining room was warm and tastefully done, with romantic lighting.  But we had our sights set on the garden out back. V got a big smile on her face when she saw it.  "I had no idea there was a garden like this around here. You really scored." I returned the smile. "Knowing someone with his finger on the pulse of Prague's restaurant scene has its benefits," I said. I then sheepishly revealed that my "inside" sources were, in fact, The Prague Post and Czech Business Weekly. I can't always be first. But I do read everything I can about food in Prague. When the waiter came, V asked if they had chilled rosé wine, a favorite summer beverage. Unfortunately, they didn't, so she ordered a 0.15-liter flute of Prosecco (130 CZK). She had a couple of those.  She justified the cost by saying she hadn't had a vacation in a long time so these counted as part of a mini-vacation. I wasn't drinking, so I ordered Mattoni sparkling water (35 CZK). We had three of those. For a starter, I had the burrata con rucola (175 CZK). Burrata is a mozzarella pouch that contains a mixture of mozzarella and cream inside.  I thought it was very good. The cheese was creamy, with a slight, pleasant tang. The cherry tomatoes on the side were more tart than sweet. The rucola had a familiar, almost smoky flavor. There was already olive oil on the dish. I added a light amount of balsamic vinegar. Just for reference, I bought a whole burrata at Aromi La Bottega last year for 85 CZK. V ordered the grilled octopus (150 CZK). This was another winner. The octopus was very fresh and expertly cooked. The exterior of the flesh had a slight crusty texture from the grill, but the inside was soft and tender.  It sat on a bed of creamy-tasting beans. We really loved those. Just a perfect balance of flavors. For a main course, I decided to try the risotto frutti di mare (185 CZK). I'd heard the chef used to work at Kogo, and this is my favorite dish there. It looked almost identical to the Kogo version, with a tomato sauce mixed in with parsley, mussels, clams, shrimp, and calamari. It was a very generous portion, too. The texture of the risotto itself was excellent -- nice and chewy.  However, I have to say it did not match Kogo's version on the flavor front. What stood out most was the saltiness. After that, there was a strong flavor of an assertive olive oil. There were pools of it around the sides of the dish. Too much for me. It was also a little too fishy tasting -- perhaps the mussels were not as fresh as they could be. The parsley tasted like the curly type, rather than leafy. Overall, it lacked the subtle complexity of Kogo's risotto. It wasn't bad, but I was a bit disappointed. V liked it more than I did. For herself, she ordered the whole sea bass baked in salt (310 CZK). It was very fresh, very clean, and the meat was quite moist. She thought it was good with olive oil and fresh lemon squeezed on top.  The skin on top was removed, but skin on the bottom side was still there, and it rested on a large quantity of salt. V said the meat on the plate side got very salty and not so nice to eat. The fish did not come with a side item, so V got the grilled vegetables (85 CZK). They were basic but nicely done. The peppers were particularly sweet. The mushrooms were rather ordinary.  The service was friendly and efficient. There was really only one screw-up.  The waiter asked if we wanted some of the housemade bread when we ordered our meal. He looked disappointed when we said no. I didn't check the bill carefully until I got home and saw we were charged 30 CZK for one order of bread. The final bill was 1,300 CZK, which wasn't cheap, but it was pumped up by V's expensive fish and veggies, her 260 CZK worth of Prosecco, plus the phantom bread. One could easily have a cheaper date there. Overall, I'd say the starters were hits and the main courses were just OK, nothing special. On the other hand, Giardino was quite a lot cheaper than Kogo. The seafood risotto at Giardino was 100 CZK less, according to Kogo's online menu (which is not always kept current). The grilled octopus appetizer, although bigger at Kogo, cost 130 CZK less at Giardino. Kogo's Caprese, comparable to the burrata dish, was 120 CZK more. Kogo's grilled veggies? 80 CZK more. These savings evened the scales quite a bit in our minds. Also, Giardino's more residential address is more convenient, about a 15-minute walk from our flat. So, will we end up there again? Given the trials and passions of our existence lately, I'd say we'll be planted there a few more times this summer. There was some good seafood, and as I said at the start, V digs gardens.  Giardino - Enoteca con cucina Záhřebská 24 Prague 2 Tel.: (+420) 222 513 427 Prague Directory Listing • This article was originally posted on Czech Please, a weblog dedicated to the food and drink scene in Prague and beyond |
Article added on Mon 14th Jul, 2008 [last updated Tue 15th Jul, 2008]Share this page 
|
| COMMENT ON THIS ARTICLE | ||
| READ ALL DINING ARTICLES MORE DINING ARTICLES |
|
La Bottega di Finestra by La Bottega di Finestra Press Release Added on Sun 12th Feb, 2012 (Last updated Sun 12th Feb, 2012) |
|
Prague Valentine's Day Dining 2012 by Prague TV Restaurant Booking Service Added on Wed 11th Jan, 2012 (Last updated Thu 2nd Feb, 2012) |
|
Christmas 2011 & New Year's Eve 2011/12 Dining by Prague TV Celebrate in Style Added on Thu 10th Nov, 2011 (Last updated Tue 27th Dec, 2011) |
|
The Candy Store by Prague TV Imported American Candies Added on Tue 30th Aug, 2011 (Last updated Tue 30th Aug, 2011) |
|
Not-So-Traditional Sunday Roast at Mlýnec by Prague Diner Makeover for British Classic Added on Mon 23rd May, 2011 (Last updated Mon 23rd May, 2011) |
|
Prague Valentine's Day Dining 2011 by Prague TV Restaurant Booking Service Added on Tue 11th Jan, 2011 (Last updated Tue 8th Feb, 2011) |
|
Alchymist Club by Miss Knedlíkova Upmarket Malá Strana Restaurant Added on Tue 4th Jan, 2011 (Last updated Tue 4th Jan, 2011) |
|
Fosil by Miss Knedlíkova Miss Knedlíková's Review Added on Wed 22nd Dec, 2010 (Last updated Tue 4th Jan, 2011) |
|
La Bodeguita del Medio by Miss Knedlíkova Miss Knedlíkova's Review Added on Tue 14th Dec, 2010 (Last updated Tue 14th Dec, 2010) |
|
The Brewery Bar at The Augustine by Miss Knedlíkova Five-Star Hotel's 'Beer Tapas' Added on Tue 7th Dec, 2010 (Last updated Tue 7th Dec, 2010) |
|
Christmas 2010 & New Year's Eve 2010/11 Dining by Prague TV Celebrate in Style Added on Thu 2nd Dec, 2010 (Last updated Tue 8th Feb, 2011) |
|
Grosseto Marina by Miss Knedlíkova Riverside Italian Restaurant Added on Tue 30th Nov, 2010 (Last updated Tue 30th Nov, 2010) |
|
Noy by Miss Knedlíkova Armenian Restaurant in Žižkov Added on Tue 23rd Nov, 2010 (Last updated Tue 23rd Nov, 2010) |
|
Rybí trh by Miss Knedlíkova Upscale Old Town Fish Restaurant Added on Tue 16th Nov, 2010 (Last updated Wed 17th Nov, 2010) |
|
Noodles at Hotel Yasmin by Miss Knedlíkova New Town Noodle/Pasta Restaurant Added on Tue 9th Nov, 2010 (Last updated Wed 10th Nov, 2010) |
| READ ALL DINING ARTICLES |
Visit the Dining main page
Find listings, help forums, tips and more
Beer Factory
Imagine a bar where you poured your own beer...
Café NoD
Bold and off-beat theatre and dance performances, art exhibitions,...
Hergetova Cihelna
This riverside eatery offers classy-but-casual dining, sleek interi...
Jáma Steakhouse
Great steaks, great beers on tap, what are you waiting for?
La Casa Blů
from 1st Jan. 2009 NON SMOKING Multicultural Czech-Latin café and b...
MORE ARTICLES
Prague TV Home | Contact | About | FAQ | Site Map | Search | Advertise | Privacy | Terms of Service
Prague TV is a Real Time Production. ©2012 All rights reserved.
