Recommendations, reservations, and no expectations. That's how the selection of a new establishment for the first review of the year went. The cuisine at Symbols is said to bridge two distinct gastronomic spheres: casual street food and fine dining. We wanted to explore the former sphere through the hands of the chef Václav Kršňák, who moved from the "Króček" restaurant in Karlin.
The location couldn't be better. In the shadow of the Estates Theatre at the Ovocný trh, you will experience the atmosphere of romantic Prague in the evening. The Baroque Kolowrat Palace, complete with a huge shop window, seems to have absorbed the restaurant as if it has perhaps belonged there since the 17th century. So, enter the bowels of the majestic building and enjoy. The colors, the materials, and the huge bar at the entrance - this is not Dubai glitz; it was thoughtfully curated here. We highly recommend taking a tour of the place and getting a feel for it, literally. The large glass wall visible from the cobblestones of the Fruit Market will soon feature on many Instagram profiles.
Fine and Not-So-Fine Beginning
The first impression was fine (we are in a fine dining restaurant, after all), but the subsequent ones weren't so fine. Although we made a reservation, and the staff should have been expecting us, they clustered right at the entrance, forming a school group chatting away. They might still have been having a meeting, but the group didn't disperse even after we were introduced to our table. We settled in, and the waiter tried his best. Unfortunately, he didn't maintain eye contact and looked all around, even though we were the only ones in the place (for now). His awareness of the menu was considerable, but his verbal expression was hurried by his attempt to provide as much information as possible in the shortest amount of time. This rather spoiled the first impression, and we recommend working on this part of the service. However, it is unacceptable to write your order on a white pad with no plates as in the fourth price! The most important thing, i.e., the explanation of the concept itself and the recommendation of suitable combinations of food and drinks based on the symbols on the menu, was lost in the rushed recommendation of what to order. So, we drew from the website and learned that, "In the evening, the space is transformed into fine dining with attention to detail and innovation. The main ingredient changes according to the season and the way it is prepared. There are also modern adaptogenic ingredients such as chaga, cordyceps, and lion's mane to enrich the functional drinks." What's innovative about adhering to seasonality, we don't know, but we hope Václav Kršňák will surprise us.
Symbolic Talk That No One Cares About Anymore
Next, we read from the website why the restaurant is called Symbols in the first place, and that its manifesto is as follows: "Water: purifying energy awakens your senses. Let the first sips of water wash away all excess. Open yourself to new sensations and focus on the here and now. Water is a key element of balance. Fire: invigorating energy recharges and empowers you. The moment you taste the first bite, a warmth permeates your body that drives away all distractions. Fire connects us to the energy of life, which charges us and inspires us to new experiences. Earth: relaxing energy surrounds you the moment you settle in. You feel firmly anchored in the present moment, finding peace and balance. This moment gives you a sense of stability and harmony." So much for soaring phrases (or rather, empty platitudes) that make sense when associated with a more than successful interior design or a gathering of passionate esotericists. By the way, fire and earth are made present right next to the bar, water was out of the question at the time.
Crumbs Out of the Bowl
Symbols are then also found on the menu (which is not extensive), but unfortunately, we can't identify with this concept; it's already out of fashion and doesn't bring anything new. If a restaurant wants to bring some innovation to Prague, it should not be inspired by something that has long gone out of fashion in the world. Symbols can tuck away the floscules on the topic of cleansing energies; the truth will only be revealed on the plate. After all, the era of Symbols is behind, among others, the Becher's bar in Karlovy Vary or Olomouc's Entrée.
The first opportunity to judge the local cuisine gives us the attention of the chef, dried ham with dill emulsion. The ideal slice thickness, temperature, and saltiness are all on point, as are the homemade bread and whipped butter. What really bothered us, though, was the method of serving, with the butter spread across a shallow dessert plate. In an establishment of this level, we expect pastry plates and a knife (ideally a wooden one), not to mention napkins, which really deserve a change. We're not exactly calling for linen (although the interior definitely deserves it), but paper-thin is really out of place for the evening. We cheerfully nibble on the bread, return it to the communal plate, and crumble.
At the next table, two ladies keep dropping their handbags on the floor because they've been offered neither a hook nor a stool, and the restaurant slowly fills up. Incidentally, the two ladies have come for coffee in front of the theatre, which is very sympathetic, but there should be a designated area at the bar for such purposes. That will probably happen when Symbols is bursting at the seams in the evenings.
Followed by cold borscht with pelmeni, daikon, and delicious labneh cream cheese. A great balanced taste of the whole little course, we're still wondering whether the soup should have been hot or cold. The plate was definitely cold, but maybe it just got cold. For the next small course, we had octopus wrapped in spicy nduja (something like Calabrian tea), dashi sauce, and mashed potatoes. The course looked rather unsympathetic, it was scary, but taste-wise it was again very good. The thick "mush-style" sauce would have been perfect if we didn't have to mine it off the plate with a spoon from the previous course. Luckily, we have plenty of wonderful homemade bread, so there is plenty to mop up the sauce and we can happily crumble it all over the table. We have an equally positive opinion of the duck breast with red puree, kale, and Jerusalem artichoke chips. The sauce is again thick; this time, this small course is served in a deep plate.
Don't Really Expect to See Any Ladyfingers Here
As the room at the entrance is dominated by a very hilarious bar with a very haphazard and dazzlingly lit empty display case, there was no choice but to try a local drink. So we chose the one with the country's symbol on it. A non-alcoholic combination containing Chaga, Maca, lemon, celery, and apple. At first glance, it would appear that we were drinking a warm drink; on second glance, we found that we were drinking a sour and very complicated drink. The experienced connoisseur of alcoholic cocktails praises, the experienced connoisseur of non-alcoholic cocktails does not praise the drink, because it is definitely not a kisser. It is up to the restaurant to figure out what the taste preferences of the local clientele will be; in this case, it has set the bar for mixed drinks very high. It's also worth noting that the bar will be open late, even after the kitchen closes. So you can come here both before and after the theatre. And you don't necessarily have to have dinner.
Listen, I Was Gonna Ask You, What's All This Crumb Stuff?
With a larger number of diners already seated in the restaurant, the staff is relaxedly, even exuberantly, shuffling around the place, and we wonder if that's the intention or if the evening service would be better if it were more sophisticated. The concept of fine dining is associated with a complete experience, and if it is to be presented as such, the service, china, and other tableware will be where room for improvement will be sought.
At the next table this time, a purse was dropped by a younger lady. Meanwhile, among the bread crumbs, the server brings us our first large course - white cabbage with onion, garlic, and bread sauce. There's nothing to fault this dish; the cabbage is perfectly crisp, with a smoky aroma, and the sauce is perfect. Just have something to get the sauce off the flat plate. The last big course is the portobello with sour chanterelle, egg yolks, bun, and consommé. Very unsuccessful, bitter, the sauce unfinished. A rather strange contrast to the perfect cabbage, which is very suitable for the month of January. The mushroom course was only saved by the bun, which could be wiped with the sauce, but the attempt at a vegan course was not overall successful. The bun would have found a better use with the cabbage course.
Crumbs still cover our table, and already a Sticky Pudding of black beer, dates, and pear is being served. The second choice was a pumpkin covered in sriracha, white chocolate, and coconut. While the first chocolate cube won't offend, the second dessert will definitely not please even the most persistent experimenter. Screw it, we'll just pick up the crumbs on the floor ourselves!
Francesco Kolowrat, Please Get a Pastry Chef
The desserts at Symbols restaurant are a good example of the Czech gastronomy's vice of saving where it shouldn't. The considerable investment in high-end interiors and equipment is completely inconsistent with the level of table equipment, and if a place calls itself (at least for the evening) a fine dining restaurant, there simply cannot be a lack of a skilled pastry chef in the kitchen. There are a lot of us who want to suffer through the evening, just for that sweet spot. There are certainly a few individuals who have mastered the art of hot and sweet cuisine, but Václav Kršňák is definitely not one of them. The sympathetic waiter tried to save the situation by uttering the winged: we are in a trial run, but we really don't care. We paid for the food, and if the place isn't sure if it's really there anymore, it should shut down and train until it reaches a certain level. So we'll end the review on a positive note, as we're confident that the local cuisine and service will only get better - the interior would definitely deserve it.
