At the NH Collection Prague Carlo IV hotel restaurant, Josef Votoček runs a kitchen based on honest craftsmanship, seasonal ingredients, and balanced flavors. The five-course menu at 1890 Restaurant & Bar combines modern techniques with respect for tradition and proves that elegance can be served with naturalness and calm.
The NH Collection Prague Carlo IV hotel is one of the most beautiful in the country – its majestic spaces, high ceilings, and the elegance of the old bank create an atmosphere that adds a whole new chapter to the Prague fine dining experience. At the heart of it all is Josef Votoček, a chef who honed his craft under such names as Oldřich Sahajdák and David Rejhon. Today, he leads a team that is giving local gastronomy a new meaning in the restaurant: unpretentious luxury combined with flavor that has depth and continuity.
You enter the restaurant elegantly – the doorman welcomes you, you walk down a wide staircase on a red carpet, through the hotel lobby and past the classic bar to the dining room itself. The name 1890 commemorates the year of completion of the historic building, now home to the NH Collection Prague Carlo IV hotel. At that time, it was the First Provincial Mortgage Bank – a monumental Neo-Renaissance building designed by the renowned Viennese architect Achille Wolf, which is one of the architectural gems of central Prague. The name symbolizes not only the year the building was built but also the durability and tradition that the restaurant reflects in its approach to cooking – combining historical elegance with modern gastronomy.
Josef Votoček and his team offer guests both an à la carte menu and a five-course tasting menu, expanded to include several greetings from the kitchen. It is this tasting menu that will be the centerpiece of our gastronomic journey through the evening.
An Introduction with Elegance and Respect for the Birth of Flavor
The moment the homemade white baguette appears on the table, it is immediately clear that the evening will not only be about food but also about detail and precision. The baguette is light, delicate, and accompanied by two butters: one with a subtle umami flavor thanks to miso paste, the other with an aromatic hint of fig leaf oil. This small, honest bite already hints at how Josef Votoček works with ingredients – with respect, creativity, and perfect control over every detail.
The amuse-bouche offers a playful yet perfectly balanced contrast: flaxseed crisps with goat's cheese, roasted beetroot, and pistachios. The sweetness of the beetroot, the creaminess of the cheese, and the subtle bitterness of the flaxseed create a harmony that awakens the taste buds and complements the first sip of wine.
The first official course – a reinterpretation of Waldorf salad – confirms Votoček's philosophy: simple ingredients, a sophisticated combination of textures and flavors, and a perfect balance of sweet, sour, and crunchy. Celery and celery leaves, apple gel, caramelized walnuts, and a white yogurt dressing with mead, complemented by raisins marinated in mead, create a fresh, clean, and layered effect. Grüner Veltliner from Austria's Weinviertel region is not just an accompaniment here – its light minerality and fresh fruitiness become an equal partner, emphasizing the crunchiness and delicate sweetness of the salad.
This is followed by beef tartare, which is a small concert of umami and truffle elegance. The meat, mixed with fried capers, truffle mayonnaise, fresh winter truffles, and egg yolk gel with a little garlic, shows that a simple dish can have exemplary depth. The fermented sauce lends the tartare complexity and a long finish. Riesling from the Moselle complements the dish with its mineral purity and delicate citrus notes, which perfectly lighten the intensity of the truffles and underline the overall harmony on the plate.
This introduction to the restaurant's tasting menu shows that Votoček and his team work not only with flavor but with an entire dining philosophy: respect for the ingredients, texture, and wine, which together with the dish create an unforgettable whole.
Tradition with a Modern Twist
When the catfish poached using the sous-vide method arrives, it brings a moment of surprise. Catfish is often overlooked in Czech cuisine, yet in this restaurant, it takes center stage as the star of the evening. The meat is tender, slightly sweet, and perfectly balanced with roasted spaghetti squash with rosemary and a velvety beurre blanc sauce with cardamom and black garlic. Roasted pumpkin seeds and a few drops of pumpkin oil add texture contrast and a subtle earthy note to the dish.
Chablis Louis Robin is the ideal partner for catfish: its mineral sharpness cleanses the palate and allows the fattier tones of the fish to stand out, while the delicate citrus and fruit nuances complement the lightness of the pumpkin and the delicate sweetness of the meat. This course proves that even underrated ingredients can be the heroes of the menu in the hands of a chef.
The second main course – duck – is the embodiment of autumn harmony. The confit leg is tender, juicy, and complemented by roasted yellow beetroot. The reduced red cabbage sauce with caraway seeds combines traditional flavors with modern finesse. Fried barley adds a pleasant crunch and playful contrast. The duck tastes like a childhood memory, but is served with the precision typical of Votoček's cuisine.
The wine pairing is also carefully thought out: Ottante Primitivo di Manduria brings a warm, full-bodied fruit structure that harmonizes with the meat and the sweeter tones of cabbage and root vegetables. The wine and food together create a harmonious whole that is both elegant and natural.
Harmony of Flavors
After the main courses comes a pre-dessert, which cleanses the taste buds and prepares the guest for the final sweet chapter. A scoop of homemade sorbet with edible flowers, drizzled with Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut champagne, offers lightness, delicate bubbly freshness, and sophisticated purity, making a smooth transition from the previous taste experience to dessert.
The main sweet course is a masterpiece combining gastronomy and sustainability. Honey sponge accompanied by creamy ice cream with pollen, vanilla-honey jelly, and propolis tincture creates a complex flavor palette that blends delicate sweetness, aromatic depth, and slightly earthy tones. Small crunchy bees made from propolis, produced directly from the honey hives on the hotel roof, are a poetic finishing touch that connects the dessert with the story of the ingredients. This course is the perfect end to a journey from the forest scent of mushrooms through the sweet tones of mead to the urban nobility represented by the 1890 restaurant.
The tasting concludes with petit fours, a selection of small homemade pralines that offer another brief, intense moment of pleasure. An open praline made from Belgian chocolate with a pumpkin filling flavored with Christmas spices and a delicate edible chocolate crystal are not only visually appealing but also surprising in taste – small details that confirm the care taken in the entire menu.
The conclusion of the evening at 1890 Restaurant & Bar confirms that the cuisine here is based on a clear philosophy: respect for ingredients, precise craftsmanship, seasonal products, and harmonious pairing with wine. Josef Votoček's tasting menu is proof that refinement and elegance can be served naturally, without ostentatious gestures, yet with maximum gastronomic impact. Every course, every wine, and every detail reveal that 1890 cooks with a clear vision, style, and depth – and that the Czech fine dining scene can offer experiences that appeal not only to the taste buds but also to the sense of aesthetics and storytelling.
