Café Savoy became the first Czech Ambiente restaurant 20 years ago. Do you know their iconic dishes?

Café Savoy

Café Savoy – busy cafe by day, relaxed restaurant by night. From morning to early afternoon, enjoy the bustle of a Viennese cafe, and in the evening settle into the slower pace of a refined dinner inspired by French cuisine, prepared by head chef Martin Čáslavka and his team. Every day, you'll be welcomed by the smell of fresh baking and pastries, which we prepare for you alongside Myšák confectionery.

Reserve your table online or by phone. Drop by our hatch, or find us at savoydomu.cz, where you can order breakfast, mains or desserts straight to your door.

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The restaurant and café in Prague's Újezd district first opened on 17 November 2004 for a trial run, and at the beginning of 2005 it opened in full swing. From the very first moments, it was known that Czech, Viennese and French cuisine would be served – as it had been in the 19th century and during the First Republic.

"There used to be an expensive fish restaurant in the space. So we started to look into the origins and identity of Café Savoy. We cooked Viennese cuisine and a few French dishes. However, we slowly added Czech cuisine to the menu. It turned out that when we put it next to dishes where the customers accepted a higher price, and did it just as well, they accepted the higher price for the Czech dishes as well. We were selling svíčková for 280 crowns at the time, which was unthinkable. That was a breakthrough for us and it kick-started us into thinking that we would open a purely Czech business. And so the idea of La Degustation Bohême Bourgeoise was born," recalled Tomáš Karpíšek in an interview with Deník N in October.

Tomáš Karpíšek and the then creative chef Oldřich Sahajdák added broth with dumplings, duck with cabbage and fried schnitzel with potato salad to the Savoy menu. The Sunday classics were cooked with pride and at the same time with fear of what the Czech guest would say. That fear dissolved like steam over a pot. The sales showed that authentically cooked Czech dishes are already winning applause again.

You may be wondering what's so Czech about dishes like steak tartare, or Wiener Schnitzel. The answer was offered in the podcast What the house gave Martin Franc, historian at the Masaryk Institute and Archives of the Academy of Sciences. In the first half of the 19th century there was no separation between Czech and Austrian cuisine. It was a gastronomically connected space," he explains.

Anyone who has ever been to the Savoy knows that crossing the threshold takes you from the busy streets of Prague to the golden 1920s, to which not only the staff uniforms, but also the interior, the service and the menu refer. And which dishes are we talking about?

Wiener schnitzel

An extra thin slice of veal fried in clarified butter has been a menu icon for 20 years. At one time, the schnitzel was also served with fried thymus gland. Wiener Schnitzel, Czech for veal schnitzel, is at home here..

Savoy vs. Parisian

Parisian steak tartare is popular as a main dish, while Savoy steak tartare with toast is served as an appetiser. Wondering if double tartare on the menu is a waste? Trying Tartar Parisian to displace the traditional beef one was not well received by the regulars, so after a short break, the "competitor" had to return to the menu.

Tartare Savoy is served as a starter

Tartare Parisian is a popular main served with french fries

Carrot restaurant

This small but filling dish with chicken and potato mash can only be found on Savoy's menu. It was removed for a time, which left diners calling for its return. After three years, they've succeeded, and it's unlikely to be going anywhere soon. Then, in the New Year, guests will also be treated to a lentil version.

Truffle fries

A new dish that was on the menu during the Covid era, it has been unprecedentedly popular. Tell me, can you even imagine Savoy without truffle fries and accompanied by truffle mayonnaise?

Fruit dumplings

Dumplings filled with seasonal fruit underwent a revival about two years ago, when chefs started making them with artisanal flour. This gives the dumplings a darker colour. But guests still love them and indulge in them all year round..

Savoy cake

The legendary chocolate cake filled with cherries and blackcurrants and covered with almond marzipan was invented many years ago by pastry chef Lukáš Pohl. Inspired by his grandmother's recipe and garden, the recipe has remained the same for 20 years.

The icons of the menu include snails. As historian Martin Franc mentions, they used to be a speciality of bourgeois cuisine. "Snails were very popular in the 19th century, they were perceived as a kind of old Prague specialty," he adds. Those who do not enjoy this delicacy but love seafood will love the oysters or salmon caviar.