The world-famous guide Gault & Millau has awarded the best restaurants in the Czech Republic. Which are they?
The Gault & Millau guide originated in France in the 1960s. It was co-authored by journalists Henri Gault and Christian Millau, who also wrote the pillars of the Nouvelle cuisine movement, and thus influenced not only the development of French cuisine, but also the context of world gastronomy.
Today, Gault & Millau is present in 17 countries, and the Czech Republic is now one of them. The first edition of the Czech guide was christened on 28th January on Senovážné náměstí, where chefs from all over the country came together.
"Gault & Millau allows a fair approach to evaluation, highlights talent and recognises hard work and passion in our restaurants," said Miroslav Lekeš, Chief Inspector of the Czech Gault & Millau, who stood on stage together with the chef guide Michaela Židlický. The co-owner of the Austrian Gault & Millau Karl Hohenlohe and his wife Martina, the director of Gault & Millau in Croatia Ingrid Badurina Danielsson and the representative of Patrick Hayoun, president and CEO for France, also wished the chefs good luck, guests and hats.
Caps for the best restaurants
The guide maps out all regions of the Czech Republic and also compiles a ranking of the best establishments. These are scored from 1 to 20, with scores of 11 and above being handed out caps, called toques. One toque goes to restaurants with interesting cuisine, two toques are awarded for original cuisine and three indicate a high level of cuisine. Five toques are awarded to the highest scorer.
The inspectors are guided by uniform international evaluation rules and focus on both the cuisine and the the overall quality of servicethe service, the atmosphere or the drinks menu. "The Gault & Millau methodology applies to all countries where the guide is widely used, so Czech gastronomy will receive an international comparison. The results are fair and, I think, well deserved," Miroslav Lekeš pointed out, before the presentation of the awards and the plaque to the selected restaurants.
The Czech guide includes establishments that have achieved 10 points for good cuisine. One toque was awarded to 100 restaurants this year, two toques were awarded to 53 businesses and three toques were awarded to the following 11 restaurants:
- La Degustation Bohême Bourgeoise
- Essens
- Dejvická 34 by Tomáš Černý
- Stůl
- La Finestra in Cucina
- Levitate
- Mlýnec
- Pot au feu
- Štangl
- Terasa U Zlaté studně
- U Matěje
The following establishments from the Ambiente group also made it into the guide:
- Marie B (2 toques)
- U Kalendů (2 toques)
- Kantýna (1 toque)
- Café Savoy (1 toque)
- Čestr (1 toque)
- Brasileiro Slovanský dům (1 toque)
- Kuchyň
- Pizza Nuova
- Pasta Fresca
- Brasileiro U Zelené žáby
Special categories
Four toques were awarded to a single restaurant, namely Papilio in Vysoký Újezd. Chef Jan Knedla also received the trophy of Chef of the Year, for originality and potential. In addition, the Czech Gault & Millau announced another three special categories.
The award for Chef of Tomorrow went to Chef Otto Vašák of the restaurant Essenswho, according to the inspectors, could soon move up to a toque, while the title Young Talent of the Year celebrates the talents of chefs under 35, and this time it highlighted the work of chef Barbara Simůnková of LEAF. The guide thus follows the mission of the founders who, during their travels in France, found talented chefs, such as today's culinary legends Alain Ducasse or Joël Robuchon.
POP is a category of popular establishments, be they bistros, cafés or food trucks. The inspectors do not rate them according to Gault & Millau criteria, but give them attention (and a place in the guide) for their creative concept, quality menu, and also for contribution to the region. The Pop of the Year 2025 is Brno bistro EGGO BreakFeast and in the same category, Eska, Kro Karlín, Etapa, Karel, Osada and other businesses succeeded.
Dots on the map
A place in the guide is a tribute and, in a way, a a commitment to values that were once recognised by the Nouvelle Cuisine movement and which the French (including through Gault & Millau) are still spreading around the world today. The greatest inspiration is the French pride in their own tradition and the desire to share!
It is a commitment to quality (of ingredients, craft, concept and people) and brings together those who want to educate, develop and improve the food culture in their country. "I appreciate the two toques for our restaurant, but I am more happy that something like this is happening in the Czech Republic at all," commented chef Petr Židek from Alma.
Gault Millau is last but not least an invitation to guests, and "a compass in the diverse world of the culinary", but also an impulse for chefs. "Thanks to the ratings, we now know where we stand compared to other countries. I think that Gault & Millau calibrates our gastronomic scene, but also the European gastronomic scene, and thus motivates us all to be better," commented the chef Martin Štangl. At the end of the meeting, a wish was expressed that the yellow guide would have even more pages with addresses of good establishments in the future, and build its reputation in the Czech Republic.
"After the Michelin Guide, this is certainly the best independent evaluation of restaurants that has ever taken place in our country. I see it as an opportunity for the whole Czech Republic," said Tomáš Karpíšek, founder of Ambiente, adding: "Gault & Millau is respected in France, but also in our neighbouring countries, so I believe that Czech gastronomy and our traditional cuisine is on the way to becoming more widely known in Europe and around the world."
