Travelling to the Czech Republic? Here are the Czech chefs you should know
Martin Štangl, Štangl (Ambiente)
He worked as a chef in Karlin's Eska since the opening in 2015, and has put to good use the experience he gained as sous-chef at La Degustation Bohême Bourgeoise. He likes unusual ingredients and the forgotten recipes of our grandmothers.
He is so drawn to nature that he sold his apartment in Prague, bought a farmhouse on the Sázava River and turned it into a guesthouse. In the summer of 2023, he took the helm of the restaurant bearing his name, Štangl, where you can taste what nature has to offer.
📍Štangl, Pernerova 49, Prague 8
Oldřich Sahajdák, La Degustation Bohême Bourgeoise (Ambiente)
If you are heading, or have had the honour of heading, to the Michelin-starred La Degustation Bohême Bourgeoise, you probably know the name Sahajdák. One of the best chefs in the country, he joined Ambiente in 1997 when he returned from the army.
With a specific sense of humour and a willingness to work hard, he sat down with then-Máneska chef Vlasta Lacina and the kitchen crew. When Ambiente started to cooperate with Potrefená husa, Oldřich Sahajdák set up the kitchen in the emerging branches.
His talents were fully developed at La Degustation Bohême Bourgeoise. Under his leadership, a restaurant focusing on Czech cuisine and Czech ingredients in a modern concept grew up to gain a Michelin star.
📍Haštalská 18, 110 00 Staré Město
Jiří Šoura, Marie B (Ambiente)
Jirka Šoura, has been by Oldřich Sahajdák's side for a long time as sous-chef of La Degustation Bohême Bourgeoise, and now chef de cuisine of sister company Marie B. His passion for cooking was sparked by his work at the Municipal House and the perfectionism of the French chef there, Jacques Auffrayse.
Jirka gained further experience at the Alcron Hotel, where he worked his way up from the central kitchen to the team of a Michelin star restaurant. It was there that he met his colleague Tomáš Cibulka, who soon left for La Degustation, which is also why Jirka decided to interview for the job in Haštalská street, where La Degustation is based, seven years ago. Thanks to Jirka, Marie B's menu is playful, fresh, and most importantly, it's carte blanche — guests only find out what they've tasted after they've finished the course.
📍Dlouhá 729/37, 110 00 Staré Město
Honza Všetečka, U Kalendů (Ambiente)
He started his career in 2008, when he took part in the prestigious Bocuse d'Or competition and worked at the Kampa Park restaurant. He also worked at the Four Seasons Hotel in Prague with Andrea Accordi, and later, as creative chef at Ambiente, he gained experience during internships at Michelin-starred restaurants such as Lyle's in London and Relæ in Copenhagen.
His gastronomic outlook is greatly influenced by the cooking style of Fergus Henderson of St. John's in London, a well-known promoter of cooking from nose to tail with a penchant for tripe and good bread.
📍Rašínovo nábř. 383/58, 128 00 Nové Město
Petr Židek & Michal Daněk, Alma
This duo is known to lovers of Prague's Alma, which combines quality local cuisine with natural wine, coffee and precisely mixed cocktails. Before putting on the chef's cape, Petr also worked at Kro Kitchen and La Finestra.
He is also the co-founder of of the Ze Me project, which focuses on cooking on an open fire and using local ingredients. It's from here that Michal Daněk came to Alma, too.
📍 V Jirchářích 150/8, Nové Město 110 00, 1 Praha 1
Petr Bartoš, experiential dinners
He got a taste for cooking at a young age, when his father owned a pub in his native Pilsen. He gained his experience in Eska in Karlin with Martin Štangl and La Degustation Bohême Bourgeoise.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, he hosted private fine dining dinners in an intimate atmosphere in clients' homes. And so the stage was set for KRUH dining, the concept of experiential dinners which guests could experience and taste from December 2023 to the end of 2024 at the Langhans Palace.
Katka Jakusová, Slice Slice Baby
Katka, now owner and chef of the Slice Slice Baby pizza club in Holešovice started out at Eska in Karlin and went on to experience Denmark's Noma where she completed an internship.
Since 2020, guests have tasted her pizza at one of the dozens of pop-ups in Prague, which were already called Slice Slice Baby. Katka Jakusová's business is defined by quality ingredients, unusual flavour combinations, minimalism and a relaxed atmosphere.
📍 Dělnická 311/19, 170 00 Praha 7-Holešovice
Tomáš Cibulka, Nhai Nah Hahn
Even the chef of the place that can be translated as "At the Two Onions" used to work at the Michelin-starred La Dégustation Bohême Bourgeoise. It was there that he met his wife and co-owner of Nhai Nah Hahn, a Vietnamese woman named Tinni. Their bistro combines a family atmosphere with traditional Vietnamese cuisine.
📍 Drtinova 20, 150 00 Praha 5-Smíchov
Pavel Drdel, Sůl a řepa
The chef of Sůl a řepa knew he wanted to be a chef from a very young age. He gained experience in Italy and Germany before opening his own business in Strakonice in 2017.
In the kitchen, he focuses on a narrow cooperation with local farmers and suppliers, emphasising the processing of raw materials without waste and using techniques such as pickling, drying and fermentation.
📍 Bavorova 20, 386 01 Strakonice I
Jan Knedla, Papilio
The owner and chef of the restaurant in Vysoký Újezd has been gathering experience since his youth and all over the world. He looked at how things work in Michelin-starred cuisine of the French restaurant L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon or the Italian Rosselinis. He also worked as sous chef at the Hong Kong restaurant Amber. Gault & Millau awarded him the 2025 Chef of the Year.
Pavel Býček, The Eatery
After graduating, he travelled to the UK, where he worked for well-known names such as French chef Pierre Koffmann, and in London's Galvin at Windows.
He opened his own business, The Eatery, in Prague's Holešovice in 2017, and in 2021 the business was awarded the Michelin Bib Gourmand. Icons on The Eatery's menu include Pavlova koprovka.
📍 U Uranie 18, 170 00 Praha 7-Holešovice
Khahn Ta, Taro
A chef of Vietnamese origin and native of Jilemnice, Khahn stands alongside his brother, Giang Ta, behind the popular Prague restaurant Dian, tasting restaurant Taro and bistro Pho 100. Khan Ta became acquainted with Vietnamese cuisine during his internship at the Culinary Arts School in Saigon. In the Czech Republic, he worked, at Chef Michal Černý's Story and in Olomouc's Entrée with Přemek Forejt, another well-known Czech chef.
📍 Národní 10, 110 00 Nové Město
Petr Brňák, Dian
A chef with experience in Michelin-starred establishments, Petr now runs the Dian restaurant's kitchen alongside Khahn Ta. In Prague, you could have met him earlier at Nejen Bistro.
📍 Vyskočilova 4, 140 00 Prague 4
Otto Vašák, Essens
This name is famous not only in the Breclav region, where the restaurant is located, but also in Prague. In 2025, the Gault & Millau guide awarded Otto the title of Chef of Tomorrow. Before opening Essens, he also worked in Michelin-starred restaurant La Degustation Bohême Bourgeoise in Prague.
📍K zámčku 16, 691 43 Hlohovec-Sedlec u Mikulova
Jan Malý, Perk
He currently runs the kitchen at Hotel Perk, where diners can visit the restaurant without booking a room. Jan spent years abroad, specifically in Austria, and for a while he worked at Eska in Prague, and later in Olomouc's Long Story Short Eatery. His restaurant is a menu of Czech ingredients and traditions, enticing guests from all over the country.
📍17. listopadu 413/1, 787 01 Šumperk 1
Michal Hromas, Nomadis
Chef, presenter and publicist Michal Hromas, better known as Hugo Hromas, specialises in oriental cuisine. He is currently devoted to catering through the Nomadis project, where he prepares dishes on an open fire and promotes authentic gastronomic experiences, for example at weddings.
In the past, he has worked at Aromi in Vinohrady, or Dahab Mezze in Dlouhá Street. In addition to cooking in the form of modern catering, he is also a journalist.
Martin Jiskra, U Jiskrů
When you head to Strakonice to visit Pavel Drdel's Sůl a řepa, make sure you stop by U Jiskrů, which Martin now runs. The historic establishment, which was known in the past as the Inn on the Imperial Road, was taken over in 2019. Now, it's all about Czech food with a slightly modern twist, and the atmosphere of a village pub.
📍Kbelnice 23, 386 01 Přešt'ovice-Strakonice 1
Tomáš Černý, Dejvická 34
Chef Tomáš Černý's restaurant Dejvická 34 at the address of the same name was awarded the Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2021, and three chef's hats in the Gault & Millau guide in 2025. Tomas started out in the restaurant of the Ambassador Hotel, then spent three years at the Michelin-starred restaurant Allegro at the Four Seasons, where he gained experience under Chef Vito Mollica. He worked as an executive chef at Bistro Kaprova, Prague Culinary Institute, Aromi and La Finestra group in Prague.
📍Dejvická 397/34, 160 00 Prague 6-Bubeneč
David Böhm, El Camino
The co-owner of El Camino specialises in Spanish cuisine and the closely related concept of tapas. Where did he gain his experience? After the Bohemia Hotel in Mariánské Lázně, he travelled through the north of Italy and spent summers in England, where fate threw him into southern cuisine again, meeting Spaniards who invited him to cook at a village fiesta in western Spain.
On his return to the Czech Republic he opened the Spanish tapas restaurant Medité in Mariánské Lázně, which he ran successfully for ten years. This restaurant was the first in the country to introduce tapas as a sophisticated concept, and not just as cold appetisers. In its ten years of existence, it has won many important gastronomic awards.
📍Jagellonská 10, 130 00 Prague 3-Vinohrady
