Francouzská restaurace Art Nouveau

I had the most delicious food I ever had in my life here. We only had time to order and eat two appetizers, since we had to get back to meet a group, but the waiter was unwaveringly nice and accommodating, increasing their efficiency so we could finish in thirty minutes or so. There was a prominent display of Art Nouveau mosaics by Alfons Mucha, one of my favorite artists. If the place had more people at that time, I am sure they would require classy clothes (or at least they would have had the perfect right to).
Before the appetizers, one of the servers came around with a bread basket filled with different types of bread. Usually bread in restaurants is just a filler, having at best a crunchy crust. But the bread we got was of two types, a cheesy one and another grainy one, both delicious, especially pared with the exquisitely sliced butter, which lay elegantly on a small platter like an unfurled piece of silk.
Then came the appetizers we ordered, a terrine of foie gras and a slice of Prague ham. Both dishes were to die for, especially the foie gras. It was warm foie gras, which just burst and dissolved in my mouth, paring well with the sweetness of blueberry and chocolate. After it hit my tastebuds, I felt a mad desire to give the chef a standing ovation. The Prague Ham was delicate and flavorful as well.
Later on in my vacation, I had generous slabs of the famous, warm Hungarian foie gras in Budapest, which were also incredibly delicious. That foie gras was so good that my friend, upon eating it, said that she wanted to weep because it was the best thing she ever ate. I could only smile knowingly to myself, because she had not savored the foie gras from the Art Nouveau restaurant, which was even more delicious, by far.
This Czech French restaurant was even better than any food we had in France. I think the prices were cheap for such gourmet food. It is an award-​winning restaurant, which is wholly deserved.

Francouzska is a gorgeous Art Nouveau restaurant in the equally gorgeous Municipal Building on Prague’s Republic Square. I won’t even try to describe the interior. Suffice to say, I felt like I’d been transported back in time to an elegant 1910 dining salon.
I started with a martini for 190CZK and pondered the menu while I waited for it to arrive. The six course degustation drew me in like a magnet. It wasn’t cheap by Czech standards: 1,990CZK (about $ 100) for the food only, or 3,290CZK with matched wines (about $ 170). I wasn’t particularly hungry either but this sounded so good I just said «Yes» to everything.
Terrine of duck foi gras marinated with port with blueberry compote, chocolate sauce and chocolate shavings was first up. This had been made with two distinct layers. The top tier was firmer with slight undertones of chocolate while the lower half was much creamier and more subtle. It was served with a Graham’s Tawny port which I thought was a little too strong for the delicate flavours of the dish. Nevertheless, a lovely starter.
Next was a grilled scallop served on a bed of sweet pea purée with wild mint, a grape-​sized marinated beetroot, and a wafer thin onion ring garnish on the side. There was a sprinkling of red powder on the side of the plate that I couldn’t taste, mainly because it was pretty much tasteless. I asked my waiter what this was and he told me it was Cabernet Sauvignon powder and was there for presentation not taste. The scallop was soft and fresh and the purée was good, though personally I would have preferred a little more salt in it. This was matched with a 2013 Colterenzio Pinot Grigio from Italy. The wine was light and fresh with a tiny bit if spritz on the tip of the tongue and was very good for cleansing the palate after the heavy texture of the purée. Good match.
Breton lobster bisque followed; gorgeous full flavoured soup infused with saffron and a lobster tail croquette floating in the middle of the bowl. Wonderful. The broth was creamy and delicious and the croquette just added that something extra from both a flavour and a texture perspective. It was the only course that didn’t come with a matched wine which I thought was odd so I asked the waiter why. Due to the language barrier he wasn’t able to explain, but instead returned from the kitchen with an unscheduled glass of white! Just a note on the wine — the servings here are more generous than any other restaurant degustation I’ve tried.
Grilled south Bohemian pike-​perch with dill foam, a slim cylinder of mashed potato garnished with a potato chip fan was next. River fish has always been a little too subtle for me and this was no exception. There were also a lot of flavours on the plate which I thought overwhelmed the main ingredient. Personally I would have preferred to keep it simple and focus on one that complemented the soft flavour of the fish and dispense with the rest. The match on this was a 2012 Phillipe Bourzereau Chardonnay.
The main (and final) savoury course arrived; pigeon breast in a black truffle sauce with baked cauliflower purée and parsnips. Looked beautiful on the plate and tasted just as good. The meat was prepared in two ways; a couple of pieces of pan seared breast plus a little cylinder of minced pigeon wrapped in prosciutto. The latter was by far my favourite. The quite intense flavours of the meat were nicely offset by the subtle purée. This was served with a 2008 Olpaio Rubbia al Colle from Tuscany which was quite nice.
I was full by the end of the previous course, but naturally I still made room for dessert; iced nougat with Michel Cluizel dark chocolate, passionfruit and home made ice cream. My only criticism is that there was TOO much chocolate sauce if that is at all possible. Otherwise, quite nice. The match for this was a Pedro Ximinez el Candado which tasted like liquid raisins. And I mean that in a good way.
Francouzska has immediately made it into my top ten favourite favourite dining experiences of all time. I’ve had better food elsewhere (though let me make it clear the food here is very good) but the setting and ambience of this place lift it to another level. Personally, I’d keep coming back here just for the décor — maybe I was born a hundred years too late. As the The Cure would say; «Simply elegant».
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At 2:50, 10 minutes before the start of coffee and cake afternoon special, I walked in with my daughter and asked if we could be seated for that afternoon special. In truth, I did not need the coffee or cake, I was just tired. The kids had been good sports: they had been walking around the old town and we had forty five minutes to kill before the boat trip. So they agreed to sit us down. For something like $ 10 we got excellent coffee, or milk, and dessert. We each had one set. And the kids were very happy. Also, the bathroom was clean and the A.C. was perfect. The bathroom had cologne spray, the kids dug that. I thought the cake was exceptional. It reminded me the pastries I got in Vienna. The kids had the sorbet, and it was delicious. All in all, an excellent stop before the boat ride. The beautiful décor reminded me of Le Train Bleu of Paris. I guess it would make sense since this is a French restaurant. I would totally recommend parents to take children there just before the 3:45 boat ride pick up across the street.