starry night

Our dining out expeditions have waned of late in conjunction with my ever growing belly. As my unborn child fights for what limited space there is inside me, my appetite loses its downhill battle as my stomach gradually moves up towards my throat.

Mr GluttonousGoat turned 35 last week and with our days of freedom slowly slipping from our grasps, we decided to celebrate the occasion with a meal out. God only knows when we'd be able to see any semblance of sleep again, let alone indulge in the luxury of a meal out in town. We took the opportunity with both hands and ran for the food hills.

The Alcron, located inside the Radisson Blu Hotel in the New Town recently acquired its first michelin star in 2012 alongside La Degustation Boheme Bourgeoise. We've dined numerous times at the latter and have had great experiences each time, so the fact that both had acquired the same accolades left us to also expect great things from The Alcron.

The Alcron is an intimate 7 table arrangement seating around 24. When we arrived for our 19:30 reservation, the first thing we noticed was the lack of greeting staff at front of house. We were left standing around for several minutes wondering where everyone was before the only 2 serving staff noticed us and motioned us to our seats - not a good start for a michelin starred restaurant!

After the slight hiccup on entry, everything after that was smooth sailing. The service was friendly and attentive without being overbearing as can be of some fine dining establishments.

You can select from 3 courses for 900kc (roughly translates to £30) up to 7 courses for 1700kc (£58) with matching wines at the same price.
You also have the option to select the dessert painting at a surcharge of 150kc per person which we did. The sous chef appeared with a large piece of glass which he "paints" and decorates and creates your final dessert tasting plate.

l-r: assortment of butters - yuzu, chilli, smoked salt & seaweed

amuse bouche: foie gras crème brûlée

ceviche of scallops, cucumber, chilli powder and hazelnuts

imperial oyster salad with beef carpaccio

roasted norwegian langoustine with artichokes, cauliflower foam, 

fish roe

tuna sashimi, pickled cucumber

lobster bisque with popcorn

scallops with caramelised cauliflower puree 

foie gras escalope, smoked eel & pickled beets

beef flank with miso essence, smoked jasmin potato 

mash, parsnip crisps

sous chef creating the dessert plate

art in progress

the finished product: crème brûlée, coffee nougat, 

orange macarons, tequila & lime granita, mixed berries, 

mango & raspberry puree

Roman Paulus, the head chef of Alcron and the Radisson Blu Hotel pops out for a quick chat towards the end of our meals to make sure that everyone had enjoyed their food and to accept any feedback. We thought this was a nice touch seeing nowadays, most head chefs do not have the time nor are they in the restaurant to actually see through this small, but distinctive point.

Would we be returning? Most definitely. Once we can find a babysitter that is.


the alcron
radisson blu hotel
štěpánská 40, praha 1,czech republic
tel: +420 222 820 000
www.alcron.cz