East End Eateries by Devanshi Mody

Thought you don’t go to the East End for world-class restaurants? Think again. Of course, you’d have to go beyond the EC post code zone, to as far as Eastern Europe’s Prague, Budapest and Bucharest.

The globe-trotting gastronome knows that there’s more on the Prague platter than celeb-swarmed Kampa Park and that “New Prague” is being launched as a gourmet destination. But according to the New York Times already “Budapest Is Stealing Some of Prague’s Spotlight.” Bucharest is coming into vogue again and its age old French connection is making culinary manifestations.

So forget the reputation that Eastern Europe and Prague in particular have for being stag night hot spots frequented by lads on beer-binging weekends. Because nowadays no self-respecting local would be caught glutting on traditional frumpy food or guzzling bawdy beer. This is the prerogative of the uninitiated visitor entertaining outdated stereotypes.

After the luxury-starved communist past, Eastern Europe is enjoying a gastronomic revolution or renaissance and wining and dining in Prague, Budapest and Bucharest have taken on a dramatic new dimension. The flurry of resolutely modern new restaurants fascinate with originality of concept, staggeringly stylish interior décor and audacious cuisine. (What a refreshing change from London where most restaurants look and taste the same).

Young chefs who’ve worked under the world’s best present Must-Do Menus Degustation with copious courses; seven is a minimum, where each course is paired with super sophisticated local wines. Indeed, the grapevine is that Eastern European wines, especially Hungarian Tokays, can compete with the worlds finest. Ethereal creations and intoxicating nectar are to be had in the rarefied realms of Epicurean paradise that is contemporary Eastern Europe. Czech it out!

Even if it takes more than a tube ticket to get there…

PRAGUE

1. V Zatici

Celebrated Czech designer Barbora Škorpilová recently revamped this Prague institution, “Eastern Europe’s Restaurant of the Year 2007.” Expect four uniquely decorated dining areas. The room with swank mirror-panelled walls, eclectic white flying candles and red ceiling lights peaks through a sumptuous satin-adorned window into the private dining area with its ingenious brick-like book wall.

Originals by Špáta, Švabinský, Zrzavý evoke an artist’s atelier, which the restaurant’s name plays on. But lamps embedded in the books unmistakably impart a library look. Food for thought, indeed! The ground-breaking Wallpaper-worthy décor is matched by Michelin-recommended French Chef Jacques Auffrays’s culinary extravaganza and graceful service. A savvy lady sommelier impeccably selects from the restaurant’s unrivalled local wine collection.

2. Allegro

Awarded Prague’s Best Restaurant, Allegro’s for some of the world’s finest gastronomic Italian cuisine. You can even, on request, lunch at 10.00 am: yes, "at Four Seasons, everything is possible. This is the minimum,” mischievously quips the charming Italian Chef. Summoned from Florence to galvanise the city’s culinary scene, he proceeds to do the maximum to titillate your taste buds with creations of extraordinary flavours, textures and aromas, including lyrically light lasagne and sublime tiramisu. True to its name, the restaurant translates Prague’s fabled musical tradition in a symphony of savours. If Vienna offers the sound of Music, Prague it is for the taste of music. It’s worth going to Prague just to eat at this restaurant.

3. Essensia

Prague Mandarin Oriental’s sexy Euro-Asian restaurant is a byword for style- from the suave décor, cool cutlery and table layout to the strikingly presented fare on the “dual personality” menu. Forget the fancy modern European concoctions and go for refined Oriental cuisine with innovative twists. If you’re feeling homesick, they even have Chicken Tikka Masala. But they also do the most luscious Thai Green curry EVER. Who said you couldn’t possibly lavish four hours on relishing Pan Asian cuisine? At Essensia you’ll find you do. Try Czech bubbly and follow with fantastic local wines from the Wine Cellar, that can be hired for private parties- no rumbustious stag dos here.

4. La Degustation

This new restaurant is the talk of the town. Young chef Old?ich Sahajdák who has worked under “Culinary Gods” like Buloud, Keller, Robuchon etc presides over an open kitchen in a historic building. Strenuously recommended is his 7 course Sélection du Chef menu. Each exciting preparation and its complimenting amuse bouche marries seemingly contradictory flavours.

The cuisine pretends to be “Traditional Czech and Mediterranean recipes prepared using modern culinary techniques.” But dishes with la-di-da almond purée, madeira glace, tapioca pearls, olive oil laudemio ice cream et al are hardly Czech. The wines are superb but ladies prefer the sommelier that resembles Brad Pitt and caused confusion during the actor’s Prague sojourn.

BUDAPEST

1. Baraka

The address making the “World’s best tables” lists and which propelled Budapest’s gastronomic scene to international fame is where you’d be supping beside heads of state, royals and celebs be it on the lush, leafy terrace or in plush plum and silver Eszter Gaal interiors. Chef Norbert Biró’s creativity translates in East-West-boundary-transcending exotica.

Seafood is a specialty and black tiger shrimp poached in kaffir lime with glass noodles a signature dish. But feeling adventurous? Try five spice duck breast with mango-papaya, Indonesian black rice and Tokay raisin sauce or unctuous balsamic chibouste with coconut cream cheese mousse and caramelized pear purée on coconut-almond macaroon. Whilst owner David Seboek makes homemade breads and Michelin-star-material deserts, his irrepressibly garrulous and delightfully charming wife Leoro makes conversation.

Savour anecdotes of Budapest expat escapades over dry Tokay- no; it’s not a contradiction in terms. Indeed, the supplier is a young aristocratic heiress who traipses around New York with a backpack containing Tokay from ancestral vineyards trying to promote Hungarian wines.

2. Pava

Gresham Palace’s “Peacock” restaurant is elegance incarnate. This extravagance of slick glass and stunning contemporary art work capturing peacock colours floors you, whilst floor-to-ceiling glass windows frame the Chain Bridge and the Buda Castle. But forget the view and do justice to Budapest’s elite who come here to see and be seen. The visual fiesta perhaps surpasses the restaurants Epicurean feats, notwithstanding the seemingly boundless and terrific-sounding fine dining Italian menu. But if you can find many Italian restaurants classier than this one, let us know!

3. Lou-lou

Tokay or not Tokay? That might be the question. But there’s no question of getting unfashionable goulash chez chi chi Lou-lou. Quelle horreur! Unless it’s refined/redefined Original Hungarian Goulash a la 21st century, “Contemporised classic” is the flavour of the refurbed restaurant where a hypnotising antique wooden horse levitates above the hip bar flanked by a new salon elegantly updated with modern Louis XVI-style chairs.

The “Picasso-meets-Escoffier” menu’s spectacularly presented food looks more like it belongs in an art gallery than on a plate. Think creamy salmon bisque with a salmon mousse dumpling ‘island’ and asparagus ‘boats’ swimming in a sea of soup. The fabulous cheese selection lacks panache beside chlorophyll-soaked zucchini, miso-marinated foie gras, sour cream lolly pops with guinea fowl, Coffee Tuscan and marzipan cake, cashew ice cream and kumquat compote.

4. Onyx

Budapest’s latest craze wows with swish Zoltán Varró interiors and an exciting and extensive menu. Choices, choices. With the menu degustation the agony of choice is replaced by a most outrageously original gastronomic onslaught: goose liver with cacao bean sautéed medallion, terrine with Tokay jelly, lobster-filled ravioli with salmon caviar, champagne and sour cherry sorbet, sweet pea cannelloni with curry and ginger-raspberry salad, duck leg served with foie gras on coffee sauce and purple cabbage jam, Tainori chocolate cake with Royal Tokay Aszu Essence. Sounds whacky but works. No wonder that Lady Chef Szabina Szulló and her four award-winning Chaîne des R?tisseurs chefs are vying for a Michelin star.

BUCHAREST

1. Mju

Pronounced muh-jew, Mju means ‘something positive.’ And has positively wooed Bucharest with Paris-style interiors and French-ified fusion food (Dim Sum, Tom ka Ghai, fois gras parfait with fennel chutney, sushi including veggie options) at French-ified prices.

A 1940s villa is re-incarnated in a minimalist zen-like grey-black-white avatar with baroque flourishes like Italian mosaics and uber-cool chandeliers from Dutch designers Mooi. Zen gives way to pyrotechnics in the form of the brandy-drenched, cinnamon mousse-topped wok-whipped Honey, almond, raisins and banana desert set ablaze before you, which kindles excitement in the most blasé Bankers, CEOs and VIPs.

2. La Strada

This ultra trendy alfresco terrace at the historic Athenee Palace Hilton looks like it walked straight out of Paris and a very smart part of it. Bucharest was once called Paris of the East and it’s evident why from the scandalously chic setting. The verdant enclave overlooks a parade of luxury boutiques flaunting the biggest international designer names as do the city’s glam young things that embellish the terrace, sipping cool cocktails and fingering fashion food or engaging in racy romances. Oh la la….