TRACK

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

The Best Steak In Prague


This is it (pommes frites not shown).

If you're a steak lover -- an aficionado of thick, tender, juicy cuts of beef -- the best steak in Prague isn't to be found in Prague.

You must drive a measly 18 kilometers from Prague 6 to the village of Okoř -- 22 minutes away, according to Google Maps -- and sit yourself down at a table at the Family Hotel Okoř & Restaurant, a clunky name for a truly charming establishment that'll make you believe you're sitting at an inn in the French countryside. (If that wasn't enough, it's even a stone's throw from the picturesque ruins of a 14th-century castle.)

Order the beefsteak filet with green pepper sauce and French fries. Medium rare. It'll set you back a reasonable $14, and comes with some of the best French fries around, to boot.


I started with this lovely salad of goat cheese and sun-dried tomatoes.

Then ask for a bottle of 2007 Bremerton Selkirk Shiraz from South Australia (around $25), a luscious, peppery red full of dark fruits that'll knock your socks off (at least it did mine) and which goes wonderfully with the steak.

For dessert, try the baked pear with a peppercorn crust and caramel ice cream. Also goes good with another bottle of that Shiraz.


Baked pear with a peppercorn crust and caramel ice cream.

The hotel, I am told, uses a local butcher for all their cuts of meat. It's Czech beef, not Argentinian or American, but don't let that deter you. It's quality stuff.

I've never had a bad steak there. Ever.

In fact, I'm hesitant to even talk about the Family Hotel Okoř & Restaurant -- the friendly service, the reasonable prices -- for the usual reason in these situations: I don't want my favorite eatery, unknown to most people, to become a hot spot. But considering its location, I'm betting that is an unlikely scenario.

You can drive, if you don't want to drink, or hop in a taxi, or take the 350 regional bus from Dejvická for a 44-minute ride.

If you're lucky, you'll run into Czech composer and singer Petr Hapka having a meal. He lives in the village. It's rare when we don't see him.

Sure, there's more on the menu in Okoř than steak. (The menu on the website needs to be updated and doesn't reflect the current offerings, however.) But I always seem to order one thing when I go there.

Why mess with success?


The castle ruins in Okoř.

12 comments:

  1. How do they get that wine to the other side of the planet for almost the same price as we pay locally? :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Good question, CH! But I'm glad of it, however they do it. I've got to buy a case or two of that stuff.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yay! This is definitely one of my favorite places too. The steak is amazing ... although I've only ever had just bites of it from others' plates as I always have to get the Norwegian salmon steak with wasabi mashed potatoes .... to die for!

    ReplyDelete
  4. The reviewer obviously has never tried the steaks at La Finestra; properly aged meat and still on the bone. There is no better in Prague and cooked as well as they do it in NYC.

    ReplyDelete
  5. You're right. I've never been to La Finestra but have heard (mostly) good things about it. And your description sounds fantastic. I'll have to check it out. But I bet I'll pay a lot more than 299kc for my steak there (not to mention wine). And a quick check of their online menu actually doesn't list any steak offerings, but perhaps it's a daily special or something. The attraction at Okor for me is an amazing steak in an amazing atmosphere for a fantastic price.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Australian wine is ridiculously cheap in Australia, so much so that we have to export very cheaply otherwise the grapes go to waste.
    This looks excellent, can anyone compare it to Dock House in Prague 4? They have some very good steak and wines there too, but slightly more expensive...

    ReplyDelete
  7. I know Brewsta of Czech Please had mixed opinions about Dock House (http://czechoutchannel.blogspot.com/2010/05/dock-house.html) but I don't think he's been to Okor.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Myself, my wife, son and visiting family ordered the steak at Family Hotel Okor and found it not to be as you described. Ordered medium and came medium rare. Was tough and without flavor. Went especially after reading your comments but was sadly disappointed. Wine was great though.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Wow. I'm really sorry. That's highly unusual. I've never ever had a tough steak there, although I will admit that they do seem to undercook things a tad (medium comes rare, well comes medium, etc.) But the meat itself has never been less than awesome. A judgment seconded by the Prague Post's food writer, Fiona Gaze, the other day: http://blogs.praguepost.com/food/2010/09/14/hotel-okor/

    ReplyDelete
  10. Thanks for sharing. I got an information regarding best steak from your blog. Thank you so much and keep sharing.


    ReplyDelete