I was really looking forward to visiting Entrée Restaurant in Olomouc, led by chef Přemek Forejt. Reservations were hopelessly booked for a long time, so I regularly checked the restaurant’s website for any openings. Two days before Christmas 2021, I got lucky and could verify the praise I had heard about Entrée everywhere. I won’t keep you in suspense. Everything.
Entrée offers a choice of three tasting menus, differing in the number of courses, with fixed items. Wine or non-alcoholic pairings can be added to each menu. A three-course lunch menu is also available during lunchtime.
I chose the most extensive menu with nine courses and complemented it with a wine pairing.
To start, warm bread with homemade cheese spread landed on my table.
First course: “Sri Lanka Curry”. Red beet in various forms, curry in powder form on Indian papadum bread. The dish also includes a fragrant stick to create the right atmosphere. However, the staff first asked if they could leave it on the table.
Second course: “Brandade”. Trout with soybeans edamame, wakame seaweed.
Third course: “Pork, black, cabbage”. The skin on the pork belly was beautifully crispy, the cabbage hidden in an emulsion, all garnished with flowers and slices of black garlic. Visually stunning food.
Intermezzo. Asian dumpling filled with Hungarian salami on a bed of fresh cilantro. An absolute gem. An original combination that worked wonderfully, and I would love to have it again.
Fourth course: “Mushroom soup”. Chanterelle soup, flavored with spruce extract and miso paste. Probably the best soup I’ve ever had in my life. Absolutely amazing.
Fifth course: “Katův šleh” made from sturgeon and root vegetables. The potato pancake was hidden in noodles on top of the dish. Everything was seasoned with a mildly spicy jalapeño cream. (“Katův šleh”, literally “executioner’s whipping” was popular low-cost meal in Czech restaurants in 90’s.)
Sixth course: “Beer Dog”. I had never eaten Beer Dog, a specialty made from Olomouc curd cheese (“Olomoucké tvarůžky), before. In a very delicate basket, there was a fluffy foam of Olomouc curd cheese and pickled cucumber, all gently dusted with red pepper. The dish was as light as a cloud without exaggeration. Consumed all at once. Absolutely amazing. Regional Olomouc cuisine concentrated into one bite.
Seventh course: “Beef with Caraway Seeds”. The sauce was unusually flavored with olives and lemon, served with parsley slices. Again, absolutely amazing and the highlight of the entire tasting menu. I would recommend the Beer Dog from the previous course especially to foreigners, and the Beef with Caraway Seeds to Czechs who travel a lot. Beef with Caraway Seeds is one of the most famous Czech dishes, but the preparation at the Entrée restaurant made it a world-class dish. Applause!
Eighth course: “Russian Ice Cream”. Featuring pumpkin, pear, and jasmine. Wonderfully flavored, not overly sweet, excellent dessert.
Ninth course: “Icy Chestnuts”. The second dessert in the lineup, this time featuring chestnuts, chocolate, and maple syrup.
Petit four. Variation on Mars Bar. Chocolate, peanuts, and caramel. Perfection itself.
The atmosphere in the restaurant is pleasant, with tables spaced sufficiently far apart. The service was quick and friendly, with no long pauses between dishes. The kitchen is open, allowing guests to directly observe the bustling preparation of each dish. The wine pairing focused primarily on international wines. Personally, I would have preferred top local wines, but the selection was good, the sommelier’s explanation interesting, and the overall experience was wonderfully casual.
The nine-course tasting menu at the Entrée restaurant in Olomouc cost 1,600 CZK (about 64 EUR), with an additional 1,100 CZK (about 44 EUR) for the wine pairing. I went to the restaurant with high expectations, which were fully met. The visit was an event I will remember for a long time. I rank the tasting menu at Entrée among my top 5 gastronomic experiences without any doubt. I am convinced that if Entrée were in Prague, a Michelin star would come quickly.
If you love excellent food, take a trip to Olomouc and visit Entrée. You will be thrilled!
More information can be found by clicking on the link on the map:
