Perfect Czech cuisine, that’s Kamin restaurant, come in …
Kamin is a new family restaurant in Prague’s Vinohrady district, focused on modern Czech cuisine. The kitchen is led by Jan Macháč, who has experience from Michelin-starred restaurants like La Degustation Bohême Bourgeoise and Taro. His older brother Marek takes care of the guests, and their parents Kamila and Tomáš also contribute to the restaurant’s operation. They proudly identify with their Beskydy (Czech region) roots, and you can still hear a charming accent in their speech.
The head chef’s extensive experience raised high expectations, which were met in every detail. I visited the restaurant for their lunch menu right at noon when it was still empty. Kamin offers more affordable lunches from Tuesday to Friday, with the menu changing every two days. Their regular menu, served on weekends and evenings, changes every month.
For starters, beef tartare was served on toast with caper mayonnaise, herbs, and pickled vegetables for 145 CZK (approx. 5.80 EUR). The toast was perfectly fried, crispy but still moist inside. The tartare was excellently seasoned, and I would rank it among the best I’ve ever had (I love the smoked veal tartare at Mlýnec or the famous tartare at Na Kopci).
Since we didn’t know the menu at the time of reservation and the other half of our party couldn’t have tartare, we asked Marek if an alternative could be prepared. The restaurant was still empty, so we just gave it a try. They kindly offered us a cold pepper soup with cream, padrón peppers and herbs from their regular menu, prepared without yolk. A nice effort to accommodate when possible. The soup was very refreshing and excellently seasoned.
Chicken with pepper sauce with groats, pickled tomatoes and peppers for 230 CZK (approx. 9.20 EUR) as the main course. The dish turned out to be a modern version of this traditional Czech meal. The chicken was prepared sous-vide, making it flawless; the skin was crisped to perfection, and the paprika sauce was smooth and creamy.
Smoked groats were served as a side dish. In fact, as they revealed, Kamin has its own smoker, which they love to use.
For my main course, I ordered a bun with pumpkin and pickled cabbage for 225 CZK (approx. 9 EUR). It was a wonderfully seasoned vegetarian burger, where the meat was replaced by a slice of pumpkin with a generous portion of pickled cabbage and several sauces. The buttery bun was moist, not dry or crumbly inside. Along with the burger, I received an extra portion of napkins, which were simply needed. It was a fully “loaded burger,” where, despite all efforts, fingers did not remain clean. Perfect, flawless, vegetarian “comfort food”!
For dessert, a smaller version of the honey cake from the regular menu was served, priced at 70 CZK (approx. 2.80 EUR). In this variation of the honey cake, you could find honey balls complemented by burnt honey ice cream, salty caramel, and cookies. We agreed that the dessert was perfect. For me, it was even one of the most interesting desserts I’ve had recently. The honey permeated the entire dish, and it was interesting to compare the taste of honey in different parts of the dessert. And for 70 CZK?! Perfection.
Kamin restaurant opened about 5 months ago, i.e., sometime at the beginning of 2023. The name of the establishment is a tribute to the brothers’ mother and also a nod to the English phrase “come in.” The premises are in a former pizzeria, which gave the brothers the bonus of a pizza oven, where they can experiment, for example, with quickly baked buns or apple strudels that also appear on the lunch menu. Both brothers are extremely likable, communicative, and radiate great energy and enthusiasm for their own business.
The interior spaces are not large but feel cozy. Not far from Kamin is a similarly themed restaurant Výčep, which identifies with the Valašsko region (which is very close to Beskydy region), and literally around the corner is a very good bistro Ansámbl. Just as I was thrilled with Ansámbl a year ago, I am now thrilled with Kamin. I would love to experience the brothers’ enthusiasm and the perfect harmony of flavors on the plate again soon.
Visiting Kamin will soon be a must for food lovers in Prague, especially as more and more is said about them. I will return to Kamin as soon as possible!
More information can be obtained by clicking on the map link:
