I was really looking forward to visiting the Vallmo restaurant, located a short distance from Náplavka, near my favorite wine bar Na břehu Rhôny and Puro Gelato ice cream parlor. The exceptional guest reviews on the restaurant’s company profile and the recent award of the “Crystal Pin” by Google for the best restaurants and cafes in the Czech Republic contributed to my excitement.
The restaurant is open from Tuesday to Saturday in the evenings, and on Friday and Saturday, it is also possible to go for lunch. However, Vallmo does not offer a discounted lunch menu like other restaurants. You can choose from the regular menu and possibly opt for the tasting menu directly. The online reservation approval was lightning fast, as were the answers to questions about the menu.
The tasting menu includes 6 courses, with a recommendation to choose 3 starters, 2 main courses, and 1 dessert. The selected starters and main courses are the same for the entire table, while each guest can choose their dessert individually. The menu costs 2,790 CZK (about 119 EUR) for 2 people, which may give the impression that it can only be ordered in even numbers, but the restaurant prepared the tasting for three of us without any problems. The only exception was the lamb neck, which could not be chosen in odd numbers.
From the beginning to the end, the restaurant manager Jakub Kubíček took care of us in a highly professional manner, informing us about the most popular dishes and recommending the appropriate order. Within a few minutes of being seated, a slice of warm wheat bread with homemade melted cheese was served. Unusual, but excellent for preparing the taste buds for action.
The first starter was asparagus with Hollandaise sauce, wild garlic, and quail egg. The Hollandaise sauce was unusually sprinkled with roasted chopped peanuts. An interesting taste combination that I will remember for a long time. The asparagus was prepared excellently, and the food disappeared from the plate instantly.
As the second appetizer, we chose carp tartare with cucumber soup with gin and sauerkraut flatbread. Probably, like for most Czechs, carp is a traditional Czech fish dish associated with Christmas, and until then, I had never had the opportunity to taste carp tartare, so it was an obvious choice. The carp meat was excellently seasoned, very delicate, and the combination with cucumber soup was perfect. I found the serving of flatbread from the typical Czech sauerkraut as a small side dish very appealing.
Lamb sweetbread, morel sauce, and fried asparagus as the third appetizer. A very distinctive morel sauce, excellently prepared asparagus. Perfection. My first taste of lamb sweetbread, before I had only tasted veal.
Flank steak, asparagus, mushrooms, morel, mashed potatoes, and onion butter as the first main course. Here, the next level of thinking about serving was fully demonstrated, the sauce was poured onto the plate only at the table, and the asparagus formed an effective “barrier”. The morel is chopped into small cubes, and the mashed potatoes are brought in a small bowl.
At the same time, however, there was a slight (and only) disappointment with the toughness of the flank steak. We didn’t want to lie to the staff, so we shared this opinion with them because we wanted to provide relevant feedback. Their reaction was absolutely professional, thumbs up.
Duck breast, confit potato, smoked rhubarb, onion, salad as the second main course. The sauce was served again in front of us. Immediately after being brought, the duck breast and smoked rhubarb on the plate looked quite lonely, strangely. But again, it was just a cleverly thought-out move by the head chef. The duck breast was excellent, and the smoked rhubarb was luxurious.
Because our expectations were high and we had studied the menu and guest comments in advance, all three of us intended to choose the poppy seed pudding for dessert. I eventually succumbed and ordered chocolate cream with cherry sorbet and elderflower blossom fritter. The flower was in a delicate batter, did not absorb an unnecessarily large amount of oil, and so it turned out to be a pleasant, light dessert.
As I mentioned earlier, the poppy seed pudding with grilled strawberries, tarragon, and almonds was the dessert we originally intended to have for everyone. After tasting it, I must say, rightfully so. The pudding was once again effectively served on the plate from a large pot at the table. We all agreed that it was the best item on the entire tasting menu. The combination of the cream with poppy seeds, grilled strawberries, and almonds was amazing. I felt more of a smoky taste in the food and was thrilled. It’s a dessert worth coming here for.
We didn’t choose wine pairing for the tasting menu; instead, we opted for non-alcoholic mixed drinks. It was a great choice. Both the ginger-goji drink and the bitter orange drink were excellent. Each cost 145 CZK (about 5.80 EUR).
We managed to complete the entire tasting menu at a pleasant pace in about 3 hours. Before we left, head chef Martin Makovička came to say goodbye and ask for our opinion.
The experience at Vallmo restaurant is almost flawless. Considering the inventiveness of flavors, the price for the tasting menu, the level of service, and the atmosphere, Vallmo is the type of establishment that would suit a Michelin Bib very well. I’m keeping my fingers crossed, and I’ll be happy to come back for a new menu while also keeping an eye on what’s new in the restaurant.
More information can be obtained by clicking on the map link:
