Update as of January 2014: This restaurant is now closed. This is very sad news!
I was obsessively planning my April vacation to Prague down to the very last minute when I happened across an interesting Facebook posting on the wall of the Mladí Celiaci (Česká Republika) page (loosely translated to Young Celiac) the day I was leaving. I did a quick Google translation of this page and discovered a brand new 100% gluten-free restaurant in Prague. In my weeks of research and freaking out about where I would eat safely and gluten-free in the Czech Republic, this was the first time I read about Restaurace Na Zlaté křižovatce. I was really excited to find this posting and even more excited when the head chef emailed me back (in English) immediately. He confirmed that indeed they opened for business as of April 1, 2011 with a 100% gluten-free menu and open daily from 11.00 to 23.00. I knew this was a definite stop on my Prague itinerary.
On my second day in Prague, I decide to venture slightly away from the main touristy area to find Restaurace Na Zlaté křižovatce for a late lunch/early dinner. I was staying near Old Town Square and this was a 20-minute walk from my hotel. I was a bit nervous as as I wandered down an unassuming street behind the Florenc bus depot, but then I saw one of the best signs a Gluten-Free Globetrotter could see in any country: a big, crossed-out wheat symbol.
As if that sign on the front wasn’t enough, the first thing I saw when I entered this bright restaurant was a wall of Schär gluten-free products. I immediately let out a sigh of relief. In the 36 hours I had been in Prague, I was jet-lagged and my meals consisted of gluten-free rolls, cheese, and turkey sandwich that I brought with me from NYC. I was ready for a delicious traditional Czech meal and that was exactly what I got from Chef Martin Vozár and his staff.
I was pleasantly greeted by head waiter Jarda who immediately introduced me to Chef Martin. I was the only patron in the restaurant at the time so Chef Martin graciously agreed to let me look around the kitchen where I also met Chef Viktor. During this brief tour, Chef Martin explained that everything in the kitchen was gluten-free and that the restaurant worked closely with Sdružení celiaků České republiky, the Association of Celiac in the Czech Republic, to learn about gluten-free dietary needs.
Traditional Czech food is very heavy on flour and bread products, so Chef Martin told me the the goal of this restaurant was to provide delicious, gluten-free, and traditional Czech food at a reasonable price. Chef Martin felt the best way for me to experience traditional Czech foods was for him to prepare me a tasting menu. I was thrilled to oblige.
Throughout the next hour and a half, I was treated like a gluten-free princess. Chef Martin prepared five amazing gluten-free plates for me which he came out to discuss as I was enjoying the meal. I also had my very first gluten-free beer on draft! Celia, the gluten-free beer (translation: bezlepkove pivo) produced by Zatec, is the first gluten-free beer from the Czech Republic. If the Czechs know anything at all, they know their beer and this is really one of the best gluten-free beers I ever drank either from a bottle or on draft.
Here is the rundown of my tasting meal with the rough English translations:
- Amuse Bouche: Homemade gluten-free toast with Italian cheese, onion chutney, and grilled tomatoes
- Soup: Cabbage soup with slices of sausage
- Main Course 1: Beef with horseradish sauce and gluten-free dumplings
- Main Course 2: Chicken on the bone with red cream sauce and spatzle
- Dessert: Strawberry and Star Anise gazpacho with chocolate mousse
Much to my surprise my favorite dishes were the beef with horseradish sauce, the gluten-free dumplings, and the dessert. Additionally, the gluten-free bread was a pleasant way to start off my meal. The flavor and attention paid to these gluten-free dishes did not go unnoticed. In a culture that is so dependent on gluten thickeners and bread products, it was simply amazing to enjoy a traditional meal that tasted so normal but was entirely gluten-free.
As an added bonus, all diners at Restaurace Na Zlaté křižovatce got 15% off all of the Schär products that were for sale in their restaurant. I loaded up on some of my Schär favorites including breadsticks, cookies, and hazlenut wafers. I was too full from the meal, but these treats were enjoyed back in my hotel room later. My grand total for the meal and the Schär goodies was only about $20 USD.
Chef Martin, Chef Viktor, Jarda, Lenka, and Kristyna all helped me to have a very memorable traditional Czech meal in a very safe environment. My only regret is that I did not make it back to Restaurace Na Zlaté křižovatce for a second meal. I would have loved to try their homemade gnocchi and some potato dumplings with apple marmalade for dessert.
Thank you Restaurace Na Zlaté křižovatce for such a wonderful gluten-free meal in the heart of Prague. I have already suggested your restaurant to two of my blog readers who I think have already visited your restaurant. I will highly recommend you to others traveling to the Czech Republic. You are worth the trip!
Restaurace Na Zlaté křižovatce
Za Poříčskou bránou 382/16
Praha – Florenc, 186 00
Telefon: +420 775 110 468
E-mail: info@nazlatekrizovatce.cz
Web: www.nazlatekrizovatce.cz
Thanks for sharing this. I’m glad to hear you were so well looked after in this new gluten free restaurant. The food looks and sounds amazing!
I got a great email from Martin today:
“Dear Erin,
Thank you very much for your article, it is great. All the informations
are correct and we allready had some tourists so thank you again 🙂
Best luck for you and we will be very happy to see you again.
Martin Vozár
Chef”
That’s great! I’ve been to Prague before but my husband hasn’t. He’s keen on a trip there soon so we’ll be trying it too.
Heya, thanks for the find, I had no idea there was any actual gluten free restaurants in Prague. We are lacking one in Berlin but thankfully Prague isn’t so far away 🙂
Thank you so much…we eat in Prague…thought it would just be baked beans and tuna!!
: ) mm
I am so excited – going to Prague tomorrow and realised that our hotel is not far away from the restaurant. Can’t wait to try it – will go there every day!!!
You can check Gluten Free Hotels Guide for hotels in Prague (http://www.glutenfreehotelsguide.com/city.php?id=25 ) that serve gluten free food.
Ate at the GF restaurant twice while in Prague (wish it had been more). The food is delicious. You wouldn’t even know it is GF. You must try the gnocchi – the best I have ever eaten. And the fresh bread is amazing! Nothing like fresh bread! Gourmet GF food… Loved it.
We are visiting Prague next week, and its with a sigh of relief that I found this page! Will definitely be paying a visit (or several) 🙂
Wow!!! This restaurant is great! We ate there both evenings we were in Prague last week. Next to us was a group of tourists who where there just for the good food. None of them eat gluten free but heard the food was great. The bread was incredibly moist and soft. The beer on tap was fantastic – a great pilsner to rival any regular beer I formerly drank in Germany. The restaurant is practically across the street from the Florenc subway stop.
Man!!! I wish I had seen this before. I visited Prague in August. I’m not celiac, just gluten intolerant. I had only just discovered that I was GI and so used my 1-month Euro trip as a last hoorah for gluten products. Ate baguettes, pizza, pasta, pastries, czech dumplings! galore while I was there, but now that I’m back home I’m strictly on a GF diet. Looking forward to perusing the rest of your blog.
The Prague Post seems to be happy with this restaurant as well. Look at their review:
http://www.praguepost.cz/night-and-day/restaurants/11158-review-na-zlate-krizovatce.html
Erin thank you so much for letting us know about this place. When we had previously visited Prague we had had to settle on eating in our hotel every night, afraid to venture much further. We would never have found Na Zlaté křižovatce on our own but the fact that we found our way and I know at least one other couple there found their way via this blog means that it is being a massive help to the GF community. If anyone else is planning on heading to Prague then do not finish your trip without stopping here!
Thank you for letting us know about this restaurant! It was fantastic. Our daughter (5) is an ultra-sensitive coeliac so we can not eat out at both gluten/non-gluten restaurants due to the cross-contamination risks. It was fabulous and we ate out both nights there.
Awesome Thanks for this! I am Czech and have not been back in forever. I was nervous about my celiac disease and whether I would find anything to eat. I grew up with Czech food, so I know how gluten intense it is. This will be my savior while I am there!
For gluten-free travelers staying in Prague for awhile (I’m studying here for 6 weeks) – there is a mall at the Flora Metro/Tram stop called Palac Flora. On the bottom floor, right beside the doors that open into the Metro from the mall, is a DM store. They had a 3ft wide top-to-bottom section of their shelving dedicated to gluten-free products (mostly schar). They have breads, bread mixes, cookies, cereal, and pasta. I *never* found mention of this place on any blog or site I read in the 4 months I spent preparing for my trip. Stumbled across it myself at the beginning of my 5th week here.
Pizza Coloseum in Wenceslas Square has gluten-free pasta available for any of their pasta dishes (it takes about 20 min for them to make it). If you’re very sensitive you’ll want to make sure they use new water (I forgot to ask, so I’m not sure).
As for the restaurant, I was not impressed and very disappointed since everyone built it up so much. Firstly, if you have any other food allergies, you may as well not bother going; it was over-priced for the amount of food I got (two teeny, dry, crumbly pieces of bread and only 4 bite-sized pieces of beef in the goulash). I ended up getting desert because I was still very hungry. The crepe (called a pancake, but it’s not), was amazing and would be the only plus-side to the place.
I am delighted to read about this restaurant! My kids and I will be spending 2 weeks in Prague this fall, and I’ve been fretting about finding safe places to eat. We do have other food allergies, notably my son’s severe tree nut allegy. We adore travel, but eating on the go with food allergies can be exhausting. We managed to rent an apartment with a kitchen, which will be wonderful. Still, I want to experience dining out in Prague as well.
Amanda, I was really excited to find this restaurant too. I am sure you will love it. The chef was really accommodating so if you email ahead of time and tell them about your son’s tree nut allergy too that might be a good idea.
Here are the links to all of my Prague posts: http://glutenfreeglobetrotter.com/category/europe/prague/
Excelent! It was the best food that I had in Europe during my last two weeks. If you go to Prague go to this restaurant. The Bread, the beer Celia, ice creams. Very nice place.
Excelente sugerencia. La comida muy buena, variada y segura para aquellos que no pueden consumir gluten. Si visitan Praga no dejen de ir a este restaurant.
I have just returned from 3 days in Prague and ate at this restaurant on the last night (my birthday) having read your blog. The food was delicious and I enjoyed everymouthful of my fillet steak with dumplings and pancake with chocolate cream and ice cream. My husband, who is not coeliac enjoyed his meal as well. We thought 3 courses and 2 drinks each costing approx £37 was very good value.
Thank you for your reccommendation
Cathy, I am so happy you enjoyed a safe meal in Prague! Sound delicious.
Hi, I was recently in Prague and stayed at the Mamaison Pachtuv Palace near the Charles Bridge. They have a restaurant next door called Amade. The wait staff and chef were great and very accommodating. They fixed me special meals to help me avoid gluten and dairy. It was a nice place, fun staff, fair prices. I highly recommend them.
According to their website, as of Jan. 1, 2014 Restaurace Na Zlaté křižovatce is closed. 🙁
This is really sad news!
Oh no. This is sad news, indeed. We were hoping to return in the fall. 🙁
This is horrible news! Prague is one of our favourite cities and this made it even better.