Reading time: 4 minutes 
Summary for: A new summer menu lands in one of Prague’s most atmospheric dining roomsLike many landmarks in the Czech capital, NH Collection Prague Carlo IV’s best-kept secrets are hidden within its Neo-Renaissance walls, starting with its intriguing backstory.
Long before this imposing palace along Senovážné Náměstí, a short walk from the main train station, was reconstructed into one of the city’s top luxury hotels, it housed a bank and later served as Prague’s most notorious post office.
The property’s understated mix of old-world charm and contemporary elegance has also provided a nice background for a number of Hollywood films. Today, you can sip on signature cocktails bearing names of the movies made here in the grandeur of the 1890 Bar.
The hotel is now embracing a new chapter.
While the hotel’s conference area and spa facilities are popular draws, the famed 1890 Restaurant & Bar has been getting rave reviews lately, thanks to its menu that offers a fresh, innovative approach to traditional Czech recipes.
Josef Votoček, the new Executive Chef for NH Collection Prague Carlo IV, is leading the charge. His unique touches to the restaurant’s signature dishes are heavily influenced by his experience working in Michelin-starred restaurants and several upscale hotel kitchens.
The chef prioritizes local ingredients, pairing them with original and harmonious flavors from around the world. However, Czech inspiration is predominant in many of the dishes.
"Trends always come back around, but I believe guests will increasingly want to know about the ingredients in their meals—where they come from and how they were grown. People are paying more attention to quality,” says Votoček.
The à la carte menu is refreshed every season, and this summer’s edition is among its most confident yet. Expect dishes like scallops with cucumber, tarragon and oyster emulsion; sea bass with ginger, roasted tomatoes and aubergine purée; and the chef’s signature, beef shoulder with dill sauce, buttered potatoes and dill espuma, a refined take on one of the most beloved flavor combinations in Czech cooking.
Desserts are equally considered: the apricot tarte tatin with thyme and curd ice cream is a quiet highlight, as is the honey ice cream made from the hotel’s own rooftop beehives. The hotel keeps its own beehives high above the streets of Nové Město, where the natural sweetener finds its way across the property’s exclusive amenities.
In the treatment rooms of Carlo IV Wellness & Spa, a honey-based scrub has become a guest favorite. The bar team has also recently developed a honey cocktail, adding one more chapter to what is becoming a quietly charming story about a hotel that takes its ingredients seriously, from rooftop to plate to wellness center.
For those who want to experience the full range of Votoček’s cooking in a single sitting, the à la carte menu can now also be enjoyed as a five-course degustation menu with wine or non-alcoholic pairing. Full details and reservations are available online.
“The atmosphere of the restaurant and the hotel is very pleasant and unique. I would love to bring that feeling to the plate, allowing our guests to forget everyday worries and enjoy wonderful moments with excellent food,” says Votoček. “The concept is simple—to work with a few suppliers who put their heart into their work and show that even local Czech ingredients have world-class quality.”
Dining at 1890 Restaurant & Bar is like stepping back in time. Situated off the hotel’s grand lobby, with its soaring ceiling and dominant black alabaster Ionic pillars, you get a real sense of the spot’s storied past.
Designed by Viennese architect Achille Wolf and built in 1890 for the First Czech Land Mortgage Bank, the building retains much of its original 19th-century design embellishments and distinctive ambience.
Sleek, stylish and surprisingly intimate, the space has since undergone several modernizations yet still speaks of a bygone era.
In addition to helming 1890 Restaurant & Bar, whose name refers to the year the palace opened, Votoček also oversees another slice of the hotel’s rich history.
The Vault Lounge is a recently reimagined space tucked discreetly off the lobby entrance. It takes its name from what it once was: the original vault of the First Czech Land Mortgage Bank.
The room has been transformed into one of Prague’s more seductive small venues, with plush interiors in deep ruby and dark green, tropical accents, and an atmosphere that feels genuinely set apart from the city outside.
Champagne, curated tastings, and a broader drinks program make it a destination in its own right, while its intimate capacity of up to 20 guests makes it a sought-after choice for private celebrations, wine evenings, and small events.
Summer in Prague is short and worth savoring. Whether you come for a leisurely à la carte lunch, an evening degustation with wine pairings, or a late nightcap in the Vault Lounge, 1890 Restaurant & Bar offers something increasingly rare in a city full of options — a room with genuine history, food that respects its roots, and the kind of atmosphere that makes you want to stay just a little longer.
