Ristorante Carmelita

"The advice of their elders to young men is very apt to be as unreal as a list of the hundred best books.” Oliver Wendell Holmes

People love to rank stuff. Everyone wants to know what's the best, what's the worst, and everything in between.

Personally, I'm wary of top 10 or top 100 lists, even though I've made a few on occasion.

One website that has lists I've found useful is Tripadvisor.com. I use it a lot for making travel plans. I often check their hotel rankings. They are based on extensive user grading and feedback, and they've helped me find some real gems. I also volunteer advice on their Prague forum.

But I've been intrigued and bothered for a long time about their restaurant rankings. Right now, La Degustation is in first place. I've never been to this expensive epicurean eatery, but from what I've heard, it's deserved.

Artisan recently leapt up to the number two spot. Rankings change pretty regularly, based on member responses. There are other worthy, though expensive entrants, with V Zátiší and La Finestra in Cucina coming at six and seven, respectively.

But the current number three is an Italian place called Ristorante Carmelita on Ujezd."That place?" I thought. I've passed it hundreds of times on the tram but barely even noticed it. Given the location and the fact I'd never heard any mention of it I just assumed it was a typical tourist spot.

People wrote reviews using words like "fantastic" and "wonderful" and "fabulous." The restaurant is one of the most-reviewed on the list. And I don't think the writers are shills.

I had to see for myself. My schedule's been hectic lately and I've had trouble coordinating with friends, so I made three solo visits to Carmelita.

The dining areas do have a warm feeling, with worn wood flooring, brick walls, lots of browns and yellows, and Pottery Barn-style kitsch.An Italian crooner was on the sound system.

I belatedly discovered the upstairs section is for smokers when the people at the table next to me asked for an ash tray.I started with a .4 liter glass of Pilsner Urquell (43 CZK). It tasted fine.Perhaps some people aren't aware that it's not a half-liter glass. I'd prefer the larger size.

Three slices of bread arrived with soft, seasoned butter. They looked a little lonely in the big basket.The bread was good quality, but also chewy and not the freshest.

The short list of starters was pretty standard and basic: beef carpaccio, salmon tartare, bruschetta, and Parma ham with mozzarella.

I settled on the grilled goat cheese salad with grilled vegetables (169 CZK). Not good.The warm, tangy cheese itself was fine, but I don't award many points for selecting and heating cheese properly. Everything else was just sad.

Given the decent bread I had in the basket, I couldn't understand why they'd park the cheese on top of that cheap, white, supermarket toast. The "grilled vegetables" consisted of two dry, pan-blistered slices of eggplant and two slices of zucchini with no discernable seasoning.

Under that was water-soaked, undressed lettuce. There was oil and balsamic vinegar on the table for me to dress it up.

For a main course, I picked my regular favorite and what I had last week at Mirellie in Vinohrady: the risotto frutti di mare (169 CZK).The rice was cooked properly and al dente. It was a very generous and filling portion. There was also onion and leaf parsley. The low price is hard to beat.

But there were plenty of problems. There was an overabundance of tomato sauce mixed in that was really too sweet for me. The seafood itself wasn't good. The shrimp were small and overcooked, and most of the calamari was rubbery and fishy. Oddly, a few of the rings were more tender and tasted fresher. The mussels, without shells, also seemed past their prime.

This risotto may look like others I've had around town, but Mirellie's and Kogo's are far superior.

I paid 380 CZK without tip for this first trip. I didn't get quality, but I definitely got quantity. I couldn't even finish the risotto if I had wanted to.

On my second visit, I went downstairs.The warm design is the same as upstairs.

On one side of the room is their wood-burning pizza oven.One thing that many travelers take special note of is the fish tank.There are some large, colorful specimens in there.

I decided to see what they could do with the bruschetta (89 CZK).This time they used the good bread underneath. The fresh tomato and basil, with a touch of vinegar, was fine if uninspiring.

The other bruschetta really had no other flavor beside the most basic type of mushroom. It was totally bland and boring and needed salt.

I'd read a review by one traveler who raved about the steak, so I ordered the beefsteak, green pepper sauce, and roasted potatoes (369 CZK).At last, I found something to agree on with the tourists. It was great.

The meat was amazingly tender. I could easily cut the most beautiful slices with the less than sharp steak knife. The beef was cooked perfectly medium-rare as requested, which brought up its excellent flavor.I loved the crispy, buttery potatoes underneath.

The only fault I found was with the creamy pepper sauce. Initially, it tasted too salty, but I got used to it after a few bites. In the end, I cleaned my plate.

As full as I was, I still decided I needed to eat a dessert. I ordered the ricotta cheesecake (79 CZK).For some reason, I imagined I'd get a dainty little slice, but it was a huge piece, covered with a dark berry syrup-compote.

This cheesecake was fantastic. The waiter assured it me it was homemade. The dessert was light, creamy, not overly sweet, and had the clear texture of ricotta I was hoping for. I wish there were more ricotta-based desserts in this town.

The bill for this visit was 580 CZK without tip.

I went back one more time, and since the weather was fine, I sat out in front.It's pretty noisy with all the cars and trams going by, but also a good spot for people watching.

I asked for a .33 liter bottle of Mattoni mineral water.It was room temperature, not chilled. I hate that.

I had to check out one last item that got a lot of positive mentions: the pizza. I ordered the "Messicana" which comes with onions, pepperoni, jalapenos and I asked them to leave off the egg on top (152 CZK).These toppings are rather overwhelming, flavor-wise. So I made sure to get a good taste of the tomato sauce by itself. It tasted of tomato and salt and not much else. Just OK.

The cheese was unremarkable. The crust was a serious weak point. It was thin, chewy, boring, and the kind you'd find at dozens of other generic pizza places around town.

I had a couple of good dishes, but my overall assessment is that Ristorante Carmelita is nowhere close to deserving even a top ten ranking among Prague restaurants.

Yes, their prices are very good for a prime tourist area. They don't skimp on portions. Service was efficient enough. It's not a bad looking spot. I can understand tourists being relieved at finding such a place, after all they've heard about rip-off restaurants in Prague. And of course, they don't know the many better quality places that aren't in the tourist zone.

Still, I'm left mystified. Why is it that Carmelita has 95 user reviews on Tripadvisor, and its next-door neighbor, Luka Lu, only has one review and is ranked 409th out of 964 restaurants?

By my reckoning, Luka Lu is clearly a better restaurant overall. The food is much more consistent and tasty, the prices are similar, and the outside seating in its back garden is better.

Lists can be useful at times, but this type of disparity makes this ranking rather unreal for me.

My advice: Don't believe everything you read on the Internet.

Ristorante Carmelita
Ujezd 31
Prague - Malá Strana
Tel: (+420) 257 312 564

Pepe Nero Ristorante & Pizzeria

"Pizza is a lot like sex. When it's good, it's really good. When it's bad, it's still pretty good." Unknown

I've been hearing about Pepe Nero for a long time. A couple of years back, their pizza won The Prague Post's contest for the best in town. In a recent newspaper interview, Prima TV chef Emanuel Ridi of Da Emanuel ranked it among the best three pizzas in town, along with Pizza Nuova and Rugantino.

So there you have it -- lots of buzz for this pie. And I've read the restaurant is a favorite of Prague's Italian community. But you know me, ever the contrarian. I had to see about this myself.

I got Jersey Girl and the Englishman to brave the cold on, yes, another snowy day in Prague. The restaurant is just across from the InterContinental Hotel, where I had brunch not long ago.Pepe Nero's interior is light and bright, with blonde floors, blonde chairs, and semi-nude brunettes on the walls. Very Italian.We started off with drinks. The Englishman had a half-liter of Pilsner Urquell (70 CZK). Jersey Girl had a .2 liter glass of Italian merlot (80 CZK). She said it was smooth and slightly sweet.I stuck with a bottle of Mattoni mineral water (40 CZK).

Jersey Girl had a small, mixed salad (50 CZK).She dressed it herself with balsamic vinegar and olive oil that was on the table.

The Englishman said he thought the best test of a restaurant's pizza-making ability is to order the classic Pizza Margherita, so that's what he got (165 CZK).Jersey Girl got the Bufalina (240 CZK). It's essentially the same as the Margherita, but with mozzarella di bufala instead of cheese made from cow's milk.The yeasty crust was crispy and relatively thick for a Neapolitan pizza. A recent review on Eat Drink Prague called the tomato sauce sweet. But perhaps that was an anomaly. Jersey Girl and I both thought the finely chopped tomato puree was on the tart side. She thought it was a little too much, but I felt it balanced out well with the other flavors. The sauces also had a hint of basil, but it was fairly muted.

The mozzarella di bufala had a better, clearer flavor, but I'm not sure it was worth an extra 75 CZK.

Of course, I had to sample a few other things on the menu, so I ordered one of my favorite dishes, risotto alla pescatora (270 CZK).The high-quality Carnaroli rice was perfectly al dente and studded with fresh pieces of calamari, clams, and mussels. Parsley was cooked up in the mix. Overall, the flavor was very good.

But there were also a couple of problems. First, one or two of the mussels were a little less than fresh, with a strong fishy flavor. Second, one of the clam shells had shattered during cooking. It wasn't visually obvious, but after a couple of bites, I was picking out shell shards from my mouth. Not pleasant.

I'd still say my favorite version was the more complex, more tomato-based version served at Kogo in Slovanský dům (295 CZK).That dish also contained shrimp and occasionally langoustine and benefited greatly from fresh-torn parsley, rather than cooked. But I haven't eaten there in a long time. Unfortunately, they became inconsistent in their preparation. On a good day, though, it was the best.

I wondered how they handled meat, so I ordered the grilled entrecote (390 CZK).The meat had a light, almost veal-like color, and it sat almost alone on the plate with just some tomato slices and lettuce. Even at this price point, side items were extra.

When I ordered, the waitress asked if I wanted it cooked to medium. I told her I'd like it medium-rare. Instead, it came out medium, or even a bit past that point.That was a shame because it was a high-quality, very tender cut of meat.

I was also disappointed with the seasoning. It was cooked in olive oil, which was nice, but the beef was bland and undersalted. I added salt myself, but it took me a few attempts to get the level right, and it would have been so much better if it was properly seasoned just before cooking.

I felt this steak had great potential, but it didn't live up to it because of inattentive preparation.

I thought I should sample a dessert and didn't feel like something as heavy as tiramisu, so I had the panna cotta (90 CZK).I was disappointed. The texture was very rubbery. The sweet, condensed milk was just too simple, and the chocolate lightly drizzled on top added almost nothing to the flavor.

Jersey Girl had an espresso (50 CZK).I had a latte macchiato (60 CZK). Both of us found the coffee to be very bitter.

Let's come full circle, so to speak, and consider the main question here: does Pepe Nero have the best pizza in Prague?

First of all, "the best" is such a subjective term, and I don't like to use it. I prefer to talk in terms of "favorite," which is less imposing.

But having been to Naples last spring, I think it is interesting to compare Neapolitan-style pizzas to the one I had at Da Michele.That simple pie was a revelation, with each humble ingredient singing like Pavarotti.

Da Michele's pizza did have a thinner crust, and there was much more of a char on it. It had a very smoky flavor. The sauce tasted more of basil. The San Marzano tomatoes distilled the very essence of the fruit.

In my opinion, Pepe Nero's pizza comes close to this standard, but not as close as the Pizza Margherita done by Ambiente's Pizza Nuova. This is the Diavola, but it looks similar to the Margherita, which I didn't have a picture of. Their pizzas are also certified "La Verace Pizza Napoletana," and it's the most similar to Da Michele's.

That said, I've had a lot of experience with Pizza Nuova, and while I've had a couple of great pizzas there, it can be inconsistent. Often, that restaurant's pies will get oily and soggy in the middle and turn into a mess.

That wasn't a problem with Pepe Nero's somewhat thicker crust. That pie had more and thicker cheese, but that also resulted in some of it not being melted all the way through and pulling off in strips with some bites.

While I wouldn't compare the pizzas from Pepe Nero or Pizza Nuova to good sex, both are really good.

Declaring a favorite is a tough call, and when I finally do a round up of all the pizzas I've tried in Prague, you'll hear my final answer.

So you could say that these are just tease pizzas. Like a few other things I can think of, you might enjoy my verdict more if you have to wait for it.

Pepe Nero Ristorante & Pizzeria
Bílkova 4
Prague 1
Tel: (+420) 222 315 543

Ambiente Ristorante Pizza Nuova

"'Tis no man. 'Tis a remorseless eatin' machine!" Captain McAllister, owner of The Frying Dutchman (The Simpsons)

All you can eat pizza and pasta? Sounded like a fool's game to me.

That's what they offer at Ambiente Pizza Nuova near Náměstí Republiky.I'd been to the spacious, cafeteria-like restaurant a number of times.But each time, I avoided the pizza and pasta.

Instead, I got the "try as much as you can" antipasti buffet (285 CZK).It was not a typical salad bar, with lots of quality stuff.

They had a variety of salads like Caprese.But there was also grilled and non-grilled vegetables, marinated fish, beef carpaccio, and several cheeses, including a giant block of Parmigiano-Reggiano that you can chip away yourself. And bread, too.

I always thought this was a great deal and one of the healthier options in the area. Right next to the salad bar, fresh fish on ice is out for inspection.But for some reason, the thought of stuffing myself to the gills with pizza and pasta didn't appeal to me. I wasn't planning on running any marathons, and felt no need to explore my carbo-loading limits.

The full title of this Ambiente restaurant is "La Verace Pizza Napoletana," and I wanted to test the claim on their oven that it's the real thing.I went with G-Man and a couple of other people. He got the Pizza Diavola (185 CZK).The menu says it comes with spicy Ventricina salami, fresh cow milk mozzarella, San Marzano tomatoes, fresh basil, Grana Padano cheese, olive and sunflower oils.

It was one of the best European-style pizzas I've had in Prague. Very close in quality to the one we had at Naples' Da Michele. There was a nice char on the crust from the hot oven. If there was one big fault, it was that the oil caused the crust to go soggy rather quickly.

I then tried the Pizza Marinara (155 CZK). This was THE best pizza I've had in Prague.I know this is a classic style in Italy, but I'd never tried one before. Until this experience, I had held a irrational and preconceived notion that it couldn't be a pizza without cheese.

How wrong I was. This pizza was just amazing, my hands down favorite. The imported tomatoes, along with the basil, were very good on the Diavola, but they were muted and overshadowed by the cheese and pepperoni.

On the Marinara, these flavors were up and singing. When combined with the slightly blackened, fully crisp crust, I could not get enough of this one.

With my low expectations effectively raised, I decided to return another day for the unlimited pizza and pasta option (295 CZK before 6pm - 328 CZK after 6pm).This time, G-Man got the Pizza Margherita Classica (188 CZK).You can also get it with bufala mozzarella (245 CZK).

The Classica still had a slight soggy crust issue in the middle, but flavor-wise, it was top notch. I'd even recommend this simpler pizza over the Diavola. But the Marinara remains my favorite.

Once I set the all-you-can-eat machine in motion, the food came fast and furious. Almost too fast.You can always turn down something on offer, but when I came in, hungry and curious, I took on everything.

The servers carry small pans with freshly cooked pasta. I imagined it would be bad, but it really was well executed.

The gnocchi with porcini and cream had really distilled the lovely taste of the mushrooms.I much appreciated the Penne Alla Checca.The flavor of the tomatoes and basil had the similar enticing intensity found on the Pizza Marinara. There was also mozzarella and extra virgin olive oil in the mix.

I had Penne All´Amatriciana. The tomato flavor stood above the barely noticeable pancetta. But there was a respectable sharpness from the chili peppers.

I really enjoyed the Ragu Napoletana fusillata. Veal and pork were slow-cooked with red wine, basil and Grana Padano cheese into a fork-tender mound. It was a little salty, but oh so rich in flavor.

The seafood pasta was fresh and delicious.It had a coating of olive oil and, interestingly, what I thought might be a hint of orange, but could not be sure. It was superior to most of the bland versions I've had elsewhere.

There was a Penne Alla Tagliata. It was simple but delicious with good quality beef, rucola, tomato, garlic, Parmesan, and rosemary. With every dish I tried, the pasta came out al dente, never overcooked.

Things went less well on the pizza side. I took on the Capricciosa.The slice had a small amount of mushrooms, ham, and artichokes. But as I indicated before, with these pizzas, less is more.

Again, it got limp pretty fast, and it is a shame to cover up the quality that lies underneath.

I had a white pizza with cheese, with only chopped fresh tomato and basil.This was much better. The flavors were more clear, the crust more crisp.

While getting all the pizza and pasta I wanted was no problem, getting drinks was another matter altogether.

We were drinking beer. They have Staropramen. I was drinking Granat. They also serve Stella Artois.

It appeared that different waiters were responsible for drinks. On both visits, it was hard enough to get the first round delivered. The second round proved near impossible.

In fact, on our second trip, I had to chase down the manager to order a beer. And it still never arrived.

As we asked for the check, I told him to cancel it. He realized his lapse and apologized profusely as we left.Yes, I started with low expectations and was very pleasantly surprised at the great quality that came along with the great quantity of food.

They really do pack a lot of great flavors into almost every dish. That can't be easy when there are so many different variations going to so many customers, one pan at a time.

I'd love to go back for the Pizza Marinara. And almost any of the pastas, but perhaps the Ragu Napoletana.

It was great to be able to sample such a wide range of dishes for such a good price. But I wouldn't do it again. I felt less than well when I was done.

Rumors to the contrary, I’m no eating machine. And in the all-you-can-eat game, it’s hard to beat the house, however good the cooking.

I always end up eating too much and leaving full of both food and, yes, a little remorse.

Ambiente Pizza Nuova
La Verace Pizza Napoletana
Revoluční 1
Prague 1
Tel. (+420) 221 803 308