ZEM Prague
Prague
Recensioner
Dinner at ZEM Prague was one of the highlights of our Prague trip. The restaurant has a beautiful modern atmosphere with a relaxed fine dining vibe, and from the first moment the service felt incredibly welcoming and professional. We chose several dishes from the izakaya selection to start — the tuna tataki was fresh and delicate, the kimchi calamari had the perfect balance of spice and crispiness, and the cucumber salad with mushrooms and sesame was light, refreshing, and full of flavor. Everything arrived beautifully plated and carefully explained by the staff, which made the experience feel even more special. For the main course, we had the potato waffles with smoked cheese, truffle honey, and cashews, which were surprisingly creative and absolutely delicious. The combination of textures and flavors worked perfectly together. We also tried the duck with red cabbage and potato dumplings — rich, tender, and easily one of the best modern takes on a traditional Czech dish we’ve had in Prague. The cocktails were fantastic as well. The Negroni was perfectly balanced, and the gin & tonic was mixed exactly the way a great cocktail bar should do it. What really stood out was the attention to detail — from the presentation of the dishes to the knowledgeable staff who genuinely knew the menu and gave excellent recommendations throughout the evening. A perfect place for anyone looking for modern gastronomy and elevated dining in Prague.
One big “wow”! An incredible spectacle of the open kitchen, where the head chef and his team worked in perfect harmony. Hospitality from Libor was top-notch! The halušky and smoked eel were fantastic! Manager Jan and his service were at a Michelin level. Excellent wine pairing with each course. Zem is a great surprise and definitely worth a visit!
Excellent service! Great Food! However: We were there for dinner. 2 persons, 3 meal course. 7.800 CZK in total. It was good, but in total, especially comparing other restaurants in that price range, not worth the price. Especially the steak was (compared to the price) not worth it. The restaurant was fully booked. It was very loud and sometimes hard to have a conversation due to the overall noise within the restaurant.
We came as a group of 11 people, which gave us the opportunity to order a special menu (see picture). The waiters and staff were very nice and friendly, explaining all the dishes in detail. And that’s basically the only positive part. Although we were 11 people, we received only 8 starters. The Kabocha Salad tasted just like plain pumpkin—nothing more, nothing less. Quite boring. The Trout Terrine had a strong fishy taste. Of course, it’s fish, but high-quality fish shouldn’t have that overpowering flavour. And if the fish isn’t high quality (which it should be at this price), spices should be used to balance it. The Pork Gyoza was okay; the ginger was a nice touch. Karaage was extremely bland. The chili mayo helped a bit, but on its own, it lacked any flavour. Then came the main course—I chose Koprovka. It had several issues. Koprovka is traditionally a soup served as a starter, not a main dish. Here, they tried to present it as a main, but it ended up being neither a proper soup nor a satisfying main. There wasn’t enough dill (kopr), which is the key flavor and aroma of this dish. The color was unusually dark, suggesting they either didn’t use whipped cream or didn’t use enough. Traditionally, Koprovka contains smoked pork, but they used beef cheeks instead—probably to make it feel more like a main dish. I didn’t mind that, as the cheeks were tender (which was good), but they were completely flavourless. When eaten with the dumplings (which aren’t a typical part of Koprovka), the cheeks were barely noticeable. Even on their own, they lacked any taste. I understand the choice to skip potatoes since it wasn’t served as a soup, but the dumplings didn’t work for me. Also, using a hard-boiled egg instead of a poached one felt lazy. Poached eggs are much tastier and would have elevated the dish. For dessert, I had the Cuban Cake. It was quite good—sweet enough, with complementary flavours that worked well together. The biggest issue was that after the starter, main, and dessert, I was hungrier than when we arrived. The portions were extremely small. The first thing I did when I got home was cook dinner. That’s incredibly disappointing after spending around 1,700 CZK (~70 €) on a meal. With each course, I kept thinking, “Okay, it looks small, but surely the next one will make up for it.” It didn’t. TL;DR: Extremely overpriced. Flavours were average at best. After a three-course dinner, I had to cook a second dinner at home because I was still hungry.
We had an amazing date at ZEM. The staff is very friendly and always open for a chat, but also very professional. The location is gorgeous decorated. I am a big fan of tartare and in here i just had my very best!!! I liked the main dish, i recommend the black chicken and the desert was tasty. The food is on the pricy side, but you really pay for an experience, you get a plate very coherent and well executed.
