Sexy twisting tower！Taste duck breast with gnocchi at Prague’s “Dancing House”

Text and photos byHappy Cloud

Years ago, the first building I wanted to visit when coming to Prague was this "Dancing House" (Czech: Tančící dům). The modern structure by the Vltava River may not quite fit in with the rest of Prague, but looking at this building that looks like two people dancing in an embrace—truly hard to imagine it’s a real, built structure if you haven’t seen it with your own eyes!!

Back then, there was a Michelin-starred restaurant upstairs. Due to time and budget constraints, I could only peek from outside and never got the chance to dine there. But unexpectedly, when I visited again, that long-desired restaurant had already closed down. Although there’s another restaurant on the same spot now, it’s not the same as before... It seems to be the universe reminding travelers to seize the moment—if you want to eat, go ahead and get a table; if you see something you want to buy, just do it. Otherwise, when you think of it again one day, you might regret it!!

That day, we strolled to this famous "Dancing House." It was just as I remembered. Even though I’ve traveled to many countries since my last visit, this building remains unique in my heart.

The weather was great today. The Dancing House’s skirt swayed gently as if still dancing in an embrace, showing no signs of aging or obsolescence. It still feels very modern, located in Prague’s New Town. Trams, buses, and tour groups continued to flow by. On the passing tour buses, guides could still be seen holding microphones, likely giving introductions about this building.

(Dancing House Wikipedia)

After viewing the Dancing House (Czech: Tančící dům) from several outdoor angles, I relied on memory to find the restaurant I had missed years ago. Perhaps it wasn’t yet mealtime, as the restaurant had surprisingly few guests. After being shown to our table, I looked at the menu and the name of the place.

I felt something was off. Was this the Michelin restaurant CÉLESTE I’d missed all those years ago? It didn’t seem like it—the staff’s attire and service were too casual, and they didn’t even require reservations... With so many questions popping into my mind, I still went ahead and ordered. Later, I confirmed that the star-rated restaurant had indeed closed down!!

Ginger & Fred Restaurant is a newer establishment. The place mats on the table were quite interesting, designed like palettes with pens provided for guests to doodle while waiting for their food. This design was really fun. Later, I saw a group of young women dining together. After ordering, some chatted while others started doodling on their mats.

We ordered two main courses and desserts. Since we weren’t keen on wine, we just had sparkling water. Maybe for Czechs, eating without drinking wine is a bit odd. Czech beer is delicious—I should have ordered some local brews next time. The red and white wines here are probably good too, as I noticed quite a few diners ordering them!!

● 《ET News Cloud》 reminds you: Don’t drink and drive, don’t drive after drinking.

The bread paired with specially made butter was delicious. There was also a bubbly aperitif drink—I’m not sure what it’s called—but it definitely did its job of whetting the appetite. We enjoyed the sunset while getting ready to eat Up!!

Before arriving at the restaurant, I did wonder how the interior space of such a building would be. Would it be twisted or fragmented?

It turned out to be fine; nothing too strange. The central space coincides with the onion dome visible from the outside, with natural light shining through.

There’s a door nearby that opens to an outdoor area. Earlier, the staff asked whether we preferred indoor or outdoor seating, but I wanted to experience the atmosphere inside the Dancing House, so I chose to sit indoors Up!!

The view outdoors is pretty nice too!! On a sunny summer day, it’s great for enjoying the scenery and fresh air!!

Before long, the main courses arrived Up!! One dish was duck paired with Italian gnocchi, the other some kind of fish with vegetables. Although the menu had English, I couldn’t quite understand it!! Hahaha, but good food matters more Up!!

The duck had a slightly charred exterior with a hint of caramel flavor—quite unique. Paired with the local way of preparing duck, it was really tasty. Especially the aromatic seasoning that stimulated my appetite!!

The Italian gnocchi, which looked unremarkable, were much larger than I remembered, and the filling was perfectly balanced—ground meat and cheese in just the right proportions. Too much would’ve been greasy, too little bland.

Czech food really suits our taste—not too salty, not too bland.

The other main course was some unknown fish, hahaha, just a whole fish. For a moment, I felt like a cat, happily able to eat a whole fish.

The fish had no head, and the cut was very clean—this is a common sight when eating fish abroad. Foreigners rarely eat whole fish, and if they do, the head is usually removed. That’s quite different from Taiwan’s food culture.

The fish had a simple, clean flavor. Lightly seared on the pan, it let the taste of the fish itself shine. The sauce and side ingredients added different flavors—the slightly tangy sauce complemented the fish well. It was a straightforward dish. The sauce was okay, but not particularly surprising—not bad, but not particularly memorable either.

Compared to the duck and gnocchi, I’d still recommend the other main course—the sauce was more interesting too!!

Chatting with Pipi about this trip to Prague, this city remains as beautiful to us as ever, prices remain friendly, and we still love the feeling of living here. Though there are more tourists now, the elements we love are still here. Sometimes, passing by real estate agency windows, the ads actually make me want to immigrate here!! Hahaha, but we still love Taiwan, are used to Taiwan, and love our hometown!!

After the main course, I asked the staff to recommend a dessert. She suggested a seasonal one. I didn’t catch what it was at first, but when it arrived, I realized it was a rather fancy macaron, with seasonal apricots that had been candied and paired with the macaron—the sweet and sour flavor was delicious!! Paired with a cup of black coffee, it was simply great!!

The apricot inside the macaron had a bit of a crunch. It wasn’t like the soft “girl’s breast” texture, but the chewing sensation of both together was quite intriguing. The marinated apricot on the side was much softer, paired with a special sauce—delicious!! The recommendation was spot on. Suddenly, the dessert seemed even more impressive than the main course. Next time, I’ll come for afternoon tea and enjoy the view Up!!

Just as our meal was coming to an end, we found out that we could actually go up to the rooftop!! There’s a PUB up there, and even if you didn’t dine downstairs, you can still head up. You can either buy a drink for a small fee or simply enjoy the view from the Dancing House.

We headed up, told the counter staff we were diners from downstairs, and she didn’t ask us to order a drink. The onion dome on the rooftop turned out to be like this — a mesh-like, interwoven structure. It was the first time I’d seen it up close, and I couldn’t really figure out its function; it must just be decorative. Hahaha, having been trained in Taiwan to think every design must have some purpose, it seems nothing is purely ornamental!!

Bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun, one side overlooks Prague Castle, while the other faces toward the Vyšehrad area, a more residential district for locals.

Trams passed by and the Vltava River stretched out below. Standing on the rooftop of this “Dancing House,” it felt like a dream, quite magical indeed; it reminded me of Prague’s writers like Kafka and musicians like Dvořák...

After daydreaming for a little while, I headed back downstairs to my seat to prepare for the bill, bringing this long-overdue dinner to a close. When I asked the server for the check, she also handed me a plate of chocolates. Hahaha, so thoughtful. It also subtly reminded us to leave a tip!!

Generally speaking, tipping is expected when dining in Prague, but sometimes in more upscale restaurants, a 10% service charge is included automatically. If you feel the service was excellent, you can add more or leave some cash on the table. Here, a 10% service charge was already included, but there was still a blank field to fill in!!

The prices in Prague are lovely. Our meal came to 1049 KC, hahaha, even cheaper than Taipei!!!(Lunch is even more affordable!!) If you’re worried about the high costs of traveling in Europe, choosing the Czech Republic will definitely let you spend money without feeling a pinch, and you might even feel like a VIP!!

Although today’s Ginger & Fred Restaurant wasn’t the Michelin-starred CÉLESTE Restaurant I had imagined, it was still a delicious and great value-for-money place. Friends planning a trip to Prague should definitely give it a try!!

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Ginger & Fred Restaurant
Website:http://ginger-fred-restaurant.cz/
Address: Jiráskovo nám. 1981/6, 120 00 Praha 2, Czech Republic
Phone: +420 221 984 160
Restaurant Hours: Monday to Sunday, 11:30–24:00

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