Lehká hlava - Restaurant Boršov
Boršov 2, Prague 1
Open daily 11.30 a.m.–midnight
All major credit cards accepted except Amex
222 220 665
www.lehkahlava.cz
If your hands feel frozen and your throat is aching for something warm and healthy after a blustery winter walk near the Charles Bridge, the vegetarian restaurant Lehká hlava could provide you with an appropriate combination of aromatic teas and appetizing meals that may convince you of the truth behind the eatery’s slogan: This is the place where you won’t meet meat ... and you won’t mind.
Lehká hlava, which the venue’s Web site translates as “clear head,” is located in a “fairy-tale building” from 1410. It’s in Prague’s Old Town, just a few steps away from the Vltava River and close to Betlémské náměstí, where the religious reformer Jan Hus preached in the 15th century in a chapel that gives the square its name. The restaurant has been at the historical locale for just over a year.
Even if a bit difficult to find without a map and a good sense of orientation — the restaurant claims to be on the shortest street in Prague — Lehká hlava deserves the quest. In a country often described as a “kingdom of meat,” the eatery is a welcome option for those who lack the hunter’s instinct.
The interior is cozy and simple, but perhaps unsuitable for a fancy business lunch or dinner. The friendly atmosphere is boosted by a large aquarium filled with water plants in one section of the restaurant, while an open fireplace accents another area. A whimsical decorating scheme features tiny colored glass balls and an attention-grabbing ceiling depicting a starry sky. Wooden baby seats show that the restaurant makes an effort to cater to families with children. The music, however, was a bit overpowering at times.
When we arrived around 1 p.m., the restaurant was empty, but it quickly filled with couples or young mothers. Seating is limited to 45, so tables have to be shared, which makes the restaurant less intimate. The eatery has a rotating daily lunch menu for Kč 90, quite reasonable for the area.
We decided to forego the daily special and chose from the standard offerings. As a starter, we tried baked goat cheese with cranberry sauce and walnuts on strips of lettuce (Kč 95). The starter was delicious and left the right space for the main course, while preparing the senses for the delights offered by fresh vegetables.
An interesting aspect of the restaurant was the menu itself, which describes what meals aren’t completely vegan and the options to order them fully vegan. It also has a history of the building, unfortunately only in Czech.
For the main course, we decided for a salad with goat cheese and fresh vegetables served with guacamole, walnuts and lime-honey dressing (Kč 135), and a portion of grilled skewers with marinated vegetables, served with potatoes gratin dauphinois, salsa and spring salad with lime-honey dressing (Kč 135).
One of Lehká hlava’s specialties is the fresh juice of apple, apple-carrot, orange or ginger (0.3 liter for Kč 45-60). The tea specialties — with prices ranging between Kč 55 and Kč 75 — are a link to the restaurant’s recent past, as it was a poplar teahouse until the 2002 floods.
Centrally located and niche oriented, the restaurant Lehká hlava was much appreciated by the reviewer. For those trying to lead a healthier lifestyle by cutting down on meat, the “clear head” might well be an appropriate starting point.
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manager’s insight
Václav Stanislav, 37, and Martin Dobeš, 32, opened the restaurant Lehká hlava on Oct. 17, 2005. Before, the spot hosted a teahouse, but the location was flooded in 2002 and subsequently closed. The new owners of the restaurant try to maintain the tea shop’s tradition and former clients, but their main focus is now vegetarian food. Stanislav and Dobeš were inspired during a trip to New York, where they visited a vegetarian restaurant called Zen Palace. They said the combination of delicious, yet healthy food and the inviting atmosphere made them wish to build something similar in Prague. The restaurant, open daily, takes advantage of its strategic location near the Charles Bridge. The restaurant offers Sunday vegetarian brunches on the first Sunday of every month and intends to expand this option to a weekly offer. “Not many restaurants do this in Prague, and it’s definitely a good direction for our business,” Dobeš said.
the reviewer
Jana Straková, 46, is both a senior researcher with the Institute of Sociology of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic and an expert in first and secondary education with the Institute for Social and Economic Analyses (ISEA). Last week, ISEA published the second part of a study called “On the way to the knowledge society. How shall we continue further?” The study brings a series of recommendations on how the Czech educational system could be reformed in order to meet the necessities of a growing economy. Jana Straková said that a public debate is urgently needed around the future of Czech education, as ongoing reforms lack a coherent vision and aren’t well-coordinated. “No reform can succeed without reaching a consensus in the society that the educational focus should be changed,” Straková said.
evaluation
Commendable: friendly atmosphere, cozy
decorations, various vegetarian meals, baby-friendly
Needs improvement: music too loud, not all teas were available