Just like the English enjoy their five o’clock tea, the Czechs rarely miss their five o’clock beer. Blue and white collars together rush to the local pubs as soon as the work day ends “to have one,” as they say. By which they mean at least two, of course.
Kyivans now have a chance to check out the Czech lifestyle for themselves. Newly opened Kozlovica restaurant will treat you to a typical night out Prague-style, step by step, as it has all the essentials. Most importantly, beer.
Kozlovica, as the name implies, is a home to famous Czech beer Kozel (goat), brewed in Velke Popovice, a small village just outside of Prague. The restaurant highly resembles a beer pub Kozlovna that can be found in the business district of Prague. The two share similar interior as well as signature goat figures hung on the restaurants’ walls.
The difference, however, lies in the tidiness and neatness of the interior, unusual for a Prague beer pub. Also, Kozlovica’s waiting staff still seems uncomfortable carrying more than three beer mugs at a time, which is a vital skill for pub employees.
Otherwise, the restaurant is spacious. It is decorated in a traditional Prague beer pub style. The walls are covered with dark wooden panels with random images of Velke Popovice and Kozel posters. Famous Czech songs play throughout the night, adding to the atmosphere.
Czechs tend to stick to a particular type of beer throughout the night. But on your first night out, don’t hesitate to try everything Kozlovica offers to find your favorite. They serve dark Kozel (Hr 37 for 0.5 liters), light Kozel (Hr 23 for 0.5 liters) and the mix of the two (Hr 30 for 0.5 liters) from tap. The latter is a traditional Czech drink. Today, however, it is without too many devotees.
The Kyiv Post tasted all three and was especially delighted with dark Kozel. The light beer lacked the distinct hop flavor. It was also difficult to taste the beer flavor in the mix.
In case you can’t find your favorite Kozel, give the Pilsner Urquell a try (Hr 37 for 0.5 litres) or Rezane (sliced) (Hr 37 for 0.5 litres), which is a mix of Pilsner and dark Kozel.
The beer is served in real beer mugs, also available in the volume of one liter. Most importantly, though, it is served fresh. That you can tell by the white circles the beer foam leaves on the inside of the mug as you drink. If your beer doesn’t leave any foam trace, it is most likely flat.
After tasting the beer, the Kyiv Post moved on to the food menu. Kozlovica prides itself on Chef Jozef Chupr, who came to work in Kyiv from the Czech Republic. Under his supervision, the restaurant offers a wide variety of traditional Czech dishes. All of them are served in a peculiar Czech manner – on large wooden breadboards and with tin tableware.
The truly hungry customers should go for a roasted pork knee served with pickled cabbage (Hr 239). The dish should be plenty for two. Those in Kozlovica for a quick bite should give a try to a traditional Czech potato soup with mushrooms served in a bowl of bread Bramborachka (Hr 38). The restaurant also serves a variety of traditional dumplings and sausages.
The Kyiv Post tasted the latter. The platter of assorted sausages (Hr 365) had a variety of seven types of sausages with plenty to eat for four people. Some of the sausages, however, may not be appealing to everyone. Vatslavska, for example, is a blood and liver sausage.
Kozlovica, however, is great news for business lunch lovers. Monday through Friday from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. it offers two lunch specials. A light lunch includes a salad or soup, a main dish, a side dish and a drink for Hr 45. A full lunch includes both the salad and soup, along with everything else, and will cost you Hr 53. Every fifth full lunch is free. Also, every beer ordered “to go” will be given to you with a 10 percent discount.
Kozlovica has everything a good Czech restaurant and beer pub has – tasty food, delicious draft beer and a pleasant atmosphere. The only thing that’s missing is the low Czech prices.
Kyiv Post intern Anna Shamanska can be reached at [email protected].
