Svíčková na smetaně is a unique Czech dish in which sirloin is served with a rich sauce made from cream and veggies. It’s on the menu at U Fleků, which is really all the excuse I needed to go back; at least if the food wasn’t any good, I’d get another taste of their amazing beer.
As it turns out, the food was quite good (and the beer was just as phenomenal as last time).
You’re definitely going to want to make sure you’ve got a big appetite for this one; the sauce is incredibly rich and heavy. It’s also served with a healthy dollop of unsweetened whipped cream, just to amp up the already significant richness factor.
It’s quite tasty. The sauce features a nice balance of sweet and savoury, and is given an extra jolt of flavour thanks to the cranberry sauce and lemon that it’s served with.
It seems like an absurd amount of sauce (the plate is absolutely swimming in it), but the fluffy bread dumplings are the perfect accompaniment — they soak up the rich sauce with aplomb. There was barely a drop left on my plate when I was done.
My only real issue with this dish was the beef itself. It was dry and unexceptional. But it was so thoroughly drowned in sauce that it really didn’t matter.
Location: Křemencova 11, 110 00 Nové Město
How to find it: it’s a big yellow building, and there’s an ornate clock right near the entrance.