Zátiší Group comprises fine-dining restaurants Bellevue, V Zátiší (both Michelin Plate) and Mlýnec. They re-opened this week and celebrated with a party for ‘journalists and food bloggers‘ at all three locations.

I don’t know how it happened, but my invitation was lost in the post – I even checked my email spam folder and nothing. To make things worse, they just emailed this to me:

Dear Paul,

At last, after more than 2 months of shutdown, we have lit our burners again, set the tables and welcomed our first guests to Bellevue, Mlýnec and V Zátiší from the ranks of journalists and food bloggers. 

It was truly a welcome and thrilling event, and we recorded it on video.

It was as if an ex-girlfriend had sent me a video of her partying with some handsome six-pack guy on his yacht.

It was then I realised that my relationship with Zátiší was over. Back in the 1990s we spent a lot of time together; mid-week dinner at Circle Line, Saturday at V Zátiší, followed by dancing at Corona Bar. Then Sunday brunch at Bellevue.

Zátiší even gave me a Gold Card as a symbol of our love.

Now I can hardly bear to look at the card, nor the pictures from those times – it’s just too painful!

So where did it all go wrong?

I guess it started when Bellevue stopped offering Sunday Brunch – an excellent spread with copious amounts of wine. Instead they changed to a set menu at Mlýnec. The honeymoon period was over.

Then there was a time we visited our favourite V Zátiší as a group of eight at 6 pm – the offer was food at 50% off until 8 pm. One of our group presented a gift voucher, but the 50% off deal wasn’t available at the same time. We stupidly ended up using the voucher, paying the same as if we’d dined at 8 pm. That was our first fight.

Next Bellevue moved out and only told me the day before it happened – I tried to book one last dinner for old-times sake, but they said they were full. I tried to put on a brave face and wished Zátiší well here: https://thepraguereview.com/2020/01/24/a-new-start-for-bellevue-restaurant-prague/ – it was like coming home to find all her things had gone.

Despite our problems, I tried to offer some support during the Covid crisis, by ordering Zátiší ready meals. Sadly most of meals were the equivalent of ‘yellow stickers’ and I wrote about that here: https://thepraguereview.com/2020/04/15/prague-restaurant-ready-meals-from-v-zatisi-and-sansho/ – I decided this was just a mistake and not a message.

I made one last attempt to patch things up and ordered more ready meals. One was dated the same day, two were too salty and one dish was weird and unappealing – I wrote this: https://thepraguereview.com/2020/05/12/more-ready-meals-from-zatisi-i-wont-be-ordering-again/ – that weird ravioli with coconut wasabi sauce was the mess left of a once beautiful relationship.

Time to Move On

It’s time for me to move on. Prague is full of amazing restaurants that deserve my attention; the lovely and inexpensive Botič Restaurant, the amazing Na Kopci, the quirky Levain and the cool vibe of Satsang.

The most important thing is not to be give up after a bad relationship – open your heart until you find the one.