NAI Prague — Restaurant in Prague

I've been to Ukraine many times in my life and have always admired Ukrainian cuisine and restaurants. Whether it's a high-class restaurant or a simple diner, I've always had a great meal. So when I heard that a Ukrainian restaurant had opened in Prague, I decided to visit with hopes of enjoying a good meal. The adventure began right at the entrance. The restaurant is located in a commercial space of a residential building, and it was assumed that the entrance would be from the street. There were no signs indicating where the entrance was, and we spent a couple of minutes walking around the building trying to find it, while the restaurant staff, who watched us from inside, obviously had a good time, but none of them thought to show us where the entrance was. Finally, we entered the foyer of this residential building, and there was the entrance. The restaurant's design is purely Ukrainian, as is the service. The staff is very friendly, but it feels like they're doing you a favor by serving you. However, they tried... We ordered borscht because it's the indicator of quality in any restaurant that serves Ukrainian cuisine. Unfortunately, the borscht didn't meet my expectations. Instead of being made with beef broth, or if they wanted to save money, pork ribs, it was made with weak chicken broth, despite the portion costing €10. I really hope those were pieces of overcooked chicken I found in this dish and not something else! As I finished the borscht, I realized it was a mistake to order rabbit and white mushrooms lasagna in this restaurant. The lasagna looked beautiful, but it was a mistake to expect it to be prepared right way. The pasta was completely overcooked, the rabbit meat was some incomprehensible mass of unknown taste and consistency, all dressed in low-quality cheese, presenting some porridge-like mass with a slight taste of white mushrooms. No spices or seasonings, no texture... a very strange dish, although it was one of the most expensive dishes on the menu (€17). Some may say it's not expensive, but for Prague, it's already above average price. I decided to give traditional Ukrainian cuisine another chance and ordered syrniki (cottage cheese pancakes) for dessert. Classic! The syrniki were tasteless. No cinnamon, no vanilla, nothing to feel in this cottage cheese mass, which was also not browned enough. They should be golden or light brown color with a crust, but these were slightly browned almost white. What a shame! I hoped for a good meal, but it didn't work out... I won't even mention the dried flowers on the table, which you touch and they break and fall right into your plate, or the way the cutlery is served in some incomprehensible leither folders where the waiters shove them without rubber gloves, touching both the spoon and the fork and the knife that I'll later use to eat... why?! You can simply place the cutlery next...

To be frank, I have mixed feelings about this restaurant. Based on their menu, they present themselves as specializing in contemporary Ukrainian cuisine, which seems reasonable.

Since I don't eat meat, I opted for the risotto with asparagus and scallops (I’m not an expert on Ukrainian cuisine, so maybe risotto is part of modern cooking). My partner went for a more traditional choice with meat-filled dumplings and a soup. The dishes were decently prepared, but they didn't leave us eager to return.

The portions seemed small, possibly fitting a fine dining concept, but I questioned if the restaurant truly belonged in that category. The staff was pleasant, though with more employees than guests during our visit (which was during a quiet period), they appeared somewhat directionless. While skilled and experienced, there was a certain element missing for me. Overall, I left unsure about the place: although the portion sizes and prices suggested a high-end establishment, Nai still has some way to go to reach that standard.

My expectations might have been influenced by glowing reviews, but my friends, including those from Ukraine, shared similar sentiments. Some even offered critiques not on taste, but on the preparation and presentation...

NAI positions itself as a high end, classy Ukrainian restaraunt (at least that is my understanding). It offers a selection of Ukrainian classics - borscht, vareniki, Kiev kotlet, etc. The atmosphere and interior are nice and relaxing and the staff is pleasant and quick.

I ordered borscht, Kiev kotlet and a lemonade: borscht exceeded all expectations - rich flavor and nice addition of bread and salo made a grand combination of delicious awesomeness.

The kotlet was good. Can't say much about it, I suppose because the dish itself is quite simple. But the pea puree on the side was good, it complemented the dish well.

Lemonade was a positive surprise as well - good refreshing mix. Not too sweet, which I like.

Overall, the experience and food were good, but nothing impressed me into thinking that I am enjoying the high cousine (except for the borscht). Given the prices in the establishment, I expected to have a blast, but instead I had a very nice dinner.

I will come back though, to try different dishes and to make a definite opinion. Very curious about those vareniki!

P.S. Make sure to make a reservation,...