We followed the footsteps of James Bond, the famous British agent to this unidentified town in Montenegro and our mission, to locate the mysterious Casino Royale. Lo and behold, there it was !
This is really not Montenegro. It is in reality Karlovy Vary, a picturesque town and one of the largest spa town in the Czech Republic.
As it turns out, the beautiful neo-baroque building that was called "Hotel Splendide" in the 007 film was actually Grand Hotel Pupp, a 5-star hotel dating back to 1701.
We had the pleasure of sitting right here, exactly where Bond sat with Bond girl, Vesper Lynd. How special was that!!! It's Christmas day and dining in this palace-like vibe made it even more intriguing.
Our Christmas lunch started off with a small amuse bouche, a lightly seared prawn served with a cream sauce and dill. That was a simple dish but perhaps we were starving at that moment so we found it very tasty.
Next up was my deliciously creamy lobster bisque with a few shrimps on top.
The cream of wild porcini mushroom was also equal to the task. Very rich flavored and creamy texture.
My main course was squid-ink risotto with prawns (again?) and squid rings. It came with a creamy white sauce that looked strikingly similar to the one from the amuse bouche. Not the best presented dish in the world but nevertheless got the job done (We were fairly hungry, remember?).
Jelloman had the crispy duck from the old Czech recipes. The sauce was a bit too watery but the duck and the potato cakes were both fine.
Service has been excellent the moment we walked through the doors. We felt like royalties from start to finish and the fact that we were dining inside such a prestigious dining room on Christmas day made it extra special.
Price: €€€
Address: Grand Hotel Pupp, Mírové Náměstí 316/2, Karlovy Vary, Czech RepublicTel: +420 353 109 111
Website: www.pupp.cz
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