I have been a bit of a traveller and a dreamer. My more than 30 years experience in the food industry covers a few continents and countries.
I have cooked in Europe, America and Australia.
In the Czech Republic I’ve had under my supervision kitchens in well known places like my beloved Villa Voyta, my lifetime love Radisson SAS Alcron Hotel, and big Marriott and Renaissance hotels.
This journey can be described as a way towards simple and easy understandable food.
My kitchen philosophy is surprisingly simple: Just buy the best you can afford and try to do less to it. In another words, once you have bought good quality ingredients, cook them but never try to make them look or taste like something else.
I feel there is just too much fiddling around with the presentation of food, soulless garnishes and poor sauces. Food often looks better than it tastes, the portions are enormous in size.
Well, I try to ignore all this trends. Our food will speak for itself. It will be at your table as quickly as possible, hot as it can be, with full flavour and without culinary nonsense. We want you to immediately recognize the craftsmanship and professionalism in your dish. It needs to be tasty just by looking at it (yes, it is possible), well prepared and it should make you feel comfortable.
I enjoy talks about food, but one thing is better ... to taste it.
We look forward to welcoming you to the Café Imperial!
Zdeněk Pohlreich
Executive Chef
Café Imperial
The head confectioner of the Imperial Hotel in Prague, Kateřina Fornůsková (27), first attracted the jury of a gastronomic competition with her art as soon as at the age of sixteen. And a few years ago she even drew attention of the manager of the Dublin restaurant owned by the top British chef Gary Rhodes, holder of five Michelin stars.
- In the years 1995-2001 she studied confectionery at the apprentice school and completed her study with school-leaving examination at the hotel school.
- As a student she already underwent vocational training at top restaurants, such as Flambée, and also in the Orion chocolate factory.
- She has been awarded medals in five gastronomic competitions, the first at the age of sixteen.
- In the years 2004-2007 she practiced her skills in Ireland as head of confectionery with Gary Rhodes.
- Since June 2007 she has managed confectionery of the Imperial and Metropol hotels in Prague.
- She has taught confectioners´ art in the Prague culinary institute for lay and professional confectioners.
Lukas Koubek, the F&B Manager of Café Imperial, started his career in 1993 in Canada as a Maitre D´Hotel La Residence Steger.
After having come back, he worked in the Hilton hotel in Prague and for about 3 years in the Renaissance hotel in Germany and then in the Renaissance & Marriott hotel in Prague, until 2007, when he started to operate the Café Imperial with Mr. Pohlreich.
