History

Svickova evolved in Bohemian bourgeois kitchens through the 19th century. Marinating tough cuts in vegetable brine softened them; the cream sauce thickened from root vegetables pureed after braising. By 1900 it was the canonical Sunday lunch across Czech households, often paired with the family's Pilsner. Now it anchors the Lokal pub menu and turns up in modernised tasting-menu form at Field and La Degustation.

Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy, Eggs

Make it at home

Yield Serves 4Hands-on 1 hrTotal 3 hr 30 minDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 1 kg beef sirloin in one piece
  • 200g carrot, peeled and chopped
  • 200g parsnip or parsley root
  • 200g celeriac, peeled and chopped
  • 1 yellow onion, sliced
  • 100g smoked bacon, cut in lardons
  • 1 bay leaf, 5 allspice berries, 5 black peppercorns
  • 50ml red wine vinegar
  • 200ml double cream
  • 1 tbsp flour
  • 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • Pinch of grated lemon zest
  • Salt and black pepper
  • Bread dumplings and cranberry jam to serve
  • Whipped cream to finish

Method

  1. Salt the sirloin and lard it with bacon lardons, leaving it overnight wrapped in cloth.
  2. Roast the vegetables, onion, spices and vinegar with 500ml water in a covered pan at 150C for 30 minutes.
  3. Add the sirloin to the pan, cover, and braise at 150C for 90 minutes, basting every 20 minutes.
  4. Lift out the meat and rest under foil. Sieve the vegetables and braising liquid through a fine strainer, pressing through every drop.
  5. Whisk the cream with the flour, then whisk into the strained sauce in a clean pan. Simmer 5 minutes, whisking, until thick.
  6. Stir in the mustard and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper.
  7. Slice the meat thinly. Serve with bread dumplings, a generous ladle of sauce, cranberry jam, and a swirl of whipped cream.

Tip from the editors. The marinade is the dish; do not skip the overnight rest with the bacon lardons.

This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.

Where to eat svickova na smetane

Svickova na smetane in Prague

Lokal Dlouhaaa ★ 4.4

stare-mestoUntil 00:00 Mon-Wed, 01:00 Thu-Sat, 22:00 Sun

Lokal Dlouhaaa stays open to 01:00 weekend nights, pouring tank Pilsner and serving classic Czech pub food until last orders. The 70-metre hall packs in the late-shift crowd Friday and Saturday.

Try: Tank Pilsner, Czech pub menu

Tip: Last food order is 30 minutes before close; the smazeny syr is the late dish.

Dlouha 731/33, 110 00 Praha 1

U Modre Kachnicky ★ 4.2

Czech traditional€€mala-strana

U Modre Kachnicky in Mala Strana cooks the old Czech repertoire, roast duck and venison, in two Baroque-era dining rooms a five-minute walk from Charles Bridge.

Signature: Roast duck, Venison goulash

Order: The duck with bread dumplings and red cabbage.

Nebovidska 460/6, 118 00 Praha 1 Book →

Lokal Hamburk ★ 4.3

Czech beer hallkarlin

Lokal Hamburk in Karlin is the river-harbour-themed Ambiente Lokal, the most neighbourhood-feeling of the chain. Tank Pilsner, big windows, the office crowd settles in evenings.

Signature drink: Tank Pilsner Urquell

Food: Czech pub menu

Tip: The terrace seats in summer go fast; book ahead Friday onward.

Sokolovska 55, 186 00 Praha 8

Vycep ★ 4.3

Modern Czech-WallachianChef Jiri Hrachovy950 CZKvinohradyBook 1 week ahead

Vycep in Vinohrady earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2025. Chef Jiri Hrachovy modernises Czech pub cooking with a touch of Wallachian sheep-cheese country.

Order: The Wallachian halusky with bryndza; the Pilsner pour from tank.

Korunni 92, 101 00 Praha 10 Book →

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