"Former Cafe de Paris executive chef Ondrej Kyncl is behind Bockem, a quiet respite mere steps away from Prague’s buzzy city center. Set in an early 20th-century building and designed with unfinished walls and raw materials like wood, rock, and iron, the young dining room (with seating for 26) already feels perfectly patinated. Bockem kicked into gear this past summer plating a three-course breakfast tasting menu (320 korunas or $12), with European dishes like croque monsieur and a cheffy take on a classic Czech breakfast, krupicová kaše (semolina porridge topped with cinnamon sugar and ghee). Kyncl’s seven-course dinner menu (1,200 korunas or $51), which debuted in October, embraces a similar mix of European and Bohemian. Expect a modern take on Czech fine dining, with simply plated dishes built on local and seasonal produce, like beets with blueberries and blackberries capped with vanilla-vinegar meringue shards or roasted duck with wild mushrooms, pumpkin seeds, and sour apple." - Kat Odell