I say luckily since I ended up having one of my worst days of vertigo while in Prague and being able to rest and recuperate in such a beautiful environment definitely helped. What otherwise is a pretty miserable experience was made all the more bearable by staying in such a special place. Usually, you aren’t in your hotel room all day when travelling, so my almost full day in the hotel really gave me the chance to appreciate all the little details and comforts this place provides its guests.

Location

One of the most important aspects of a hotel after comfort, is always location. Being able to pop out of your place in the morning and get the right to exploring the city is super convenient. It’s only a 10-minute walk to the Old Town square and 12-minutes to the Charles Bridge. But the hotel is located just enough outside the busy tourist centre that it feels more like living in an authentic Czech neighbourhood. And you don’t have the loud voices of crowds of travellers waking you up at all hours.

History

Hotel Elite Prague, located along a peaceful cobblestone street, is set inside a 14th-century old monastery. So much of the old building has been preserved, so you feel like you are staying in a piece of Prague’s history. In 1723 the building was used as a guesthouse during the coronation of King Charles VI. Everywhere you look it feels like there is a story to be told and history is simply steeped inside the walls of this hotel.

Rooms

There is something about staying inside a piece of history that adds a spectacularly unique touch to your experience. The dimly lit hallways feel romantic, like you staying inside an ancient manor house. 

The renovations made to bring the 14th-century building up to modern standards are pretty seamless. Each room provides all the mod-cons you’d expect from a hotel. The bathrooms are clean while still being a bit modest, which is much more budget-friendly. It’s always lovely that a hotel with this much history is also financially accessible to more travellers. So often, historic hotels are pretty pricey and therefore not an option for many people. But the Hotel Elite tries its best to scale back where it can, to allow its price point to be more accessible.

The standard rooms are beautifully decorated but if you really want to splash out, go for the Renaissance style suites! We booked one of these rooms as the ceilings featured the most elaborate paintings from the 17th century. These pieces are actually protected by the Town Hall as a historical monument of Prague. Dotted throughout the hotel are collectibles, original furniture, and antique parquet floors, which add to the building’s historical atmosphere.

Breakfast

Depending on your booking, breakfast may or may not be included. If your breakfast is not included, it costs 225 CZK per person (around $10 USD). While we had this included in our stay and thoroughly enjoyed it, I wouldn’t pay that much if you had the choice. They have everything you’d expect from a breakfast buffet; cereals, fresh fruit, pastries, cold cuts and made to order omelettes. But for $10 USD, I think you can go out somewhere else in Prague and have a much more authentic breakfast. Compared to the price of the full meals at their restaurant you do feel there is a “tourist tax” employed here for the breakfast menu.

Élite Garden restaurant

Located in the hotel’s courtyard is the Élite Garden restaurant, which specializes in traditional Czech cuisine. The open-air garden was a wonderful place to come and have a drink at night or enjoy a snack in the middle of the day. The delightful greenery and charming statues surrounding the courtyard make for the loveiest dining experience.

The restaurant uses ingredients from local producers and farmers and blends traditional recipes with modern culinary trends. Their lunch menu featuring a 3-course meal is only 145 CZK per person ($6 USD), which is even cheaper than the breakfast! Their dinner menu is ala cart but has a selection of seasonal offerings, which are always my go-to! I loved the grilled spicy pork ribs with cabbage salad and horseradish! For only 195 CZK ($8 USD), its an amazingly filling meal!

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Facilities

In addition to the beautiful garden courtyard where guests can relax outside, there is a small spa on-site. There is an extra cost to use facility but at 500 CZK per person ($20 USD) I would give it a miss. Inside you’ll find a small spa with a sauna and whirlpool. But when I say small, I mean small as the facilities are just big enough for 2 people. This seems super overpriced so we skipped this altogether. They also seemed to offer massages, but these came with mixed reviews.

If you’re looking for a spa experience in Prague, I would recommend Sauna Central. For 2 hours inside the spa, it costs merely 375 CZK ($16 USD). Their facilities include 4 saunas and 1 steam room, a cooling pool, a relaxing cafe and even options for a private wellness room. These private rooms are perfect for couples and include your own private sauna and jacuzzi. These rooms cost 1000 CZK for 1-hour but for two people.

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Accessibility

The elevator serves one side of the hotel and there is a way to cross to the other side. Ask the front desk staff for help accessing it should you require the elevator.

Staff

Although we found that not all the staff members spoke English, you are after all in another country, so some communication difficulties are to be expected. But the staff were always incredibly kind and patient. They even were a great help to me when I wasn’t feeling well and aided us to find a pharmacy and figure out what to ask for.

All in all, the Hotel Elite in Prague was such a highlight of our time in the city. I sincerely hope to go back and stay in another room to experience another side of the history hidden in those walls.

Let me know in the comments where you’ve stayed in Prague and what you recommend. Or, if you’re travelling there for the first time, let me know what you’re looking for in a hotel.

Happy Travels, Adventurers!

The post A Historic Stay at the Hotel Elite Prague first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.

Thankfully for me, I stumbled up Casa Dovela, located in our preferred neighbourhood of La Condesa. It was like a beacon of hope! They still had their two-bedroom apartment available, and we were able to book it up for the week we were in the city. And I suppose everything happens for a reason since our stay with Casa Dovela was one of the best parts of our trip.

Casa Dovela

Casa Dovela is a three suite, “Casa-Boutique”. It’s a cross between a luxury home and a boutique hotel located along the art-deco streets of Condesa. The building, which is now the boutique hotel, was left abandoned, like so many other residences in Condesa after the earthquake. But seeing its developmental potential, the creators, Chic by Accident Project and Ludwig Godefroy, snapped it up. They nabbed it just as the revitalization of Condesa was starting to take place. Aspects of the original architecture were preserved, but many parts of the building were modernized both for aesthetics and comfort.

We were met at the front door of Casa Dovela by one of the concierges to show us around the suite and all the many different amenities inside it. The concierges were absolutely fantastic to have. They work 24/7 to let you in and out of the front door but are also extremely helpful with any questions you might have about the property or Mexico City. While they didn’t speak English, we often used the translator apps and found that to work perfectly well.

San Jose Duplex

We stayed in the San José duplex. Walking inside the suite, the first thing you notice is the beautiful black clay flooring, which was made from materials from San Bartolo Coyotepec, in the state of Oaxaca. The floors are also heated underneath, which makes walking on them in the morning an absolute pleasure! Throughout the first floor, you could tell, that each and every object which decorated the room was brought there to serve a purpose and tell a story. The objects were all made by Mexican craftsmen in the mountain ranges of Mexico. The owners of the property frequently travelled to this region. They brought back their findings to add an element of regional art to the rooms.

The kitchen was perfectly set up, full of anything and everything you need. They even left us some kitchen essentials like coffee, tea, oil, and other pantry items. They were perfect for having a home-cooked meal if you were so inclined. Standing in the kitchen in the morning, it was lovely to make a coffee and watch the dogs play in the park adjacent to the house. Dog parks in Mexico City are so popular, as everyone seems to have a puppy. Watching the locals out at play in the morning with their pups made you feel like you were just a part of the fabric of the neighbourhood and weren’t staying in a hotel.

The heating throughout the apartment was very much appreciated since the mornings in Mexico City in the wintertime can still be pretty chilly. Standing in the dining room in the morning, you had the most beautiful view up to the blue skies or in the evening, you could stare up at the stars. The gorgeous spiral staircase leads only to the upstairs bedroom and bathroom, so it gave each of the bedrooms a better sense of privacy from each other.

The bathroom was my favourite place to be. I need to have a bathtub due to issues with my muscles and getting to relax in this one after a long day of walking and exploring was such a joy. I’ve never been in a bathtub before where I could lie flat and still not touch the ends of the tub. Incredible! The light which would shine in the windows, through the leafy trees outside, was nothing less than magic.

The living room was the only place where we felt they could have sacrificed a bit on aesthetics. We would have loved a much more comfortable couch and seating arrangement where we could all rest and relax after a long day. We do love having a drink and enjoying some local TV at night, but the arrangement of the chairs and their awkward couch didn’t quite allow for a comfortable evening.

Our bedrooms were a heavenly place. The beds were like falling into a massive pillow at the end of the day, they just seem to wrap you up in a big comfy hug. One of the best parts of Casa Dovela was the cleaning service provided every day. There is just something so lovely about coming home to a beautifully made bed and clean house (cause lets face it who has time to clean on vacation). That is something I always miss when I’m staying in an Airbnb.

While the small bit of outdoor space we had on the first floor might not have had a view, it was still nice to sit outside on the warmer mornings to sip my coffee and prepare for the rest of the day. Despite the lack of view, the terrace was filled with greenery, so it made you feel like you were in a little forest.

Right outside Casa Dovela, on Mondays, was a little farmers market which was perfect for picking up some food for the week. Since we had our own fully loaded kitchen, it was easy to get fresh fruits and veggies to prepare at home. We also picked up a large bouquet of roses for only $3 to decorate the interior of the house. The bouquet was so big we easily split it into multiple vases to put all over the house. Just something to make the place feel homier and shopping in this little market really made us feel like locals.

I would 100% recommend staying at Casa Dovela next time you’re visiting Mexico City if you’re travelling with a group. It’s that perfect combination of hotel and apartment. This provides you with the comfort and ease of a hotel with the feeling of living more like the locals that an apartment would.

Prices

Santa Monica Suite
One bedroom – $266 USD / night

San Mateo Duplex
2 bedrooms with queen size beds – $300 USD / night

San Jose Duplex
1 bedroom with queen size bed – $312 USD / night

The post A Lovely Week At Casa Dovela, Mexico City Hotel Review first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.

Guide to Pujol

1. About the Restaurant
2. Reservations
3. Dress Code?
4. The Cost
5. Taco Omakase Experience
   • Beverage Pairings
   • Food Allergies
   • A Journey Through Mexican Cuisine
6. My Experience
   • Starting with Street Snacks
   • Cervezas & Cocktails
   • Seafood Tacos
   • Mushrooms and Tamarind
   • Tetelas
   • Gorditas
   • Chileatole
   • Desserts
7. Is It Worth the Money?

About the Restaurant

Pujol is located in the upscale neighbourhood of Polanco. Polanco isn’t my favourite district in Mexico City. It feels too North American for my tastes and a little too prim and proper. Pujol itself is hidden away on a quiet, greenery-laced side street. Walking in, you feel like you’re entering a peaceful, modern family home. The restaurant recently moved into this new location, and the owner designed the entire space to reflect the atmosphere of the food. The blend of the natural outdoor environment and the modern urban design of the interior is incredible. Chef Enrique Olvera first opened Pujol in Mexico City in 2000. It has been one of the biggest foodie draws for travellers and locals alike. Olvera draws his inspiration for his food from traditional Mexican ingredients and old culinary techniques.

Reservations

There are two types of reservations you can get at Pujol. One is for the traditional, 5-course tasting menu. There are five different timed reservations available throughout the afternoon and evening. But the traditional menu has many more seats available per seating. On the other hand, the Omakase menu takes place at the taco bar, which only seats about 15 people. There are four different seating times; 1:30 pm, 4:00 pm, 6:30 pm and 9:30 pm. But be warned that the taco Omakase experience lasts around 4 HOURS! So if you book the 9:30 pm time, be prepared to stay up late!

Dress Code?

The taco bar definitely felt a little more casual than the table service diners. But nonetheless, everyone was very well dressed. There was no strict dress code, but we felt totally comfortable in what we had on. But if I had had the chance to dress up a bit more, I think I would have used the opportunity since it’s a nice way to celebrate a special occasion.

The Cost

I wanted to discuss the cost here since we had a bit of a surprise when we went. Since there are no prices on the official website, I had read online that the Omakase menu was $90 USD without alcohol and $170 including alcohol pairings. I’m not sure if this was an option at one point, but when we arrived, the cost was a set price of $170 USD with OR without alcohol. We had planned to just get the meal without alcohol, so adding another $80 extra per person was an unexpected shock. We thought, “well, we’re here, and it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience at one of the best restaurants in the world, so let’s try and forget about the money and enjoy the experience!”

For many people who budget TO THE DOLLAR, this would be a huge problem, so I wanted to be sure to mention that in this review. I don’t drink, so immediately, my heart sank as I felt like I would be getting less for the price I paid vs. the people who get to drink expensive liqueurs. But in this case, let me tell you, I have never in my life had a more immersive, delicious and complimentary experience with my beverages at a meal. I felt like every drink they made for me was so carefully designed and created. And while I do think that my bank account would have preferred the option to not have the drink pairings, the experience was one of a kind. The drink pairings did suit each dish perfectly, and I think they made them taste even better.

Taco Omakase Experience

The Taco Omakase menu was inspired by the chef’s love of Japanese sushi tasting menus. This tasting menu is served at the bar. You get to watch the bar staff make drinks and entertain the customers. It felt like a very informal and yet familial experience. Some people might not have liked this, but we found it to be an entertaining aspect of the entire night.

Beverage Pairings

The Omakase is a 10-course meal complete with snacks, tacos, desserts and your choice of beverages paired with the dishes. At the beginning of the service, your server will ask what kind of beverage you want to have throughout your meal. They prefer you select one type of alcohol to create a tasting menu of beverages around. While I’m sure you could have switched between options, they definitely recommended you choose just one for the optimal experience. You had a choice between mixed cocktails, craft beer, wine, mezcal or non-alcoholic beverages.

Food Allergies

After you select your beverage, you’ll be asked if you have any food allergies or if there’s anything you don’t eat or drink. They definitely take into account preferences as well as clinical allergies! I have an allergy to fish, but shellfish is perfectly fine, and they easily accounted for this throughout the service. The people beside me didn’t like fish, so their meals were unique to ours almost throughout the entire meal. It was interesting to see the variety of dishes they created for them.

A Journey Through Mexican Cuisine

Your server will introduce each dish to you. Our server spoke English very well, and listening to her explain each creation was like being told a short story. Each of the tacos showcased a different kind of tortilla. Local ingredients were highlighted inside the variety of sauces served alongside the tortillas. It’s interesting to see how different our menu was from someone who ate there a few months before. They definitely change things up for the season.

The one big letdown when we looked at the menu was that we would not get a taco with the famous 1300 day aged mole. We had seen this on previous taco omakase menus but knew it wasn’t sure. We were let down, but I’m not the biggest mole fan anyway, so it wasn’t a deal-breaker. But if it is for you, be sure to call ahead and ask if it will be on the menu.

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My Experience

As a preface to this write-up, I wanted to clarify that I’m definitely no food critique. But I wanted to at least document what we ate at this historic meal service. We started our experience off with a cup of what I honestly think was the best thing I’ve ever drank. It was a simple cup of tea, steeped with the hair of the corn husks and elderflowers. The tea was sweet without being sugary. It made the flavour of corn come through in the most innovative way. The entirety of the rest of the meal is built around corn so leading us into the meal this way felt very apt.

Starting with Street Snacks

Next up was a trio of street snacks. From the left to the right we ate, elote (corn) with a coffee mayo and fried chicatana ants. Before you wince at the word ‘ants’ don’t be scared. They actually added an astounding flavour and texture to the dish and were fantastic! Next up was a blue corn puff with artichoke puree and caviar on top. This sometimes comes with edible larvae instead of the caviar which I would have loved to try. The corn puff was my favourite of the three for sure! The last item was a corn tofu tamale with chives, which was fresh and a perfect finale to the snacks.

Cervezas & Cocktails

My first selected cocktail was a mango and strawberry agua fresca. My husband went with the beer pairing. He loved getting to try all different kinds of local craft beers, some of which are pretty rare too.

Seafood Tacos

The next dish was a raw scallop tostada with sesame oil, habanero ash, chile and lemon mayo. The scallop was so thinly sliced it looked like pieces of paper. Scallops are one of my favourite things to eat and this was perhaps one of the best dishes I’ve ever eaten. Following this up was the long-awaited soft shell crab with plantain puree, tomato marmalade and shishito pepper. I usually don’t like tomatoes but in this sweet marmalade, it was wonderful and a great compliment to the salty shellfish.

Mushrooms and Tamarind

The creamy foods to come next were paid with a salty tamarind margarita with worm salt rim. Worm salt sounds pretty gross, right? Well, not only is it not gross, it’s absolutely fabulous. Tamarind is very popular in Mexico and is used to flavour many foods and candies. I felt like it was so well paired with the other ingredients in this cocktail. Next, it was time for the amberjack taco with seaweed and avocado. Since I can’t eat fish my selection was a portobello mushroom taco with edible herbs on top. I am obsessed with mushrooms so they really couldn’t have picked a better option for me. The fresh crunch of the herbs with the creamy mushrooms was marvellous.

I LOVE horchatas and had been avoiding them all trip since none of them seemed safely made with filtered water. But at Pujol I knew I would be fine. The one they served me was creamy, thick and filled with spices so rich you could smell them before your lips touched the glass.

Tetelas

Up next was the tetela with octopus and peanuts. A tetela is a traditional Mexico dish. It is made of a pocket of corn stuffed with various ingredients most popular in Oaxaca. Inside ours was the aforementioned octopus with black beans on a sweet bed of peanut sauce. I’m not the biggest fan of octopus but cooked in this way I loved it. I was then treated to a beautiful looking violet lemonade with flowers inside. Gorgeous and tasty!

Gorditas

Next up was the spiny lobster taco with hoja santa (Mexican pepper leaf) tortilla. The hoja santa is grown right in the backyard of the restaurant and makes for one of the most stunning images I’ve ever eaten. The lobster was so fresh and sweet and I wish I could have eaten six more! Changing it up a bit, we dug into a pork belly gordita with sea urchin on top. This was a close second of the fave dishes of the night. You could see everyone’s eye-rolling into the back of their heads from the complexity of flavours overwhelming their mouth.

Chileatole

My last drink before we changed settings was a ginger lemon margarita. It was spicy and sour and a nice change from the sweetness of the other drinks. The last dish of the main course was a crab chileatole. Chileatole is a thick soup made of corn masa or corn kernels. This once was also made with succulent chunks of crab. As strange as it may sound to end the meal with a soup, we found it to be lovely. It was a light finish especially after being filled almost to the brim!

Desserts

After the main course, our server which had been with us all evening bid us adieu and led us outside! Before we got up, they passed us our napkin and said that this was a gift for us to keep. A cute little keepsake of the evening. This was a total surprise and a nice one at that! The napkins design also change up constantly so you’re promised a unique souvenir. The next server walked us through a secret door at the back and gave us a tour of the garden outside where they grow various ingredient used in the restaurant. Finally, we were seated at a table near an outdoor fire-pit. This was pretty important as it was a chilly outside and they even brought me a warm blanket to help keep me warm as well.

We were brought a hot cup of cafe de olla, which is coffee made with vanilla, cinnamon, molasses and cocoa. It was so smooth, subtle and sweet. The perfect nightcap.

Our first dessert was another trio, to mirror the trio of snacks we began the night with. They served us a plate of fresh fruit (for us it was sweet cherries) served alongside a soursop with sake. Soursop is a tropical fruit which I’d never eaten before so it was really neat being able to try out something so different. Lastly, we had gaznate. Gaznate is sweet treat made of a thin layer of dough in the shape of a small tube filled with dulce de leche!

Surprise Churro

The evening wore on and after we finished the trio of desserts I thought the night was over but was surprised when they brought us out one of their famous churros. Served hot right out of the fryer, it was perfectly cooked and even the most full among us couldn’t’ say no. We soaked in the last of the warm fire-pit underneath the lush greenery and finally called it a night. We said goodbye to all our wonderful servers as we walked back out onto the streets of Polanco. Bellies full and bucket list checked!

Is It Worth the Money?

The question of is it worth the big price tag is a tricky question to answer. If you love a foodie “experience” this is unmissable. The way every dish is plated, how the ingredients each compliment each other so well and seem to have this ballet like progression throughout the night was unlike any other meal I’d had. I tasted things I never could have imagined before and truly felt over the 4 hours we were there that we were a part of something very special. I do think the shock of the price (since we had originally thought we could order the meal without the drink pairings) was something which if I had been more prepared would have perhaps made me a little more at ease with the final cost.

It’s definitely not inexpensive but after chatting with a ton of people who have eaten at other top ten restaurants elsewhere in the world, this ranks reasonably low in comparison. Were they the best tacos I ate in Mexico City? Honestly, no. But I think that’s more because they felt like they were more than just tacos. They were something altogether more elevated but inspired by those cheap street tacos which you can chow down on for little more than the cost of the Uber to Pujol. Am I glad we went? Absolutely. It was a once in a lifetime kind of meal for us and something I’d never have understood until I experienced it for myself.

Let me know if you’ve ever had a similar experience or eaten at Pujol yourself and let me know what your review of it was!

The post Is Pujol the Best Restaurant in Mexico City? An Honest Review of Pujol’s Omakase first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.