When I found Secret of Raw through Foursquare, I was pleasantly surprised that there was a raw vegan restaurant in Prague and so we were very keen to fit our recent one night visit to the city around eating at this restaurant.
We had just got off a three hour bus journey, and only just had time to put down our bags in our accommodation before heading out to find Prague’s only raw vegan restaurant, so we were a bit tired and flustered upon arriving at the simple but comfortable location near the main train station. However, almost as soon as we sat down and were greeted warmly by the staff, we knew we were in for a treat.
Although it was a Friday evening and the place was reasonably full, it didn’t feel overly busy, and the staff did not seem rushed and had plenty of time to give explanations and recommendations.
What to drink: fresh apple and carrot juice with celery or ginger? The waitress did not hesitate to recommend ginger.
Intrigued by the use of cashew cheese in several of the dishes, as a starter we ordered a raw version of a caprese salad (cashew cheese in the style of mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and fresh basil leaves). Zab was immediately enchanted with the dish, proclaiming that the basil leaves looked happy and full of life!
We also shared a Thai coconut soup, which was delicious, creamy and crunchy, though a little too spicy for me after not having had anything with really any spice for months.
The menu of main courses was surprisingly extensive, with raw versions of a wide range of dishes and so choosing one in particular was rather difficult. Instead, we settled on the tasting plate for two.
This was served on two plates (the waitress apologised that they had run out of larger single plates, but with our usual routine of switching half way through any dish, this really wasn’t a problem) and was a veritable cornucopia of raw vegan delights including a raw sunburger with radish chips and cashew tartar dip, cucumber spaghetti with super sauce, raw sushi with cauliflower rice and avocado wasabi dip, raw pizza with sundried tomatoes and cashew cheese and raw quiche with a nut base and marinated tomato.
We especially enjoyed the deception of the radish chips which looked for all the world exactly like fried potato chips (fries) but were crunchy and fresh, so tasted and felt nothing like them! Accompanying the burger and eaten with the cashew tartar dip, they were lovely.
The cucumber spaghetti was extremely moreish and the raw pizza (always a favourite of Zab’s) went down very well. The nut base of the quiche was surprisingly dense and filling, but the freshness and sweetness of the tomatoes topping it balanced it out well.
The sushi (more properly maki in this case as it contained no fish), made with very finely chopped raw cauliflower in place of cooked rice was nice, though I don’t feel it went well with the rest of the dishes.
After this feast, we were thoroughly full, though we realised it was our duty to sample some of the dessert options. First though, we were easily tempted to have a hot drink: Zab had an alkaline coffee, while I had a macha tea.
To me, the macha tea tasted like seaweed, and I didn’t much enjoy it, but Zab’s coffee was pleasantly smooth and did not leave a bitter taste in the mouth like regular coffee often does.
It was then time for dessert. Zab tried the signature banana pancakes filled with chocolate cream and nut granola. The pancake itself was made of a fruit leather, and as is normal for the raw approach to food, no sugar is used, but instead agave and date syrup to sweeten it.
I had the dessert of the day, which happened to be avocado and lime cake, something I’ve recently discovered to be a favourite of mine, so I was very pleased.
Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our meal at Secret of Raw. The atmosphere was relaxed and unpretentious, the service friendly and helpful and the food delicious, innovative and fresh.
But that wasn’t the end of our Secret of Raw experience in Prague!
While browsing the menu, we discovered that they also have a café in another location not far from the restaurant, Sweet Secret of Raw, which serves raw breakfasts, raw cakes and hot drinks, so we made a trip there the next day.
I went for a pistachio cake which was rich and dense, and Zab had a strawberry flan that was a bit lighter.
Both were amazing, and if we had had the chance (and stomach space), we would’ve tried one of everything from their extensive range of cakes.
The atmosphere there was also very relaxed, and though the service was a little slower, it was still very friendly and attentive. There is also wifi, making this an ideal spot for digital nomads or anyone else to linger for a while with their laptop over a soya latte and piece of revitalising raw cake.
Details
Secret of Raw
- The meal described above for two people would cost 959 CZK (£27.80, US$47), not including a tip
- Open: 11:00-22:00, Monday to Sunday
- Address: Seifertova 574/13, 130 00, Prague 3
- Telephone: +420 222 513 258
- Foursquare; Facebook; website
Sweet Secret of Raw
- For a hot drink and cake each, we paid a total of 400 CZK (£11.60, US$19.60) including a tip
- Open: 08:00-21:00, Monday to Friday; 10:00-21:00, Saturday and Sunday
- Address: Rumanská 25, 120 00, Prague 2
- Telephone: +420 799 501 255
- Foursquare; website
Many thanks to the owner, Jan, who kindly arranged a complimentary meal for us at his restaurant. He did not request that I write a favourable review, and my opinions are, and always will be, my own. We went to Sweet Secret of Raw entirely of our own volition and paid for everything there ourselves.
