La Finestra in Cucina, a restaurant run by Riccardo Lucque and Ondřej Rákosník, is located just a few steps from Old Town Square. It opened in 2009 and has been a fixture on the Prague gastronomic scene ever since. It specializes in aged meats from selected Italian, Spanish and American farms, as well as fresh fish and seafood directly from Italy.
The authentic Italian experience is underlined by a wide range of natural wines and top-notch service. The wine list, led by head sommelier Václav Vašek, is one of the most extensive in the Czech Republic – it includes hundreds of labels from all major Italian regions as well as interesting pieces from Germany, Austria, France, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The restaurant’s unique wine cellar offers guests privacy and the opportunity to taste rare bottles in an exclusive environment.
La Finestra also boasts star guests – its regular visitors include Hollywood celebrities, led by Orlando Bloom, who has called it his favorite restaurant in the world. Tom Cruise, Matt Damon, Ryan Gosling, Johnny Depp, Morgan Freeman, Mike Tyson, Sylvester Stallone, Usher and many others have also come here to enjoy steaks, foie gras, vitello tonnato and seasonal truffle specialties.
“La Finestra has a loyal clientele that loves to come back. Guests appreciate not only the first-class ingredients and quality, but also the opportunity to literally see what the chefs are doing. The name of the restaurant means ‘window into the kitchen’ and we were one of the first to bring this concept to life,” says manager Ladislav Balogh.
Chef Roman Kintler is from Slovakia. He grew up with his mother and spent his holidays with his grandmother in Moravia – both of them cooked wonderfully and instilled in him a love of food. The first dish he prepared as a child was semolina porridge. He originally wanted to study art, but when he was not accepted, he chose gastronomy. “My grandfather told me a sentence that I will never forget: ‘Okay, now you paint on a plate.’,” Roman recalls.
He studied at a private high school in Trnava, but what helped him the most was practice. He gained experience in smaller Slovak restaurants, at the Albrecht Hotel and also in Mikulov under the leadership of Marcel Ihnačák at the Tanzberg Hotel. In Prague, he then joined the La Collezione group – first at La Bottega di Finestra, then at La Bottega Linka.
“Every position in the kitchen has its own importance – from the cooks to the dishwasher. It wouldn’t be possible without the team,” says Roman. Although he has been at La Finestra for a short time, he already has a lot of experience. His goal is not to chase titles, but to cook with taste and joy. “I want to continue cooking as best I can and to enjoy it – just like I have been doing so far,” he adds.