Restaurant in Boskovice's Jewish Quarter Earns a Star From Pohlreich

In the South Moravian town of Boskovice, a restaurant in the historic Jewish quarter has changed both its name and its menu — instead of the "Rabínův šenk" tavern serving pork, it now operates as "Restaurace Plačkova," offering traditional Jewish dishes. TV host and chef Zdeněk Pohlreich, presenter of the show "Ano, šéfe!," returned to assess the changes after sharply criticizing owner-chef Petr Cejpek, known as Cépa, over the restaurant's concept on his first visit.

From Pork to Hummus

On his first visit, Pohlreich couldn't understand why a restaurant in the heart of Boskovice's Jewish quarter was called "Rabínův šenk" ("The Rabbi's Tavern") while serving pork, which is forbidden under Jewish dietary law, with no clear culinary concept to speak of. He advised the chef to make a radical change.

Returning some time later, the TV host found that the establishment had been renamed "Restaurace Plačkova," was open more often for guests, and had added Jewish cuisine to its menu. For his follow-up tasting, Pohlreich ordered hummus, couscous with grilled vegetables, shoulet with duck, and lamb tagine.

"I Hate to Say It, But It's Excellent"

Even before tasting the food, Pohlreich praised the very idea of serving traditional Jewish dishes right in the town's historic Jewish quarter. This time, the good idea didn't stay just an idea. "Tourists will come here and want authentic food — and they'll get it. Personally, I really enjoyed it, everything was cooked properly, true to the theme, I'm satisfied," the TV host said.

Cejpek also prepared a dessert for his guest, even though Pohlreich hadn't originally asked for one — the chef simply wanted to hear his verdict on the signature dish. The response turned out to be surprisingly warm: "I hate to say it, but it's excellent." Pohlreich followed that with an even bigger compliment, saying that plenty of chefs merely talk about cooking "like grandma" and returning to tradition, while Cejpek doesn't talk about it — he just cooks that way.

A Star Despite the Neighbors' Rumors

The decision on the star seemed like it would be simple, but before making it, Pohlreich learned an unpleasant detail from the owners of neighboring establishments: according to them, Cejpek isn't always around at his own workplace. The TV host asked the chef about it directly: the guest was well fed, but the neighbors say he's slacking off at work — so what's going on?

Despite this, the restaurant still received the star — along with a warning typical of Pohlreich: if customers start flocking here, that will be the owner's biggest punishment for lying about the quality of his work.

For Cejpek himself, the TV host's praise mattered more than the award. He admitted he wouldn't have minded missing out on the star — what mattered most was that Pohlreich said he'd had a good meal and enjoyed it, which the chef called the biggest reward of all.

Life After the Show

Today, Petr Cejpek looks back on his time on the show without any bitterness. According to him, filming went surprisingly smoothly: the host didn't shout, found no serious violations, was friendly, and there weren't really any big emotional scenes — although the chef admits that TV editing can make some moments look different than they felt during filming.

What mattered most to him was the outcome: the restaurant earned a star, and the establishment was renamed "Restaurace Plačkova." Asked whether he'd go on the show again, Cejpek answers confidently — yes, even though it was a real trial: usually only two people work in the kitchen, but during filming six had to fit in there at once, and he himself had recently recovered from an illness. Still, he doesn't regret the experience.

Read also: 9 Michelin-recommended restaurants in Czechia: where to find fine dining from Prague to Moravia

Around Prague, based on reporting by denik.cz