AMBIX, Prague's only Romani restaurant, serves up Romani cuisine and music
AMBIX, a family restaurant in the Lesser Quarter not far from Prague Castle, is one of just a few Romani-owned establishments in the Czech Republic. "When you come into our restaurant it doesn't matter whether you're Romani or not, there's no room for racism or hate in our place," says AMBIX's manager Vojtěch Džurban.
The menu offers Romani dishes, so you can sample marikľe (frybread) or pišota (potato-stuffed ravioli). “AMBIX is not a restaurant centered around music, but we Roma love good music as well as good food. Music is a big part of our lives,” Džurban reveals.
That means cimbalom (hammered dulcimer) or “gypsy jazz” performances are also on the menu at AMBIX. “We always prepare the musical program a month in advance. Right now you can hear the cimbalom music of Duše Holub, Péťa and Milan Angel Novák, or Milan Krok. Previously Ivan Herák’s cimbalom ensemble or Roman and Robin Šenki have performed here,” says Džurban.
The manager has been working in gastronomy since the age of 15. “I apprenticed in gastronomy. I always wanted to have something of my own, some kind of establishment of my own. When the opportunity arose of such a beautiful location below the Castle, my wife and children and I all knew that our AMBIX had to be right here,” he recalls.
“If anybody were to leave our place dissatisfied or angry, then I would be dissatisfied and angry, too. I will be glad when our guests will be satisfied with both the food and the musical program,” Džurban says.
There are also Romani restaurants in Český Krumlov and in Karviná, where the Rom Rest Severka restaurant opened this fall. “This is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. I have loved cooking since childhood, mainly thanks to Mom, who showed me that cooking well is an art form. That’s why I’ve opened my own restaurant, I want to bring people joy through good food, and I also want to familiarize everybody with our national Romani dishes,” Karin Ferencová, owner of Rom Rest Severka, told news server Romea.cz.
Rom Rest Severka offers 15-20 menu options daily, including dishes from traditional Romani cuisine such as goja, holubki, different variations of halušky, or baked pašvare (ribs).
