Our gourmets

The evaluators are both as interesting and varied as the gastro-project ratings. People from the culinary field certainly have a different viewpoint than laypeople. And just like you, we are interested in both viewpoints – are the drinks and food professionally prepared? Is it to the taste of an ordinary guest, whose main focus is the taste?

So, we have involved both of them.

Pavel Býček

Head Chef

After working in England, including at Michelin-starred Galvin at Windows and with Pierre Koffmann, Pavel returned to the Czech Republic and maintained a Michelin star at Alcron under Roman Paulus. In 2018, he co-founded The Eatery with colleague Pátek. Known for his modern take on traditional dill sauce.

Elena Strápková

Gastronomy Journalist and Editor-in-Chief

Author of a Lenten cookbook, co-owner and head chef of the restaurant Sůl a Řepa, restaurant recognized as the best in the Czech Republic for 4 years. Pavel is a zero waste advocate and has appeared on MasterChef Česko and in various media.

Jakub Horák

Chef Specializing in Japanese Cuisine

While at Yamato, Jakub became the first European to win the Washoku World Challenge. He impressed the judges by incorporating Czech ingredients like saint John's wort nuts and pickled hop shoots into Japanese dishes as a tribute to his homeland.

Miroslav
Voňka

Owner and Head Chef at To je Bistro

With experience from London, Sydney, and Prague’s Aromi, Miroslav returned to Hradec Králové to bring global flavors to the local food scene. His menu includes vegan, meat, and vegetarian dishes, and he offers special monthly dinners with a street food twist.

Pavel Drdel

Head Chef

Tomáš Hauser

Head Chef

Dedicated chef at Zikmundov Guesthouse in Buchlovice for 8 years. Loves local ingredients and gives Czech classics a modern touch. Cooks with heart and soul, and likes to add herbs and flowers on the plate. He's a coffee enthusiast and can also imagine cooking only on an open flame.

Filip Kopecký

Owner of Roastery and Café

From studying economics, law, and graphic design in Brno, Prague, London, and Brighton, Filip returned to his hometown Hradec Králové. He experimented with a bistro, pub, and espresso bar before co-founding specialty coffee roastery CHROAST in 2018. They also run an online shop and three espresso bars.

Tomáš a Dáška Novákovi

Owners of Roastery

This duo from Bratislava's Diamonds Roastery began their journey by roasting their first batch of coffee on a home popcorn maker. After acquiring proper equipment and taking a course in Kyiv, they started educating others about coffee and hosting cuppings. Today, they are fully dedicated to the craft of coffee and roasting.

Vendy Vytisková

Pastry Chef and Café Owner

It all started modestly when she brought her first chocolate cake to a celebration. After seeing how much everyone loved it, she left her job to bake cakes and create sweet bars. Today, she owns Lavendy in Jindřichův Hradec and has ventured into savory dishes with Bistrotéka LaVendy.

Dušan Škubák

Winemaker

Also a photographer, philosopher, and founder of the ŽIVÉ VÍNA festival in Bratislava. His Hektár winery in the Little Carpathians produces just four wines: white, orange, rosé, and red. All are in contact with the skins and maximally authentic. He has also several interesting non-wine ventures.

Markéta Považanová

Kavino

Her life intertwines two passions: gastronomy and art. While studying hotel management, she delved into wine and completed a sommelier course. She honed her skills in Bratislava and Trnava, and now at Kavino, which uniquely blends coffee and wine culture, focusing mainly on small Little Carpathian winemakers.

Luboš Bogár

Distributor and Wine Apostle

Graduated from Weinakademie Rust in Austria and founded Slovakia’s first WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) wine school. In 2019, he completed the Master of Wine program at the Institute of Masters of Wine. He also distributes wine and can't imagine a day without a glass.

Marek Vácha

Brewer

A PR and communications specialist for the city, Marek spends his free time exploring local beers. In the past four years, he visited over 200 Czech breweries, mostly by bike. After tasting all imaginable types, he started brewing his own beer, aptly named Váchovar.

Kryštof Materna

Author of the Pivandr, and not only

Author of the book “Pivandr,” a fun guide to Czech breweries and beer trips across various regions. He also created the mobile and web app "Pivandr," which helps users discover new breweries and recommends trips to various regions and hidden breweries in Prague.

Lenka Straková

Passionate Brewmaster

Entered the brewing world by studying University of Chemistry and Technoloy in Prague. Gained most of her experience at Plzeňský Prazdroj. She earned the prestigious IBD beer sommelier title. Her refined palate and flavor understanding create unique beers, with quality in every batch.

Jaroslav Brečka

Food Truck Owner

Food enthusiast, owner of the creative Slovak bistro Coolňa, and organizer of the food festival FEST Cool Piknik in Slovakia. Travels the world tasting food from Michelin-starred restaurants to street food spots, because you never know where you'll find a culinary gem.

Vojta and Natálka Válkovi

Válka Winery, Nosislav

The married duo set out to evaluate the establishments in the Wine and Wineries category, which their winery won in 2021, 2022, and 2023. They are (currently) the youngest generation of a family-owned organic winery that nurtures distinctive wines from grapes ripening on the slopes of the Výhon Natural Park.

Veronika Morávková

Dvorek :: café wine bistro :: Bořetice

An emissary from a café sought after by lovers of specialty coffee and treats made from local ingredients. They serve wine, cheeses, pâtés, desserts... and offer poetic seating under an apple tree, in a designer container, and in a barn. Dvorek won the Cafes and Pastry Shops category in 2019, 2021, and 2023.

How do we evaluate?

The numbers don’t lie. Therefore, we have set evaluation criteria with maximum points. Allocated points were added up and converted to percentages. All companies that have received a rating above 70% are presented.

Restaurants

Max. points in %

40%

taste and quality of food
20%

taste and quality of drinks
10%

presentation of food / drinks, appearance
5%

originality of the offer
15%

personnel (behaviour, knowledge)
10%

environment / atmosphere

Bistros

Max. points in %

40%

taste and quality of food
20%

taste and quality of drinks
15%

presentation of food / drinks, appearance
15%

personnel (behaviour, knowledge)
10%

environment / atmosphere

Cafés and Sweet Shops

Max. points in %

30%

taste and quality of coffee, variety of offerings
30%

taste and quality of dessert
10%

offer and quality of other drinks
5%

quality of offer for light meals
15%

personnel (behaviour, knowledge)
10%

environment / atmosphere

Wineries and Wine Bars

Max. points in %

40%

quality of wine
20%

extent of assortment
5%

extent of assortment
25%

personnel (behaviour, knowledge)
10%

environment / atmosphere

Pubs and Breweries

Max. points in %

40%

taste quality, treatment of beer
20%

beer snacks
10%

assortment of beer
5%

nealko nápoje
15%

personnel (behaviour, knowledge)
10%

environment / atmosphere

Malé gastro zastávky

Max. points in %

40%

taste and quality of food
20%

taste and quality of drinks
15%

presentation of food / drinks, appearance
15%

personnel (behaviour, knowledge)
10%

environment / atmosphere

Our taste judges

Just like last year, we reached out to the general public in South Moravia. Gastro fans, gourmets, satisfied customers and enthusiastic laymen sent us their nominations. We asked about their favourite establishments in every category. Where? Through surveys at www.gourmetjiznimorava.cz and the Facebook page @TheSouthMoravia. We shared the surveys on the Instagram profiles @tastymoravia and @southmoravia.

The mayors of the towns and villages of South Moravia nominated their favourites.

We asked at the information centres of our region. Ehere else can you get proven recommendations on where to go for local /gastro/ treasures?

And, of course, we couldn’t do without nominations from experts who have an intimate knowledge of tourism. DMOs, i.e. destination managements organizations of the Moravian Karst and surroundings, ZnojmoRegion, Brno, Slovácko and Pálava regions and the Lednice-Valtice area, added their tips as well.

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Explore the South Moravian gastronomy scene with us! We bring you the current seasonal offers from delicious establishments and the stories of the people behind them. With us, every bite is an experience.