Restaurant in Prague, Czech Republic
River terrace, serious wine list, €€€ price tag.
CottoCrudo, inside the Four Seasons Hotel in Josefov, earns its Michelin Plate with solid Italian cooking — vitello tonnato, house-made pasta, fresh sea bass — backed by a 285-selection wine list and a Vltava River terrace that's hard to match in Prague. At €€€ pricing with a 4.5 Google rating across 684 reviews, it's a reliable choice for Italian dining with serious wine. Book ahead for terrace seats in season.
The terrace seats at CottoCrudo, overlooking the Vltava River from the Four Seasons Hotel Josefov, are finite and in demand once the warmer months arrive. If a riverside table with Italian cooking at the €€€ price point is what you're planning, book ahead rather than assuming availability. The room itself — a large bar anchoring a chic dining space with river views through floor-to-ceiling windows — is the kind of setting that rewards planning. Walk-in diners who miss the terrace often end up at the bar, which is genuinely one of the better places to eat in the room.
CottoCrudo earned a Michelin Plate in 2024, which is the guide's signal that the kitchen is cooking well without the formal pressure of a star. For a hotel restaurant at this price tier, that recognition matters: it tells you the food isn't just ambient luxury-property Italian. The menu runs through vitello tonnato, house-made pasta, fresh sea bass, and duck breast , a range that covers the classic Italian template without overreaching. The emphasis on ingredient quality over complexity is consistent with what the Michelin Plate signals.
The wine program is one of the most practical reasons to choose this over other Prague Italian options. Wine Director Rui Araujo oversees a list of 285 selections with an inventory of 2,550 bottles, weighted toward France and Italy. The pricing sits in the middle tier , a range of bottles across price points, with serious options above €100 if you want them. The corkage fee is €50 if you bring your own, which is worth knowing if you're carrying a bottle from elsewhere. For comparison, most hotel restaurant wine programs in Prague at this tier are either short or heavily marked up. CottoCrudo's depth at 285 selections is a real differentiator.
General Manager Jorge Monteiro and Chef Nicholas Trosien run what is, by all available evidence, a tightly managed operation. The Google rating sits at 4.5 across 684 reviews, which for a hotel restaurant in a heavily touristed neighbourhood is meaningfully consistent. Most Four Seasons dining rooms split reviews between hotel guests having a convenient meal and destination diners; a 4.5 across nearly 700 reviews suggests both groups are leaving satisfied.
The visual draw of CottoCrudo is the Vltava River view from the terrace. This is a seasonal asset: Prague's spring and summer months make the terrace the primary reason to choose this over La Finestra in Cucina or Divinis, both of which serve strong Italian in the city but without comparable outdoor settings. In cooler months, the interior bar and dining room carry the experience , the large bar is a genuine architectural feature, not an afterthought. If you're visiting outside terrace season, the view through the windows still delivers, but the outdoor atmosphere that makes this address distinct won't be available.
CottoCrudo is not a delivery or takeout venue in any meaningful sense. The experience here is built around the room, the river, and the bar , none of which translate off-premise. House-made pasta and fresh sea bass are also the kind of dishes that lose significant quality in transit. If you're staying at the Four Seasons and want in-room dining, that's a separate hotel service question; as a standalone takeout proposition, there's no case for it. This is a sit-down, full-service restaurant, and the value is entirely in the experience of being there. If you need Italian food that travels well in Prague, that's a different category entirely , look at the more casual end of the Czech Italian scene rather than a hotel dining room at this price point.
If you've been once and want to return with a different focus: try the counter at the bar rather than a table. The bar at CottoCrudo is large enough to be a destination in itself, and it's where the wine list becomes most accessible , you can work through the Italian selections with staff guidance in a more relaxed format than a full table-service dinner. The lunch service is also worth considering as a lower-commitment entry point; two courses at lunch at €€€ pricing is easier to absorb than a full dinner, and the terrace is often quieter midday.
For Italian dining beyond Prague, the broader Czech Republic has a few options worth knowing: Cattaleya in Čeladná and Chapelle in Písek represent the kind of destination dining that pulls people out of the capital. If you're comparing Italian at the international level, 8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana in Hong Kong and cenci in Kyoto set the benchmark for Italian cooking transplanted to non-European contexts , CottoCrudo is playing in a different league but a comparable register of ambition for its city.
Within Prague's Italian scene, Aromi, Casa De Carli, and La Finestra in Cucina are the direct comparisons. See the section below for a full breakdown. For broader Prague planning, our full Prague restaurants guide, Prague hotels guide, and Prague bars guide cover the wider picture.
If you're travelling beyond Prague, Na Spilce in Pilsen, Tlustá Kachna in Chrudim, Long Story Short Eatery & Bakery in Olomouc, and Pavillon Steak House in Brno are worth flagging for different trip profiles. Our Prague experiences guide and Prague wineries guide round out the planning picture.
| Venue | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|
| CottoCrudo | €€€ | — |
| La Degustation Bohême Bourgeoise | €€€€ | — |
| Alcron | — | |
| Na Kopci | €€ | — |
| Field Restaurant | — | |
| The Eatery | €€ | — |
Key differences to consider before you reserve.
Field Restaurant is the stronger pick if you want a tasting-menu format with Czech produce and more creative cooking at a similar price point. La Degustation Bohême Bourgeoise is the call for a full Michelin-starred tasting experience. If the draw at CottoCrudo is the Four Seasons setting rather than Italian cuisine specifically, Alcron offers comparable prestige with a different culinary focus. Na Kopci works well for a more relaxed, neighbourhood feel without the hotel pricing.
CottoCrudo sits inside the Four Seasons Hotel Prague, a €€€ venue with a chic bar and river terrace, so dress accordingly — think polished casual at minimum, with most diners skewing toward business casual or smart. Shorts and trainers will feel out of place, particularly at dinner. The terrace in summer is slightly more relaxed in atmosphere but the room's setting still sets expectations.
Groups are manageable here, but the venue is better suited to tables of two to four given its hotel-restaurant format and terrace layout. Larger parties should contact the Four Seasons Prague directly well in advance, as prime river-view terrace seating is finite and in demand from spring through summer. The €€€ price point means a group dinner here adds up quickly — factor that into your decision.
Yes — the bar at CottoCrudo is large enough to be a genuine dining option, not just a waiting area. It's a practical alternative to a full table booking, particularly if you want to order from the Italian menu with access to Wine Director Rui Araujo's 285-label list without committing to a formal seated experience. For solo diners or pairs who want flexibility, the bar is the right move.
CottoCrudo holds a Michelin Plate (2024), which signals kitchen consistency rather than destination-level ambition — it's a quality marker, not a reason to treat this as a tasting-menu pilgrimage. At €€€ pricing, the stronger case for CottoCrudo is the à la carte Italian menu paired with the wine list, priced at $$ with 285 selections. If a structured tasting format is your priority, Field Restaurant or La Degustation Bohême Bourgeoise will deliver more on that front.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
