Petr Kunc cooks whatever the Czech soil produces.

Chef Petr Kunc transformed Salabka from a fading spot on Prague's outskirts to a culinary gem. After returning from England, he found the restaurant struggling and, inspired by experiences abroad, took the opportunity to revitalize it. The once-forgotten place now boasts a modern interior, vibrant colors, and a renewed sense of pride. Kunc's creativity and determination turned Salabka into a thriving establishment with a picturesque view of a centuries-old vineyard.

"Right from the start I was so impressed with the location. I offered to go and cook there for one week, just to see what we might be able to achieve together. After that I gave the owner another week to think about it and warned him that if I did become their chef, I would want to shake things up and bring about some major
changes. They called me the very next day: I was hired.”

Petr changed virtually everything at Salabka. He took a critical approach to the staff, the table linen, the restaurant’s image, the concept and of course the menu. “The chef before me was also trying to do some high-level cooking, but did not really come up with anything special: it was sea bass with potatoes and vegetables, but you were paying top prices. In my view, when you go out to a restaurant, you want to be surprised. It has to be better and different from what you can get at home. So I introduced a completely new menu.” Petr has never had a signature dish. After his experiences abroad, he ultimately decided to focus on traditional Czech ingredients that can be sourced locally. He gives these a modern twist of his own. “When I first got back from England, I became so frustrated with what suppliers in the Czech Republic were able to offer. It was an exhausting time. I just couldn’t get the simplest ingredients any more, like good wine vinegar or single cream. So it was a huge struggle, until I finally decided to give up and focus on the things that are available in this country. I chose to go down to earth in various different ways. More than anything, I wanted only the very best, whatever the price. Price has to be subordinated to what you are trying to achieve as a chef. So now I have burrata on the menu which is made in Prague from Czech milk, but completely in the Italian way. That is the kind of product I am looking for.”

Petr grew up in a small village sixty kilometres south of Prague: Príbram. At the age of eleven he often had the opportunity to go and stay with his sister in Vienna for a few weeks, and he got to know some of the best restaurants there. “My sister took me with her everywhere, and I was allowed to choose whatever I wanted as a child. For me that opened up the whole world of food and drink. So when I was fifteen and my mother asked me what I wanted to do with my life, I said: 'I want to be a chef'. It seemed like a superb job to me, and it was something that would allow me to travel a lot too. The perfect mix!” 

After training as a chef, Petr soon got international opportunities. However, he realised that he would not get far abroad without a command of English. “I had already been working in Prague under many chefs from other countries, so I learned the simple words in the kitchen: milk, beef, pigeon, steak. I knew it was going to be necessary to improve my English to become a better chef.” So Petr went to England, where he ultimately ended up in a group of four chefs working on the top jobs for VIP caterer Rhubarb. He cooked for stars such as Elton John and fashion designers Louis Vuitton, Donna Karan and Valentino, as well as for guests at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and Kensington Palace. He worked on menus for the Olympic Games in London and for players at football team Borussia Dortmund. He trained with great chefs like Gordon Ramsay, Sergio Herman, Heston Blumenthal and Nuno Mendez and worked with Michelin star chefs like Albert Roux, Tom Aikens and Giorgio Locatelli. “All those experiences shaped me into the person I am now”, says Petr. “It was show time every day. Time after time we wanted to show what we could do with our experience and creativity. It was during that period that I began to discover my own style.”

Very recently Petr decided to stop offering a separate lunch menu. Guests are still welcome to come for lunch,
but they are given the evening menu. “If you take the trouble to come out of the city to Salabka, I want you
to have the full experience. So it's not just a quick meal for an hour and then off you go. What is more,
we used to spend a lot of time coming up with a new lunch menu every month. Now we have one menu, with
eight different dishes, a number of amuse-bouches and desserts and three different kinds of bread. That ought
to be enough. In some ways I'm seeking to move back to basics and away from excess.”

“I still try to get better every day and carry on learning. That is something I want to pass on to my team too.
I want them to be completely focused and leave all the nonsense behind: at the beginning of a shift they hand in their mobile phones and you are only allowed to smoke outside working hours. They need to show discipline, otherwise they might as well leave. I see myself as a trainer or coach. In three years I have replaced the whole kitchen team almost three times already. We are open four days a week now, so I can work with just one team. Perhaps you have to be a bit crazy to work with me. I always want the very best from everyone.

After a bitter (internal) struggle with the products and supplies available in his home country, Petr Kunc is now finally where he wants to be. However, he has one more dream: a Michelin star for Salabka. “In my view, what we are doing here is not bad. We keep on learning and improving every day, as we fight for that Michelin star. I'm keeping my feet on the ground, but I'm ready for that too. And I'm happy at last. I'm Petr Kunc and I'm not going anywhere right now. What goes on the menu at Salabka is completely my decision. I'm developing a style of my own.”