The traditional picture of a European wine bar might include lots of dark wood, a faintly musty smell and an aging proprietor behind a tiny counter. And while there’s nothing wrong with that, Red Pif Restaurant & Wine Shop in Prague offers up a more contemporary approach, and it’s one we think you’ll like.
Red Pif was designed by Petra Skalická and Jakub Fiser of the Czech firm Aulík Fiser Architects. After browsing hundreds of photographs of bars and wine shops in France for inspiration, they ultimately settled on a composite of both old and new. According to Petra, the “magic spirit of the town [Prague] is created by adding new layers. Of course, every new layer should be integrated sensitively and with understanding for the place. Instead of gaining control over the place, the layer should bring out its qualities. And that is exactly what we were trying to achieve.” For example, when early in the demolition process the building’s beautiful 19th century bones were revealed — including original plaster and stonework — Skalická and Fiser chose to leave them intact and visible. On top of it, they’ve added layers that draw from the material vernacular of viticulture, like oak and rebar, to create a fresh but familiar feeling for the space.
But the most charming design detail is the tessellating bottle-shaped shutters that, left open or closed, cleverly indicate what lies within. And on that topic, the food and drink at Red Pif is by no means outpaced by the design. The restaurant and shop serves primarily organic and biodynamic wines, and they’ve sourced a collection of over 250 bottles from France as well as the Czech Republic and Slovenia. The food menu is rustic (wild boar ragout, coq au vin, duck carpaccio), a fitting contrast to the restaurant’s overall modern vibe. And should you enjoy the experience so much that you’d like to take a piece of it home, you can: the wines on the menu are for sale in the shop.
Red Pif, Betlémská 267/9, Prague
