Offering traditional fare with a bit of a twist, Brasserie Proka in Dragodan brings some original taste to a sophisticated setting.
Tucked away in the residential ‘new’ Arberia across from the high-rise apartment buildings and the Italian supermarket Conad, Proka is a bustling cafe bar and restaurant that blends atmospheres of fine dining and a casual, quiet coffee spot.
Brasserie Proka is a great location for special occasions, with enough room to seat large tables in the dining area, but a pleasant place at any time to sit and enjoy the sun with a few friends or cool off in the roofed terrace with a cocktail in hand.
The place offers good variety in their evening menu, although not straying too far from the traditional options found in many of Prishtina’s restaurants: pizza, pasta, risotto and grilled meats.
Seated in the formal dining area at the back of the restaurant, you are surrounded by green plants, comfy chairs and soft lighting. Alongside a few dinner dates, young children ran around, with students and others working in groups or on laptops. What was potentially a stuffy dining room felt relaxed and welcoming for everyone.
Looking over at the long and elegantly set up bar, the first thing you see is the wide range of different wine bottles strewn across its top, generating initial excitement for an extensive wine list. This was misleading, however: no wine list and only three (red) wines to choose from was disappointing when the French brasserie vibe has been otherwise so well-executed.
But what it lacks in wine options, Proka makes up for with its cocktail menu, serving mojitos, margaritas and similar classics.
To start with, a simple mixed platter of grilled vegetables was light and satisfying, if a little expensive – starters ranged from 1.5-4.5 euros. Intriguingly, eggs benedict was offered as a starter as well, traditionally a popular breakfast dish, making it worth investigating.
Starters aside, Proka would not be my first recommendation for vegans, but vegetarians will find an impressive six or seven main dishes to choose from. Of the three veggie pasta options on offer, the spinach and gorgonzola tagliatelle presented the most interesting flavours. For those who tend to be overwhelmed by the strength of blue cheese, it was subtle enough to be perfect, with the spinach complementing the cheese well, but those expecting strong flavors may have been disappointed. Not for the light hearted, the cheese sauce was heavy and loaded with cream, recommended for very empty stomachs only.
Meat lovers will find themselves well catered for at Proka. A plump steak option was comfortably surrounded by al dente tagliatelle with soft slices of porcini mushrooms snarled among the pasta (also available on its own as a main vegetarian option). The steak can also be supplemented with Béarnaise sauce or hot sauce. A fine meander of balsamic vinegar was drawn around the corner of the plate to enhance the savor of the other ingredients.
Slightly charred, the outer layer of the meat was just salty enough to prepare for the flavorful, steaming heart of the steak. Being a decent medium, the tangy juices girdled the platter, giving a savory smack to the rest of the food. Although slightly chewier than expected, the overall quality of the meat cannot be faulted. The taste was full, the firmness adequate and, although seemingly small, it was, in fact, hearty enough.
The pasta, covered in grated parmesan, complemented the taste of the meat really well. The dried porcini, which in itself has a slight nutty and meaty taste, added to the completeness of the dish. A few nips of Cabernet Sauvignon, and you have the final puzzle piece.
Lucky for those without a sweet tooth, alongside the panna cotta, crème brulee, apple pie and cheesecake offered, Proka also boasts its own takeaway cheese counter that you can sample for dessert. For around 5 euros, you can order a board piled high with different colours and flavours of cheese, served alongside dipping pots of honey and jam. All of Proka’s cheese is from the Netherlands and imported from Albania, and alongside the traditional Sharr you can taste a variety of aged cheeses infused with green herbs, chili and blackcurrant.
With its cocktails, varied menu and beautiful terraced area, Brasserie Proka makes for a perfect summer-in-Prishtina location away from the noise and traffic of the center for relaxation and a bite to eat.
20 April 2018 - 11:48
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