Vavřinec's Gastro Summer

This summer, you don’t need to travel the globe to experience a diverse array of tastes and aromas. The world is coming to Pec, and you can savor it all at Aparthotel Svatý Vavřinec. The third annual Vavřinec Gastro Summer Festival transforms street food into fine dining, presented by renowned chefs from top restaurants where reservations are hard to come by and menus cost a fortune.

July and August Culinary Events

14 Cooking Shows featuring top chefs and culinary influencers, always from 4 PM to 9 PM.

New: Play as You Cook, Cook as You Play

Holiday Saturdays and one Friday will be graced by top chefs from leading Czech restaurants, who will harmonize their menus with live music from acclaimed DJs. Will the chefs design their dishes to match the music, or will the DJs tailor their playlists to the chefs’ creations?

New: Wine Pairing

Selected dates will feature expert wine pairing sessions. On Friday, August 2nd, Marek Šoman from Šoman Winery will present wines also available in the Vavřinec Wine Shop. Tomas Melich, curator of the wine shop, will also be present on two dates to showcase exceptional wines from around the world..

New: Wednesdays with MasterChef Czech Contestants

Fans of the popular TV show will be thrilled to meet participants from MasterChef Czech, cooking up a storm every Wednesday.

Book a stay during Gastro Summer LÉTA or by phone: +420 491 481 653

Wednesday 10. 7. - Aged Meat from the Farm Basařovi

Lukáš Dolejš, Vavřinec restaurant & DJ - RO (Demo Crew)

Who better to kick off Vavřinec's Gastro Summer than Lukáš Dolejš, the sous chef from Vavřinec Restaurant? The restaurant specializes in aged meat sourced from the Basařovi farm in the Podkrkonoší region. The aging process takes place right at Vavřinec Restaurant, with Lukáš Dolejš often overseeing it. On Wednesday, July 10th, you can taste the finest degustation steaks prepared on an X-oven grill using mangrove charcoal.

You've likely encountered concert and party DJ-Ro in various corners of the Czech Republic, from underground clubs to the O2 Arena and the largest domestic music festivals. With hundreds of performances under his belt, his wide range of genres always hits the mark with the audience. For five years, he has also been the concert DJ for the Kapitán Demo project. You could have seen him at Vavřinec during last year's Gastro Summer as well.

Saturday 13. 7. - Spanish Specialties and Flavors

Lukáš Holý, Culinary Apex & DJ Jiří Burian & Adam Burian

Lukáš Holý has been involved in gastronomy for 27 years, leading restaurants, guesthouses, and hotels in the Czech Republic. His perspective on gastronomy was significantly changed by internships abroad, including in Michelin-starred restaurants. He fondly recalls experiences in London, Kyiv, Verona, and Madrid. He has cooked for the Czech president, was shortlisted for Restaurateur of the Year, and has been in the Top selection of Prague's best restaurants for several years.

Currently, he runs his company Culinary Apex, focusing on consulting and mentoring in both existing and new gastronomic projects. One of Lukáš Holý's recent endeavors was working for Plzeňský Prazdroj, where he took over the legendary pub Na Spilce, its reconstruction, and its rebirth with a new modern concept aimed at traditional Czech gastronomy paired with the legendary Pilsner Urquell beer.

DJ Jiří Burian is a talented music producer and composer from Prague. His productions have garnered over 70 million views on YouTube. He has composed or produced over 30 albums of various music styles. In 2007, Burian created the character Kapitán Demo, his comedic rap alter ego, which quickly became a Czech phenomenon with over nine nominations for the Anděl Awards. He has written songs and produced albums for several leading Czech artists, most of which reached the Top 10 and were played on Czech commercial radio. He also composes music for TV commercials, shows, and films. Burian is also a DJ on Prague's Rádio 1.

At this event, he will perform alongside his son Adam.

Wednesday 17. 7. - Georgian Flavors in Pec

Givi, MasterChef Czech Republic 2022 Contestant & DJ Jiří Burian

Anyone who loves cooking shows knows Givi. He shone in MasterChef on TV Nova and now fills his social media with recipes, fashion, and unique humor. Givi goes all in, and you can see for yourself on July 17th, when he prepares the best fried chicken sandwiches marinated in Georgian spices. Where Givi is, there must be a show, and he will be accompanied by his partner in crime, DJ Jiří Burian.

Saturday 20. 7. - Japan in Pec with Wine Pairing

Marek Hora, šéfkuchař a ambasador japonské kuchyně & DJ Tokátko & Martin Vlček z Vinit

Marek Hora is one of the foremost experts on sushi and Japanese cuisine in the Czech Republic. He trained in Japan under Mr. Masayoshi Kazato, one of Japan's most respected chefs. He has participated in the World Sushi Cup Japan several times and was the only Czech to compete in the Seven Sushi Samurai contest in the UK. From 2013 to the end of 2023, he was the co-owner and chef of the YAMATO restaurant in Prague's Vinohrady. In 2024, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF) appointed him as a Japanese Cuisine Goodwill Ambassador.

Štěpán Ježek, aka DJ Tokátko, is a DJ and promoter currently working as a producer at Prague's Radost FX club. He has been active on the club scene since 2005, working at various clubs in Prague from 2011 to 2014, and at Duplex from 2014 to 2023. Throughout his career, he has performed at most Czech clubs and tried many music styles. His DJ roots are in the underground, as he loves techno and tech-house. However, during his time at Duplex, he began to focus more on commercial house music. He considers his biggest success to be his performance at the Tomorrowland festival in 2023, where he was the first Czech DJ in history to perform.

Wednesday 24. 7. - Taste a Special MasterChef Kids Menu

Marek Ciler, MasterChef Czech Republic Contestant

Marek Ciler is a father, athlete, and contestant of MasterChef Czech Republic 2023, who made it to the TOP 10. He started cooking only during the MasterChef Czech Republic competition but has been in the gastronomic environment for many years. His favorite chef is his younger brother Ondřej. Although Marek doesn't have a favorite dish, once you taste his pork ribs with bacon mash and celery cream, it will become your favorite.

Saturday 27. 7. - Music on a Plate. The Plate That Changed the Music World, Along with Wine Pairing

Tomáš Císařovský, Chef of Portfolio Restaurant & DJ Chris Kaufman & Tomáš Melich from Vinit

Tomáš Císařovský has worked with Michelin-starred chefs like Gilad Peled and Nicolas Sale in the past. He learned to be creative and precise alongside them. You may know him from restaurants like V Zátiší, Bellevue, but in recent years, mainly from the prestigious and popular Portfolio..

Chris Kaufman is known as a producer and DJ #onlyvinyl. His legendary achievements include the show Top Secret House Music Magazine, a musical special about new dance music that airs on Color Music Radio FM every Friday from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM.

Tomáš Melich, Vinit - Wine is our love, mission, and daily bread, just like for our winemakers, who carefully and lovingly tend to their grapes every day to create wine of corresponding quality, distinctive taste, and aroma with respect for nature and place of origin. That's why we exclusively work with small winemakers from the old continent. Our goal is to provide all wine lovers with a unique experience and pleasure over a glass of wine with their loved ones and friends at a corresponding value.

Wednesday 31. 7. - Frgály traditionally, unconventionally, and healthily? It's possible

Petra Kamencová, MasterChef Czech Republic 2023 Finalist

Petra is a contestant in the culinary show MasterChef Czech Republic 2023, where she made it to the finals. She comes from Beroun, is a mother of two, and aims to create healthy fast food. She loves cooking, food, and everything around it. She is actively involved in sports – she loves skiing, cross-country skiing, and diving.

Friday 2. 8. - Come and Taste How the Future of Czech Gastronomy Cook

Václav Frič, Winner of the Young Chef 2024 Competition & Marek Šoman from Šoman Winery & DJ&SAX Hrusha

Václav Frič In April 2024, Václav Frič won the Young Chef award, one of the two most prestigious awards for young chefs in the Czech Republic. He is a student at the Secondary School of Gastronomy U Krbu and a member of the Czech junior team. He enjoys the variability of working with each ingredient. In 2025, he plans to intern at a Michelin-starred restaurant in Lausanne. He likes the combination of different cuisines, especially French, Italian, and Czech, which is closest to his heart. He grew up in the kitchen of his professional chef parents and helps his father in the renowned restaurant Na Pekárně, known for its innovative approach to traditional Czech cuisine..

Marek Šoman from the same-named winery supplies only the best wines to the Vavřinec wine cellar. He will come to Pec for Gastro Summer to oversee the wine pairing with Václav Frič's dishes and will bring a range of current samples for visitors to taste on-site. The winery has achieved many successes and awards in the past. In 2019, its Chardonnay late harvest wine was the champion of the Vinum juvenale competition. Šoman Winery also won the award for the best-rated wine collection.

DJ & SAX Hrusha has been on the scene since 2005. During this time, he has performed in almost all clubs in the Czech Republic and regularly plays abroad. As a native of Liberec, he started performing at the legendary Ďábelská Huť, where he was a resident for 11 years until it closed. Now you can see him as a resident at the Liberec club Lípa, but also at the Prague Retro Music Hall, where he regularly has his evenings. In 2017, he decided to combine his musical skills with DJing and stand out by performing with the saxophone.

Mentioning his very colorful past is definitely worthwhile - In 2011, he launched the project DJ WILL 4 THMSD (later DJDRUMMER.cz) with drummer Tomáš Hájíček, where they performed together as a DJ and Drummer duo. Since 2012, they have collaborated with the company RED BULL, performing in the best clubs across the Czech Republic. It didn’t take long for this project to break through internationally, specifically in the Netherlands, where they performed at a world series cycling race. In the Netherlands, they then established a collaboration with the Czech company Eastern Gravity, with which they toured the entire European Gravity Downmall Tour for several years, in cities such as Berlin, Frankfurt, Szczecin, Ulm, Essen, Budapest, and more. After this project ended, he continued to tour Europe as an official DJ on his own. He now regularly travels to the German Alteweberei Zittau.

Wednesday 7. 8. - Yeast buns with poppy seeds and vanilla pudding taste best if they are from Slovakia

Lucia Knihová, MasterChef Czech Republic Contestant

For more than four years, she has been creating her food blog on Instagram under the nickname @luckaa_luci. She has over 700 recipes there, mainly quick, simple, delicious, and in most cases, healthy. She loves Italian cuisine, especially pasta, which she could eat in every possible way every day. In Vavřinec, she will show you that the best yeast buns with poppy seeds and vanilla pudding are made in Slovakia.

Saturday, 10. 8. - Chef's Street Food - Aged Meats

Lukáš Dolejš, Sous Chef at Vavřinec Restaurant & DJ Mojjo

Meat aging at Vavřinec Restaurant is overseen by Sous Chef Lukáš Dolejš. Who better to present this delicacy of beef, sourced from the Basařovi farm in the foothills of the Krkonoše Mountains? The aging process takes place right at Vavřinec Restaurant for up to 60 days. On Saturday, August 10, in the afternoon, you can taste the best tasting steaks prepared on the X-oven grill with mangrove charcoal.

DJ Mojjo - DJing since 2010, previously an active member and co-producer of the band 100°C, which enjoyed international success. He focuses mainly on dance music such as house/techhouse/dance/funk/newfunk, but he can also tailor parties with hits, hip hop, or chillout music! He produces his own tracks and DJ mixes.

Wednesday 14. 8. - Czech classics with Kuba's twist

Jakub Menšík, finalist of MasterChef Czech Republic

Kuba Menšík originally worked as a CNC machine operator, and cooking was only his hobby. However, he succeeded in the MasterChef Czech Republic 2023 competition, where he reached the finals and won the Bageterie Boulevard baguette challenge. The judges appreciated his meat and sauce preparation, as well as his unique flavor combinations. What will win you over?

Saturday 17. 8. - We'll break down a large sea fish

Petr Macků, head chef of Vavřinec restaurant & DJ At Work

Petr Macků has been the head chef of Vavřinec restaurant since autumn 2023. Before coming to Pec pod Sněžkou, he spent most of his professional years at the Bellevue restaurant in Prague in various positions, culminating as the sous chef. He also gained experience during internships abroad in Scotland and France. He also worked at Hotel U Prince on the Old Town Square in Prague. He has long specialized in fish and fish dishes.

Dj At Work started in the club Divadlo Pod Lampou in 1999, playing after American indie rock bands. He also worked with the bands 100°C and Bow Wave, performing at major CZ festivals and clubs. He organized large club events like NASA, PSYCHO PROJEKT, and TRÁVNÍK. Currently, he is a resident at the Pilsen club Anděl and also plays at private parties and corporate events. His style focuses mainly on dance, hip hop, and Latino music (house/dance/funk/hip hop/rap/reggae/latin music), and he also plays the biggest hits of world pop.

Wednesday 21. 8. - Honza Albrecht's birthday party

Honza Albrecht, winner of MasterChef Czech Republic 2023

Honza Albrecht is a Wim Hof method instructor, coach, and motivator. He previously worked in a managerial position in the gastronomy industry, where he was under immense pressure. After reaching and possibly surpassing his limits, he discovered the Wim Hof method, which he considers a game-changer. He became open to challenges, one of which was the MasterChef Czech Republic 2023 competition. His unique approach impressed the judges, and he won the competition. He cooks in a new way, which he calls conscious cooking. The journey is the goal, joy, gratitude, and calm. These values helped him balance his life, fulfill his dream, and win MasterChef Czech Republic 2023. Cooking for Honza is a form of meditation, just like conscious breathing. Every single action he performs while cooking is done consciously and joyfully. Look forward to tasting his food. His big dream is to open a restaurant where his consciously, joyfully, and lightly prepared food will be served.

Saturday 24. 8. - American menu by Honza Horák

Jan Horák, head chef of Augustine restaurant & garden & DJ Deffo

Jan Horák spent most of his professional life abroad, cooking in luxury hotels and Michelin-starred restaurants. From a young age, he learned from renowned world chefs, many of whom he is still in contact with and draws inspiration from. Working in Michelin-starred restaurants is not foreign to him, as evidenced by his experience in Michelin-starred establishments such as Restaurant Jordnær in Copenhagen (2*), Restaurant Cracco in Milan (1*), and Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin (2*). He gained much knowledge and experience during his studies at prestigious international schools in Switzerland and London. Valuable were his internships in Berlin and sunny Malta at the Kempinski San Lawrenc hotel. His career path led him to London at the Ritz hotel. He lived in Zurich, Switzerland, for several years, cooking in the luxury restaurant and hotel Park Hyatt. Under the same hotel company, he also worked for almost two years as a Sous Chef in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Although traveling and experiencing new cultures is Jan's passion, he returned to his homeland in spring 2019 and applied his extensive experience at the CottoCrudo restaurant in the Four Seasons Hotel Prague. Since summer 2023, he has been the head chef of the fine dining Augustine restaurant.

DJ Deffo - a veteran of the DJ scene, has been behind the decks since 2002 and has since built a reputation as one of the most experienced DJs in the Czech Republic. His name has appeared alongside world icons like Boris Brejcha, Reinier Zonneveld, Gregor Tresher, and Ben Böhmer, attesting to his undeniable artistic talent.

You might know him from major dance events like Beats 4 Love, Mácháč, Sound open air, Cube, Houseland, AIR festival, and from club scenes like Roxy, Storm, Cross, Mecca, Duplex, Atelier, Vibe, Exit, and many more. Not limited to the Czech Republic, Deffo has also showcased his sets in Spain, Lithuania, Germany, Croatia, and Slovakia.

His favorite genre is melodic techno, but he is also comfortable with house or tech house, and his performances are always full of energy and dynamism. Deffo loves interacting with the audience and always strives to offer the best from his musical palette.