My biography

I want to work on something meaningful. Not only something for people to remember, but also to benefit them. This page offers a glimpse at my professional life, achievements, and results.

I want to work on something meaningful. Not only something for people to remember, but also to benefit them. This page offers a glimpse at my professional life, achievements, and results.

I decided to dedicate my life to gastronomy and the restaurant business and I have been lucky enough to have gained your ear for my idea of good food. I thank you for that. Below, you will find information about my journey. You can also visit my Wikipedia profile.

  • YES, CHEF!

    Lots of pleasure and fun, but hard work as well. Many miles traveled, many sleepless nights endured, many lines added to my face, but also the smile of satisfaction from the excellent results, enjoyed, first and foremost, by the guest of the restaurants. This show truly has meaning.

    YES, CHEF!2009 - 2017
  • THE CHEF’S COOKING NOW!

    Everybody can cook excellent food, at home, just like a professional. See for yourself. Watch new episodes of my cooking show Teď vaří šéf! on TV Prima.

    THE CHEF’S COOKING NOW!2014 - 2018
  • HEAT IT UP, CHEF!

    The true essence of cooking in its purest, crystalline form. Exactly the way I love it. Fresh air, fresh ingredients and a natural source of heat. No wonder that everything coming off a grill tastes so wonderful. Come and cook with me.

    HEAT IT UP, CHEF!2014 - 2019
  • CZECHIA COOKS WITH POHLREICH LIVE

    Do you remember, let’s say, the French-style scrambled eggs from the “Vařte jako šéf!" show? Well, that is exactly the recipe we did together LIVE on the TV Prima channel in 2013. That and many, many more.

    CZECHIA COOKS WITH POHLREICH LIVE2013
  • COOK LIKE THE CHEF!

    This TV show aired on the Czech Prima channel and took us all back to basics, so that we could work our way up to the big flashy stuff. A cooking school, which guided the viewers on a journey from the ingredients to the proper techniques to combine them into amazing dishes.

    COOK LIKE THE CHEF!2013
  • CHEF ON A GRILL

    We Czechs love our grilling, but often let the wrong people give us advice on how to go about it. I know a bit about what and how to grill and I tried to pass that knowledge on to the viewers of this show aired on the TV Prima channel in 2011 and 2012.

    CHEF ON A GRILL2011 - 2012
1975 – 1989

Several hotels & restaurants

Location: Prague, Czech Republic
Position: several

1990 – 1991

Restaurant Het Schellinkje

Location: Meppel, Netherlands
Position: Executive chef

1991 – 1993

Restaurant La Guillotine

Location: Adelaide, Australia
Position: Executive chef

1993 – 1996

Hotel Renaissance

Location: Prague, Czech Republic
Position: Sous-chef

1996 – 1998

Hotel Villa Voyta

Location: Prague, Czech Republic
Position: Executive chef

1998 – 2002

Hotel Radisson SAS

Location: Prague, Czech Republic
Position: Executive chef

2002 – 2004

Hotel Renaissance

Location: Prague, Czech Republic
Position: Executive chef

2004 – 2007

Hotel Marriott a Renaissance

Location: Prague, Czech Republic
Position: Executive chef

2007 – today

Café Imperial

Location: Prague, Czech Republic
Position: Executive chef, co-owner

2008 – today

Divinis

Location: Prague, Czech Republic
Position: Executive chef, co-owner

2011 – 2015

Tribeca Restaurant & Hotel

Location: Romanshorn, Switzerland
Position: provider

2016 - today

Next Door

Location: Prague, Czech Republic
Position: Executive chef, co-owner

Publications

A place in the heart

A place in the heart

Published 2018

Nothing of what is written in this book can fully express the state of being, which I experience. Even if I had the gift of eloquence, I could not describe this state. It is because all that we can put into words is only a reflection of the manifest material world, which comes from the non-manifest world. This non-manifest world has no form, no words, no color, no gender. It is a living NOTHING. And how do you propose to characterize NOTHING? Anything, which you say about NOTHING, becomes something. Words can only be directions on the path to experiencing this NOTHING. And if you succeed and arrive to the end, you may discover love, happiness and joy in your life, just as I did.

The Italian cookbook

Published 2018

Italian cuisine gained worldwide popularity and won the hearts of many. Who can imagine cooking without the amazing Italian ingredients, the wines, the cheeses, the wonderful, ripe San Marzano tomatoes, the fragrant basil ...? This book was created for all those, who fell in love with Italian cuisine. If you want to improve your Italian cooking game, add the wide variety of simple and delicious recipes to your personal arsenal. This cookbook offers 104 recipes for risottos, pasta, meat, fish, salads, and soups, but also recipes for original baked goods and desserts, without which the Italians could not imagine their lunch or supper. We owe much to Riccardo Lucque, who decided to settle here in Czechia. He brought with him a piece of the true Italian gastronomy. The simple, relaxed but well-considered style of cooking. His restaurants flies you across borders and let you experience the same feeling you know so well from your holidays in the sunny south and discover tastes you so admired when traveling through Italy. When you meet Riccardo personally, you can bask in the atmosphere of his gloriously generous and likable Italian temperament. The book offers you insight into the story of Riccardo’s life and reveals how he met his Czech wife Irma. You learn about all the places where he cooked and about what made him put down his roots in Prague. The breathtaking pictures of his native region of Marche will draw you into the story. Buon Appetito! LOOK INSIDE

The Italian cookbook
Fresh cooking

Fresh cooking

Published 2018

Fresh and light are the new culinary themes of our time and, hopefully, we soon completely forget the days when a pitiful slice of pinkish tomato and a wilted shred of lettuce were the only “fresh” things on our plates. Fresh is the “word” of the new culture, that much is certain. We created this book to freshen up your cooking repertoire and brought more life and ideas into your kitchen. We wish to bring more energy, variety, more oxygen and sex-appeal to your food. This book is more than a set of recipes, it is a concept designed to improve your life. The name itself has a double meaning. The nature and quality of the ingredients used and dishes created on one hand, and on the other, the mindset to approach both cooking and life. It is this mindset which gives fresh ideas the necessary space and substance. Fresh was our mantra for this book. That is because I am convinced that fresh food means a fresh you.LOOK INSIDE

Sugarfree cookbook for the little and the big

Published 2018

The Sevruga publishing company of Zdeněk Pohlreich presents a new cookbook “Cukrfree kuchařka pro malé i velké” – or Sugar Free Cookbook for the Little and the Big – from the authors Jana Dell Plotnárková and Janina Černá. Every year we try to come with inventive and interesting projects and we found this book so intriguing, that we arranged cooperation with the authors. This cookbook is an essential source of inspiration for all who wish to cook healthier both for themselves and for their families. It brings more than 120 unique recipes with minimal sugar content and the ideal balance of beneficial fats and proteins. The book also contains useful information on proper nutrition, not just for adults, but for children as well – including babies. The text, together with the beautiful pictures taken on Hawaii, where the book was created, makes this cookbook a truly unique experience, which shows you, that you really can cook without sugar! All the recipes presented in the book are naturally gluten-free, suitable for diabetics and for all who wish to work on their weight issues. It is not a new diet fad, but a concept of a lifestyle, which can be close to many and beneficial to all.LOOK INSIDE

Sugarfree cookbook for the little and the big
My home cooking

My home cooking

Published 2018

For Zdeněk Pohlreich, the most often asked question is if he cooks at home. The answer is "yes, and with pleasure." Although, even he has a couple of dishes that he cooks all the time. The selection of his favorite recipes is presented in this cookbook. My Home Cooking lets you peek both under the lid of the pots on his stove and into the household around it. This hardback presents 72 imaginative recipes for everyday cooking, from breakfast and lunch to dinner, all made with easily available ingredients and illustrated by attractive pictures. Crisp photographs also open the doors into the private life of the family, accompanied by a couple of paragraphs describing how Zdeněk lives, what he likes and what he feels is his purpose. “Come and cook with me, it’s easy and fun.” LOOK INSIDE

The culinarium

Published 2017

This is a book that was supposed to be written a long time ago. It is said that cooking is a form of art, but that is not true. It is a craft, which anybody can learn, if they have enough common sense and patience to master the basics and apply them properly. In this book, Zdeněk Pohlreich explains all methods of cooking using heat and demonstrates them on creative, engaging recipes. "Cooking is not about recipes," says Zdeněk Pohlreich. "The trick is to master the rules and then you can just have a look at what mother nature has to offer and process it the best way you can.” Do you want to be a cook, who not only knows how to prepare good food, but also has a very good idea about what is going on in the pan or the pot, and who can deal with any situation? Chef Zdeněk Pohlreich will guide you through the mysteries of culinary methods with ease and grace. As soon as you master them, they will lend you more lightness, comfort, and space for creativity in your kitchen. A perfectly executed meal will become the standard of your cooking. This book presents 17 cooking methods, 100 recipes with attractive pictures, and original illustrations by Josef Blecha and Lukáš Hudec.LOOK INSIDE

The culinarium
Vietnamese cookbook

Vietnamese cookbook

Published 2017

The Sevruga publishing company of Zdeněk Pohlreich presents the first of its cookbooks by another author, namely the husband and wife duo of Tuan and Lan, who run several successful Vietnamese bistros in Czechia. “I love to read cookbooks, which present the life stories of my fellow restaurateurs,” reveals Zdeněk Pohlreich. Vietnamese cuisine is popular all around the globe and is deservedly gaining interest even here. It is crisp, light, full of flavors and scents, fresh ingredients and yet it is so simple! This cookbook contains authentic recipes, which let you prepare fantastic food in a matter of minutes. The attractive pictures will soon convince you to try yourselves. Furthermore, you can dive into the inspirational story of the humble and hardworking Tuan and Lan, husband and wife, who built their new home in Czechia thanks to their seemingly limitless energy and managed to naturally integrate into the society. Discover the amazing world of heady scents and delicious flavors, of dishes full of vegetables, fish, and meat. You can prepare the well know dishes or try the less familiar ones. This cookbook opens a new series of the Sevruga publishing company, with more themed books to follow. They will all be easily recognizable by the name in the form of a simple adjective denoting the origin, as it is with VIETNAMESE.LOOK INSIDE

Light cooking

Published 2016

I have been on a diet my whole life, I just don't know, what sort of a diet it is. I am overweight, at times getting up into the obese territory, and I would love to do something about that. The way is not a single diet program, that will end, but making a lasting and meaningful change in my approach to food and eating. I decided to write a book about reasonable eating, without the gastronomic hysteria and life-threatening experiments. Light cooking is about cooking and eating healthy (and I would rather say reasonable) food and preserving all that which fascinates and excites me about gastronomy and the reason I love it so much – great taste and excellent visual presentation. These dishes can taste amazing and look attractive and what's more, you will avoid the inevitable post-meal overstuffed nap on a couch, but will feel fresh and light instead! I wish to present gourmet food, which has fewer calories but retains the excellent visual appeal and all the elements of the social experience. Food that brings your loved ones together around one table to enjoy amazing dishes, which leave you feeling sated, but not stuffed, only light. Does it sound complicated? Don't worry, it is easier than you might think.LOOK INSIDE

Light cooking
No foods barred

No foods barred

Published 2016

One of the first and at the same time the most successful cookbooks of Zdeněk Pohlreich, has earned a refresh after six years from the last issue. It returns in a new format, with modern graphic design, improved recipe descriptions, and updated biography. Zdeněk Pohlreich describes the new edition of the book: "Since the first edition came out, the restaurant business went through a great change and even the view of what is and what isn’t good is different now. Gastronomy is improving in leaps and bounds, but the dishes presented in this book remain relevant and modern. They form the basis for our menu in Café Imperial and the Divinis restaurant owes them its five Bib Gourmand awards of the Michelin Guide.” This new edition brings nearly 100 tried and tested recipes from the modern Czech and French cuisine, many of which became culinary icons. It also features very personal stories about life and living. “My whole life has changed since the first edition of this book. I got old, I got calm and I got infinitely happy.”LOOK INSIDE

Words from the inside

Published 2016

I decided to publish a book by my beloved wife Zdenička under my publishing company. You will not find a single recipe here. But you may find a recipe – or an answer – to many a question, which we get served by life itself. This is her book debut and I hope you find your own meaning in it. I will give the floor to Zdenička to present her book herself: “I wanted to tell the story of my life and my illness, which brought me great empowerment. It empowered me to take charge of and full responsibility for my life. I believe that everyone can turn the course of their life. What does it mean? It means everybody can become positive, happy, healthy, successful, and loving. How to achieve that? It is both simple and difficult at the same time. I would like to share my subjective experience. I am not presenting any doctrine or dogma. I only have one wish – to encourage you with my story. And if it should only help one of my readers, then the meaning of my illness is fulfilled.”

Words from the inside
Heat it up, chef!

Heat it up, chef!

Published 2014

This book is full of recipes not only for grilling meat but fish and seafood as well, together with creative appetizers and breakfasts, which may tempt even the sworn opponents of outdoor cooking. The selection of 91 of my favorite recipes is accompanied by my commentary and the ten basic principles of proper grilling.

Grilling

Published 2015

The new cookbook "Grilling" brings 100 favorite recipes and 40 completely new ones. Follow these webpages and cook something delicious on a grill yourself. We will be posting several full recipes. You will find the shopping lists of ingredients for the recipes from the new book below.LOOK INSIDE

Grilling
2003

Course of Creating Marriott Leadership Culture

Renaissance hotel Prague

2002

Foundation of Leadership

Antem Marriott hotel, Mallorca

2001

Winner of President's Award

Cancún

2000

Winner of President's Award

Hong-Kong, Radisson SAS

Hotelová škola, Prague

Institute of Business Studies, Prague