Czech cuisine is not very different from German and Austrian. There is a lot going on in pork, sausages, stews, schnitzel and soups, and often with traditional knedliky (buns of potato and / or flour) as accessories. The Czechs also eat a good deal of game, especially hares and wild boars. Goose, duck and turkey dishes are also among the most traditional.
Many of the pubs in Prague serve good Czech food. The price level there is also very friendly from a Norwegian perspective. If you want it a little more elegant, but at the same time stay within the Czech food traditions, you can try for example these restaurants:
ART & FOOD Had– Czech and international cuisine of the more exclusive variety. Here, the traditional Czech dishes are spruced up and modernized. The restaurant is located in perhaps Prague’s most beautiful district, Mala Strana, at Plaska 4.
Restaurace Mlejnice– Here you will find traditional Czech food in an intimate and pleasant atmosphere. The restaurant is also very centrally located, right near the Old Town Square. The address is Kozna 14. If you did not get a table, you can try the branch to the restaurant located in Zatecka 17, right next to the Jewish cemetery.
Mlynec Restaurant– The restaurant serves Czech delicacies in an elegant way and is of the finer variety. The food is very good, but the view even better. The premises are located directly on the river Voltava, with a view directly towards the Charles Bridge. The address is Novotneho Lavka 9.
U Modre Kachnicky– This is a small, elegant and intimate affair with very good cuisine. The name “At the blue ends” indicates that you should taste the other dishes, something you will hardly regret. The restaurant is also located in a very nice part of the Mala Strana district. The address is Nebovidska 6.
Czech beer
If you are on a city break in Prague, you almost have to visit some traditional pubs. According to Abbreviation Finder, the Czechs are far more than moderately fond of beer, they consume more of the brew than any other nation in the world, and the life of the pubs is strongly linked to the Czech people’s soul and culture in the country.
The light type of pilsner is of course the king, and the one most Czechs prefer. However, the microbrewery trend has taken hold in the Czech Republic, so you will find plenty of all the other beer varieties as well. In total, there are more than 400 breweries in the country, which can be described as very high, considering the size.
Feel free to try pilsner types from Czech small breweries. These can be fantastically good, and definitely preferable to the beer from boring brewing giants like Staropramen (look for pubs that serve, for example, beer from Uneticky Pivovar). If you want beer from one of the large breweries, you should go for Pilsner Urquelle, and preferably in a pub that has a “tank oven”, ie unpasteurized and delivered to a tank farm instead of a barrel.
Lokal– Lokal has several pubs in the city, and the most central is in the street Dlouha 33. It serves exclusively unpasteurized Pilsner Urquell from the tank, which is by far the best version of the beer from the famous brewery. Forget the one you got in the bottle at home. From the tank, Urquellen is a godsend in proportion!
T-Anker– This beer bar is located on the roof of the Kotva shopping center, which is located directly opposite the large Palladium shopping center. The lift up goes outside Kotva. The place is perfect when it is hot enough to enjoy a beer outdoors. Here you will find beers from many Czech microbreweries who know what they are doing. The address is Namesti Republiky 8.
U Tri Ruzi– This is one of the better brewery pubs in town. The place is a bit characterized by being in the tourist area, but still stop by. The three roses always serve a good type of pilsner and a semi-dark stock, while the contents of the three to four other bottling towers depend on what the brewery master has come up with at the moment. You will find the brewery pub close to the Old Town Square and Charles Bridge, more specifically in Husova 10.
U Cerneho Vola– The Black Bull is a very traditional pub located right near the castle. The beer served is Pilsner Urquell and Kozel, which in itself is not that special. However, the bull should be visited if you want to experience a “real” Czech waterhole that is centrally located. The address is Lotan Namesti 1.
U Kunstatu– Here you will find over 100 beers from the best microbreweries in the Czech Republic. U Kunstatu is very centrally located near U Tri Ruzi, but you have to enter a dead end that can be easy to miss. Look at the map and navigate to the street Retezova 3.
Klasterni Pivovar Strahov– The brewery pub is located in an old monastery, and beer has been brewed on site for about 900 years. Klasterni Pivovar Strahov can be found on the upper side of the castle. The beer is very, very good, so stop by, especially if the weather allows an outdoor beer! The address is Strahovske Nadvori 301.
Gulden Draak Bierhuis Prague– It’s a bit blasphemous to drink foreign beer in Prague, but this beer bar is a must. On the Golden Dragon, only Belgian brews are served. Choose from an impressive number of bottling towers, or pick from the long list of top-quality bottled beers. Watch out! Belgian beers are often significantly richer in alcohol than Czech lagers. You will find the Belgian beer heaven in Soukenicka 34.
Fat Cat Pub & Brewery– The fat cat has seven bottling towers where you will find top beers from good microbreweries. The place is centrally located, the food is good, and the atmosphere welcoming. Worth a visit, although there are a lot of tourists here. The address is Karlova 44.
U Medvidku– On “The Little Bear” you can beat two birds with one stone. On the ground floor you will find a classic beer hall where you get Budvar on tank (Czech Budweisser), while on the second floor there is a brewery pub with decent beer. Somewhat a lot of tourists here too, but definitely worth the visit. Take a look at the tap tower on the ground floor. It is simply beautiful. The address is Na Perstyne 7.
U Fleku– Let it be said! On the beer front, U Fleku is perhaps the biggest tourist trap in Prague, and the beer is by no means among the best. However, you should consider visiting the place anyway, especially if you are a beer dog and a little interested in history. U Fleku opened as early as 1499, and the brewery is said to have been open since then, despite floods, plagues, wars, Nazis and Communists. It is nice to sit in the garden in the backyard when the weather allows it. The address is Kremencova 11.
