Where to eat in Prague
Prague eats Czech: roast pork, beef in cream sauce with dumplings, goulash and fresh lager in a pub. The best meals are in neighborhood pubs and grand old cafes, not on the main square. Eat a hearty lunch, order the house beer, and book dinner at weekends.
The short answer
- Best area to eat
- The Old Town side streets, Vinohrady and the Žižkov pubs, not Old Town Square itself.
- Order this
- Svíčková na smetaně, goulash and a fresh lager.
- When to eat
- Lunch from 11:30, dinner from 6pm. Many pubs serve food until 10pm.
- Book or walk in
- Book Friday and Saturday dinner. Cafes and pubs take walk-ins.
- Tipping
- Round up the bill by about 10 per cent and say the total.
What to eat in Prague
- Svíčková na smetaněSlices of marinated beef in a root-vegetable cream sauce, with bread dumplings and cranberries.
- Vepřo knedlo zeloRoast pork with dumplings and sauerkraut, the classic Czech Sunday lunch.
- GulášA paprika beef stew served with bread dumplings, found in almost every pub.
- Smažený sýrBreaded fried cheese, served with tartare sauce and chips.
- ŘízekA breaded cutlet of pork or chicken, served with potato salad.
- TrdelníkA sweet rolled pastry sold across the Old Town. It is a tourist snack rather than a Czech tradition.
- KoláčA round sweet pastry with a filling of poppy seed, curd cheese or plum, found in bakeries.
Where to eat in Prague, by neighborhood
Old Town side streets
Traditional pubs and old cafes a few streets from the square. Avoid anything with a menu on the square itself.
Malá Strana
Quiet restaurants and garden cafes below the castle. Good for a long lunch after the climb.
Vinohrady
Wine bars, bistros and neighborhood restaurants in a residential area. Where locals go out for dinner.
Žižkov
A working-class district with many of Prague's best-known pubs and cheap beer.
Places worth a booking or a queue
-
Café Louvre
KčKčGrand cafe · Nové Město
OrderCoffee and cake, or the daily lunch menu
A first-republic cafe on Národní třída, open since 1902, with high ceilings and a billiard hall upstairs.
- Book
- Walk in, book for weekend lunch
Confirmed open: cafelouvre.cz
-
Café Savoy
KčKčGrand cafe · Malá Strana
OrderBreakfast, or a slice of cake with coffee
A neo-Renaissance cafe with a painted ceiling and its own bakery, below Petřín Hill.
- Book
- Book for weekends
Confirmed open: cafesavoy.ambi.cz
-
Lokál Dlouhááá
KčPub · Staré Město
OrderSvíčková or goulash with a fresh lager
A pub serving Czech classics and tank beer on a long bar, close to the Old Town Square.
- Book
- Walk in, book for groups
Confirmed open: lokal-dlouha.ambi.cz
-
U Fleků
KčKčBrewery restaurant · Nové Město
OrderThe dark house lager and roast pork with dumplings
A brewery and beer hall that has made dark lager on the same site for centuries. Touristy but well made.
- Book
- Book ahead for groups and weekends
Confirmed open: ufleku.cz
Food markets in Prague
- Náplavka farmers' marketMore than 90 stalls on the river embankment, with bread, cheese, fish, pastries and hot food.Saturdays 8am to 2pmSource: prague.eu
How Prague eats
- Meal timesLunch from 11:30 and dinner from 6pm. The main meal is often at lunch.
- BeerIn many pubs the waiter brings another beer until you put your mat on top of the glass.
- TippingRound up the bill by about 10 per cent and say the total when you pay.
- PayingAsk for the bill and pay the waiter at the table. Check the bill, as bread and extras are charged.
Signs of a place to walk past
A menu in six languages with photographs of every dish.
A tout on the street asking you to come in.
A trdelník stand that also sells ice cream and souvenirs.
Eating in Prague: questions people ask
What food is Prague known for?
Svíčková, roast pork with dumplings, goulash and fresh lager. Fried cheese is the late-night pub snack.
Where should I eat in Prague?
Side streets of the Old Town, Vinohrady and neighborhood pubs. Skip the main square.
What is svíčková?
Marinated beef in a cream sauce made from root vegetables, served with bread dumplings and cranberries.
Do I need to book in Prague?
At weekends, yes, for popular restaurants. Pubs and cafes usually take walk-ins.
Is Czech beer worth trying?
Yes. Pilsner-style lager is a national pride, and tank beer in a good pub is fresh and cheap.
Do you tip in Prague?
Yes. Round up the bill by about 10 per cent and tell the waiter the total.