Prague (Praha) Food

If Czech food speaks to you, it will sing to you. Simple, hearty, rich and pork-filled, Czech meals carry weight. Must tries are the fried cheese (both hermelin or eidam), the pork knees, the goulash with dumplings and the schnitzel (think chicken fried steak). Consistent deliciousness, however, comes at the price of variety. Of the thousand or so restaurants in Prague, 800 of them easily share the exact same or nearly the exact same menu, so don't feel bad if you're tempted by the city's mostly-delicious Thai food or it's mostly awful but nevertheless omnipresent Chinese food.

The best thing about Prague, however, is the sausages. Whether you're digging a stand at Wenceslas Square or relaxing at a pub along the river, sausages are served slightly charred in chewy rolls with hearty portions of mustard and a mug of beer.

Which brings us to beer, achem, water, achem, the only liquid substance most Czech drink. It comes with every meal (even breakfast), it comes in vending machines (seriously) and it usually costs between 15-40Kč. Beer gets more treatment in Nightlife, but it's also key for food matters since half the Czech cuisine only exists for beer. Pickled sausages, pickled cheese, head cheese (brains), deep-fried bread (which is amazing), pickled onions, pickled cabbage and toasts of cheese and ketchup all serve to supplement drinking and usually won't cost more than 30-40Kč.

In fact, most Czech food is disproportionally cheap. Many restaurants will have a daily lunch menu which offers a lunch with soup (usually a simple garlic, noodle and beef soup) and some entree for 80-110Kč, but be warned, the menus are usually Czech only, and you'll have to ask to see them. The Czech eat small breakfasts, usually just some cheese and hearty bread, but the abundance of tourists has made English and American breakfasts a standard option. Dinner with a mug of beer should come in at below 200Kč, though some items, steaks, pork knees, though available at these prices in some locations, will generally cost you more.

A note about cafes. Hundreds of locations across Prague describe themselves as Cafe Bars. These small-to-large establishments serve both extensive coffee options (including a favorite, Czech rum with coffee) as well as a full bar and usually a small, food menu of beer pairings.

Finally, a note about service and customs. When you enter a Czech restaurant, you are expected to seat yourself, and can even do so at a table already containing other guests. Although Czech service has a bad reputation, things have improved greatly as of late. Bread, pretzels or peanuts at the table are not free, and if you don't want them, don't touch them. Tipping is standard at 10%.

Restaurants

Klub architektů, Betlémské nám. 169/5A (☎ 224 401 214). Metro B: Národní třída. A 12th-century cellar with 21st-century ambience. Rub elbows with the locals in this intimate cavern of vaulted ...more

Cafes And Teahouses

Cafe Rybka, Opatovická 7 (☎ 224 932 260). Metro B: Národní třída. Congenial corner cafe with an intellectual crowd, fantastic coffee, and a tiny bookstore. Espresso 25Kč. Tea 22Kč. Open daily ...more

Nové Město

Pivovarský Dům, Jecná 15, 120 00 Praha 2 (☎ 29 621 6666; www.gastroinfo.cz/pivodum), Packed with Czech locals and a few wandering randos, this stellar microbrewery does Prague's beer proud. Start ...more

Staré Město And Josefov

Grand Cafe Orient, Ocovný trh 19 (☎ 224 224 240; www.grandcafeorient.cz), In 1912, the Czech architect Gočar built the only ever “Cubist cafe” on the second story of the Lady of Black Madonna, ...more

Malá Strana

Bar Bar, Všehrdova 17 (☎ 257 312 246; www.bar-bar.cz), Discovering Bar Bar anywhere would be an accomplishment, with its saturation of local flavor, infusion of exotic influences, and balance of excitement ...more

Hradčany

U Zlaté Hrušky Save, Nový Svět 3 (☎ 220 514 778; www.restaurantuzlatehrusky.cz), Try the innovative goat cheese in a puff pastry, with arugula and bacon chips (290Kč) —and sail away to a far-off ...more

Žižkov

Amores Perros, Kubelíkova 1123/33 (☎ 222 733 980; http://amoresperros.cz), The only Mexican food in the area, and one of a handful of Latin-style eateries in the city. Sizzling enchiladas smothered ...more

Vinohrady

Café Šlagr, Francouzská 72/563 (☎ 607 27 76 88; www.kavarnaslagr.cz), “Mind-blowing” is an appropriate word to describe Café Šlagr's baked goods. If they have it in stock, the Pářvžký rohliček ...more

Holešovice

La Crěperie, Janovskéno 4, Praha 7 (☎ 22 087 8040; www.lacreperie.cz), La Crěperie's jive is as hip and French as anyone could hope for. Decor details like a gold-star-striped walls, old photos, even ...more

Dejvice

Vegetka, Kafkova 16 (☎ 776 343 462; www.volny.cz/vegetka), A Buddhist vegetarian restaurant that serves up the freshest of dishes with an Asian twist. It'll be hard not to like tofu after you've eaten ...more

Smichov

Pizza Coloseum, Nádražní 344/25 (☎ 257 322 622; www.pizzacoloseum.cz/), This place is part fast-food dining and part refined cuisine. The decor might be simple and no-frills, but the food offerings ...more