I’m just gonna cut right to the chase. Here’s what I learned in Prague: I don’t exactly love traditional Czech food. There, I said it. Maybe that’s not such a surprising thing for me to say (if you know anything about Czech food and its reputation) but I had no idea what to expect from Czech cuisine before landing in Prague. Now that we are in London and can book travel with a lot less advanced planning, I’m learning to embrace the concept of arriving in a city that I don’t know much about and allowing it to introduce itself to me (instead of attacking it with a list and guidebook in hand).
So, I may not have liked all of the food I tried (we’ll get to why in a minute) but I loved Prague! From drinking and dining with the locals in a neighborhood bar at 3am, to enjoying a fantastic meal on the Vltava riverbank with a view of the Charles Bridge, our weekend in Prague was filled with memorable food experiences.
We landed super late at night so my husband could wake up in Prague (a place he’s always wanted to visit) on his birthday. The night before, I realized I couldn’t let him start his birthday weekend by missing dinner so I had done just enough pre-trip research to find the late night food spots (a rarity in Prague) and we set out at 2am to get something to eat.
We could hear U Sadu (Škroupovo náměstí 5, 130 00 Praha 3 - Žižkov) before we could see it, not because it was loud but because it was the only place open in a neighborhood where everyone was in for the night and you could hear a pin drop. My husband leans in to me and says “Are they even going to speak English here?” People who were definitely locals were sitting around enjoying beers and cigarettes (outside and inside) and quietly enjoying each other’s company. We felt like we were invading their territory but actually, they didn’t seem to mind – or even notice – our presence and went about their laid-back, smoke-filled evening. Our server did speak English and we very quickly ordered some beers, chicken schnitzel and pork medallions smothered in cheese (middle of the night bar food, for sure) out of fear that the kitchen would soon close (even though the website claimed that they served food until 4am).
The food was fine enough but I will forget what we ate long before I ever forget sitting in that dark smoky bar, in a place completely foreign to me, not understanding a word of what is being said all around me, and loving every minute of it. There were both couples and groups of friends, young and old. A dog sprawled under a table looked like he was done for the night. It had been a long time since I’d had a travel moment like that. I have no idea what that bar is like at any other time of day or week but it was the perfect place to kick off our weekend in Prague.
U Sadu is open late into the night.
After a late start the next morning, we decided to go straight for lunch in the center of the Prague Castle complex. The walls of the courtyard at the Lobkowicz Palace Café (Jiřská 3 119 00 Prague 1) blocked out the blazing hot sun and our lunch was perfectly refreshing on such a hot day (about 95°F/35°C). The warm lentil salad with carrot, celery, beets, shiitake mushrooms, arugula, sweet balsamic vinaigrette, and “a touch of chorizo sausage” was a perfect example of using meat as a garnish or seasoning as opposed to making it the focus of a meal. The mezze platter included hummus, tzatziki, roasted veggies, olives, feta and pita. Our meal was rich in protein and vegetables but it was also bursting with flavor.
Lunch at Lobkowicz Palace Café.
 | After exploring Prague Castle during a downpour (perfect timing!), we were ready for a latte. We found ourselves at Original Coffee (Betlémská 12, 110 00 Praha 1), where they roast an ever-changing menu of carefully selected coffees from around the world. This is just one of several serious high-end espresso shops in Prague that offer not only milk-based espresso drinks but also pourovers, French press, and AeroPress®, as well as light snacks. In Prague coffee shops, as in Budapest, I once again observed that whole milk is much more common than semi-skimmed or skim milk. |
| Vinograf (Senovážném náměstí 23) serves over 35 wines by the glass, including Czech wines. When you walk in, you are handed a tablet loaded with the wine menu, including descriptions and recommendations. You can save individual wines to your “favorites” list as you narrow down your selection. If you’re thinking, “I’m on vacation to get away from screens!” never fear: the staff is very friendly and can still guide you through their offerings the good old-fashioned way. The Hort rosé is a perfectly refreshing Czech wine for a summer day. |  |
 | But sitting in a wine bar isn’t the way to enjoy Prague. Sitting in a beer garden is another story; so we made our way to the best one in the city. The Letna Hill Beer Garden (Letenské sady, 170 00 Praha 7) sits high on an embankment and offers gorgeous views of the river and the city beyond. We grabbed two Czech beers, each of which turned out to be perfect for our tastes: a Gambrinus Original 10° pilsner for him and a Fénix witbier for me. We also shared a kebab but we couldn’t determine if the meat was pork or chicken. (Both were on offer but I think there were some language issues when my husband got up to order.) Not that it really mattered since the best part of the whole thing was really the soft chewy bread it came on. |
Sunset at Letna Hill Beer Garden.
That night we decided to have dinner at a spot that had been recommended for trying traditional Czech dishes. I ordered a beef goulash - really more of a Hungarian dish than Czech but the formula of meat + gravy + dumplings + potato pancakes was intact. I didn’t mind the rich sauce that came with the meat but I was disappointed in the dumplings and potato pancakes. Both were soggy and tasteless. I wasn’t sure if this is how they are supposed to be made but I did remember having soft potato pancakes at the bar the night before (until this point, my potato pancake experience had been limited to crispy latkes made in Brooklyn). I have since done some reading on Czech food and learned that the dumplings are steamed and meant to be soft. Still not a fan.
Traditional Czech dish.
The next day, at T-Anker (5, OD Kotva, nám. Republiky 656/8, 110 00 Praha 1), I gave the traditional Czech formula another shot. I limit my meat intake most of the time but if I travel to a place where meat is a staple of the traditional cuisine and good vegetarian or vegan options are harder to find, I don’t mind being flexible – especially if it helps me get a better sense of what the local food is like. I ordered the confit of duck with an apple cabbage slaw and potato pancakes. Looks like soft potato pancakes are the norm. Lesson learned. I didn’t love my duck either and the slaw was not fresh but thick, hot and saucy. My husband had more success with his burger ordered off the grill menu (they use the Big Green Egg®!) but the real draw here is the view. T-Anker is located at the top of a half-empty, outdated shopping mall. The journey to the top floor had me wondering if we should turn back before the zombies came around the corner. We forged ahead and were handsomely rewarded. If you go, take your camera, get there before the lunch crowd and order one of the local Czech beers on tap.
Duck confit and potato pancakes at T-Anker.
The view from T-Anker.
EMA espresso bar (Na Florenci 1420/3, 110 00 Praha 1) is a proper espresso shop in Prague, offering pourovers and AeroPress® in addition to your standard milk-based espresso drinks, using coffee from various European micro-roasteries. A bright airy space with seating for more than a dozen, this place provided respite from a super hot day. It would have been an even sweeter break from the heat had I realized they served affogato!
EMA espresso bar.
Kampa Park (Na Kampě 8b, 118 00 Praha) made up for the underwhelming birthday dinner we’d had the night before. Its terrace sits next to the Charles Bridge and overlooks the Vltava river. One after another, each dish was absolutely amazing but my favorite was the olive oil poached halibut with black truffles, crispy bacon, potato mash with French mustard, and vegetable foam. What really impressed me wasn’t the food at all though. The menu at this gourmet French-style restaurant includes a key that offers guests an easy way to see which of 14 potential allergens may be present in a given dish.
There's halibut hiding under that vegetable foam.
The view of Charles Bridge from the terrace at Kampa Park restaurant.
After dinner we took shelter from the rain at Zly Casy (Čestmírova 390/5, 140 00 Praha), a dark 3-floor beer bar where the walls are lined in the empty bottles of every elusive craft beer you’ve ever wanted to try. There were about 9 or 10 beers on tap, including local brews.
 | As we headed back to our room to pack for the next day’s flight home, we heard the sounds of friends having a super relaxed, good time. We want to have laid-back fun too! We walked into what turned out to be Cajovna Jedna Basen (Pod Zvonařkou 14, 120 00 Praha 2), a tea house with wooden platforms covered in rugs and cushions. The group of friends was laughing and chatting quietly as they played cards. We nodded our heads at them as we slipped off our shoes and climbed up onto the next platform. No common language required. What a lovely, peaceful way to end a trip filled with blazing sun, cold beers and rich food. |
The next morning we got up early to find some breakfast before heading to the airport. Lord knows I can’t get going without something in my stomach. We headed back to a place we had discovered earlier in the trip. Bakeshop (Kozí 918/1, 110 00 Praha 1-Staré Město) had a variety of foods ready from 7am on a Sunday morning – everything from croissants and quiches to cakes and pastries. The best part was a beautiful salad bar: tomatoes, avocado, chickpeas & eggplant, and grain salads were among the offerings first thing in the morning.
Bakeshop offers an array of delicious and nutritious salads.
Overall, it was a bit of a challenge to find a variety of nutrient-dense food choices in Prague. This was probably due not only to my effort to try the traditional foods and local beers but also to the fact that the culture is not one centered around a high intake of fresh vegetables and lean proteins lacking a gravy bath. That said, the options are definitely there, you just need to take advantage of them when you come across them!
In the meanwhile, don’t forget to stop and take in the stunning sights of Prague: from the red rooftops dotting the skyline as far as the eye can see, to some of the oldest buildings I’ve ever stepped foot in, like St. George’s Basilica, which was founded in 920 and is the oldest surviving church building within Prague Castle.
Quick Guide
- Late night local bar U Sadu (Škroupovo náměstí 5, 130 00 Praha 3 - Žižkov)
- Lunch at Prague Castle Lobkowicz Palace Café (Jiřská 3 119 00 Prague 1)
- Coffee near Prague Castle Original Coffee (Betlémská 12, 110 00 Praha 1)
- Wine bar Vinograf (Senovážném náměstí 23)
- Beer with a view Letna Hill Beer Garden (Letenské sady, 170 00 Praha 7)
- Rooftop lunch T-Anker (5, OD Kotva, nám. Republiky 656/8, 110 00 Praha 1)
- Third wave coffee EMA espresso bar (Na Florenci 1420/3, 110 00 Praha 1)
- Special occasion Kampa Park (Na Kampě 8b, 118 00 Praha)
- Craft beer bar Zly Casy (Čestmírova 390/5, 140 00 Praha)
- Tea house Cajovna Jedna Basen (Pod Zvonařkou 14, 120 00 Praha 2)
- Bakery & salad bar Bakeshop (Kozí 918/1, 110 00 Praha 1-Staré Město)
