What to Eat in Prague, Czech Republic

You may be thinking, “Is this just German food?” NO!! Czech food is its own cuisine, and it’s delicious!

Maybe it’s just my opinion, but it seems Czech food is a blend of German and Hungarian food, which is a great combination (it also makes sense since it is close to the two countries). The Czech Republic tends to be meat-focused with lots of hearty and creamy sauces to fill anyone after a long day of exploring. Some traditional foods, as mentioned by the locals, are guláš (goulash), veprova s knedlikem a se zelim (roasted pork with bread dumplings and sauerkraut), svickova na smetane (beef sirloin with cream sauce, cranberries, and whipped cream), bramborok (potato pancake), sausages, smazeny syr (fried cheese), nakládaný hermelín (pickled cheese), pickled sausages, polevka z jatrove knedlicky (liver dumpling soup), koleno (pork knee), roasted duck variations, and alllll the desserts… but we’ll get to that in another blog.

We feel the restaurants to avoid are in the immediate Prague Old Town Square. They are overpriced and do not serve high-quality food. However, if you just walk a little outside of the square, you can find some of the best food of your life. Here are our recommendations for food in Prague:

#1 - Hostinec U Sádlů

We were blown away by this restaurant. It’s located in New Town and is super tiny. If you blink, you’ll miss it. It also has roughly 10 tables, so you might want to reserve in advance. We were told that locals and tourists alike love this restaurant, and we quickly understood why when we came here. They serve traditional Czech food like we mentioned above. You will not be disappointed. They have a menu with multiple languages, so you should be able to read everything pretty well. If you have any questions, the staff are more than happy to help. We felt we got the best service here out of all the restaurants we’ve been to in Prague. We walked out with our bellies full and hardly spent any money. Between the two of us, it came to just under $30.

#2 - Café Louvre

This restaurant is very posh, but they allow people of all dress codes to walk in and enjoy the ambience. This has some of the best food we’ve had in Prague. It also has some unique history, as the restaurant dates back to 1902. They have kept their traditional look, so you can experience the restaurant the way it was seen by regular notable guests, such as Albert Einstein, Franz Kafka, and Karel Čapek. My personal favourite dish is the chicken breast with creamy pepper sauce and homemade spätzle… so simple, but it’s out of this world. It’s also a reasonable option for those on a tight budget but want to walk into culinary history.

#3 - U Parlamentu

This is just a quick walk from Old Town Square. It offers traditional Czech food with indoor and outdoor seating options. We tried more dishes than we could handle, and felt so full from eating so much. Everything was just too good, okay? Don’t judge us. Even with the 4 appetizers, soup, 2 entrees, beer, and dessert, we still managed to walk away with under $40. On top of that, we felt the service was very good and quick, which we can’t say about every place we’ve been to in Prague. Absolutely a winner in our eyes. You have to try it!

#4 - Lokál Dlouhá

This restaurant is recommended by so many food blogs, locals, hotels, and everyone between. What I wasn’t expecting is how MASSIVE this restaurant is. I could be wrong, but I feel you could easily get a table without a reservation. It’s that big of a place and is appropriate for families and large groups… and extra large groups. It’s also pretty reasonable (if you haven’t noticed from my blogs already, Prague is generally a reasonable city to visit). You can find many traditional Czech food here along with other foods, so it can fit anyone’s tastes. And, I don’t know if this applies to all dishes, but we were told by the waiter that if we wanted more food from our dishes, it is unlimited. For example, since we ordered roasted duck, we could have unlimited duck. I got the fried cheese. If I wanted more fried cheese and potatoes, I could just ask for it, free of charge. Very good deal for only being $8. I’m still in shock by that, so maybe ask your server ahead of time just to confirm that if you’re interested.

#5 - Food Lab

My goodness! All I wanted before our boat ride was a quick salad to tide me over. What I got was a masterpiece of culinary perfection! This restaurant was discovered by mistake, and it was incredible. We were told inside seating was reservation only, but patio seating was for walk-ins and smoking. It was definitely high-end dining, but even that wasn’t too expensive. They even offer a “Kids Corner,” which includes a movie theatre, climbing wall, and arcade for a small fee. You can utilise this while they watch your kids for you during your meal.

What about drinks?

Since beer is cheaper than water, you may see more beer drinkers than in other parts of Europe. The best beer is always a local one. Some suggestions we were given for local craft breweries were Maly/Velky, U Kunštátů, and BeerGeek Bar. Some of the best types, according to the locals we talked to, are Pilsner Urquell, Budweiser Budvar, and Staropramen. Although, it seems like you can’t really go wrong with selecting any beer. You can also get some unique beer, like ones mixed with raspberry soda (I didn’t mind that one). As someone who is not a beer drinker, I did not participate much in this; however, those who enjoy beer will be very happy with all the options and the low cost of having a beer… just drink responsibly.

What about Czech desserts? Well, there’s so much to discuss with desserts, so we’re creating a separate blog for that. Stay tuned.