A Foodie’s Guide to the Best Restaurants in Prague
When you think of European foodie destinations, Prague probably isn’t anywhere near the top of your list. With this foodie guide to the best restaurants in Prague, allow me to change your mind!
I’ll admit, the first time I visited, I wasn’t impressed by Prague’s epicurean scene (or, should I say, lack thereof)… But as the capital of an ex-Soviet satellite state – where fresh produce was scarce and restaurants’ menus and ingredients were standardized by law – that wasn’t surprising.
Yet, at times during its turbulent history, Prague was a flourishing European cultural hub. Lavish cafés were a central part of Czech life, rivaling the best restaurants in Paris and Vienna. Ideas and ingredients flowed freely. Slowly but surely, this city is uncovering those roots.
During my recent trip to Prague, I scoured the “City of a Hundred Spires” for the best places to eat and drink. Combine this with my Prague itinerary and a day trip to Český Krumlov, and you’re in for a well-rounded adventure!
From loud, locals-only beer halls filled with the aromas of goulash, authentic mulled wine, and grilled sausages, to modern Czech restaurants boasting panoramic views over Prague’s red rooftops and medieval towers, here’s the ultimate guide to Prague’s best restaurants!
Czech Food & Czech Beer: Background Details
The late, great Anthony Bourdain once said: “In Prague, pork is king. Welcome to Porkopolis, the land that vegetables forgot.” And he’s right. If you ignore the ever-present cabbage and the humble potato…
Traditional Czech cuisine – with its usual suspects, beef goulash, knedliky (bread dumplings), pork knuckle, fried cheese, roasted duck, kulajda soup (my favorite!), schnitzel, and potato pancakes – isn’t the healthiest. But it is so damn delicious. Comforting and rich, it’s as if it was invented as an excuse to down two or three frothy lagers. Talk about a match made in Bohemian heaven.
Speaking of beer, did you know that the Czech Republic boasts the highest beer consumption in the world, per capita? In 2022, on average, every Czech person drank 188.5 liters (about 50 gallons) of beer.
At everyone’s favorite no-frills beer hall, Lokál Dlouhááá, a scoreboard hilariously shares the last hour’s beer consumption. During my last visit, on a Tuesday afternoon, it showed 41.5 liters!
Must-Do Food & Drink Tours
During my last visit, this Prague Foodie Tour showed me that Czech cuisine is so much more than pork and Pilsners. This food tour features a delicious blend of traditional eats (like sausages with mustard, Prague ham with creamed horseradish, pickled carp, fried cheese, and potato salad); plenty of Czech beer; flavor-packed, modern Czech food; red and white Moravian wines; beautiful desserts; and Becherovka cocktails. Click here to book your Prague Foodie Tour.
I also highly recommend booking this Prague Historic Pub Tour for a fun evening out in Prague. With a local beer-loving guide, you’ll visit four different pubs, play Czech trivia games, and learn about Czech beer culture. And, of course, you’ll drink traditional beers, like Pilsner Urquell, Kozel Černý, and Kozel “black and white.” They’ll be served up the Czech way: 75% liquid, 25% foamy head. Click here to book your Prague Historic Pub Tour!
Best Traditional Czech Restaurants
First on our list of Prague’s best restaurants, let’s dive into my favorite traditional Czech restaurants.
Výčep (Vinohrady)
You’ll have to hop on the metro to reach Výčep, but this traditional yet imaginative restaurant is worth the journey. This spirited, unpretentious pub-style joint is a must-add to your Prague itinerary!
“Just like at grandma’s house,” Výčep doesn’t cut corners. They hunt, grow, and catch what they can, while making almost everything else (bread, salami, cheese, sauerkraut, etc.) in-house.
In true Czech fashion, we ordered two frothy Dalešické beers as soon as we sat down. Then we slathered butter – made with veal bone marrow, buckwheat miso, and green pepper – atop fresh buckwheat-potato sourdough.
My potato dumpling, filled with succulent braised wild boar, sat atop house-stomped purple cabbage and the richest bacon sauce and was crowned with caramelized onions. Soulful and sensational, order this. My husband’s roasted pork knuckle with a luscious dark beer and Dalešice malt sauce was simpler, but perfect.
Lokál Dlouhááá (Old Town)
I’ll never visit Prague without dining at Lokál Dlouhááá (at least once). This lively and loud, no-fuss beer hall – or should I say, Prague institution – is a can’t-miss.
The menu changes daily, but you can count on hearty Czech classics made with high-quality, carefully sourced ingredients. There are usually a few salads and vegetarian options, too.
First things first, be a team player; add to the beer scoreboard. Order an obligatory Pilsner Urquell (or three) from one of Lokál’s twelve beer tanks.
Then, select a bunch of mouth-watering Czech dishes to share. Like sausages with mustard and creamy whipped horseradish. Marinated Czech camembert. Roast beef with pickles and bread dumplings. Beef goulash with potato dumplings. And maybe some pork ribs roasted with beer sauce.
Cheap, cheerful, and delicious, Lokál is (and probably always will be) one of Prague’s most beloved restaurants.
Bredovský Dvůr (New Town)
As traditional as it gets, Bredovský Dvůr is my pick for the best Czech restaurant in Prague’s New Town, close to the train station. You’ll love the cozy, brick-lined interior, giant beer tanks, cheerful atmosphere, and friendly hospitality here as much as the food.
Their perfectly roasted pork knee with sour cabbage, super spicy horseradish, spicy pickled peppers, and mustard was probably my favorite meal in Prague… But then again, it’s impossible to decide. The waiter wished me good luck as he placed the gigantic platter before me, but I didn’t spare a morsel. My husband ordered the wild boar tenderloin with onion jam, mashed potatoes, and demi-glace and loved it.
Two meals and six Pilsners here (hey, it was Friday night!) totaled $50 USD. Love that!
U Tří Jelínků (Lesser Town)
After your Prague Castle Tour, you’re going to be hungry! Just a short walk from Prague Castle, U Tří Jelínků is the perfect place to enjoy a hearty bowl of goulash.
The perfectly slow-roasted duck leg with red cabbage, cranberries, and Bohemian potato “block” dumplings, was the highlight for me here… But other elevated takes on Czech classics – like the brewery beef goulash with Karlovy Vary dumplings or the rolled pork flank baked atop onions with honey and cumin and served alongside stewed cabbage with Moravian bacon and bun dumplings – sound equally tempting!
P.S. For an upscale traditional Czech restaurant in Lesser Town, check out U Modré Kachničky; I haven’t been (yet!), but a few locals recommended it to me.
Best Fine-Dining Restaurants
Out with the old, in with the new! Next up, here are Prague’s best modern, fine-dining Czech and European restaurants.
Terasa U Zlaté Studně (Lesser Town)
Terasa U Zlaté Studně, located in the charming and historic 5* Golden Well Hotel Prague, boasts the most incredible view of Prague year-round, bar none.
Overlooking the entire city – with the spires of the Old Town Hall and the Church of Our Lady before Tyn in clear view – this vista is reason enough to make a reservation.
Yet, paired with the flawless, seasonal European cuisine (always presented with a dramatic table-side flourish – the unveiling of a cloche, the pouring of a luscious sauce, the shaving of fresh truffle), exceptional service, and an impressive wine list, no other restaurant in Prague compares.
Plus, Terasa U Zlaté Studně is one of 40 restaurants worldwide named a Louis XIII Cognac Fortress; its staff is specially trained to serve this ultra-premium Cognac. You’ll see handcrafted crystal decanters on display throughout the restaurant.
During my recent visit, I started with a rich roasted onion velouté with a perfectly grilled scallop, vol-au-vent, succulent crayfish, thyme, and black truffle shavings. For my main, a perfectly rendered, medium-rare roasted duck breast and leg, served with figs, beetroot, currants, and hibiscus and thyme jus was as boldly delicious as it was stunning.
I savored every last glimpse of that view over dessert – a coffee custard with salted green tea caramel, poached pumpkin, and sea buckthorn sorbet.
CODA (Lesser Town)
Located within the beautiful 5* music-themed Aria Prague Hotel, CODA’s cuisine features the perfect symphony of local, organic ingredients, premium produce from abroad, traditional Czech dishes, innovative flavor twists, and modern techniques.
CODA’s romantic rooftop terrace (open spring through fall) features breathtaking views overlooking Malá Strana’s baroque Church of Saint Nicholas and the rest of Prague. It’s magical.
Our recent visit fell in December, so we enjoyed lunch in the elegant Renaissance-style dining room, surrounded by artwork by Dalí, Picasso, and Chagall.
With talented Chef Igor Chramec conducting the kitchen, CODA serves impeccably crafted dishes like traditional Czech kulajda soup with forest mushrooms, chanterelles, poached egg, and dill (my favorite!); Hokkaido scallops with parsnip purée, kale, fermented salami, beurre blanc, and caviar; beef filet mignon with potato terrine, wild broccoli, and truffle sauce; and traditional Czech plum ravioli with sour cream and plum brandy glaze.
I’ve had the pleasure of dining at CODA twice. Whether you’re celebrating a special occasion or enjoying a leisurely lunch with a view, CODA is one of the best restaurants in Prague to do it.
Restaurant Alma Prague (New Town)
Alma is one of the newest and most exciting restaurants in Prague.
In a spacious and storied 600-year-old building, Alma’s inspiring, multi-faceted culinary concept and farm-to-table, no-waste philosophy spans a bar, open-kitchen dining room, courtyard herb garden, fermentation laboratory, and cellar.
The all-day café serves specialty coffee and homemade pastries, kombucha, and matcha. The wine bar pours natural and classic wines from across Europe. The cocktail bar features intriguing seasonal ingredients and flavor combinations – like pickled pine cone and bungleweed. Meanwhile, the restaurant draws inspiration and ingredients (farmed and foraged) from nature to craft interesting and deeply delicious food.
Alongside a Merlot-Cabernet blend from Moravia, we enjoyed a beautiful vegetarian meal! I was so impressed by the fresh sourdough with whipped butter with buttermilk and bread miso powder; blackened peppers with creamy Gran Moravia cheese and bread crumble; and groats koji porridge with spinach, wild mushrooms, stracciatella cheese, and pickled elderberries.
The Eatery (Prague 7)
A quick tram ride to Prague 7 will reward you with a delicious meal and a show – both emanating from The Eatery’s open kitchen. The Eatery’s seasonal menu features high-quality ingredients and contemporary takes on classic Czech dishes – which you’ll enjoy in a sleek, industrial-style dining room.
Pictured above is a starter of plum-brandy-marinated salmon trout with plum ketchup, ginger sabayon cream, and trout caviar. My favorite dish was the koprovka with dill sauce, grenaille potato, and egg.
This Michelin-listed spot is one of the best restaurants in Prague!
Best Cafés in Prague
Last but not least, these are my favorite cafés in Prague – whether you’re after a grab-and-go oat latte to explore Old Town or a leisurely brunch in a brilliant art-nouveau-style setting.
Eska Restaurant and Bakery (Prague 8)
Make the journey to Karlín (in Prague 8) for brunch at Eska Restaurant and Bakery – then stay to explore this trendy, ex-industrial, off-the-beaten-path neighborhood!
This bustling bakery fires some seriously delicious sourdough (infused with the aromas of beechwood) and serves it alongside Nordic-inspired takes on classic brunch dishes. Plus, everything is crafted strictly with Czech ingredients.
No matter what, promise me you’ll order the “potatoes in ash” with smoked fish, dried egg yolk, fresh dill fronds, kefir, and brioche butter. So scrumptiously Scandinavian, I felt like I was back in Stockholm.
Cukrarna Myšák (New Town)
I visited Cukrarna Myšák during my Prague Foodie Tour and was blown away by the elegant, old-world atmosphere and delicious Czech desserts. For a cute coffee or tea date, this is the place!
Order the buchtičky se šodó (buns with warm vanilla custard), větrník (choux pastry with vanilla pastry cream, caramel whipped cream, and sugar glaze), and likerova spicka (biscuit with chocolate mousse, eggnog, and a chocolate shell). Yes, all three!
Spell Coffee (New Town)
Staying near Prague’s main train station? Meet Spell Coffee, your new favorite coffee shop. This cozy little café offers beautiful, freshly made pastries (I’m very much into the pistachio croissants!) and great specialty coffee.
Café Imperial (New Town)
Café Imperial is Prague’s most famous coffee house – and has been for more than 100 years. This breathtaking art nouveau café, housed inside the historic and luxurious Art Deco Imperial Hotel, features magnificent ceramic mosaics, beautifully tiled walls and pillars, and floral and natural details.
Beyond the splendid atmosphere, café Imperial is known for its outstanding hospitality and perfectly classic European and American dishes – from English Breakfast to Eggs Benedict, and duck breast with cherry sauce to veal schnitzel.
Coffee Room Celetná (Old Town)
This tiny coffee shop is tucked into a stylish arcade just a stone’s throw from Old Town Square; Coffee Room Celetná is the perfect place to enjoy specialty coffee away from the crowds.
Best Food & Drink Activities in Prague
Beyond dining at the best restaurants in Prague, there are a few foodie experiences you can’t miss:
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This guide to the best restaurants in Prague was written in collaboration with Aria Hotel Prague & Golden Well Prague.
