Eat & Drink in Prague

Eating Out

The hungry traveller can choose from a wide choice of eateries. In this city, you'll find all kinds of food from all corners of the world. Most restaurants offer Czech as well as international dishes.

Czech Cuisine | Pizzerias | Fast Food | For Vegetarians | Cafes | Beerhouses

The price of a restaurant meal is around 150,- CZK, drinks aroud 30,- CZK. Most restaurants accept international credit cards. Restaurants are open usually to 11 or 12 p.m.

Czech Cuisine

Czech cuisine is quite heavy. Lots of meat (usually pork or beef) served with dumplings, potatoes or rice, in a sauce. The traditional Czech dish is "Knedlo, zelo, vepro" (roast pork served with dumplings and sauerkraut), served always with a glass of beer. Another classic dishes are "Svickova na smetane" (sliced beef sirloin served in a cream sauce with a garnish of cranberries and, of course, dumplings) or "Gulas" (goulash served with dumplings and often garnished with onion slices). For dessert, restaurants serve "Palacinky" (rolled crepes filled with either fruit or jam and topped with whipped cream and chocolate), "Ovocne knedliky" (dumplings filled with plums or other fruit and topped with sugar, cream cheese and melted butter) or "Jablecny strudl" (apple strudel, sometimes served with vanilla ice-cream or whipped cream).

Czech beer "Pivo" is famous worldwide. The best-known Czech beers are Pilsner Urquell "Plzen" and Budweiser "Budejovicky Budvar". Gambrinus, Staropramen, Velkopopovicky Kozel, Krusovice and Radegast are other famous brands. Usually each pub is supplied by a single brewery so only one brand of beer is available. Some beerhouses brew their own beer and it is possible to order an excursion to a brewery. If you would like to taste an original Czech liqueur, order Becherovka. It is a bitter-sweet, yellow herbal drink. It can be served both as an aperitif and a liqueur or diluted with tonic.

The Menu

Traditional Czech menus have two sets of entrees. The first set is called "hotova jidla" which means ready-to-serve. The other is "minutky" which means cooked-to-order. The first are generally traditional Czech dishes - meats (pork or beef) in heavy cream sauces served with dumplings. Ready-to-serve meals are much cheaper than cooked-to-order meals and are only available until about 3 p.m.

Tipping

A tip of 5-10% is appreciated in any tourist restaurant with table service. The usual protocol is for them to tell you the total food bill and for you, as you hand over the money, to say how much you are paying with the tip included. For instance, if the bill comes out to 137,- CZK, you pay 150,- CZK leaving your waiter, waitress or bartender a 13,- CZK tip.