Gastronomy in Prague
When walking around Prague, you will see restaurants, cafes, and pubs on each corner. The choice is huge from cheap pubs with local food to fancy restaurants which can be a great choice for special occasions. Regarding the Czech cuisine, opinions vary. Those who love meat and sauces will probably love it. For vegetarians and fans of healthy eating, it can be hard to find tasty traditional Czech food. In the following article, we will have a look at the most traditional meals and give you some tips about the best restaurants in the city.
Restaurants around Prague
Czech meals can be considered as tasteful, but also very heavy and unfortunately unhealthy. You can eat typical Czech meals a few times per week, but probably not every day. What else does Prague offer?
The variety of cuisines which you can taste in Prague is enormous. Thanks to the numerous Vietnamese community, you will find many Asian restaurants. There are cheap Vietnamese bistros, fancy Thai restaurants, Indian restaurants offering all you can eat: buffet, authentic sushi places, Korean BBQ, or Indonesian restaurants. In case you prefer Tex-Mex, there are several Mexican restaurants and many burger bistros. Besides this, of course, Prague offers other European cuisines like Italian, French, Spanish, or Greek.
This article will focus on Czech cuisine. Due to the high competitiveness, the quality of restaurants in Prague is outstanding. If you avoid overpriced restaurants in the touristic areas, you can find great places where to eat for a reasonable price.
Czech cuisine and popular dishes in Prague
As mentioned above, the Czech meals may be considered as heavy. Usually, they consist of a big portion of meat, side dish and sauce. Pork is the most common kind of meat; it is followed by beef and chicken. Unfortunately, fish is not so popular. Although the variety of freshwater fish is wide, there are not many places where to get tasteful and fresh fish. A popular side dish is dumplings (knedlíky), or potatoes in different ways.
What are the typical dishes? The most common is Svíčková – marinated sirloin with creamy sauce. Guláš (goulash) has Hungarian roots, but Czech people consider it traditional as well. Knedlo-zelo-vepřo is a great combination of dumplings, roasted pork and cabbage. You can also take Řízek (schnitzel) with mashed potatoes. Tatarák s topinkami (beef steak tartare with toasted bread) goes perfectly together with beer.
The soup is a common part of the meal, especially for the lunch, and usually, replaces the starter. The most common is Česnečka (garlic soup), and by the way, it helps with hangovers. Kulajda is a creamy white soup with eggs and mushroom, and Gulášovka (goulash soup) is a variation of goulash sauce. Regarding desserts, Štúdl also called Jablečný závin (appel strudel) is considered as traditional.
As a vegetarian, very often you will be offered Smažený sýr (fried cheese) with French Fries. In fact, this is considered a fast food dish and Czech cuisine has other vegetarian meals to offer. But it can be hard to find them in the restaurants' offer. Fried cheese is sometimes replaced by Smažený květák (fried cauliflower) or Smažené žampiony (fried mushrooms). Very tasteful are Bramboráky, also called Cmunda – fried potatoes pancakes which can be accompanied by cabbage. Houbový kuba is a vegetarian dish from cooked hulled grain and mushrooms and is common to eat, especially during the Christmas time.
Don't be surprised if you get a sweet dish for lunch. There are several traditional sweet meals which are considered as a vegetarian main dish. For example, Žemlovka with apples, Bramborové šišky s mákem (potato buns with poppy seeds), or Ovocné knedlíky (sweet dumplings filled by fruit). Lívance looks like pancakes; usually, you will eat them with jam or melted butter, sugar, and cocoa powder.
Cheap eats in Prague
If you know where to go, even in the city centre you can get some cheap and tasty food. Enjoy the typical Czech atmosphere and eat together with locals. Check those places:
Karlův sklep
U Staré pošty
Sklep
U Havrana
Kulový blesk
Tlustá myš
Moderately priced eats in Prague
Prague offers plenty of restaurants with a nice atmosphere and still affordable prices. Below are tips for some of them:
U Matěje
ESKA
Krystal Bistro
Katr Restaurant
Výčep
The Eatery
Café Imperial
Vinohradský parlament
Fine dining in Prague
In case of special events, maybe you want to try more luxurious restaurants. There are many of them in Prague. Renowned chefs offer a degustation menu inspired by Czech cuisine. Bring your partner or family there; it can be an unforgettable experience for all of you.
La Degustation Bohême Bourgeoise
U Modré kachničky
La Rotonde
Mlýnec Restaurant
V Zátiší
Grand Cru
