If you are planning a trip to Prague then get ready to eat many tasty, caloric and beautifully greasy things, lots of meat (but I assure you that vegetarians and vegans can also survive) and above all to drink rivers of beer. In Prague you eat well (I mean in terms of flavours, certainly not in terms of lightness and balance) and spend relatively little. With around 10-15 € each, you can dine to your fill while drinking excellent quality beer.
Here are 10 things to absolutely eat on your trip to Prague
Goulash
Goulash is usually a stew of beef and vegetables typical of Eastern countries (we had also found it in Budapest. The Czech one is not very spicy and is sometimes offered in the variant with venison. For vegetarians and vegans: do not despair, in Prague I also managed to find it in a vegan version and I swear it was delicious (paid for 159CZK in a food market in Malostranské Square).
READ ALSO: What and where to eat in Budapest
Pražská Šunka
Pražská Šunka is the Prague Ham: it is smoked pork that is roasted over the coals and served with potatoes and rice in restaurants, while in the markets you will find it with dark rolls!
Pražská klobása
It is a typical Prague sausage that is grilled on the grill: it is dark red in color and very spicy. It is usually served with a slice of bread and mustard and you will find it both in the restaurant and in the city markets!
Bramboráky
Bramboráky are one of the typical dishes of Prague and you will also find them in all restaurants and street markets. They are potato pancakes, which more than pancakes are gigantic potato pancakes .. delicious but just as greasy! The first time I ordered them I was terribly disappointed, they have nothing of pancakes! They are prepared with grated potatoes mixed with egg and breadcrumbs, seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic, marjoram and cumin, and fried: the result is a fragrant and crunchy pancake that is served hot.
Soups
Soups are a hot and flavorful way to start a meal in Prague. The most famous and also the tastiest, in my opinion, is undoubtedly the one with onions, followed by the one with sauerkraut. You will also find it with sour cream, potatoes, mushrooms and goulash, the choice is really huge! In many places soups are served in a hollowed-out loaf of bread.
Trdelník
Trdelník is none other than our beloved Chimney Cake and in Prague you will literally find it in every corner of the city all year round! It is a sweet dough wrapped in a kind of wooden rolling pin and cooked on the grill and then covered with sugar, cinnamon, almonds and/or filled with ice cream or chocolate. Honestly, my favorite is the classic one with only sugar: I love hearing its delicate flavour! The Czechs claim that it is a typical dessert of their country, but it is absolutely not true: it is typical of all Eastern European countries, we had eaten a lot of them even in Budapest if you remember.
READ ALSO: What and where to eat in Budapest
Vánoční Cukrovi
Vánoční Cukrovi are Christmas cookies decorated with royal icing and that you will find in all markets, bakeries and pastry shops.. just follow the delicious scent of cinnamon! My favorites are the gingerbread ones.. I brought home so many, way too good! You will find them both during the Christmas period and throughout the rest of the year!
READ ALSO: Discover the magic of Christmas in Prague, home to one of the best Christmas markets in Europe Read on to find out where to find a shop uniquely specializing in these delicious cookies, the Gingerbread Museum!
Palačinky
Palačinky is often translated as pancake, but this too has nothing to do with the classic pancake. In my opinion it's more like a crêpe, it's very thin indeed, and it can be both sweet and savoury: it's filled with a filling of jam and fruit or with cheese, cabbage, spinach, ham or cheese. An excellent vegan option that you will find both in the markets and in the restaurant!
Knedlíky
Knedlíky are bread dumplings that you will often find among side dishes or as an accompaniment in meat dishes. To prepare them, houska is used, soft bread soaked in milk and possibly flavored with parsley and nutmeg (karlovasky knedíkly) or potatoes (bramborové knedíkly).
Becherovka and Medovina
Becherovka is a traditional Czech liqueur, very spicy and made with 38 herbs: very useful for digesting Czech cuisine! Medovina is a honey liqueur that I adored, much tastier and more delicate than Becherovka, perhaps even with less alcohol content! Perfect for warming you up!
Czech Beer
You cannot visit Prague without tasting its famous beer: in Prague, beer is culture, in the same way as wine is in Italy. You can find it everywhere, it is quite light and costs less than water, as well as being the main ingredient of many dishes of Czech cuisine. The most famous Czech beer is Pilsner Urquell, which is pale and golden with a strong hop flavor. In the oldest brewery in Prague: U Fleku, a dark beer is served, with an aftertaste of coffee, which the restaurant produces by hand. If you are a beer lover, then don't miss a unique experience: the Beer Spa. You can enjoy a fantastic hydromassage bath in beer while enjoying unlimited beer mugs and beer bread! A real dream!
Vegetarians and Vegans in Prague
I won't lie to you, there are cities where vegetarians and vegans eat much better, but I guarantee you that I managed! There are exclusively vegetarian and veg restaurants, but without trying them I still ate discreetly both at the restaurant and in the markets! In nearly every restaurants there is always a few lines on the menu dedicated to vegetarians but these are almost always dishes based on potatoes and cheese, or various side dishes! In some markets I found vegan stands and I ate an excellent goulash, for the rest we'll make do!
Where to eat in Prague
Prague is full of typical restaurants and breweries where you can eat divinely on a budget, the important thing is to stay away from tourist traps where you will eat decently but spending twice as much as the average! In general, the Czech capital is quite cheap and you will pay little to eat in large quantities!
Christmas markets
If you travel to Prague during the Christmas period, you cannot but get lost among the stalls of the splendid and characteristic Christmas markets but be careful! Although the food is particularly inviting and it is very difficult to resist the wonderful aromas, the prices are super inflated, so I advise you not to eat there. Maybe try some treats and treat yourself to a nice glass of warm apple cider to warm you up, but otherwise avoid. READ ALSO: Discover the magic of Christmas in Prague, home to one of the best Christmas markets in Europe
U Pravdů
U Pravdů is a traditional restaurant located in Nové Město (the New Town), a few meters from the hotel where we were staying, which we discovered completely by accident but which I highly recommend! The wooden interior is extremely warm and welcoming, absolutely traditional like its cuisine, delicious and with excellent value for money. The portions are gigantic and the dishes are really good. We ordered a dish with rabbit, spinach and bacon served with potato dumplings, and a portion of Bramborácky (potato pancakes) stuffed with cheese! Finally, an apple strudel and obviously two pints of Pilsner Urquell beer for a total of €24.6 for two! Definitely recommended!!
Restaurace Mlejnice
Restaurace Mlejnice is a little place hidden in an alley a few steps from Old Town Square and which I found thanks to Tripadvisor: if you don't look for it, it's impossible to happen upon it by chance! Thanks to its hidden position, despite the centrality of the area typically crowded with tourists, it is a quiet, absolutely typical and traditional place, with excellent value for money and gigantic portions! ATTENTION: they do not accept card payments, but only cash in local currency - on the sign attached to the door it says that it is a problem of the day, in reality it is always like this. Precisely for this reason my mother didn't want to stop, but I was so stubborn that I went to pick up in the back street.. luckily! We ate divinely and the place was gorgeous, definitely recommended!
P.s: try to arrive early, around 12:30 maximum, otherwise you will have to wait in line outside! We ordered an onion soup (absolutely delicious, the best I've ever eaten), a portion of baked potatoes au gratin with cheese (also spacey) and for my mum a beer goulash served inside bread plus of course two pints Pilsner Urquell. We spent €24.6 for two, absolutely recommended!!
U Fleků
U Fleků it is the oldest brewery in Prague and undoubtedly one of the most famous and popular restaurants in the Czech capital. It is a traditional restaurant, huge and characterized by long tables where you eat together with other people, located in Nové Město (the New Town). It is always very crowded so I recommend you go for lunch as it is more accessible (in the evening there is a huge queue starting from 18:00) and less chaotic. Inside, in fact, the atmosphere is absolutely convivial and it reminded me a lot of Oktoberfest with endless tables of people drinking rivers of beer and singing their hearts out! The menu is traditional but the prices are above average even if the portions are still abundant and the dishes are good!
Let me tell you that once seated, they will bring you a pint of beer - light or dark but of their own production - every time they see your empty mug, so if you don't want it you must be ready and promptly refuse. You will then be continually offered to taste two varieties of liqueurs, Becherovka and Medovina, to drink by the drop together with the waiter! They are delicious, I recommend the Medovina, but keep in mind that, contrary to what it may seem, they are not a gift from the house and each shot will be charged to your bill! Depending on your character, there are those who appreciate this way of doing or those who take it as an attempt to cheat the customer: we had a lot of fun and appreciated the conviviality and warmth of this place.. definitely an experience to try ! Anyway, let's get to the lunch itself! We had 2 light beers, 4 shots of Medovina, 2 potato soups, a hot appetizer (Prague ham with bread and mustard) and a cold one (cheese from beer, butter, onion and toast), a side dish of red cabbage and 2 apple strudels, for a total of €55. You either love this place or you hate it.. I sincerely highly recommend it! If you are interested it is also possible to take a tour of the U Fleků brewery for 320CZK per head - the tour is by reservation only..
The Mad Rabbit - Macaron Bar
The Mad Rabbit - Macaron Bar is not a traditional place but, anyone who knows me will understand, it's a place I fell in love with so I couldn't not tell you about it. It is an Alice in Wonderland themed café, all pink and specializing in the sale of macarons! Obviously the macarons are not at the levels of those of Ladurèe that we ate in Paris, but they weren't bad, and the other desserts were also very tempting!
Recommended for a fun snack and to take a little break from Czech food! I found one in the Old Town and one in Mala Strana too! READ ALSO: French delights in the City of Love: what and where to eat in Paris while saving money
Gingebread Museum
The Gingerbread Museum is neither a museum nor a cafe, but I couldn't not tell you about it! It is a gingerbread shop/pastry shop which is literally impossible not to enter: the delicious scent of cinnamon that wafts outside will force you to stop here and I dare you not to buy anything! As soon as you enter you can have a free taste of the biscuits and here you will already be screwed .. too good not to buy some both to give as a gift and to eat immediately! In addition to being simply delicious, they are also beautiful: they are splendidly decorated by hand - you can see the oven on sight with the girls working - and you will find them in all shapes.. whether Christmas, with animal shapes or with references to the city ! Be careful if you choose the do-it-yourself option: you can take a small box and put one of each type you want.. be careful of the prices or you will arrive at the till and like me you will pay €37 for biscuits! I know I know.. I swear they were too beautiful! The Gingerbread Museum can be found in Malá Strana at number 9 Nerudova and is open all year round!
Srdcovka Spálená
The Srdcovka Spálená is a restaurant but also a hotel where we stopped for a nice traditional breakfast! The venue is a mix of modern and typical, as is the menu, which makes it a great compromise! I can't tell you how it is for lunch or dinner, but breakfast is certainly excellent and plentiful! There are several unique dishes to choose from, both sweet and savoury. We threw ourselves on dessert with white yogurt and croissants for my mum, two hot teas and pancakes with cream and blueberries for me. I had to imagine it after the trauma of the potato "pancakes" that had nothing of the pancake: also in this case they were very greasy sweet pancakes, and the cream was whipped butter.. what an effort! Good eh, but really heavy! Anyway, my bill is a bit above average (16,5€) but still overall a good place!
So… what did we learn about Czech cuisine? Pancakes are anything but pancakes! Don't be fooled like me.. and be prepared to eat fried food everywhere! Luckily the excellent beer helps to digest! No come on, joking aside.. Czech cuisine is rich in tradition and based on typical products, very similar and connected to Hungarian and Austrian cuisine! Surely it's pretty tough, but if it's not a long journey you can indulge yourself for a few days!
READ ALSO: Discover the magic of Christmas in Prague, home to one of the best Christmas markets in Europe
Šťastnou cestu! - have a nice trip in czech