AUTHOR: ARTSY CHOW ROAMER

9 Best Restaurants

IN PRAGUE-CZECH THEM OUT

When I first started traveling to Prague, most of the restaurants only served traditional Czech food. Those days are long gone with lots of good ethnic choices to go with your Pilsner Urquell beer. Not that there’s anything wrong with dumplings, roast meats, sauces and krout. This post we’ll visit some of the best meals not to be missed in this beautiful city.

CHOICE #1-KULATAK CZECH RESTAURANT

One of our very favorite places to go for traditional food in Prague is Kulatak. It is a lovely neighborhood pub in Prague 6, Dejvice which is where we usually stay when visiting as it is the place where most of the Embassies are located and our friends have an apartment there.

What you want when eating there is the roast duck (pecena kachna); crispy skin perfection with meat falling off the bone. It is served in the yummiest sauce with a hint of cranberry like sweetness, dumplings (knedlicky) and a serving of both white and red cabbage (zeli).

Simply put, there just isn’t a better Czech dish as they know exactly how to cook that duck in order to render the fat out of the skin to get it crispy while the meat stays tender and juicy with flavor! Wash it down with plenty of beer and you have the perfect meal although it will sit heavy for an hour or so! 🤣

A word about the waiters. They size you up as soon as you come in and they aren’t often wrong when handing me an English menu, German to our visiting cousins while speaking Czech to my husband. Pretty good right?

Kulatak offers four to five items per day that are their best dishes. The duck is usually on the Sunday selection but you can get it anytime. It will only set you back 250 CZ or roughly $11.00. Try getting duck anywhere in the US for that price right? Dinner for two with beer and a tip will run you around $30.

CHOICE #2-DUTA HLAVA CZECH/LATINO RESTAURANT

Formerly known as Klub Architektu, Duta Hlava (loose translation-empty head) is one of our favorite underground locations. There are many restaurants around Prague that offer this type of atmosphere but the architectural details on this one make it a tops on our list.

Located in fashionable Betleham Square in Prague 1, this classic use to serve only traditional Czech food like fried cheese (smazeny syr) and french fries (hronolky pomfrity). The new owners still have the usual suspects on the menu like Gulas, Svickova and Kachna but have put a little Latin into the mix as well.

Dishes like empanadas, arepas, plantains and churrascos share delicious space on the new menu with prices for main courses running around 250 to 500 cz or $11-22 while small plates and soup can be had for around $3-10. Choices, food, price and atmosphere make this a sure winner.

UPDATE FOR MY READERS: Right now due to Covid the website says this restaurant is permanently closed. Keep an eye out for the return or the reopening of another spot as the location is too great to stay empty for long.

CHOICE #3-AGAVE MEXICAN RESTAURANT

I remember going to one of the first Mexican restaurants to arrive in Prague. It was a sort of sad state of affairs because they couldn’t get the real ingredients necessary. They sure can now and Glenn Spicker, an American, is doing it up right in this classy, high end and beautifully decorated spot in the center of Old Town Prague called Agave.

We jumped in for a quick signature cocktail and some small plates for lunch; a Bellini for him and a Tequila special for me. They were delicious and the perfect thing for pork belly carnitas and street tacos. The pork belly was super tender and crispy served with a nice squeeze of tart lime.

The street tacos were served with their own handmade tortillas which were incredibly tasty and soft/crisp. Everything was served beautifully with fresh, rice, nice salty beans and homemade escabeche and sauces.

All in with beer, tip and coffee we paid around $30 which is not the cheapest but still excellent value and quality. This place is my pick for Mexican food in Prague and you don’t want to miss it!

CHOICE #4-LAL QILA INDIAN RESTAURANT

Located in trendy Vinohrady, Prague 2, which is the old neighborhood where we used to live, we think Lal Qila is the best Indian restaurant in town. We discovered it after finding out the one in Old Town we used to haunt (and run into stars like Chris Rock) had sadly closed up shop; most likely due to rising rents in that high end real estate market.

This warm wonderful little place was our first pick for a family get together one evening for five. We ordered wine and had poppadoms, onion baji and samosas for the table. The poppadoms were served with two different sauces-one tart and one minty. The baji were crispy tender delicious pillows and the samosas were steamy and sweet/savory.

Lovely chicken korma, lamb vindaloo, vegetable biryani with rice and paratha bread followed. It was spicy, sweet, creamy and so good! You really can’t go wrong in this restaurant and their pricing is fantastic too. We picked up the meal for five with wine, apps, main courses, desserts and coffee for around $80.

CHOICE #5-LA CASA DI ERMINIO ITALIAN RESTAURANT

This fabulous little Italian spot is tucked away in Vinohrady again.

We dropped in for lunch and were gratified to hear Italian being spoken all around us. The music was wonderful-soft and classical. The smells coming from the kitchen were of tomatoes and herbs. We started with a lovely glass of white as they were offering a special of marinated white anchovies with micro greens and shaved pecorino cheese.

They didn’t disappoint; fresh non fishy and salty. I love a good olive oil that bites the back of your throat and the fresh breads served with it could have been a meal itself. A creamy asparagus soup was rich and creamy for a second course and a mix of salami and cheeses made for a nice dessert if you don’t want one of their sweet offerings.

The prices are a little higher as they all are in the tourist area of Old Town but it has a beautiful atmosphere and is a good place to pick up some nice wines to take home with you to enjoy later too.

CHOICE #6-SAKURA’S JAPANESE RESTAURANT

Also located in our favorite neighborhood of Dejvice is a trendy little Japanese place called Sakura’s. This place is the real deal. They know what they are buying in seafood and it is the freshest you could want. They have a fabulous sushi chef and every plate that comes out of this kitchen is beautiful and tasty!

Their menu is lengthy and of course sushi is not the whole ballgame. They have good soups, noodles, different meats, rice and ramen dishes. They are also a cocktail and coffee bar so their drinks list is rather massive as well. This is a great place to drop in any time of the day or night for a little something.

UPDATE FOR MY READERS: Sakura’s has several locations and the main one I visited in Dejvice has closed but another location is still open in Prague 4 and remains the best sushi in Prague

CHOICE #7-YAM YAM THAI RESTAURANT

I adore this unpretentious budget dining spot with a cool bossa nova modern vibe and great Thai food called Yam Yam. With three locations I usually end up at the one in Vysehrad Metro station because I also happen to love hanging out in Vysehrad (more on that in the next blog).

It really is a lengthy menu offering starters like sushi and spring rolls, soups, curries, noodle bowls, fried rice, phad thai and a myriad of meat dishes. All are served with fresh fruits and herbs like mango and basil. It is quite budget friendly as we had a table of four and all kinds of dishes to try along with bottles of wine and our bill was around $50.

I tried a curry chicken that was fabulous with fresh pineapple and nuts. My husband had a tamarind shrimp dish that was one of the best he ever had he said. Our friends had noodle bowls, soup and spring rolls and said they were delicious. Try this place-you will like it I promise!

CHOICE #8-FRANCOUZSKA FRENCH RESTAURANT

Located in the fabulous Municipal Building of Obecni Dum, french restaurant Francouzska will set you back a paycheck. It is the most beautiful Art Nouveau building in the world and was perfectly restored after the fall of communism.

Anybody who is somebody has eaten in this restaurant; including President Obama, Medvedev and George Bush. To say the food is outstanding is an understatement. You simply have to experience the building and the vibe.

If you think you can’t swing a dinner than think about it for afternoon tea (around $25 per person) or just drop by in pretty weather to sit on the terrace and have drinks. You can also check out what musical and theatrical offerings are scheduled and buy tickets; pricing is not really bad. Pro Tip: Go downstairs to the American Bar and grab yourself a bourbon and hang out with the expats who love it!

CHOICE #9-LA GARE FRENCH RESTAURANT

For a more affordable french option with a wonderful chef, a quirky atmosphere and lovely dishes, try La Gare located in the center of New Town. The service can be a little slow but they want you to take your time and enjoy the beautiful tasting menu and some of the best French wines available.

With a bustling brasserie vibe they are serving up authentic dishes such as coq au vin and escargot. They gotta grill and they know how to use it-nuff said. Pro Tip: Do not miss dessert.

CONCLUSION

So now you know the 9 best restaurants in Prague. Of course it is just my opinion and I know there are plenty more to choose from but this list will get you started well for a ten day stay for sure. That is not to say that there isn’t plenty of affordable street foods, small cafes and little wine bars to jump in and out of for breakfasts, snacks or lunch.

There are local shops selling a fantastic array of small open faced sandwiches (called Chlebicky) with different toppings of meats, pickles, eggs and more. They are a delicious way to grab a cheap fast meal with a beer or wine. You can also get some to go for a late night snack or breakfast the next day.

I hope you find this guide helpful if planning a trip to Prague in the near future. You might also enjoy reading another blog I did on 13 really useful things to know before visiting Prague. Under Explore the World you will find more blogs about my travels.

Hey, don’t be a stranger! Let me know if you enjoyed this blog and if you have plans to visit Prague. Happy to answer any questions if I can! Look for more blogs in this series about things to do in Prague and some of the best day (or weekend) trips to take! Until next time…

Cheers,

ArtsyChowRoamer

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TO MY READERS: This post was updated with additional info, pics, links and upgraded content 1/19/21