It is not hard to satisfy your hunger in Prague. There are
restaurants all over the place! The Czechs usually take lunch between
11am and 1pm and dinner around 7pm. Most of the restaurants – or at
least the ones in the tourist areas – stay open from early morning to
late evening. You can smoke in the restaurants, but a growing number of
places are divided into smoking and non-smoking sections.
Most
restaurants in Prague serve heavy and substantial food in large
quantities. The starter is often a soup and the main course will
consist of a (very) well-done or braised piece of beef or pork, served
with knödel and sauce. The meal is washed down with large local draft
beers and you can finish with a Slivovice, which is a Czech plum
brandy. If you’re not crazy about the rustic Czech kitchen or if you’ve
just had enough of it, don’t despair. There are loads of restaurants in
Prague that serve food from other corners of the world than the eastern
European one.
The following restaurant guide appeals to
the well lined as well as the slim wallet, and represents the classic
and elegant, the rustic and traditional, and the modern and
international kitchens.
Start your day with a breakfast at Café Savoy or Café Louvre, which are both some of Prague’s most classical and elegant cafés.
Café
Savoy is on the opposite side of the river from the National Theater.
You can enjoy coffee and pastry sitting under the large chandeliers
that hang from the impressive and gorgeous Neo-Renaissance ceiling. The
café opens at 8am and stays open until the late evening, when the place
becomes one of Prague’s most exclusive dinner restaurants. Café Savoy
is as sophisticated as it gets!
Café Savoy, Vitĕzná 5
www.ambi.cz
Café Louvre
In
Café Louvre they serve breakfast/lunch and delicious coffee. The café
is located in large, light and stylish rooms on the second floor, and
in the summer there is a very pleasant roof terrace. Pals Franz Kafka
and Max Brod used to meet at Café Louvre.
Café Louvre, Národní 20
www.cafelouvre.cz
Several
hours of sightseeing in Prague can make your tummy rumble. So it’s good
to know that you are never far from a generous serving of a substantial
meal.
Ferdinanda
Try to have lunch at
Ferdinanda, which is situated in Opletalova that runs from the
Wenceslas Square. The restaurant has a farm theme; a rake serves as
coat-hooks and feed bins are used as ashtrays. It is only on the lower
level that you are allowed to smoke though, and contrary to your
expectation of a “farm” restaurant, the space is bright and modern. The
food is good and incredibly cheap. The kind wait staff does not speak
English, but there is a menu written in English.
Ferdinanda, Opletalova
www.ferdinanda.cz
U Fleků
A
true classic in Prague is U Fleku, which is located in cavern-like
rooms from the 15th century in Nové Mesto. The rustic food is eaten at
long communal tables and the beer is brewed on location. While eating,
the guests are entertained by live music of the folkloristic kind. U
Fleku is pretty touristy, but worth a visit.
U Fleků, Křemencova 11
www.ufleku.eu
When
darkness falls, we encourage you to go to Vinohrady for dinner. Out
there you will find a lot more restaurant experiences expecting you.
Mozaika
Well
hidden in a basement in a modest street in Vinohrady, you will find the
pleasant and intimate restaurant Mozaika. The extremely obliging and
English-speaking waiters serve delicious food from their international
kitchen. If you are very hungry, you should try the 7-course tastingmenu,
which is always great! The menu changes every week. If you choose à la
carte, we strongly recommend the sautéed shrimps with fresh herbs and
the incredibly tender lamb. A reservation is recommended – particularly
on weekends. In the summer you can sit outside.
Mozaika, Nitranská 13
www.restaurantmozaika.cz
In
Vinohrady, at the corner of Mánesova and U Kanálky, is the Italian
restaurant Aromi that serves formidable fish dishes and a lot of other
delicious food. The nice English-speaking waiters always show you the
raw fish before it is taken to the kitchen for a kind treatment! That
is quiet an experience. Try the grilled squid, it’s fabulous!
If
you’re interested in wine, you have come to the right place. Aromi has
an excellent wine menu and the expert waiters will generously share
their knowledge with you. The prices are in the higher end, but still
reasonable, considering that Aromi is recommended in the Michelin
Guide.
Aromi, Mánesova 78
www.aromi.cz
Sahara
A modern
Moroccan inspired café/restaurant with a wonderful courtyard and little
watercourses and comfortable couches in the basement. The restaurant
has some delicious vegetarian dishes on the menu and you should try the
yummy Moroccan platter!
Sahara, Námestí Míru 6,
www.saharacafe.cz
Nostress
In
Josefov you will find Nostress, which serves a French-Asian cuisine in
elegant surroundings. The food is refreshingly light, which can be much
needed if you’ve had meat and knödel for lunch.
Nostress, Dušní 10
www.nostress.cz
By David Rich