The Ultimate Prague Food Guide
Before I launch into an exhaustive list of restaurants, I have some tips for dining in Prague.
Always make a reservation. Czechs love reservations and they will hesitate to seat you without one even if the place is empty.
Most places have AMAZING lunch specials. If there is a place you want to try, but it looks expensive, check for a lunch menu. Always way more affordable and just as tasty.
Everyone drinks beer at all times of day. Yes, even on lunch break. Don’t be afraid to join in.
Tipping is not expected, but I usually do it because I lived there and didn’t want enemies. Touristy places do expect it. Usually rounding up (for drinks/small meal) or 10% for a big meal.
Czechs love soup. Most places will have soup and it will be the best soup you’ve ever had. Try it.
Czech classics can be heavy and greasy. My personal favorites are smazeny syr (fried cheese, comes with fries and tartar sauce. Sounds gross but it is bomb), svickova (beef and cream sauce; also sounds gross but it is NOT), obviously goulash and dumplings, and potato pancakes.
Street sausage is delicious and should be eaten. Paprika flavor if they have it.
Don’t eat trdelnik. It is not Czech and honestly not that good.
Drunk food is either Burrito Loco or kebab. Maybe pizza if the kebab place also makes that.
Start with “dobry den” to get on a restaurant’s good side. Starting with English is off-putting.
Old Town—
Lokal Dlouha— Lokal is a local chain of classic but new Czech food. Lokal is always busy, but worth it for a classic Czech experience. It is based off the communist restaurant tiers (4 tiers, high to low, the lowest was called your “lokal” and only served beer and bar food like fried cheese, sausage, etc.; highest were very rare occasions like graduation; middle tiers were maybe for birthdays or anniversaries), but the chain is a new take on them and actually more expensive than a truly traditional Czech place you can find on every block. Lokal is reliable for quality and English-speaking/menu, but always make a reservation.
Yami Sushi Bistro—If you’re looking for something besides Czech food while in Old Town, there are few places to trust. Yami Sushi House and Yami Sushi Bistro are both trusty sushi/asian fusion restaurants. Yami Sushi Bistro is my preferred location because you can make custom sushi rolls.
Field— If you are RICH (I never actually got to eat here *sigh) then check out this Michelin star restaurant in Old Town/Josefov. They have daily tasting menus and I see it as fancy because it was always too pricey for me. You’ll need a rez.
Bakeshop—Honestly not my personal fave for breakfast, but in Old Town there aren’t many options. Their food is nice, but the prices are not ideal for locals. As a visitor from Western Europe or the US, the prices won’t be anything crazy though. They have eggs, pastries, breakfast sandwiches, pancakes (I think?), etc. you get the gist.
Pasta Fresca—A lovely, quaint, fresh pasta restaurant in Old Town. Their pasta dishes are BOMB, but they always have a few meat dishes and salads as well. Prices are super reasonable for Old Town and for the quality. Highly recommend (this is a place I would make my way to from my apartment, and not many things could drag me to Old Town).
Nase Maso— Famous, but tiny butcher shop that also sells hamburgers and meatloaf sandwiches. Take them to go as there’s not really room to sit. I prefer the meatloaf sandwich, but many people say the burger is the best they’ve ever had.
Bahn Mi Makers— Delicious Vietnamese sandwiches and a few noodle dishes. No alcohol, but there is a liquor store across the street and one time they let us bring a bottle of wine in for no charge so shoot your shot.
New Town—
Neb.o— This was my favorite non-takeout Asian fusion in Prague. They have a delicious pad thai, nice curries, spring rolls, etc. Super close to Wenceslas Square and very modern interior. I always get the beef pad thai.
Cafe Lourve— This historic and grand cafe is honestly lovely. It opened in 1902 and is one of three ‘intellectual cafes’ in Prague where people like Franz Kafka, Albert Einstein, and more spent their days. The menu is really big, so there’s something for everyone, and it has a great mix of traditional Czech food and more modern things (I like their club sandwich). If you want to try something traditionally Czech get the svickova.
San Carlo—There are a few locations throughout Prague (plus this is on delivery apps) and it is the best pizza in Prague. They call it Napoletana-style, but I find it to be a bit thicker than Italian pizza in Naples. Get the diavola.
U Fleku— Suuuuuper traditional Czech beer hall that has been brewing for 500 years. Not necessarily the best Czech food you can get, but people go for the history and experience.
Manifesto Market—This is like a food court/hall of lots of local Prague restaurants all in one place. All the restaurants are in old shipping containers and there’s lots of seating and a few shops scattered around. You can get Middle Eastern, Mexican, BBQ, pizza, drinks, gelato, etc. all in one place. Sometimes the restaurants leave and new ones come, so I can’t say for certain what is there now, but you’ll definitely find something.
Angelato— Prague’s no. 1 gelato place. 2 locations. Traditional and unique flavors. Need I say more?
Pizza Nuova—Trusty pizza place near Old Town Square. A little pricey, but reliable and tasty.
Kantyna— A restaurant/butcher shop focused around meat. Meat of all kinds. Very delicious meat. And beer.
Sansho— Asian fusion place with a Michelin bib gourmand or whatever. Not a star but still nice. Modern Asian food and a very good lunch menu.
IP Pavlova/Vrsovice—
Kung Fu Pure Chinese Pasta— You’re lucky i’m sharing this with outsiders!!!! This is a very locals-only haunt near IP Pavlova that makes dumplings. You can get them steamed or fried and they have a few different combos of fillings. Honestly all the combos are good (and they usually mix all of our orders up anyway so we end up with one or two we didn’t order) and they’re good steamed or fried. ALWAYS get the cucumber salad. ALWAYS.
U Bulinu— A favorite for all of us to bring visitors to. Really good Czech food with a modern twist and enough ‘other’ options for people not feeling Czech food (usually me). I like their flank steak dish and pasta dish.
Cafe Jen— The perfect “hunker down for the day” cafe. Good coffee and pastries, as well as sandwiches and egg dishes. They do stuff to-go as well.
Conductor— Famous for cinnamon rolls and pulled pork sandwiches. Yeah. I don’t ask questions because they are both delicious, but it does sound like a weird combo (I don’t get them at the same time). I believe they also have vegan options.
La Foccareria — Italian bakery that makes breads, cannolis, pastries, etc. Really good. Not really a seating area, so mostly to-go.
Pocha— Korean restaurant that all the Koreans in Prague go to. Get their chicken starter dish (but as a main) with a side of rice. Don’t even ask questions or think about getting something else. Trust me.
Vinohrady/Zizkov—
The Tavern/U Kurelu— MY FAVORITE PLACE IN ALL OF PRAGUE. Tavern was directly below my apartment (I moved, don’t worry, I’m not revealing anything) and I spent so much time there and at their sister restaurant, U Kurelu, down the street. They’re owned by an American couple (Laurie and Dean s/o) so their specialty is American food. They do great burgers, fried chicken sandwiches, nachos, chili cheese fries, etc. and they have RANCH DRESSING!!! They also do brunch every weekend (Saturday is all things biscuits and Sunday is chicken and waffles) and they do fun events like Thanksgiving Dinner and BBQ Brisket nights.
Donut shop— The best donuts you’ll find in Prague. Unique flavors and bagel sandwiches. They also make nice coffee drinks. Honestly I love donuts so this was a weekly stop, usually more.
Cafefin/Pho Vietnam— These are another 2 restaurants that are owned by the same person. Cafefin is the sit down cafe/restaurant with Vietnamese-inspired food and drinks. I used to like it better when you could stay for as long as you wanted and they still had bahn mis, but I stopped going as often/ever when they made some big changes. People still seem to love it though. Pho Vietnam is the take-out Vietnamese food down the street and it is AMAZING. I picked up their bun bo nam bo at least once a week and the pho in the winter is wonderful. Their fried and spring rolls are also delicious.
DISH— The best burger in Prague. Very small, so make a reservation. I like their spicy burger and a side of the truffle fries.
Lasagneria— An entire restaurant dedicated to different lasagnas. I used to get the pesto one delivered to my apartment when I was hungover and honestly so heavy, but so good.
Happy Bean— I am not and have never been a vegetarian or vegan. This is a vegetarian/vegan restaurant and I loved it. They have a really good vegan quesadilla and bomb zucchini pancakes.
Sushi sushi— Our local sushi joint that did enough to satisfy the cravings. They also had lots of other Asian cuisines like pad thai, curries, Chinese dishes, soups, etc. The dressing on their house salad is fantastic.
U Sadu— A traditional Czech place with a MASSIVE menu. Kitchen is open super late (I think 4am?) so it is a good place to get drunk food when other stuff is closed. Their fried cheese is good and so are their potato pancakes with pork and cabbage.
Barfud— American-style bar with TVs that always show American games. They serve sliders, nachos, chili cheese fries, wings, etc. and it’s all pretty good. A lot of my expat friends work here!
Marthy’s Kitchen— One of my OG fave brunch places in Prague. They do really nice fluffy omelettes, french toast, pancakes, etc. as well as lunch and dinner favorites. I sort of stopped going because the seating area is very cramped and not that enjoyable, but the food is great.
Momoichi— An Asian bistro with great options all day! Their breakfast is surprisingly good (pancakes and such) and the Asian food for lunch and dinner are amazing. Mostly Japanese cuisine (they do a great ramen), but they also experiment with Czech fusion.
Karlin—
Grils—A place dedicated to rotisserie chicken. They do chicken plates (1/4, 1/2, full chicken) as well as salads and sandwiches. They usually have seasonal veggies as well. It caught on fire a few months back and I haven’t been since, but I’m sure they made it just as nice as it was before.
Eska— One of the most important places on this list. Czech fusion/new-age Czech place created by young, hip Czech chefs. They have breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as a bakery. They have an affordable tasting menu that is DELICIOUS. The smoked potato dish is honestly something I dream about.
Proti Proudu— Brunch, brunch, brunch. A cute cafe for brunch (or lunch I guess) deep in Karlin.
Loft Cafe— Another cute cafe in Karlin. This one doesn’t have a huge menu, but their grilled toasts are really nice! More of a coffee place.
Parlor— I come here for the ice cream sandwiches. I know they have an actual food menu that people say is good, but honestly I’ve only had the coffee and ice cream sandwiches.
Letna/Holesovice:
Bistro 8— Bistro 8 has the best lunch menu in Prague. A changing, daily menu with super affordable lunch options! They also have permanent menus for brunch on weekends and lunch/dinner on weekdays.
Mr Hot Dog— Exactly as it sounds. They serve a variety of hot dogs, sliders, onion rings, fries, etc. They also do a hotdog eating contest every year and twice a year they have Lobster Day where they serve lobster bisque and lobster rolls.
Antoninovo Bakery— Best Czech bakery in Prague. Great breads and poppyseed pastries. In the summer they sell soft serve out of a takeout window and it is honestly delicious. The flavor changes everyday though and there are only 2 options a day, so be prepared to not have a choice.
Mama Shelter— A hotel with a nice rooftop bar and restaurant. Honestly all the food and drinks are too expensive for locals, but for a visitor it is reasonable. They do weekend endless brunch buffet and their pizzas are good. Mostly love the rooftop bar.
Cafe Letka— Super popular, cute, yummy cafe. English breakfast, toasts, wraps, salads, acai bowls, oatmeal, honestly everything is good! Can be really crowded, local bloggers love to recommend this one.
Letna Zahradi restaurace— Otherwise known as the Letna Beer Garden, on occasion, serves one of the best kebabs ever. The beer garden is open pretty much all year, but the food stands are only open “in season” aka summer and maybe bits of spring or fall. The kebab is not sold in the big food window of the shipping container, but in one of the little open stands in the middle of the tables. You’ll know it when you see it.
Mala Strana/Hradcany—
Klasterni pivovar— At the veryyyyyy top of the castle you’ll find Strahov Monastery. The monks of this monastery made their living brewing beer. And the beer is still brewed here today! It is more expensive than other beers you’ll get in Prague, but I like their blueberry one for something unique. They also have food (Czech stuff, pizzas, etc.) and it is all a cool experience.
Pleko— Pleko means Hell in Czech. This restaurant is deep underground in an old cellar and feels very Hell-like. The food is pretty overpriced, but we came down here to escape a hot, rainy day and really enjoyed it! I was with my dad so I wasn’t as focused on the prices, but I never returned on my own, so I guess it was slightly out of budget.
Kuchyn— Family style Czech restaurant with great views from the castle. Affordable (for near the castle) and definitely good quality food.
Terasa U Zlate studne—Nice views (terasa means terrace), expensive as well, but good. I’ve only eaten here once and it strikes me as fairly touristy, but not a bad option.
Artic bakehouse— Great pastries, breads, and sandwiches. I love their chocolate croissant and their sourdough bread. Also they have a pesto panini of some kind that I really like.
Roesel beer & cake— A truly hidden gem super close to Charles Bridge (on the west). As the name suggests, they serve beer and cake, but they also have actual food options as well. Honestly a very good option near Charles Bridge to escape toursity places.
U Modre Kachnicky— Upscale restaurant focused on all things duck. The name means ‘The Blue Duck’ and the interior is all deep blue and almost every dish has duck of some form. My friend’s aunt and uncle took me here when they visited and it was delicious. I think they have 2 locations, but I’ve been to the Mala Strana one only.
Kampa Park— Very upscale (read: expensive) restaurant with great views of Charles Bridge. Also only went here when someone else was paying, but definitely a nice experience.
Cafe Club Misenka— Cozy, cute cafe with great vibes. Honestly this area is really cute, but there are few food options I actually enjoy. Misenka has a small menu, but some great choices for lunch or snack!
Mlynska kavarna— This is a hidden little bar and cafe just off Kampa Park behind the mill. Locals love this place and the location is great, but doesn’t really attract tourists so it can be a nice escape on a busy day. Cakes, toasts, soups, etc. and lots of beer options.
Cafe Savoy— Number 2 of the 3 famous old cafes. This one is probably the most famous of the 3. Very grand inside and also pricey, but the daily/lunch menu can be super affordable! A very classy vibe inside and good food. The type of place where everyone is drinking champagne at noon on a Tuesday and you’re like “….what kind of job do you have and can i get one???”
Cafe Lounge— Great cafe with food and drinks and the cutest little back patio. This one is a shoutout to my friend Brayton who showed me this place and shared his writing space with me! A true gem.
Luka Lu— This quirky Yugoslavian restaurant is really beautiful! The whole thing is an experience and the food is good too. The food seems to me like a mix of Czech/German food and Mediterranean food and it is delicious! The interior is bright, colorful, and busy in the best way.
Smichov/Andel—
Manifesto— The second coming of the Manifesto listed above, this one just opened this past year. It is smaller than the other location and seems to have more drink options than food options, but a good place to hang out.
Pho Champion— It might not look like much from outside (or inside), but the food is really good. The spicy coconut milk soup is amazing (I think it comes with chicken or shrimp) and the noodle dishes are great too.
Taro— Asian fusion restaurant with Michelin star vibes (small, fancy plates), but extremely tasty.
Wine Food Market— Italian food hall with a marketplace for cheeses, meats, pastries, breads, etc. and an adjoining restaurant which serves pizzas, pastas, seafood, salads, wines, etc. Very authentic Italian market and restaurant and very tasty.