Hearty Prague Eats
 

Hi we will be visiting Prague in May.

Can someone recommend places to go for hearty meals like goulash and koleno and pork shoulder (not sure what it is called on the menu in Czech). Any other recommendations for dishes are welcome. Are the rich mushroom gravies popular in Prague? what is it called on the menu. Looking at budget eating places.

Also, which is the area where street vendors sell fried cheese and sausages? Are the grocery stores in Prague like in Germany where you can have a picnic meal - select your bread and the meat and have a meal on the go. Does the Praha hln train station have a choice of food outlets?

What are the grocery (LIDL, ReWe / Metzgerie) stores in Prague called. Can someone give the names. Are there any chain of bakeries / ice cream parlours where we can get pastries / ice creams?

We will be staying close to the old town so will need to go to some place for breakfast too.

In Prague do they come and put a bread basket and then charge for it even if you have not asked for it? (Like in some places in Vienna).

Any inputs are welcome.

Kind regards,
SKPKCP11

I like U Medvidku for some traditional Czech food. It's close to the Old Town Square - http://www.umedvidku.cz/. Be sure to ask for a non-smoking area. They take bookings but the place is huge. The Strahov monastery (really worth visiting) has a nice restaurant/ brewery - http://www.klasterni-pivovar.cz/. I also like the restaurant in Cafe Louvre - http://www.cafelouvre.cz/en/.

There's a good grocery in the HUGE Tesco on Narodny if you want to stock up. Bohemia Bagel are a decent enough chain of bakeries but if you were more precise with your location maybe posters would be able to recommend specific shops.

You will be charged a cover charge in most places - it's not expensive. You will be charged for bread - send it away if you don't want it.

I will second both places that Ter200 mentions, I will get back to you later with more info(busy at the moment) or look at some of my previous posts and trip reports.# Let us know exactly where you are staying as the old town covers quite a large area and we can recommend places nearby.

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...rip-report.cfm

The first part of this might help you out....

all the meals you mention will be available in most pubs,especially fried cheese it is usually served with chips and tarter sauce. there used to be loads of street food places on wenseslas square I I got the best ever deep friend cheese in one of them a few years back.In th last year or so most of these have been closed down due to the redevelopment of wenseslas square but on my last trip (November 2013) ther was not much evidence of changes going on,there are howerver loads of huts at the bottom of the square doing lots of food and there are still a couple of stall with sausages and deep fried cheese there are also a couple of places along Na Prikope.
http://www.livingprague.com/food.htm
this website will give you loads of info and I have set it at the section about food hopefully you will get an idea of what to ask for but all the resturants in the tourist areas have menus in several languages and even further out they may have English menus if you ask for one.
eating in Prague is cheap as long as you use Hospodas ( pubs that serve food) and the standard restaurant rather than the high end and hotel resturants.
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/members/unclegus
if you go to my profile on trip advisor you will see loads of reviews of pubs and resturants I have used in Prague.
Mushroom sauce is often served with pork in the city and I have had several great versions ,there is also a good mushroom and potato soup on many menus.
Tesco,Albert and Billa are the main supermarkets and there are loads about the city.
The train station Hlavni has loads of good places to eat from snacks to full on meals also places to but sandwiches there is even a Billa supernmarket inside the station.The has undergone a major transformation over the last few year and is a nice modern station that is more shopping mall than train station.
as for breakfast places like Bohemian bagel do good breakfast though personally I am not a fan of these outlets but my American friends seem to like them.Ter200 mentions café louvre its is a great place and great for breakfast ,I love their cowboy breakfast but they also do a champagne breakfast(well bohemian sparkling wine)smoked salmon etc.great service and prices are good
Some place do charge for bread but in my experience it is rare and when I have been charge for bread (which I usually eat) it has been a quite small amount ie 10kc or so.
Hope this all helps,when I am in the city I don't eat a lot in the city center as I am usually staying in the Dejvikca area and I like the pubs and resturants out there.

Much of the food is very hearty, but more so in the fall - when they tend to feature boar, venison, etc done in traditional ways.

Can't say I have ever looked for fried cheese.

And yes, there is often a charge for bread.

meant to say that I will be in Prague at the end of May arriving on the 30th for the last couple of days of the Beer festival.
http://www.ceskypivnifestival.cz/en/czech/prague-2014/

It is hard to avoid hearty in Prague. Pork knuckle is good and they do surprisingly tasty things with cabbage.

Hi

We will be staying at Hotel Salvator. Any info on this area would really help.

Which is the closest metro for this area?

Kind regards,
SKPKCP11

nearest metro would be Namesti Republiky there are also several tram lines pass through namesti Republiky.. You are in a great area the sites of the old town are all easily walkable and the castle only a short tram ride away.loads of bars cafes and resturants within spitting distance of your hotel.The Huge palladium shopping center is beside Namesti republiky and there is usually a small craft/farmers market there a couple of days a week Don't know the hotel but the area is an idea place for a first time visitor to Prague

I agree with unclegus, an excellent location, within walking distance to many tourist sites, a good farmer's market nearby a few days a week (good for sausages, beer, Moravian wine), the mall, a cafe, banks, Pizza Nuovo when you tire of Czech food...all nearby. Enjoy Prague! It's beautiful and lively.

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since this thread started I have made to further trips to Prague.
This is my Trip Advisor report from May/June this year.May be of interest to you.
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTop...e_Bohemia.html
I also have just returned a few days ago from another trip and as yet have not done a trip report but will post one within the next week or so but check my profile on TA for loads of reviews.

Have been reading you there as well, uncle bus. Thanks. Heading to Prague on Friday.