Cafe Hrnek
With its bare plaster walls and laid-back vibe, uber-cool Cafe Hrnek is a fab spot for great coffee, tasty brunches, and decadent sweet treats.
Prague generally gets high marks for architectural beauty and decidedly low marks for the quality of the food. But this is an unfair assessment based on impressions from the 1990s, when finding a decent meal really was something of a challenge. Since then, the global slow-food, fresh-food revolution has washed up onto the shores of Bohemia. Everywhere you look, serious restaurants are touting the freshness of their ingredients, and often claiming to source everything locally where possible. Some places are reviving classic Czech recipes that may be more than a century old, while others are liberally borrowing ideas and inspiration from cuisines around the world.
Part of the credit for this dining renaissance goes to the Ambiente chain of restaurants, which through its stable (including La Degustation, Lokál Dlouhááá, and Pizza Nuova) has greatly raised standards. And it’s done wonders for the Czech national pride that excellent food is now easy to find. Other leading chefs have made their mark: Paul Day at Sansho, Roman Paulus at Alcron, and Ji?í Nosek at Zdenek’s Oyster Bar, among others. And Czechs have responded. A few years ago, it was a given the best restaurants were for visitors and businessmen. Now, many Czechs are discovering for themselves the pleasures of truly good food outside their kitchens.
International trends and fads, of course, have had an impact here, too. Every year seems to bring a new dining mania (and with it some great restaurants). The latest crazes for handcrafted burgers made from locally raised beef and for good Vietnamese cooking have brought a fresh crop of contenders. Past years have seen waves of sushi places, steak houses, and Thai noodle bars. We say, keep it coming.
Alas, what still needs an upgrade is service. English is widely spoken, but service can still be brusque or, worse, incompetent. Restaurateurs spend millions on the food, but don't put the same thought into training their staff. This will be surmounted in time, though, and in general the dining scene continues on the upswing.
Classic Czech fare is best sampled in a hospoda, or pub. These local joints have menus that usually include dishes for which Bohemian cuisine is justly (in)famous: pork and sauerkraut with bread dumplings; roast duck; beef in cream sauce; and, for the vegetarian, fried cheese. In recent years Czech brewers like Staropramen and Pilsner Urquell have opened chains of branded pubs (Potrefená Husa and Pilsner Urquell Original Restaurant, respectively). These chains are to the traditional pub what a new Swiss timepiece is to an old watch—light years ahead in terms of the quality. If you're looking to dip a toe into the waters of Czech cuisine, these pubs are an excellent place to begin.
With its bare plaster walls and laid-back vibe, uber-cool Cafe Hrnek is a fab spot for great coffee, tasty brunches, and decadent sweet treats.
This lovely little sit-down spot on a sloping street serves excellent coffee, tasty homemade soups, and an impressive choice of vegan dishes. In the summer months, there's a pleasantly green courtyard garden.
High-quality meals at not-too-high prices are the order of the day at this elegant, Viennese-style café, which dates back to the 19th century. Diners can enjoy everything from cream of green pea soups to crisp seasonal salads and Parisian steak tartare to classic Wiener schnitzel, all complemented by fresh breads from the in-house bakery. The selection of cakes and pastries make for the perfect sweet finish. For the very best of Café Savoy, come for breakfast during the week or for brunch on weekends; you'll need to book ahead.
This popular Vietnamese-Czech coffee shop offers a real mix of Western and Asian coffee culture, from cappuccinos, espresso tonics, and hot chocolates to Vietnamese coffee, matcha lattes, and kombucha. The food is great, too: come for the excellent Western-style breakfasts and brunches (things like granola, scrambled eggs, and banana bread), or the tasty Asian-influenced lunches and dinners (like bun bo nam bo, Penang curry, and bibimbap).
Famed for its soft and squishy cinnamon rolls (some of the best in town), this takeout spot also serves perfect pulled-pork sandwiches and lip-smacking vegan wraps.
With queues outside on even mild days, this gelato shop is considered to serve the best scoops in the city. It's a great option for refreshment while you are sightseeing, particularly as it is conveniently located on the main drag that marks the border between Old and New Town. There are several other branches in town, too.
Visitors with a sweet tooth should not miss this historic pastry shop in Nové Mĕsto, where Czech desserts, cakes, sweets, and treats are showcased over two floors. Opened in 1911 by František Myšák, the First Republic feel has been faithfully reconstructed.
Just behind Letná Park, Curry Palace is a bit off the beaten path, but it's the place for Indian and Bangladeshi food. You'll find the usual mix of tandoori dishes and curries, and staff are happy to recommend more unique options. This makes a perfect lunch or dinner stop after visiting the National Technical Museum or the park itself.
As you would expect, Josefov has some solid kosher options for Jewish travelers. Of these, Dinitz is probably the most welcoming to both Jews and non-Jews and is a relaxed, often buzzing spot for Middle Eastern–inspired food and good grilled meat.
The simple decor—white walls and plank floors—at this wine-centric Italian restaurant on a quiet street near the Týn Church belies the quality and complexity of its food. Whether you stick to a simpler beef carpaccio or try something more complex like goat cheese and truffle mousse, the dishes are skillfully prepared and attractively presented. Beef cheeks braised with marsala and spinach or loin of wild boar with garlic polenta make excellent entrées, but if you're not up for a huge meal, opt for a pasta. The all-Italian wine list is one of the city's best.
Come for the swings, stay for the coffee: this small coffee shop has swing seats (a bit of a gimmick, but actually quite a cute one), lovely cakes, and excellent coffee. It's more of a daytime place than an evening bar, although it is open until 9.
There are retro vibes and delicious pastries in this mini-chain, which now has three branches around town. The company dates back to 1937, so it's authentic, with good coffee and more than 20 cake choices.
An upmarket restaurant with a casual carefree vibe, Eska has been a big hit since opening its doors in 2016. The restaurant is located within a converted fabric factory, and it maintains the original industrial aesthetic through bare brick walls and exposed pipework, while also adding modern touches like Scandi-style furniture and a gleaming open kitchen. The food is also a blend of the old and new, utilizing age-old Czech techniques of fermenting, pickling, and marinating to create modern, minimalist dishes. Many of the dishes are sumptuous—in particular, seek out the to-die-for beef tartare—and even those that don't quite hit the same heights are still fun and innovative. What's more, every dining experience begins with crusty sourdough bread, baked in the downstairs bakery and served with salty, lovage-infused butter. Breakfast and lunch are available à la carte, while dinner is a choice between the five-course "chef's choice" tasting menu (985 Kč) and your own choice of two courses (685 Kč): either way, it's far better value than an equivalent restaurant in the Old Town.
Don't have time for a full meal? Pop into the downstairs bakery for a loaf of the delicious sourdough to go.
A relative newcomer to Prague's fine-dining scene, Field has made a splash quickly, grabbing a Michelin star for its locally sourced, Scandi-style food. While its tasting menu is astronomically expensive, there are cheats: the shorter weekday lunch tasting menu is much more reasonable, at 950 Kč. The imaginative cooking is worth it if you are looking for a blow-out, though.
At last! A huge, hip, all-day dining space on the edge of Staré Mĕsto's Jewish quarter. From its neon sign and bare-brick walls alone, this spot is already streets ahead of most of the area's tourist traps. And the good news is the food and drink options deliver too, from brunches to fresh juices, hearty main courses to cocktails. There's an inventive lunch menu which changes weekly, often featuring modern takes on Czech classics alongside more global options like pastas, salads, and fish. Plus there's a kids' corner and a piano bar downstairs.
A perfectly located ice-cream parlor for taking a sweet, cold treat into Letná or Stromovka Park. Their slogan is "There's always a good time for an ice-cream," and frankly, when the gelato is this good, we agree.
Prague's first English-language bookstore with a café continues to draw both foreigners and Czechs for its large selection of novels, regional nonfiction, popular brunches, and memories of the go-go '90s. The recently upgraded menu includes an excellent burger, good salads, and various American classics. Head over in the evening for regular themed nights, as well as occasional live music.
A nice counterpoint to the heavy, meaty cuisine found in most Prague diners, Hanil serves good-quality sushi as well as Korean and other Asian dishes at premium but affordable prices. The open, casual setting, which is accented with elegant light and dark woods, burnt-orange chair cushions, and curves galore, attracts a largely local crowd of young professionals who appreciate the blend of high-quality food with a lack of pretension. Opt for the good-value sushi sets, or if you're feeling adventurous, try the pa-jeon, a tasty pancake with spring onion and seafood, or the ojingo bokkum, a squid stir-fry served on a hot plate.
This old-school canteen dishes up classic Czech grub very cheaply, and aims to do so within five minutes of getting the order, so unsurprisingly it can get very busy at lunchtime. The soups in particular are a bargain and very traditional.
A popular café-bistro-bar with a homey feel (per its name), the menu here changes daily, taking inspiration from a mix of the owners' grandmothers and U.K. superchef Gordon Ramsay. There's also a shop for fresh vegetables and pastries. The coffee is great and at night there are often DJs.
This large beer garden is one of Prague's most popular after-work hangouts during the summer months, and it's no wonder with those stunning city views.
Tucked into a side street between Malá Strana and Smíchov, the Ichnusa Botega & Bistro evokes the island of Sardinia, with Mediterranean-blue accents, rustic wall decor, and plenty of seafood and wines from Italy's southern reaches. The owners are Sardinian, so the experience is authentic overall. Be sure to ask about daily specials.
The "Little Coffee" grinds freshly roasted beans from Brazil, Kenya, Colombia, and other renowned growing regions. Superlative strudel and small snacks in a peaceful setting make this a pleasant stop for refueling.
This cozy little café, which is tucked away on one of the city's prettiest backstreets, is a great stop for coffee and cake. It's only open from mid-morning to early evening (and not at all on Mondays), so you'll need to time it right.
This ground-floor café is every bit as opulent as the magnificent art nouveau Municipal House it sits in. Step through the doors and into another era—the first decade of the 20th century to be specific—when the practice of coffee drinking was given white-glove treatment. The food menu is on the light side, mostly cakes, with some sandwiches, salads, and cheese plates too. As with other cafés in town, in addition to coffee, tea, and soft drinks, it's possible to order a glass of wine or beer.
There are lots of pub-restaurants in Staré Mĕsto like Krčma—all beer, hearty Czech classics. and brick-lined cellar—but this is the best of the bunch. Staff are friendly, prices are reasonable, it's not usually mobbed, and it retains a whiff of authenticity.
A tiny bakery with a big reputation, this place allows you to take your pick from dozens of different focaccias, as well as delicious arancini (small balls of rice stuffed with a savory filling), fresh ciabattas, crispy Italian biscuits, and various pastries and cakes.
Choose from more than 50 varieties of chlebíček (Czech traditional open sandwich) at this old-school lunch stop.
Vinohrady has several very good Indian restaurants, but this corner restaurant along one of the area's prettiest streets may just be the best. Those familiar with Indian cooking can expect all of the standard curries, tandoori dishes, samosas, naans, and other staples of Indian cuisine. The difference here is the level of cooking and the unwillingness to cut corners. The lamb dishes, for example, will have three or four good-size pieces of lamb. Another winning detail: the English-speaking waitstaff will go out of their way to please guests.
A mini-oasis in the heart of Žižkov, this family-owned restaurant sits on a busy street but has a hidden garden terrace and conservatory around the back. The menu features a mix of Czech staples (like beef goulash) and lesser-spotted dishes (like salmon fillet with pumpkin purée), as well as lots of vegetarian options. There's a lovely ambience throughout, and the service is fast, attentive, and unfailingly friendly.