Local Flavor: where to eat and drink in Prague

I’ve been living in Prague for the better part of three decades. Over that time, I’ve witnessed breathtaking changes in the city’s food scene. It used to be that eating out in Prague meant stodgy plates of pork or beef and stale bread dumplings, all swimming in an indecipherable brown sauce. Thankfully, a new generation of chefs is working to refine the best of our traditional recipes while adding in fresher ingredients and foreign influences.

That said, it’s always a good idea to avoid restaurants that are on or around Old Town Square. Many of these (with some notable exceptions) serve overpriced, mediocre food aimed at unsuspecting tourists. Instead, venture out of the center to the more inventive places I’ve named below and enjoy your meal seated alongside locals who are just as pleasantly surprised by the results as you will be.

Two images: Eska's signature dish — Left, Eska's signature dish

Breakfast

Dining out for breakfast is still a relative novelty in Prague. Czechs typically start their day at home with a simple bread roll and a cup of coffee. Myšák, a historic, early-20th-century sweetshop, offers a traditional breakfast menu (including Viennese-style “poached eggs in a glass”) plus a mouthwatering assortment of Czech pastries. Don’t miss their buchty, sweet rolls served in custard sauce. Šodó Bistro in Dejvice also features fresh-baked bread, pastries and a creative breakfast menu of egg dishes, apricot dumplings with curd cheese, and a satisfying bowl of fruit-topped granola and yogurt. Nearby Místo boasts arguably Prague’s best-stuffed omelet, plus oven-warm bread and home-roasted beans for coffee-based drinks. For hipsters, Karlín’s industrial-style bakery Eska puts a local spin on things. The menu is built around traditional Czech breakfast entrees like locally sourced ham and soft-boiled eggs.

Two images: the writer and the shelf of a pastries in a Prague cafe — Left, Mark in front of Dos Mundos Café. Right, The pastry shelf at Dos Mundos in Holešovice is filled with fresh-baked goodies. Mark Baker for Lonely Planet

Coffee

The worldwide coffee revolution is in full swing in Prague; every week, it brings to the city a new espresso shop or coffee roaster. Find many of the best of these in the outlying neighborhoods of Karlín and Letná. Café Letka, in Letná, is a gorgeous space with tastefully distressed walls that are drenched in natural lighting. Nearby Dos Mundos Café roasts its own beans, sustainably sourced from Colombia and Guatemala, and serves a tantalizing array of cakes and pastries. In Karlín, the always hopping Můj Šálek Kávy is run by a local specialty roaster, Doubleshot. The cooks are as talented as the baristas. This is a great choice for breakfast or lunch too.

Two images: the writer about to eat and a picture of a roast duck dish in Prague — Left, Mark is going low-carb at Mr. HotDog with a

Lunch

Czechs typically eat their main meal at midday, and many restaurants offer discounted daily lunch specials. One of these, Hostinec na Výtoni, an upscale pub, specializes in roast duck, a must-try local treat when in Prague. Foodie destination Výčep, in Vinohrady, offers modern takes on classic Czech dishes, like pork schnitzel or stuffed potato dumplings, at friendlier lunchtime prices. Book both places in advance. For something quick and easy, try the ever-popular KRO Kitchen in Vinohrady for locally sourced, rotisserie-cooked chicken. Mr HotDog, in the neighborhood of Letná, serves up mouthwatering sliders and hot dogs in a relaxed, welcoming setting.

A customer is ordering at a busy bakery in Prague — Follow your nose to the industrial-styled bakery, Eska, in Karlín. Mark Baker for Lonely Planet

Brunch

Weekend brunches are a recent addition to the culinary scene, but one that residents have embraced with gusto. If you’re looking for international brunch mainstays, like eggs Benedict, smoked salmon and bottomless pitchers of mimosas, the high-end hotel affairs like The Monkey Bar’s “Jungle Brunch,” have you covered. One step down on the posh scale, but still excellent, is Holešovice’s funky Mama Shelter hotel, which offers all-you-can-eat Sunday brunch on the terrace from noon to 3 pm. Etapa, in Karlín, is a relaxed neighborhood coffee shop that offers a daily all-vegetarian brunch with ingredients sourced from all around Czechia.

Two images: the exterior of a restaurant in Prague with wooden doors and a close up of a steak dish elsewhere — Left, The pretty setting for U Modré Kachničky, on a quiet, picturesque corner in Malá Strana. Mark Baker for Lonely Planet Right, Kuchyň‘s signature steak tartare is served with a side of toasted bread. Kuchyň

Dinner

When done well, traditional Czech cooking can be delicious. You can’t go wrong at either Kuchyň, near Prague Castle, or U Modré kachničky (The Blue Duckling), in the neighborhood of Malá Strana. Kuchyň’s take is more modern and minimalist, but the pork-neck schnitzel or the beef shank with bread dumplings elevate grandma’s cooking to high art. U Modré kachničky is furnished like an extravagant hunting lodge, complete with candlelight and white linens. The menu is strong on game dishes, featuring venison, rabbit, pheasant and duck. U Kroka is more of a classic mom-and-pop pub with excellent versions of Czech standards like schnitzel, goulash and the Czech classic, svíčková (braised beef served in a cream sauce of root vegetables).

I don’t often eat at Michelin-starred Field (the price of the six- or 10-course tasting menus are firmly in the “splurge” category for me), but when I do, the meal is always memorable. If money is no object, Field’s head chef, Radek Kašpárek, presents a highly refined, fusion take on classic Czech mains, like veal, trout or rabbit, and prepares these with a special emphasis on fresh and local. You’ll need to book this one well in advance.

Two images: a beer menu above a bar in Prague and people drinking in a pub in Prague — Left, Beer menu above the taps at Dva kohouti. Right, one of the drinking rooms at U Fleků. Mark Baker for Lonely Planet

Pubs and bars

Prague, at heart, is a beer town. Any self-respecting Czech pub will pour an excellent Pilsner-Urquell, brewed in the nearby city of Plzeň (Pilsen), the country’s standard-bearer when it comes to excellent lager. Try Lokál on Dlouhá Street near Old Town Square to see what all the fuss is about. U Fleků, a classic, old-school pub, is admittedly touristy but home-brews the city’s best dark beer. The craft-brew scene is booming, too. I love the "California" American Pale Ale (APA) at Dva Kohouti in Karlín. Plus, they have a big yard for open-air drinking. Automat Matuška, near the Hradčanská metro station, features a local craft brewer, Matuška’s excellent range of IPAs and APAs, plus an onsite smoker that turns out plates of tender beef brisket and pulled pork.

To sample some underrated Czech wines from the country’s main wine-growing region of Moravia, look for Bokovka, an upscale wine bar hidden in a deceptively shabby courtyard near Old Town Square. For high-end cocktails, Hemingway Bar (reservations recommended) feels straight out of a Hollywood film noir. Café Bar Pilotů, in the happening hood of Vršovice, features more playful, inventive cocktail concoctions like “Vietnamská Večerka,” crafted from whatever you might find at the local convenience shop.