Restaurants in Czech Republic
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A
Cantina
This homely hacienda, decked out in bleached pine and Brazilian coffee sacks, serves up the most authentic margaritas in Prague – perhaps a little light on the tequila, but nicely iced and with a good zing of fresh lime. The menu is as good as Tex-Mex gets in this town, with big portions of burrito, chimichanga, quesadilla and fajitas with both meat and vegetarian fillings; if the salsa isn’t hot enough for you, there are bottles of chilli sauce on the table to add a bit of bite. This place is popular, so get there early, book a table, or be prepared to wait.
reviewed
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B
Ariana
Ariana is a welcoming little place decked out with Persian rugs and photos of Kabul, with Asian music wailing in the background. It serves a range of unusual Afghani dishes, including ashak (a sort of ravioli containing chopped leeks, with a rich sauce of minced lamb and yogurt), various lamb and chicken kebabs and tasty vegetarian specialities, served with light, fluffy nan-i-dashi (hot bread) on the side.
reviewed
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C
Country Life
Prague’s first-ever health-food shop opened in 1991, and is an all-vegan cafeteria and sandwich bar offering inexpensive salads, sandwiches, pizzas, vegetarian goulash, sunflower-seed burgers and soy drinks. There is plenty of seating in the rear courtyard but it can still get crowded at lunchtime, so go early or buy sandwiches to go.
reviewed
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D
Albio
This family-friendly, nonsmoking, whole-foods restaurant is as bright and fresh as an Alpine morning, decked out in blonde wood and rustic timber set off with salmon-pink tablecloths and seat-cushions. It sources all its food from local organic farms and operates its own bakery, shop and advice counter offering tips on organic food and healthy eating. The menu includes fish, vegetarian and vegan dishes, such as baked whole rice with oyster mushrooms, leeks and cashew nuts, and buckwheat pancakes filled with onion mash and grilled zucchini. There are also organic wines and unpasteurised beer so you can work up a healthy hangover.
reviewed
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E
Suterén
‘The Basement’ is a beautiful cellar space, where modern detailing complements the old red-brick and wooden beams perfectly. Cream linen chairs, set at gleaming black tables with a single, deep-pink rose in the middle of each one, surround a circular glass bar with a colourful aquarium along one wall. The menu leans towards seafood, beef and game, with intriguing dishes such as salmon mojito, with the fish marinated in rum and lime juice, served with tart lime jam and sweet rum-and-mint sauce; and more traditional fare such as roast saddle of rabbit marinated in wine, vinaigrette and thyme.
reviewed
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F
Capua
This corner restaurant just above Strossmayerovo náměstí is widely considered the best pizza place in the neighbourhood, and even the food editor of the Prague Post listed it in the city’s ‘top four’ in a 2007 pizza run-off. But in truth, it’s only good, not great. The inviting interior is divided into two rooms, with nonsmokers getting the larger and nicer one to the right. The pizzas are thin-crust and follow the usual formula of Italian combinations. ‘Capriccioso’ is a filling mix of ham and fresh mushrooms. There’s a shaded terrace out the front in nice weather.
reviewed
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G
Bohemia Bagel
When this outlet of the local Bohemia Bagel empire opened in 2007, it was widely heralded as a sign of Holešovice’s imminent rebirth. It hasn’t exactly worked out that way. This remains the best all-round sandwich and light meal joint in the neighbourhood, with the usual range of bagels, breakfasts and burgers, plus seared tuna and filet mignon entrees for bigger appetites. Bohemia Bagel is only two tram stops from Nádraží Holešovice (take tram 15), making this a feasible meal option if you’re waiting for a train.
reviewed
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H
Pizzeria Kmotra
One of Prague’s oldest and best pizzerias, ‘the Godmother’ can rustle up more than two dozen varieties of pizza, from margherita to marinara, cooked in a genuine wood-fired pizza oven. Sit beside the bar upstairs, or head down to the basement where you can watch the chef slinging pizza dough in the open kitchen – both areas are nonsmoking. It gets busy here after 8pm, so try to snag a table before then.
reviewed
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I
Staročeská Krčma
A very good traditional Czech tavern, Staročeská Krčma specialises in huge portions of grilled meats, such as steaks, pork and chicken. The setting is meant to evoke an old-fashioned koliba (inn or country cottage), with big wooden tables, an open fireplace and stacks of wood sitting around. The pork dishes excel, while the steaks are only good. Reserve in advance, especially on weekends.
reviewed
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Bar Bar
This cosy, friendly cellar bar has a bohemian feel with its mix of antiques and contemporary arty touches, plus one of the most interesting menus in town. Delicious food runs the gamut from homemade Italian risotto and French crepes to Ukrainian vareniky (pasta-style parcels) and crème brûlee, plus there are excellent-value 100Kč daily menus.
reviewed
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Ambiente Restaurante Brasileiro
This busy and authentic slice of Brazil offers two all-you-can-eat menus; the churrasco menu, with continually circulating waiters carving off slices of freshly prepared meat onto your plate, or the lighter buffet, with sushi, salads, oysters, soup, fish and much more. As with other restaurants in the Ambiente chain, reservations are advisable.
reviewed
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K
Káva Káva Káva
The Smíchov branch of the popular internet café in Staré Město is bigger and brighter than the original, with Etruscan orange walls, terracotta floor tiles and modern art. There’s a more extensive menu too – you can snack on salads, sandwiches, quiche or nachos, or tuck into more substantial chicken gyros, Mexican chilli or home-made soup of the day.
reviewed
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L
Hanácacká Hospoda
Just when you're finally getting to grips with a Czech menu, this incredibly popular spot lists everything in the local Haná dialect. It's worth persevering though because the Moravian meals are robust, tasty and supreme value.
reviewed
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M
Café 87
Locals flock to this arty, sunny café beside the Olomouc Museum of Art for great coffee and their special recipe chocolate pie. You be the judge - dark chocolate or white chocolate? Across Olomouc the debate continues.
reviewed
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N
Bakeshop Praha
In Staré Město, this fantastic bakery sells some of the best bread in the city, along with pastries, cakes and takeaway sandwiches, salads and quiche.
reviewed
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O
Café FX
Café FX offers some of the best food in Prague in its price range – and it’s all vegetarian. This hippy-chic restaurant at the entrance to the nightclub Radost FX – looking like a faded bordello with its draped chiffon, tasselled lampshades and distressed walls – comes up with imaginative dishes ranging from spinach ravioli stuffed with hazelnut pesto and cheese to sage and mushroom ‘meatballs’ with mashed potatoes and creamy mushroom sauce.
reviewed
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P
V Zátiší
‘Still Life’ is one of Prague’s top restaurants, famed for the quality of its cuisine (which was rewarded with a Michelin recommendation in 2007). The décor is bold and modern, with dark wood, quirky lamps and candle-holders, and bold stripes of red and orange – there’s even a wall fashioned from stacked books. Of the dozen or so main courses on offer, four are seafood and two or three are vegetarian. There are also gourmet versions of traditional Czech dishes – the crispy roast duckling with red cabbage and herb dumplings is superb. There’s a two-course lunch menu, including one drink (695Kč), or you can lash out on the five-course degustation menu (1595Kč; plus 895Kč ex…
reviewed
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Q
Gitanes
Twee meets twisted at this idiosyncratic restaurant, where a technicolour storm of floral print wallpaper and upholstery meets a gallery of weird art – check out the upside-down table on the ceiling – to create an atmosphere akin to an English tearoom designed by Salvador Dali. On acid. The food is hearty and full-on, especially the Balkan specialities – dishes such as čevapčiči (chargrilled spicy meatballs) and sač (veal and lamb roasted over an open fire) are flung out like macho, meat-eating challenges, while the paella for two could probably feed four. Lighter dishes include smažené ančovičky (fried whitebait), chicken risotto and a range of salads.
reviewed
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R
Lehká Hlava
Tucked away down a narrow cul-de-sac, Lehká Hlava (the name means ‘clear head’) exists in a little world of its own. A peaceful atrium leads to two unusually decorated dining rooms, both with a vaguely psychedelic vibe – one with a rocket-shaped light fitting that projects coloured images onto the walls, the other topped by a dark blue vault pierced by twinkling stars. Both have tables lit from within, either studded with glowing glass spheres or with a radiant wood-grain effect. In the kitchen the emphasis is on healthy, freshly prepared vegetarian and vegan dishes, ranging from hummus and roast veggies to spinach burritos to a spicy oriental stir-fry that could easily f…
reviewed
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U Matěje Kotrby
It’s only 50m away from the tourist trap that is U Fleků, but this place is the real deal – an atmospheric Czech pub strewn with more bric-a-brac, musical instruments and old photos than the average antique shop and, more importantly, sporting a menu of classic Czech grub from goulash made with Pilsner Urquell to pork knuckle braised in dark beer, mustard and horseradish. There’s also a range of traditional ‘beer snacks’ including utopenci (sausage pickled in vinegar), Czech cheeses with walnuts and olives, and libová tlačenka (pork brawn, or potted head), amusingly translated on the menu as ‘home-made headcheese’.
reviewed
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Mailsi
Mailsi was Prague’s first Pakistani restaurant, and is still one of the city’s best for authentic, home-style curry cuisine. The outside is inconspicuous, and it’s only the qawwali music that guides you into the attractively decorated green and burgundy dining room with its tropical fishtank. Service is courteous and the food delicious, though prices have edged up in recent years – prawn and fish dishes go up to 500Kč. The bhaji is rather plain – just onion and potato thinly sliced, dipped in spiced flour and fried, but very light and crisp – while the murgh dal consists of tender chicken in a cumin-spiced lentil sauce.
reviewed
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U
Nagoya
Nagoya, hidden away down an escalator in a passage next to Anděl’s Hotel, is one of the few truly authentic Japanese restaurants in Prague. It has crisp, minimalist décor, with paper screens, globe lampshades and bamboo plants; most of the seating is at ordinary tables, but there are also some low tables with tatami mats if you want to take off your shoes and get the genuine Japanese dining experience. The menu ticks all the usual boxes – sushi, sashimi, teriyaki, yakitori, tempura and miso soup – but also includes sakana, small savoury snacks a bit like Japanese tapas, which are great if you want to try a range of flavours.
reviewed
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V
Kampa Park
Opened way back in 1994, Kampa Park was a pioneer of Prague’s fine-dining scene and has attracted countless celebrity visitors including Mick Jagger, Johnny Depp, Lauren Bacall, Robbie Williams, and Bill and Hillary Clinton. The cuisine is as famous as the clientele, from the seared scallops with raisins and capers beurre blanc, to the saddle of lamb with truffle-scented potato gnocchi. There’s a stylish dining room and roof terrace, but for a really romantic dinner reserve a candlelit table on the cobblestoned terrace, draped in fairy lights, right beside the river, with the lights of Charles Bridge glittering on the water.
reviewed
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W
Hergetova Cihelna
Housed in a converted18th-century cihelná (brickworks), this place enjoys one of Prague’s hottest locations with a riverside terrace offering sweeping views of Charles Bridge and the Old Town waterfront. The menu is as sweeping as the view, ranging from Czech dishes to burgers and stir-fries, plus a new organic menu that includes crab salad with avocado and chilli, and baked sea bass with cauliflower puree and courgette fritters. Note that there are two wine lists, one reasonably priced, the other eye-poppingly expensive – we can recommend the Sonberg Rýnský Ryzlink, an excellent Moravian white.
reviewed
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U Malé Velryby
Restaurants come and go quickly in Prague’s rapidly evolving dining scene, so fingers crossed that this one’s still around by the time you read this. It’s a tiny place – only eight tables – run by a chef-proprietor from Cork, Ireland, who gets fresh seafood flown in daily from French markets. The seared calamari with chilli, lime and ginger is meltingly tender, the seafood pie (fish and mussels topped with crispy potatoes) is tasty and filling, and the crab pasta is deliciously delicate. Other dishes include chargrilled steak with onion tarte tatin, and roast duck with apricot sauce.
reviewed
