Czech restaurants in Europe
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A
U Zlaté Hrušky
'At the Golden Pear' is a cosy, wood-panelled gourmets’ corner, serving Bohemian fish, fowl and game dishes (tripe fricassee is a speciality) and frequented by locals and visiting dignitaries as well as tourists (the Czech foreign ministry is just up the road, and Margaret Thatcher once dined here). In summer get a table in its leafy zahradní restaurace (garden restaurant) across the street.
reviewed
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B
Pastička
A warm, inviting ground-floor pub with a little garden out the back, Pastička is great for a beer or a meal. The interior design is part 1920s Prague and part Irish pub. Most come for the beer, but the mix of international and traditional Czech dishes is very good.
reviewed
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C
U Míkuláše Dačíckého
This is an honest-to-goodness, old-fashioned vinárna (wine bar) – complete with traditional atmosphere and excellent Czech cooking. The owners have gone for the ‘Ye Olde Middle Ages’ look, with dark woods, red tablecloths, and pictures showing the lords enjoying their wine. Reserve in advance.
reviewed
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D
U Neklana
U Neklana is a welcoming local pub nestled in the corner of one of Prague’s coolest apartment buildings, a cubist classic dating from 1915. Decked out in cheerful colours, it dishes up hearty Czech fare such as potato and mushroom soup served in a scooped-out loaf of rye bread. The menu is in English and German as well as Czech.
reviewed
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E
Restaurant Peklo
Peklo is an eerily atmospheric restaurant set in a stone-and-brick vaulted wine-cellar beneath the grounds of Strahov Monastery (p000) - it was named Peklo ('Hell') because the gardens above are called 'Paradise'. The menu of Czech and international cuisine is heavy on grilled and roast meat and filled with infernal puns, from filet mignon diavolo (flambéed steak with potato dumplings) to chicken à la Mefisto (roast chicken with caramelised onions and sour cherry sauce).
reviewed
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F
U Maltézských Rytířů
‘At the Maltese Knights’ is a cosy and romantic olde-worlde restaurant, with candlelit tables tucked into niches in the stone-and-brick Gothic vaults downstairs (the ground-floor tables are much less atmospheric). Classic Bohemian offerings include roast wild boar with rosehip sauce, and organic carp stuffed with tomato and mushroom, but there are also international dishes such as steak Chateaubriand, and a couple of vegetarian dishes; it’s a popular spot, so book well ahead.
reviewed
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G
Zlatý klas
This very popular pub and restaurant offers well-done Czech grub such as roast pork, goulash and fried chicken breast in a kitsch but comfortable space. Zlatý Klas also offers fresh unpasteurised beer (tankové pivo) from Plzeň, a local badge of honour. The service is fast and friendly, but you’ll have to book in advance in the evening.
reviewed
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H
Branický Sklípek
This is one of the few rough-and-ready, old-fashioned beer halls left in central Prague, serving meaty, good-value Czech dishes washed down with cheap beer. Menus and staff are Czech only and service can be grumpy, which puts off most tourists, but persevere – this is the real deal, serving up some of the finest pork, dumplings and sauerkraut in town (look for purkmistrová mísa on the menu). Nonsmokers, beware –the atmosphere is smoky enough to kipper a truckload of herring.
reviewed
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I
Restaurace Chudoba
This upmarket Czech tavern-restaurant occupies a choice corner on a leafy section of Vinohradská. The patrons are mostly young professionals and couples out for an after-work beer or a good and reasonably priced Czech meal. The decor plays with the ‘Ye Olde Vinohrady’ theme, with sepia-toned photos on the wall and polished wooden floors.
reviewed
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J
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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K
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 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.
reviewed
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L
Špaliček
Brno's oldest (and maybe its 'meatiest') restaurant sits on the edge of the Cabbage Market. Ignore the irony and dig into huge Moravian meals, partnered with a local Starobrno beer or something from the decent local wine list.
reviewed
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M
Hanácacká Hospoda
The menu lists everything in the local Haná dialect at this popular pub/restaurant. It's worth persevering though because the huge Moravian meals are tasty and supreme value. Don't worry – they've got an English menu if you're still getting up-to-speed with Haná.
reviewed
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N
Na Verandách
This pub and restaurant, managed by the Potrefená husa chain, is inside the Staropramen brewery, and while lots of people come here to eat, it’s perfectly fine to come in just for a superfresh beer (there are seven varieties on tap). The menu is high-end fast food: ribs, burgers and chicken breasts as well as standard Czech dishes.
reviewed