Where to Eat in Prague: A Local Guide to Czech Food, Beer and the Best Neighbourhoods

Let's be honest about something first.

A significant number of restaurants in central Prague — particularly on and around Old Town Square — exist primarily to separate tourists from their money. Mediocre food, inflated prices, laminated menus in twelve languages, staff who wave you in from the street. These places are easy to spot once you know what to look for. And avoiding them makes an enormous difference to how you experience Prague's food.

Because when you eat well in Prague — and it is entirely possible to eat very well — the city reveals itself differently. Czech food at its best is honest, generous and deeply satisfying. The beer is extraordinary. And the restaurants that do it properly are not hard to find, if you know where to look.

Here is where to eat in Prague, what to order and what to skip.

What to eat in Prague — Czech food worth knowing

Czech cuisine is built around a handful of dishes that have been refined over centuries, most of them involving pork, duck, beef and dumplings. It is not light food. It is not fashionable food. But at its best it is some of the most satisfying eating in Central Europe.

Svíčková is the dish that most Czechs consider their national food — slow-braised beef sirloin served with a creamy vegetable sauce, whipped cream, cranberry and bread dumplings. It sounds unlikely. It is extraordinary.

Pork knuckle (vepřové koleno) — roasted until the skin crisps and the meat falls away — is the most photographed dish in Prague and also, when done well, genuinely delicious. The key is finding a version that has been properly roasted rather than reheated.

Goulash (hovězí guláš) with bread dumplings is the everyday Czech dish — rich, paprika-spiced beef stew that appears on virtually every menu. The quality varies enormously. At a good pub, it is exceptional.

Bread dumplings (knedlíky) are served with almost everything. They are made from slightly stale bread formed into a roll, boiled and sliced. Their primary purpose is to absorb sauce, which they do magnificently.

Fried cheese (smažený sýr) — a slab of Edam coated in breadcrumbs and deep-fried — is the Czech equivalent of comfort food. Do not dismiss it.

Our team consists of highest degree (Degree II) licensed Prague guides who know the local food scene.

Czech beer is the reason the world comes to Prague. The Czech Republic has the highest per-capita beer consumption on Earth, and the quality reflects it. Pilsner Urquell, Kozel, Budvar, Staropramen — each has a character. Order a pint (půllitr) rather than a half. Watch how the barman pours it. The foam matters.