This article was created by National Geographic Traveler (UK).
For decades, Czechs have viewed their cuisine from one perspective: hearty, simple dishes made to keep you full and made with ingredients you can buy (or grow) during difficult times. I’ve seen it since. The meals were made for large families who gathered on Sundays, and classics like cumin-roasted pork, wild rabbit, and koplova omachuka with creamy dill sauce would never be found in fine dining restaurants. But now you can see it, plated in elegant crystal, at the Michelin-starred La His Degustation, his Bohème, and his Bourgeois. This restaurant is fully booked months in advance.
Prague’s best restaurants attract many nationally and internationally trained chefs. They return to the city determined to rebrand their cuisine, focusing on local ingredients and diverse techniques, combining traditional recipes and flavors.
Czech chefs focus on emphasizing local ingredients and a variety of traditional cooking techniques.
Photo by Jan Miracky, AWL Images
At Výčep, Chef Jiří Hrachový and his team sit at the forefront of modern Czech cuisine, putting their own spin on classic pub fare. Rich sauces and flavorful broths beautifully complement fish, venison, and rabbit dishes. The revamped Stangl, on the other hand, uses innovative methods to highlight and shine through carefully selected ingredients, making ingredients like foraged mushrooms, roasted duck and buckwheat the star.
Then there is the Ze Mě project. This is a farm-to-table pop-up that often includes game meat and foraged ingredients such as blueberries, mushrooms, and edible flowers. The recently opened Chaudeau Bistro also features seasonal ingredients, such as yeast bread with vanilla sauce and fruit-filled dumplings.
Despite the number of spots in the capital trying out local cuisine, the city hasn’t lost its passion for casual, popular dining venues. The culinary heart of Prague remains traditional hospodas (pubs) and pilsners. After all, beer is famously often cheaper here than water, and on most days locals can be found at Dejvice’s Automat Matushka, Lokal u Bire with a tall glass of Kozer beer. -We see people gathering for a drink at Kuzerki or U Zlateho Tigra. Old Town offers beer cheese dip with beer.
Tourists have long flocked to Prague for its storied history and atmospheric cobblestone streets lined with pastel-colored buildings. The Czech capital, considered by many to be one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, has not until recently attracted food tourists. But now, the city is evolving into a destination for those seeking a combination of a vibrant, experimental food scene and rich history.
How to spend a day in Holesovice & Letna
Twenty years ago, Prague’s Holesovice district was a quiet suburb. Now you can find small boutiques, minimalist new restaurants, and cafes serving specialty he coffee.
To the east is the permanent Holesovice Farmers Market, selling fresh pastries and local produce. Start with breakfast at Café Letka on the border of Holesovice and Letna and enjoy seasonal cuisine from all over Europe. Don’t miss the pastries and espresso. One of the best menus this side of town. Want a quick bite? For coffee and cake, try Format Coffee.
The Eatery is a staple of Prague’s gourmet scene.
Photography: Nicole Barkal
Visit the National Technical Museum, which celebrates the Czech Republic’s lesser-known but groundbreaking inventions of cars, trains, and airplanes over the past 100 years. The National Agricultural Museum next door is a fun place to visit with interactive exhibits on agriculture and gastronomy.
Take a break at the Letna Beer Garden (cash only) to enjoy panoramic views of Prague’s skyline and enjoy traditional Pilsner beers and specialty beers. Afterwards, we’ll have lunch at Sandwich Rodeo, Tomasz Wrzezczky’s newly opened fine-dining restaurant. Here, we serve creative takes on classic American sandwiches, along with local beers and homemade lemonade. Try the crispy fried chicken and chopped cheese.
Finish your day at the Prague National Gallery, where you can admire works by Czech artists such as Picasso, Monet, and Art Nouveau painter Alphonse Mucha. Or explore Stromovka Royal Game Reserve, a former royal hunting park with ornamental ponds and hiking trails.
A staple of Prague’s food scene, The Eataly offers a menu of creative Czech dishes made with locally sourced ingredients, such as wild boar in rosehip sauce, paired with small-batch wines from Bohemia, Moravia and even across Europe. It offers. At the end of the day, sit at the counter and watch the team in action.
Prague’s Old Town is home to a 600-year-old astronomical clock.
Photo by Pauline Lewis, Getty Images
How to spend a day in Nové Město and Staré Město
Prague’s historic city center, with its Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque architecture, attracts national and international tourists. Nové Město and Staré Město, or New Town and Old Town, have traditionally offered visitors some of Prague’s less impressive cuisine.
But today, with an increasing number of fine restaurants and cozy cafes, it has become a destination that food lovers should seek out. Let’s start with his EMA Espresso Bar. It’s a sleek, minimalist shop known for killer coffee and simple baked goods. The real gem here is the kolache, a sweet pastry made by popular local bakery Alf & Bet. It tastes like a traditional home-baked dish, like something your Czech grandma would make.
Walking is the best way to experience central Prague. From Prašná brána (one of the city gates), follow the winding streets to Old Town Square. Watch for the appearance of the Twelve Apostles on a 600-year-old astronomical clock.
From here, a cobbled path leads to the beautiful Charles Bridge. If you’re looking for the ultimate upscale lunch spot, head to the Louvre, a 120-year-old classic and elegant cafe once frequented by the likes of Franz Kafka and Albert Einstein. The menu is small, but offers delicious traditional dishes such as goulash and pork shoulder.
And if you’re after a hearty meal of Czech food, visit QQ Asian Kitchen. Chefs Nyoman Purnata and Lee Chan combine family-style pan-Asian cuisine with inventive haute cuisine. Or, for a bite to eat, try Palo Verde Bistro, an innovative restaurant serving plant-based dishes ranging from mushroom tortellini to crispy chicken-free burgers.
Rent a paddleboat from Slovanka Boat Rentals and spend a few hours rowing along the Vltava River. Afterwards, follow the promenade along the Naplavka riverbank and stop at a renovated Kobuki. Once a waterside dungeon, it is now home to a bar, cafe and art exhibition.
Finish your day at U Kalendor, just south of the Dancing House designed by Frank Gehry and Vlad Milnić. This modern Czech restaurant offers a fresh twist on traditional dishes. Enjoy fried carp, homemade pâté, and flavorful beef tartare, paired with soft homemade bread and local beer.
Svičková is the heart of Czech cuisine and perhaps the country’s most beloved dish.
Photo by Jana Terenska, Alamy
Great spot to experience Svičkova
You can’t leave Prague without trying svičková, the meaty, sauce-filled heart of Czech cuisine and arguably the country’s most beloved dish. Most Czechs have an opinion on what (and who) makes the best svickova, and in most cases this is roasted carrots, parsley root, celery, onion; roots, celery, onions and spices. To finish the classic dish, add a little cranberry compote or cream.
1. Rokar Drouhaa
A must-try version of svičková can be found at the modern pub-like Lokál Dlouhááá in central Prague. The menu focuses on traditional Czech cuisine. Its svičkova highlights the vegetables in the sauce (rather than submerging them in cream, as in variations of this dish) and is accompanied by tender beef that falls apart.
2. Havelska Koruna
Near the old town, Havelska Korna offers a simple, traditional atmosphere. This self-service spot attracts locals and tourists alike with its creamy sauces and hearty, plump dumplings.
3. Kuching
Stroll to Prague Castle and visit Kuching, one of the city’s best restaurants. Chef Marek Janusz offers exclusive svikova with fluffy dumplings. Kuchyň’s menu is seasonal, so this dish is best eaten in the fall or winter and pairs well with the venue’s tank beer.
Published in Food issue 23 (Spring 2024) of National Geographic Traveler (UK).
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