10 Interesting Places to Eat in Prague by Nancy Berkoff
Prague is a city with a hearty appetite for music, food and culture. Every street corner seems to have a classical orchestra, string quartet or a Dixie land band. The city of Dvorak and Kafka, cobbled-stoned and Bohemian, Prague is an eating town. You can find any cuisine you can think of with lots of affordable prices. Prague is organized into districts (Praha 1 through Praha 10), many which are walking distance from the center of town and all reachable by street trolley or subway. Come to Prague ready to walk and stroll, and definitely to eat.
May 1st and May 8th are national holidays in the Czech Republic, as are Christmas and Easter. Many restaurants in Prague are closed every Monday, as are the museums, castles, monuments and other tourist attractions. Plan your visit accordingly, as Mondays can be very slim pickings.
At the time of this writing, there were 40 Czech crowns (called a "koruna") to an American dollar. A reasonable dinner (with a glass of wine or beer) could be had for $10-$12 American. There are many very inexpensive cafes and restaurants where substantial meals cost only $4-$5. Just in case you get the homesick blues, the MacDonald's at Wenceslas Square was selling Happy Meals for the equivalent of $2 American.
In no particular cost or geographical order:
KONVIKT Praha 1 Jiraskovo nam (easily reached by the Narodni trida metro) Telephone 24 23 19 71 Hours: (Mon-Fri) 9:00 am - midnight (Sat-Sun) 11:00 am- midnight This is a beer cellar with platters of substantial Czech cuisine (lots of roast pork, sausages, boiled potatoes). You'll feel like a student participating in the Velvet Revolution while you imbibe pints of Czech or imported beer. Lots of activity, lots of banging of beer mugs and the food's good too!
Estimated cost per person for dinner (with two beers): $9-15
Holiday Schedule: Christmas- closed, Easter-closed, May 1- open, May 8-open; New Year's Day- opens late (call for time)
BOHEMIA BAGEL Praha 1 Ujezd 16 Mala Strana 53 10 01 Praha 1 Masna 2 Old Town 2482 2560 Hours: (Mon-Fri) 7:00am- midnight (Sat-Sun) 8:00 am - midnight bagel@terminal.cz or www.bohemiabagel.cz The owner of Bohemia Bagel, Glenn Spicker, hails from West Hartford, Connecticut. Responding to the need for a healthy alternative on the Prague eating scene, Spicker had the chutzpah to bring bagels back to Central Europe. Response has been so strong that he has opened a second bagelry and is in the process of opening a third. You can get bagels of many varieties, made with excellent European flour, giving the bagels substance and wonderful flavor. Try a bagel with spicy Camembert (a Czech specialty cheese) or with smoked fish. There are soups, bagel sandwiches and a bottomless cup of coffee (unusual in Europe). No credit cards
Estimated cost per person for lunch/dinner= $2-$4
Holiday Schedule: Christmas- closed, Easter-closed, May 1- open, May 8-open, New Year's Day- closed.
CASABLANCA Praha 2 Na Prikope 10 24 21 05 19 www.casablanca.co.il Hours: (Sun- Thurs) 11:30 am- midnight, (Fri) 11:30 am- sundown, (Sat) closed Everyone in Prague seemed to know and suggest Casablanca, a Moroccan, Middle Eastern kosher restaurant. You can walk through the Palace Savarin to reach Casablanca to set the ambiance for the evening. Start your meal with mint tea, and progress to the dolmas (stuffed grape leaf appetizers), move onto tomato, red onion and olive salad, order the chicken marinated in lemon and leave room for the whole dessert cart. Estimated cost per person for dinner (with wine)- $20-$30
Holiday Schedule: Christmas- open, Easter-open, May 1- open, May 8-open, New Year's Day- open. Closed for Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur and Passover.
KAVERNA VELRYBA Praha 1 Opatovicaka 24 24 91 23 91 Hours: (Sun- Thur) 11:00 am- midnight (Fri) 11:00 am- 2:00 am Very hip, very bohemian, very topsy-turvy, very vegetarian, Kaverna Velryba (Belly of the Whale) is the place to be. Lots of cold beer, roasted veggies, passable salads, great soups, good desserts. You won't have to worry about vampires after eating here, as the cook seems to have a romance going with garlic, which appears in everything but the desserts.
Estimated cost per person for dinner: $8-$10
Holiday Schedule: Christmas- closed, Easter-closed, May 1- open, May 8-open, New Year's Day- open
METAMORPHASIS Praha 1 Mala Stupartska 5 (Old Town in the Ungeit Square) 2482 7058 Hours: (open daily) 11:00- 1:00 am What else would you name a restaurant in Franz Kafka's town? Quite expensive for Prague, this can be a fun or intimate restaurant, depending on where you are seated. Specialties include rabbit, wild boar and lamb entrees. Surprisingly, there are vegetarian entrees available as well.
Estimated cost per person for dinner (with wine) $ 25-$35
Holiday Schedule: Christmas- open (call for hours), Easter-closed, May 1- open, May 8-open, New Year's Day- open
OSTROFF Praha 1 Strelecky ostrov (on an island reachable from the Legions Bridge) 2491 9235 Hours: (open daily) noon- 2 pm and 7 pm to midnight This fashionable restaurant offer classic Italian cuisine, a cocktail bar and a Sunday brunch. Depending on the weather, sit on the terrace and watch the river traffic. Try the seasonal seafood. The soups, breads and desserts are always wonderful. The pasta dishes are very frequent, traditional Italian with a slight bohemian flair.
Estimated cost per person for dinner- $25-$40 dollars (with wine and drinks)
Holiday Schedule: Christmas- open (call for hours), Easter-closed, May 1- open, May 8-open, New Year's Day- open
KAVA, KAVA, KAVA Praha 1 Narodni 37 (in the Platyz courtyard) 2422 8862 Hours: (Mon- Fri) 7am-9 pm (Sat-Sun) 9am-9pm Voted "best coffee in Prague" three times in a row, this is a quiet café with Internet access! Drink your coffee there while munching on croissants stuffed with sweet cream cheese and currants, Linzer torte or other daily pastries, or take your coffee to go and stroll.
Estimated cost of coffee and pastry- $2-3
Holiday Schedule: Christmas- closed, Easter-closed, May 1- open, May 8-open, New Year's Day- closed
CAFÉ SHABU Praha 1 Palackeno 11 06 03 84 75 34 Hours: (daily) 10:00 am- midnight Yugoslavian cuisine is homey and filling. Try the BUREKS, small "pies" filled with meat, spinach, potato and cheese. Lots of savory appetizers and snacks. The wait staff is friendly and will help you put together a meal of this and that. Very relaxed atmosphere
Estimated cost per person for dinner- $5-$6
Holiday Schedule: Christmas- open, Easter-closed, May 1- open, May 8-open, New Year's Day- open
IVER Praha 1 Purkynova 24 94 60 71 Hours: (daily) 11:00 am- midnight You understand that the Czech Republic and Slovakia are two different countries, right? As far as we can tell, this is the only Slovakian restaurant in Prague. It's conveniently located next to the Slovakian cultural center, if you require more information about Slovakian culture. Sour cabbage and beef soup, potato pies with sour cream and potato dumplings with sheep cheese and bacon are all interesting and worth trying. The various types of whole wheat breads with poppy seeds and butter could be a meal on their own. Come with an appetite.
Estimated cost per person for dinner (with beer or wine) $ 18-$25
Holiday Schedule: Christmas- open, Easter-open (call for hours), May 1- open, May 8-open, New Year's Day- open
REYKJAVIK Praha 1 Karlova 20 22 22 12 18 www.reykjavik.cz Hours: (daily) 11:00 am- midnight Stepping into this Icelandic cuisine restaurant is like stepping aboard a 1930's steamer ship. Enjoy the ambiance and the wonderful seafood. The "fruit of the sea" soup is wonderful, as are the seasonal seafood entrees. There's no native Icelandic wine, but there is an Icelandic beer. Dress up and treat yourself to a great meal. Perfect for a before the theater repast.
Estimated cost per person for dinner ( with wine) $20-$30
Holiday Schedule: Christmas- open ( call for hours) , Easter-open ( call for hours), May 1- open, May 8-open, New Year's Day- open
The Top List of Great Restaurants - Prague, Czech