Czech Out the Food!
“It was raining heavily, the dark, cobbled streets glistening with lights from the shops and street lamps. Trams trundled by looking cosy and steamy. ”
We stepped out of the hotel looking for some dinner. I always enjoy the first few minutes in a new country. Impressions are all the more intense especially on a night like this. In the baroque quarters of Prague’s Old Town, the small restaurants and bars looked alluring, snug and welcoming.
Restaurants in the Old Town tend towards the traditional: schnitzel and goulash. I’m not keen on stews and bread-based dumplings. Vegetables, it seems, are only served on special occasions!
We stopped in at the Dutch Pub, a well-appointed steak and burger joint with a Dutch theme that concocted a splendid spread, including fish dishes, a little unusual for Prague. I’d recommend sticking with the steak & burgers!
The Dutch Pub is known for juicy burgers, crispy fries, and refreshing beers. I tried the fish!
Prague Prices
Even on a wet Wednesday night, downtown Prague is popular. You’ll see groups from Sweden, Denmark, Holland and the UK, mostly stag or hen parties in good spirits. There’s rarely any trouble in town. One of the reasons is prices! A glass of Pilsner, for instance, should cost you around €1.50 and a decent dinner comes in around €15 to €20 per head - including a glass of wine!
Hotels are similar in price to those in the UK and the rest of Europe but you save considerably on food and drink if you avoid the tourist traps, which, if you go just one street across, is so easy to do.
I’d like to be inspired with a plate of stew and dumplings, but I seriously can’t commit. Bring on the vegetables.
“Restaurants in the quarter tend towards the traditional; schnitzel and goulash. ”
If you want to range more exotically, you can dine on the likes of Česnečka (garlic soup) or Moravský vrabec (Moravian sparrow). It’s ‘sparrow’ in name only (thank goodness) and consists yet again of pork, dumplings and cabbage. The Czechs, I believe, do this to break up the monotony of meat, cabbage and dumplings!
It was not that long ago that the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic (1948–1989) was affected by rationing and shortages, which were very common throughout the Eastern Bloc. Daily eating habits tended to be simple, filling, and repetitive, and that’s still reflected in some of the menus.
If you care to wander a bit, there is variety to be found. International influences are creeping in. Change is a good thing! For instance, the Czech-Vietnamese community has opened a series of Pho bars that are fast, friendly, and delicious.
I’ve mentioned some of the best eateries elsewhere in my Prague ramblings, but in the meantime, here are the best eateries I discovered on this particular trip.
Recommended Restaurants
The drink flows, a perennial feature in Prague, thank goodness!
KOLKOVNA
Pure Czech cuisine where sparkling pale ale flows from the middle of what looks like a giant copper brew kettle, delivered by the fistful by strong-armed waiters. Kolkovna is a great local cuisine experience and the ideal evening if you want to share traditional Czech platters. It’s hearty stuff served with baskets of dark brown bread, legs of lamb and earthy mash all coming at you in good quantity.
www.kolkovna.cz/en
KOGO (ALBATROSS) The Kogo restaurant at Albatross Golf Club is set up inside the swankiest clubhouse in the country. The clubhouse design is super-slick and the Kogo restaurant takes up a commanding corner with a wide-open terrace from which to dine and whine about the number of balls you lost to the lakes.
www.kogo.cz/kogo-albatross/aktuality/
LA BODEQUITA DEL MEDIO
Modelled on the famous restaurant of the same name in Havana (Cuba), which claims to be the birthplace of the Mojito, this is a Cuban Cocktail Bar in old Colonianial Havana style - with music to match. The atmosphere in the restaurant is casual, a bit chaotic but in a good way. Best bet is to sit on the high stools in the corner and go to work on the pork tenderloin - because it’s simply superb!
www.labodeguitadelmedio.cz/en
