Restaurants and Bars

The growing number of visitors to Prague and the widespread availability of accommodation since 1989 has led to an increase in the number of restaurants, together with a great improvement in hygiene standards. The influx of people of other nationalities coming to live in Prague has had an impact on the nature of the cuisine, which has become much more cosmopolitan.

While restaurants up to the early 1990's were predominantly Czech - both in terms of food and decor - new restaurants have been refurbished and the standard of service has improved. There are restaurants in the city centre that only a limited number of Czechs can afford to visit, so the cuisine tends to be mainly either French or international, catering predominantly to European or American tourists and business people.

There are however, innumerable restaurants catering to those on a more modest budget, and these tend to attract the Czech business and professional classes. These offer both Czech and international food of the highest quality.

Some restaurants offer wonderful views of Prague and its main attractions like the TV Tower. Beside the river there are several restaurants with views of the castle and cathedral, which are floodlit during the evenings. These include Bellevue and Le Perle de Prague. To dine in one of these, it is essential to make an advanced booking and to state your preference for a window or terrace table.

Most of the 3-star and 4-star hotels have restaurants such as La Rotonde, Triton and U Modre Ruze which are open to non-residents and, in an effort to outdo each other, most of the interiors here are done out in attractive and unusual designs. The majority of these hotel restaurants serve international cuisine.

Now that Prague has become such a tourist and business haven, people of different nationalities have arrived here and set up a number of establishments offering non-Czech cuisine. As a result, Prague can offer the visitor a variety of styles including Indian (Taj Mahal), Italian and Russian. Perhaps the area most closely associated with such variety is the Old Town/Jewish quarter which, in addition to its plethora of restaurants, offers a unique atmosphere with its small courtyards, high buildings, cobbled streets and subdued lighting. The majority of these restaurants have their own particular place in history - the buildings alone date back several centuries.

No visit to Prague however, would be complete without a visit to a restaurant in one of the suburbs. What these may lack in variety and plush surroundings, they more than make up for in busy and smoky atmospheres. There is always somewhere to eat within a short walk of a metro station. Just pick a station, catch a metro train, and within a few minutes of leaving the city centre, you should be enjoying typical Czech food in a typical Czech beerhall (pivnice). It should be noted that while credit card payment is acceptable in the city centre, it is likely that in suburban restaurants and cafes you will be expected to pay in cash. Also, restaurants outside the centre tend to close a little earlier (usually between 10p-11p).

The basic Czech staple is meat (maso), usually beef or pork, served with dumplings (knedliky) and vegetables. As a result of the Western influence, french fries have replaced dumplings in a number of establishments - unless otherwise requested. Fish (ryby) is also fairly popular.

Prague has also become a magnet for the likes of McDonalds and other Western fast food chains. Normally full of Italian, Dutch and German children on school trips, they are still a little expensive for the average Czech youngster. Residents usually obtain fast food from one of the many street cabins (bufet), offering food like frankfurters (parek).

There are plenty of grocers dotted around Prague where one can start off their day with freshly baked bread, rolls and pastries (pecivo). Hotel breakfasts tend to be of the continental variety (except in larger hotels).

The Czech Republic has been producing some of the best beers in the world for centuries - in fact it has the highest rate of beer consumption (per capita) in the world. It was in Plzen that the first bottom-fermented beer was introduced in 1842, (hence pils) and production still continues there with Pilsner Urquell - the most famous brand - (For brewery tours, check out Pilsner Urquell and Gambrinus lager). The other main production centre is Ceske Budejovice in South Bohemia where Budvar is produced. Until recently, most pubs brewed their own beers but now the larger breweries have taken over - Western companies such as Bass have moved into the Czech Republic in a big way.

Wines from South Moravia and Melnik are the best of many produced in the Republic, but are still generally considered inferior to the best of the French and German wines. Spirits are readily available, but should you have stomach problems, try Becherovka, a herbal spirit from the Karlovy Vary area.