When researching restaurants online for our trip to Prague, I was not initially overwhelmed with many choices. I was not certain that I would be a big fan of the traditional Czech cuisine which is, most often, a rather heavy meal. In the end, I think that we enjoyed a number of fantastic restaurants and bars. I found some of the restaurants and bars online, and we did receive a number of recommendations from the hotel and a local bartender. I do want to mention one restaurant that we did not get the chance to try. We received multiple recommendations for this restaurant as a great place to try traditional Czech cuisine. The name is Beseda. It is close to St. Nicholas Church in the Mala Strana area of Prague. Most of the restaurants in Prague were very affordable. I have included choices from the full spectrum.
1. Porks. This restaurant serves traditional Czech cuisine in a casual setting in the lesser town on the walk to the Charles Bridge. We had dinner here our first evening in Prague. Our appetite wasn’t big, so we ordered pork sausage and potato with sauerkraut from the appetizer menu. This was plenty of food for two people. I had rose wine and my travel mate had a beer. Unbelievably, this meal cost us a mere $18! This is a great spot for a casual dinner. After dinner, we strolled to the Charles Bridge for great sunset views. There are plenty of places to grab ice cream along the way.
2. Black Angels Bar. I saw photos of this bar online and thought the cocktails sounded unique. It is just adjacent to the hotel U Prince right by the Astronomical Clock. You cannot miss the sign. We made a reservation in the early evening for drinks. The space appeared quite large and it didn’t seem that you would have trouble getting inside without a reservation. As they take you downstairs to the bar, they mention that absolutely no photos are allowed inside. I respected their rules, but I was able to take one photo from upstairs on my way out. We had three rounds of cocktails here, and I was not disappointed with any of them. If you love cocktails, give this place a try. Our mydaytrip driver who lived in Prague for 10 years recommended this place before knowing we already had a reservation.
3. Hemingway Bar. This is another fantastic cocktail bar. Getting inside may be a little more difficult for this bar. They only accept reservations via phone. We emailed our hotel in advance and requested they make us a reservation. The space is much smaller inside, so I highly recommend the reservation. There was a line outside when we left waiting for their chance to get inside. We were there for over two hours and never felt rushed. Our bartender George was fantastic and gave us several of the restaurant recommendations below. The cocktails were served in a unique fashion. Something to consider is a herbal liquor that is from the Czech Republic. It was in a number of the drinks. It is called Becherovka. There are four different varieties: original, lemond, apertif, and cordial. Many restaurants serve them alone in a small glass. You have to try when in the Czech Republic! We brought some small bottles home with us as well.
4. Restaurant Mincovna. This restaurant is in the far corner of the Old Town Square. Most of the seating is indoors and it has a modern/new feel to it. George at Hemingway Bar said he had been multiple times and was never disappointed. We felt the same way. I started off with the pickled cheese (something local) which came with a pretzel and pickled onions. It was a unique and good start to the meal. For my main, I had cauliflower pancakes served with mashed potatoes and a small tomato salad with vinaigrette. This was a great spot for local cuisine at a reasonable price. Great location.
