Confession time: Czech food didn’t knock my socks off. That’s not to say I didn’t have some tasty meals in Prague, because I did. I’m just not planning a return trip specifically to enjoy any of the dishes again, like I am with the smoked cheese soup in Tallinn. Maybe I didn’t make the best menu choices or dine at the right restaurants, but after several days of stodgy local specialties, I was seeking out a little more variety. Here’s the very best of what I found to eat in Prague, Czech food and otherwise.
Les Moules
I didn’t expect to find excellent seafood in landlocked Czech Republic, but I guess stranger things have happened. Eager for something other than a hunk of roasted meat, I headed to Les Moules, a Belgian bistro serving up some truly spectacular mussels. As a jolt to my culinary senses, I opted for the spicy broth with lemon and cilantro and slurped up every last drop. Pommes frites and a glass of Stella were ideal accompaniments. The finishing touch? Chocolate truffles handcrafted on the premises and a frosty glass of Belgian fruit beer. By the time I finished, I was ready to plan a trip to Brussels!
Lobkowicz Palace Cafe
I enjoyed lunch at the Lobkowicz Palace Cafe on two separate occasions, once to take advantage of the 10% discount coupon that came with my museum ticket and again because the food was delicious. Of the dishes I tried, the chicken schnitzel was the standout, the meat light and juicy thanks to a crisp panko crust. Schnitzel originates in Austria and is perhaps a nod to the Lobkowiczs’ ties to the Hapsburg monarchy. Meals can be enjoyed on the terrace overlooking the Palace Gardens Below Prague Castle or in the brightly lit cafe. It should also be noted that the Lobkowiczs brew their own beer.
Kolkovna Olympia
When I started planning my trip to Prague, I reached out on Twitter for restaurant recommendations. Several people responded that I simply had to visit Kolkovna Olympia for some excellent Czech food, specifically heaping platters of meat. I’d had my fill of massive pork legs and roasted ducks by this time, though, so I decided to try the “forest robber’s delicacy.” This turned out to be a delightful foil packet filled with tender pieces of roast pork (there’s no escaping it), onions, carrots, potatoes, thyme, and lots of buttery sheep’s cheese. Potato pancakes and a Czech pilsner rounded out the meal. It was good, though not as memorable as the foil packet of yak meat, chilies, and cilantro I enjoyed in Shangri-la, China.
Creperie U Kajetana
Just about every morning, I walked past this creperie on my way to explore Prague’s wealth of attractions, so of course I had to stop in for a bite. While I was initially most excited by the idea of crepes for breakfast, the trdelnik turned out to be the star. These traditional pastries are rolled and roasted on a spit until golden brown and crisp on the outside, while still soft on the inside. Dusted with cinnamon and sugar, they are as delicious as they are fun to eat!
The Golden Pear (now closed)
The Golden Pear (U Zlate Hrusky) is tucked into a quiet corner of the Hradcany neighborhood and reminded me of a cross between a classic American steakhouse and a French bistro. The dishes were expertly prepared and elegantly presented, and worth every cent.
My appetizer of baked goat cheese with marinated beets, arugula and pine nuts was the most vibrant dish of the night, though the creamy pear soup with cinnamon gnocchi was the most inventive. Several menu items featured the restaurant’s namesake pear, including the mouthwatering strudel I had for dessert. As for the main courses, the duck breast with port wine reduction was succulent and well-paired with an earthy barley risotto and roasted mushrooms, while the venison leg with bready Karlsbad dumplings and marinated cranberries was reminiscent of an American Thanksgiving feast. I left stuffed and more favorably inclined towards the national cuisine.
Are there any Czech specialties or Prague restaurants you recommend?
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The photos of Prague are beautiful and everything looks so clean
and neat. The city looks great with really nice views from the hillsides.
I would like to try some of those deserts as they looked pretty good.
Thanks Dad! Prague is remarkably clean considering how many tourists it gets. I think you would have enjoyed that warm pear strudel 🙂
Quite frankly they all sound good to me. I’ll be heading to Prague next weekend. I’ll have to see if we have time to fit one of these in. Timely.
If you have time for only one, make it the Golden Pear! I’ll be interested to hear if you discover any other treats while you’re there. Enjoy!
That baked goat cheese and beet salad is right up my alley, and I love that you can order crepes for breakfast everywhere! And I totally understand being underwhelmed by a country’s cuisine…quite honestly, we were not all that blown away by the dishes in Southeast Asia (and we really did try! everything from local street food to the higher end places!)…it was ok, just nothing we would rave about.
We’re just not going to fall in love with every cuisine we try, and that’s okay. We all have different palates and like different things. That’s what makes life interesting! What I find amazing is that the European countries are so close geographically, and yet so different culturally. Hungary has some of the best food we’ve tried and it couldn’t be more different from its Czech cousin!
The Golden Pear sounds amazing, and I *want* those chocolate truffles! 🙂
The chocolate truffles were a very nice surprise 🙂
I remember my meals in Prague being very heavy in general, and pork being pretty much inescapable: even the McDonald’s in the Czech Republic had a special sandwich called the “McCountry” which featured a pork patty instead of beef! I do love pork, but it did get to be a bit much and, yes, the food can be quite stodgy at times. I didn’t have extremely high expectations going into the Czech Republic and I have to say as my first exposure to “eastern European” cuisine, I think it was better than I would have thought. I’d certainly be up for trying other countries’ cuisines, if you think Czech food is some of the most uninspiring!
Also, I love that final photo of you with the pastry! Adorable! (And awesome manicure!)
I’m glad I’m not the only one who found the Czech food stodgy. I love pork, too, but in smaller doses. We much preferred the vibrant Hungarian cuisine and the more refined dishes of Austria. Even the Baltic cuisine is more interesting thanks to Scandinavian influences. We’re going to Tallinn and Helsinki soon and I can’t wait to delve even deeper into the local specialties.
And gel polish is my new favorite indulgence – it lasts a month so it’s actually quite a bargain!
Nothing can beat trdelnik, seriously! Best sweet treat ever! Love the last picture!! <3
Thanks Agness 🙂 <3
I kind of hit a travel wall when I got to Prague and because I had my own little apartment, I ate most dinners at home with some good, comforting spag bol! That said, I really liked being able to dine in some really nice palace-y type places, but kind of on a splurge… sigh.
I wish we’d splurged a little more in Prague. Some of the meals I didn’t mention here were incredibly disappointing! I’m still having nightmares about one dried-out duck confit…
LOL. First world problems…
If the food in Prague is only so-so, I can’t wait to try everything else on the European continent … just outstanding!
We really developed a taste for Hungarian cuisine and its liberal use of paprika. The flavors are so complex and unlike any we’ve tasted elsewhere. And I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the food in the Baltic countries, thanks to its unique blend of Nordic, Russian and German influences. Happy eating!
Czech food definitely has a reputation for stodgy but there are a few places that are working on changing that. The Lokal chain of pubs are reliable and inexpensive. They place a huge emphasis on the quality of ingredients and are aiming for a “grandma’s cooking” style. There’s one on Dlouha street, just off Old Town Square and another in Mala Strana, a short walk from Charles Bridge. 3 tram stops from the center, one of my favorite places in the whole city is Krystal Bistro. International dished and some reimagined Czech classics. The sous vide beef neck svickova and the duck confit with dumplings are perfect examples of updated Czech recipes.
If only I could have chatted with you before our trip! I will definitely be filing this away for my next visit to Prague – that you for the tips!!
The trdelnÃk is originally a Hungarian (Szekler, more precisely) pastry, from Transylvania. Just FYI. 🙂
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trdeln%C3%ADk
But it’s not a big surprise you found it in Prague, too, during the Austro-Hungarian Empire the 3 countries’ kitchens affected each other.
Thanks for the information, Gabor! I somehow made two trips to Budapest and missed this unique treat. But I’ll now be on the lookout when I’m next exploring the region!