After a day exploring the Czech capital, relax in one of the city’s best restaurants where you’ll find big flavours, local produce and often very reasonable prices.
Over the last couple of decades, Prague’s food scene has undergone a transformation, with an array of inventive, elegant restaurants springing up around its historic centre, as well as creating a buzz in its leafy neighbourhoods. Which is just as well, as after a day spent revelling in Prague’s many picture-postcard sights, you’ll no doubt be craving a top-notch meal.
So, whether you are looking for creative Czech cooking, bold Asian flavours or fine dining accompanied by sweeping views, here’s our pick of the must-try restaurants in Prague.
For an adventurous take on 19th-century Czech recipes, book a table at this Michelin-starred restaurant at the heart of Prague’s Old Town. Sourcing the best seasonal local ingredients is taken seriously here (including enlisting professional foragers), as is serving up good-looking, tasty dishes from the open kitchen.
For lunch, there’s a three-course tasting menu. Meanwhile, for dinner, you’ll be treated to five set courses, which you can choose to pair with European wines (including some excellent hard-to-source Czech varieties) or non-alcoholic drinks crafted from fruit, vegetables, herbs and nuts. And although the interior is stylish, the friendly service gives an easy-going feel.
Prague’s other Michelin star belongs to Field, which – as the name suggests – is dedicated to farm-to-fork dining and showcasing high-quality produce. Come to sample modern Czech cooking in casual Scandi-inspired surrounds, where locally caught trout may be coupled with gooseberry and caviar or veal served with artisan cheese and morel mushrooms, all depending on the season.
Dinner consists of six- and ten-course tasting menus, with judicially selected wine or non-alcoholic pairings. There are also shorter lunch sets, with the weekday two-course menu providing a very affordable way to enjoy the impeccable service and food.
When London chef Paul Day opened a modern Asian restaurant in central Prague in 2011 - with a focus on high-welfare meat, punchy flavours and paired-back minimalist design - it seemed revolutionary. Twelve years on, Sansho is part of the city’s fabric and an essential stop for any keen foodie.
The a-la-carte lunch menu runs until 3pm and offers up moreish plates of crab-meat sliders with wasabi mayo, melt-in-the-mouth pork belly from heritage Czech Prestik pigs, as well as deer rendang, served with green mango salad and warm roti. Come the evening, you’ll find a selection of tasting menus made from ethically sourced ingredients, with options for meat-eaters to vegans. Wash it down with a locally brewed IPA.
The cosy decor and open kitchen lend Divinis a welcoming homely ambience. But make no mistake; you’ll need to book ahead for the chance to dine on delicious northern Italian cuisine while seated alongside local celebrities and the occasional visiting Hollywood A-lister.
Headed up by Czech television chef Zdeněk Pohlreich, the kitchen serves classic, well-presented dishes, including agnolotti loaded with crab, as well as braised veal cheeks with marsala. There’s also a decent wine selection from Italian growers. Just leave room for the tiramisu.
You’ll find the tourist crowds thin as you follow the pretty cobbled lanes that wind through Malá Strana over the Devil’s Canal and onto grassy Kampa. Here you’ll discover Kampa Park, a modern international restaurant nestled in the most scenic spot in town.
On warm days, enjoy the signature dish of poached halibut with potato-mustard purée, truffle pearls, pancetta bacon and vegetable foam from the vantage point of the terrace, soaking in views over the Vltava to the ancient arches of Charles Bridge. On cooler nights, request a seat by one of the large windows within the smart dining room, and treat yourself to the five-course degustation menu paired with wine. It’s easy to see why Czech president Václav Havel chose to entertain Bill Clinton here.
Following four years working in some of England’s top kitchens and then a stint as head chef at the acclaimed Alcron Restaurant in central Prague, Pavel Býček decided to strike out alone and open The Eatery in the hip district of Holešovice.
The chance to sit by the open kitchen and eyeball the adept chefs at work is worth the short tram ride from town alone. That said, it’s the exquisite plates of seasonal Czech food that steal the show. Try the koprovka, a traditional creamy dill sauce with grenaille potato, topped with a perfectly poached egg. Or opt for braised pork cheeks with baked cabbage and chorizo. You’ll also find a small but excellent selection of Bohemian and Moravian wines.
The hilly neighbourhood of Vinohrady was once home to tumbling vineyards, and it's still the place to go for a tipple with its pretty wine bars and minimalist microbreweries. Among the throng, you’ll find this upmarket gastropub, which prides itself on making everything – from compotes to brandies – in-house from locally sourced ingredients.
The menu revolves around flavoursome Czech classics presented with panache, which can be washed down with a glass of Dalešické pivo beer. This is the place to come to sample traditional meat-filled potato dumplings. Afterwards, nibble on a sweet větrník – a light choux pastry filled with caramel and vanilla cream.
Headed up by chef Marek Janouch, Kuchyň’s hearty Czech fare tempts even locals to negotiate the crowds and visit the scenic Castle district. Choose from the three-course menu to enjoy the restaurant’s savoury highlights, including pork neck with potato salad, cranberries and pickled cucumbers. Yet, it’s also worth saving space for the sweet dumplings served with helpings of poppy seeds, sugar and butter.
Inside, you can sit amid gleaming copper pots and pretty aquamarine tiles. Although, the prize tables are out on the terrace, where you can sip a local lager or sparkling elderflower cocktail while admiring a panorama of city spires.
