29 Best Restaurants in Czech Republic

One of the best of Prague's traditional turn-of-the-century-style grand cafés, the Savoy is popular day and night for its brunches, coffees, Czech classics, and pastries. In particular, try the větrník, a Czech classic made of choux pastry with cream and caramel. It's far more authentic than the touristy trdelník (a type of rolled, spit cake) available everywhere, although if you need that sugar hit to get up the hill to the castle, no judgment. It's also an opulent but still traditional spot for a beer in the evening—or heck, go all out and get some sekt (Czech sparkling wine). 

Literally translated as "A Coffee Shop Looking for a Name," this achingly hip café-cum-gallery serves great coffee, tempting cocktails, and excellent food—including top-notch breakfasts and brunches until midday on weekdays and 3 pm on weekends. The gallery space showcases work by local artists and hosts pop-up events.

Near the Hradčanská Metro station, this restaurant is a hit with families, and it's easy to see why. The menu covers comfort-food classics—like excellent burgers and some of the city's best pizza—an easy sell for kids, but parents in the mood for something more refined can order entrées like duck risotto. Plus, 500 has a surprisingly good wine list, including decent vintages available by the glass (still a rarity in Prague). The daily luncheon specials are popular and reasonably priced. The final winning touch? In summer, an expansive terrace opens into one of the city's most exclusive neighborhoods.

The home-baked sourdough bread, the huge selection of delicious pastries, and the lovingly brewed coffee make this café-bakery a local favorite. It's so popular that there are now two other branches in Prague, including a second one in Smíchov (at Štefánikova 31).

This sweet little café with tiled mosaic floors, globe lights, and mint-green decor provides an inviting spot for a light lunch. It's similar to the nearby Bakeshop Praha, but with a certain Gallic flair. Like its neighbor, it too has a few seats, although it also boasts a garden in the back, where you can enjoy a salade niçoise or a tomato-and-mozzarella sandwich.

A pleasantly airy American-style bakery and café counter, Bakeshop Praha sells familiar U.S. favorites, from avocado BLTs to entire pumpkin pies. Though it gets crowded during peak lunch hours, there is indoor seating, and the space, with penny-tiled floors and ceiling moldings, has a retro charm. But the takeaway sandwiches, bagels, giant cookies, and good coffee make it easy to grab and go.

For a quick lunch on the go, walk smugly past the greasy international chains and come here for tasty fresh sandwiches, salads, and barista-brewed coffees.

While Prague isn't famous for its Mexican food, Burrito Loco is a notable exception: fresh, spicy takeout burritos and nachos, at affordable prices, right by Old Town Square. There are a few branches around the city.

Wooden paneling and floral upholstery in the Café Mahler recall the taste of the 1880s, when Gustav Mahler briefly lived around the corner while working as a conductor at the theater on the other side of Horní náměstí. It's a good spot for ice cream, cake, light meals, coffee, or simply for sitting back and taking in the lovely view. Service can be abrupt, though.

Indulge in good, freshly made cakes or an ice-cream cone at Cukrárna u Matěje, a little café and pastry shop at Na baště 2, on the street leading past the château to a small lake.

On one of the town's main shopping streets is this resolutely old-fashioned, sophisticated coffeehouse, connected to Hotel Elefant. The apple strudel and coffee are quite good, and the outdoor terrace is a prime location for people-watching.

An upmarket restaurant with a casual carefree vibe, Eska has been a big hit since opening its doors in 2016. The restaurant is located within a converted fabric factory, and it maintains the original industrial aesthetic through bare brick walls and exposed pipework, while also adding modern touches like Scandi-style furniture and a gleaming open kitchen. The food is also a blend of the old and new, utilizing age-old Czech techniques of fermenting, pickling, and marinating to create modern, minimalist dishes. Many of the dishes are sumptuous—in particular, seek out the to-die-for beef tartare—and even those that don't quite hit the same heights are still fun and innovative. What's more, every dining experience begins with crusty sourdough bread, baked in the downstairs bakery and served with salty, lovage-infused butter. Breakfast and lunch are available à la carte, while dinner is a choice between the five-course "chef's choice" tasting menu (985 Kč) and your own choice of two courses (685 Kč): either way, it's far better value than an equivalent restaurant in the Old Town. 

 Don't have time for a full meal? Pop into the downstairs bakery for a loaf of the delicious sourdough to go.

On the site of a historic Smíchov theater but now a paean to industrial-chic design, this hip restaurant and bar combines eye-catching decor with an excellent menu of modern Czech and international cuisine. Regular main dishes are available, but order instead from the extensive tapas menu, where highlights include duck parfait with cognac, beet hummus with whipped goat's cheese, and crispy pork belly in hoisin sauce. Seek out the mixed media wall hangings by Canadian-born, Prague-based artist David Strauzz; more is revealed by looking at them through a phone camera. The prices are surprisingly reasonable and the service is incredibly friendly and helpful—traits that aren't always a given in these parts. Connected to Fortel is Backdoors cocktail bar, a good option for those looking to extend their evening.

This cozy little café, which is tucked away on one of the city's prettiest backstreets, is a great stop for coffee and cake. It's only open from mid-morning to early evening (and not at all on Mondays), so you'll need to time it right.

A tiny bakery with a big reputation, this place allows you to take your pick from dozens of different focaccias, as well as delicious arancini (small balls of rice stuffed with a savory filling), fresh ciabattas, crispy Italian biscuits, and various pastries and cakes.

If you're visiting Lobkowicz Palace (or even if you aren't), save time for a coffee, pastry, or even lunch at this lovely little café. The menu is full of tasty treats, from Czech classics like goulash and schnitzel to simple fare like soups, salads, and grilled cheese sandwiches. There are also some great desserts; try the Bohemian apple strudel. The prices are a little high for what you get, but it's worth it for the lovely terrace views over Malá Strana.

Sometimes, only a beer and a burger will do, and until recently, that would have been a difficult ask in this historic part of town. Enter Loki Burgers, with quality patties and a relaxed atmosphere, at the Petřín park end of town rather than up the hill by the castle.

This little bakery was set up by a Danish chef in 1999, which means predictably good Danish pastries and brilliant breads, including the house special, rye bread with sunflower seeds.

For travelers sick of heavy dumplings, rich fare, and dimly lit cellar pubs, Mistral is an oasis: light, bright, and modern, with a short international menu featuring fresh salads, soups, and pastas, with some Czech specials thrown in. Service is always friendly and somehow the place never seems to be too busy, despite its central location. There are fresh flowers on the tables every day and a kids' corner designed by the owners' daughter.

Butcher shops are serious business in the Czech Republic and many have barely changed for generations, at least in terms of offerings. This newly updated version, with friendlier service and a handy lunch counter, stocks dozens of sausage varieties, classic smoked meats, and delicate fillets of pork and beef. All are available to take away or to be cooked for you on the spot. Situated on a colorful street full of bars and boutiques, the shop makes for a handy refueling stop that offers an authentic taste of Bohemian tradition. It now offers a quirky dinner with the butchers Monday–Wednesday, too. On a table that's lowered down from the ceiling—it's stored there in the day to save space in this tiny shop—are served a host of meaty Czech specialties with a side of storytelling thrown in. The only negative? It gets absolutely packed.

Although billing itself primarily as a microbrewery and beer bar, this lovely cellar restaurant also serves the city's best burgers. Choose your beer (there are usually eight options on tap: a mix of home brews and beers from other Czech breweries), then dive into the extensive burger menu, including delicious vegetarian and vegan options.

At the edge of Jarni Park, near Sladkova, is this aptly-named café serving a small array of house-made baked goods like chocolate tart and carrot cake. There's also soft-serve ice cream, juice, coffee and tea, and lunch options that change every couple of days—sub sandwiches on whole grain rolls, small salads, and quiche. This is a lovely place to relax with a book or your computer (they have free Wi-Fi) while the kids play in the sandbox.

Cold beer, hot pizza, and a location right on Peace Square sounds pretty idyllic, but Pizza XXL ups the ante by serving ice cream, too. Next to the Regional Museum/Old Town Hall and with a good view of the square, it has 31 pies, with meat and vegetarian options roughly in balance. Old favorites like the margherita, the mushroom, and the four cheese make appearances, and so too does a delightful white ricotta pie and a couple with prosciutto and pancetta.

If you're too tired to leave your hotel, Pizza XXL delivers.

Craft beer and cake is a great refueling combination in this cute, family-run café in a historic building (check out the mini-exhibition on the way in).

After climbing to Spielberg Castle and touring several museums, you can relax at Stopkova pivnice with a cold beer; if you're hungry, try the house guláš. Now part of the Kolkovna chain, there has been a pub on this site since the late 19th century. Its name comes from Jaroslav Stopka, who took over the existing pub in 1910.

Famed for its soft and squishy cinnamon rolls (some of the best in town), this takeout spot also serves perfect pulled-pork sandwiches and lip-smacking vegan wraps.

Usually when a restaurant has the name "Schweik" in it—from the novel Good Soldier Schweik—it means one thing: tourist trap. But this local Schweik incarnation is a cut above its brethren. If you're looking for a simple, decent Czech pub, with good local cooking and excellent beer, you've found it.

It is always standing room only, as this pub has no chairs—just high tables. This keeps the line at the tap moving. The idea of a standing pub—the name means “taphouse at the stand”—goes back a century, when stopping in for a quick snack and a friendly chat with neighbors was the thing to do. The rotating list of beers from microbreweries to complement a menu of marinated ribs, pork knee, sausages, and chicken skewers will also keep you on your toes.

Order a “šnyt,” which is a glass of foam that eventually settles into a small beer.