A Praguer through and through, playwright Vaclav Havel was one of the driving forces of Charter 77, the group of dissidents who sought to bring about the end of the repressive regime and ultimately succeeded in November 1989 in what was dubbed the Velvet Revolution.

You can walk in the footsteps of this national hero and see Prague as he did.

Home sweet home

During his dissident years, when not imprisoned for his unharmonious views, Havel called the top floor of Gorazdova 19 home (map marker A). Located next to the Dancing Building.

The local

Just next door is the pub & restaurant Na Rybarne (map marker B), where he took celebrities such as Mick Jagger and Bill Clinton.

Nosy neighbours

In the background of that picture you’ll notice a tower (map marker C). It was from here that the StB, the Communist Secret Police, would observe Havel’s comings and goings.

School Days

Havel studied at the Theatre faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts (map marker D) – why not take in a show by the school’s current students at the nearby DISK Theatre.

Cafe society

Head north along the river and you’ll soon pass the National Theatre and opposite it, on Narodni street, you’ll see Café Slavia (map marker E), with its plate glass windows overlooking the river. The coffee’s not up to much (see our post about Prague cafés for some suggestions) but you can’t go wrong with a beer.

To the Castle and Back

Havel’s memoirs, titled To the Castle and Back, tell it all in more detail but by all accounts he was reluctant to put himself forward but there was a groundswell of opinion and he relented. As The Economist puts it:

Havel confounded those who thought he was too dilettantish to be a proper president. He rollerskated through the corridors of Prague castle, exorcising the ghosts of the communist usurpers with his humanity and humour.

You can’t rollerskate there yourself but you can take a tour (map marker F).

Showing famous friends a good time

Havel was pretty well connected, pals with rockstars and world leaders from the Dalai Lama and Bill Clinton to Lou Reed and the Rolling Stones. Drop by  Reduta Jazz Club (map marker G) in the evening to catch a performance and see where Clinton played his sax for Havel.

Havel’s apartment image credit: Furman University Education Department

Vaclav Havel image credit: Wikipedia Commons

As the crow flies, the two capitals are 280km apart and you can travel the distance a number of ways:

Plane

There are regular direct flights between Prague and Berlin operated twice daily by Czech Airlines (CSA), all other airlines (German Wings and Lufthansa) require a change somewhere else in Germany. As the only airline operating the route directly CSA are somewhat pricey (even out of peak season, expect to pay at least $450). If you’re travelling in a group, this gets expensive fast, with no discounts for multiple passengers! Flights with changes are cheaper but take at least an hour longer. The flight time is one hour, though you’ll need to factor in the time to get to and from the airports at either end, as well as getting to the airport at least an hour before check-in. Total journey time is close to four hours for a direct flight.

Train

For city-centre to city-centre convenience the train is hard to beat, though if you’ve got lots of luggage, you’ll need to factor in the hassle of getting to and from the train station. Trains start at Berlin’s Hauptbahnhof and arrive at Prague’s Hlavni Nadrazi (main station). Journey time isn’t much worse than taking a plane, all told, at 5 minutes short of 5 hours, and you get to stretch out and watch the scenery. You can buy tickets online or we can take care of buying them for you. Buying in advance is usually cheaper than buying on the day.

Automobile (rental)

You could hire a car and drive yourself, though dropping a rental off in another country usually incurs a fairly hefty fee. If you’re round-tripping and returning the car where you picked it up, you avoid this charge but pay attention to mileage allowances as driving across Europe can eat those up, unless it’s unlimited. Fuel is also a lot more expensive than you might be used to if you’re visiting from the US ($7 a gallon!). Don’t forget to add in the cost of parking too.

Door-to-door Transfer

Alternatively we can arrange a private transfer service, with an appropriately sized car or minivan, between the two cities. You get the convenience of door-to-door service as well as save money when you’re in a group. As well as being hassle free we can also give you the option of a stop en route in Dresden, a beautiful city in South East Germany, for a bonus bit of sightseeing. On a good run the journey time is around 4 hours.

And back again?

Getting to Berlin from Prague is exactly the same in reverse. Whichever direction or mode you want to travel, we can include it as part of a tailored JayWay Travel tour package.

We’ve broken this article down into Restaurants, Clubs and Bars, with a little advice at the end on where to go if you plan on partying in the streets.

Restaurants

Hard Rock Cafe
From 871Kc to 2000Kc depending on when and how long you have a table reservation for. See the New Year in, Hard Rock style, close to the action on Old Town Square.

Kampa Group
The high-end restaurant group Kampa is as usual putting on some up-scale party menus at their three restaurants in Mala Strana. Top-end Kampa Park, situated almost under Charles Bridge, has a Black Tie party with live music, a DJ and a disco after midnight and a fine dining menu for between 4,500kc and 5,500kc. The more approachable Hergetova Cihelna’s Black & White party with either a sit-down menu or a buffet of tasty treats, both at 3,900Kc, with the same kind of entertainment line-up. Cihelna’s location, with a terrace right on the river, should be excellent for watching the midnight fireworks.

Cowboys, on the hill up to the castle, with a rooftop terrace to watch the fireworks from, gives you a similar choice of sit-down or buffet style menu, for 3,500Kc or 3,600Kc respectively. Cowboys entertainment offering differs in that there’s no live music but there is a magician.

Ambiente Group
Many of Ambiente’s places are sticking with their standard a la carte menu or offering a new years menu but not having a specific party event, so if you want good food at regular prices and don’t plan on staying all night (say if you want to go outside for the fireworks, then home) this is a good option. Only Brasileiro on U Radnice is putting on a special party event. Tickets will set you back 2495kc each and gets you the normal all-you-can-eat salad, sushi and meat buffer, a caipirinha, live music from the Tam-Tam orchestra, samba school and midnight champagne.

La Casa Argentina
Argentinian steak house La Casa has a couple of fixed price menus to choose from (at 1,890Kc and 2350Kc). Whichever one you go for you’ll have Latin-American rhythms to dance the night away to and fireworks at midnight.

La Bodeguita Del Medio
A Havana style NYE party awaits at this Cuban joint close to Old Town Square and even closer to the Rudolfinum. Here your options are an 800Kc Tapas-at-bar-tables menu, a couple of 4-course menus at 1,680Kc or 1,900Kc, or a vegetarian menu at 1,680Kc.

Hilton Prague
If you really want to push the boat out for New Years then head to the Hilton. The hotel’s restaurants and the cocktail bar on the 9th floor have New Years parties scheduled. A choice of venues and menus: from 4,400kc for the Atrium Gala Dinner to 7,900Kc for the Starlit SkyBar Gala Dinner in Cloud 9 cocktail bar. All of the options include drinks, with the more expensive options (6,400Kc plus) including unlimited champagne. If you want the Hilton party experience on the (relative) cheap then their Musicology After Party, with tickets for 1,790Kc, gets you into the atrium or Cloud 9 from 11pm and includes a bottle of Taittinger.

Celeste
With one of the best views of the Prague-by-night, from atop the Dancing House (also called the Fred & Ginger Building), Celeste have an exclusive and exquisite meni on offer for 3900Kc per person (drinks extra).

La Gare
This French brasserie  a short walk from Namesti Republiky is seeing in the New Year, Moulin Rouge style. The fixed price menu at 1590Kc gets you five courses and can-can dancers.

Clubbing it

Sasazu
This Prague super-club offers a choice of regular and VIP tickets for their NYE Party, Ride On Time, which features a heavyweight DJ lineup who will take you on a musical ride through the years, from the 1920s and into the future. Advance tickets start at 550Kc for the first 400, after which 990kc, then 1390kc on the door. A limited number of VIP tickets are 2800Kc in advance after which it’ll set you back 4,000Kc. VIP entry gets you access to the gallery level and an unlimited open bar.

Industrial Palace
The main hall of the Industrial Palace, usually an exhibition/trade show venue, will be transformed into one big party. A star-studded DJ line-up and their mission of providing a kick-ass party to people tired of paying through the nose just because it’s New Years should add up to a good night for all. Tickets from 899Kc (it was as low as 399Kc for people so together as to have booked before the 15th of September).

Lucerna
It’s always the 80s (and 90s) in Lucerna and NYE is no different. Tickets are 450Kc in advance at the club box office with no booking fee, or can be bought from ticket websites, where booking fee is payable. Situated just off Wenceslas Square this would be a good venue for anyone planning to see the fireworks there at midnight.

Karlovy Lazne
The ‘Biggest Music Club in Central Europe’ always puts on a big bash for New Years. No details confirmed at the time of writing but expect 5 floors of differing musical styles and a whole load of locals and tourists in the 18-25 age range.

Theatro Music Club
A stone’s throw from the edge of Prague 1, this music club in the basement of the Karlin Musical Theatre is putting on a beach party. The price is pretty low at 300Kc including a welcome drink and nibbles, as well as free shots served by ‘sexy gogo dancing waitresses’ (no prizes for political correctness at this party it seems).

Retro Music Hall
This year Retro’s theme for their New Years Eve Party is Comic Books. The DJs will be dressed like characters from comics and you can join in to – go as Spiderman or Cat Woman if you like! Costumes aren’t obligatory however and their policy on presales is this: party starts at 9, presold tickets (250Kc) get you in before 11, then it’s general admission (300Kc) – last year lots of people with tickets didn’t turn up till 2am, leaving loads of people queueing up outside in the cold, due to the venue’s limited capacity. On that basis it could be a good option for a last minute party spot. Retro is located very close to Namesti Miru metro station and tram stops, just outside the very centre.

Bars

Cloud 9
As mentioned in the restaurants section, this cocktail bar atop the Hilton is either very expensive if you go for the whole evening or somewhat more reasonable (1,790Kc, including a bottle of champagne) if you get there after 11.

Bugsy’s Bar
This Old Town favourite is holding a French Countryside themed NYE party with cocktails, champagne, traditional French drinks and food. Tickets are available at the bar.

Papa’s Bar/Lounge
Party in the style of 60s Rock’n'Roll from 8pm to 7am and choose from an open bar (1,999Kc) or open bar with a 3 course menu (2,899Kc). On Bethlehem Square, a short walk from Old Town Square.

Staying Outdoors

Keeping costs down or just prefer to enjoy New Year’s Eve outdoors? Prague’s streets are generally safe, but beware of the usual hazards such as pickpockets in crowds as well as the unforeseen dangers of crazy people packing their own bangers and fireworks. Charles Bridge, Wenceslas Square and Old Town Square are the top locations. My favourite less-crowded but very central vantage point to watch the various private and DIY fireworks displays you’ll see is in front of the Rudolfinum concert hall, right by the river. Other popular viewpoints are Vitkov Hill in Zizkov, by the Czech National Monument and statue of George of Podebrady or Riegrovy Sady in Vinohrady.

More parties will be added as details are announced. If you represent an establishment in Prague and would like your NYE Party listed here, please leave us a comment.

Fireworks Display

In many previous years (up until 2009) the City of Prague has put on a fireworks display around dusk on the 1st of January. Last year there was no display, citing lack of funds. This year the city has decided to have a display, but at midnight. So if you’re able to get a decent view (the fireworks are being set off from a pontoon between Strelecky Ostrov and Charles Bridge) then you’re in for a treat as 1.5m CZK of explosives will be set off over 15 minutes. The city recommends Smetanovo Nabrezi (Smetana Embankment), Most Legii (Legionaires Bridge), Manesuv Most (Manes Bridge) and Cechuv Most (Cech Bridge) as offering the best viewing locations. If you’ve stumped up the cash for dinner at Celeste, then you’ve got a prime position. The display will also be broadcast on TV nationwide. For further info, read Google Translate’s attempt at the article on the Prague City website.

Related posts:

1. New Years Eve in Prague 2010-2011
2. Halloween Parties in Prague
3. New Years in Prague

What to expect

In all the markets you can expect to find stalls or huts selling souvenirs, gifts and Christmas decorations, running the gamut from hand-made pieces down to commercially produced imported tchotchkes. Pay attention to where items are produced if you’re looking for something authentic for the folks back home.

Refreshments come in the form of warm alcohol – mulled wine (svařák) and honey wine or mead (medovina). Savoury eats include sausage and smoked hams while the sweet-toothed will enjoy pancakes (palačinky) and Czech gingerbread (perník).

Old Town Square

The market opens on the 26th of November and runs till the 1st of January. All the stalls are open from 9am to 7pm weekdays and to 8pm on weekends. Stalls serving food and drink can be open till midnight. By far Prague’s largest Christmas market, there’s also a stage where folk music and dancing performance take place. This year’s tree will be 29 meters tall and is gifted to Prague by the town of Malé Kyšice.

Wenceslas Square

The pedestrian area at the bottom of Wenceslas Square is where you’ll find another small Christmas market from November 26th to January 8th.

Namesti Republiky

In front of the Celnice building there will be a small market with the usual array of stalls. The market will run from November 25th to December 24th. There’s a

Out of the centre

Prague 2 and 3 aren’t left out of the action, Náměstí Míru (Prague 2)’s market starts earlier than most, on the the 20th of November and runs to the 24th of December. Náměstí Jiřího z Poděbrad in Prague 3 usually also has a market too.

What to watch out for

As with anywhere there are large crowds and lots of tourists, be aware of your valuables. Check your change at stalls, and make sure you understand in your own currency how much you’re paying for anything you buy. One more thing – if you’re visiting one of these markets just a few days before Christmas, don’t be alarmed by the large tubs full of icy water and live carp. That’s the traditional Czech christmas dinner. People can choose to take the fish home dead or alive, where it will likely be kept in the bathtub till it’s time to prepare it.

Where to stay?

Most of our selection of apartments and hotels in Prague are in or very close to the center but if you want Old Town Square right on your doorstep, the Old Town Flats apartments or either of the Old Town Residence or Tyn Church hotels are the best choices.

Related posts:

1. Prague Christmas Markets
2. French Market 14th-17th July in Prague

With the sun coming up on a glorious, if slightly bracing October Saturday morning, we bundled into the rented car and headed West, to Plzeň (Pilsen in German).

Getting there

By road the journey takes between 80 and 90 minutes. We went by car because I’d rented one for the whole weekend but I’d recommend travelling by train or coach instead. Trains are every 2 hours from Prague’s main station and take around an hour and three quarters. Coaches from Florenc international coach station take roughly the same time.

A little history

If you’ve ever drunk a Pilsner style beer, you’ll have already tasted the town’s greatest legacy. They’ve been making beer here for centuries but the famous Plzensky Prazdroj brewery, formed with the coming-together of most of the town’s independent brewers and now a flagship of SAB Miller’s global empire, turned out its first batch in 1842.

Plzen is particularly fond of Americans too. The city celebrates its Liberation Day two days before the rest of the Czech Republic. It was liberated by General Patton’s army on May 6th 1945. Since 1990 an annual Liberation Festival http://www.liberationfestival.com/ takes place, with re-enactments, memorial services and events honouring veterans.

Bird’s Eye Plzeň

The Gothic St Bartholomew’s Cathedral in the main square, Namesti Republiky, has the highest church tower in the country, at 102m/335ft. For a small fee, the nimble and sure of foot can climb the increasingly narrow staircases to the top and enjoy a view over the whole region. A large area of the city os taken up by the Skoda Engineering Works (not the car company), where the hub of London’s Millenium Eye was cast.

European Capital of Culture 2015

Announced last year as the European Capital of Culture 2015 http://www.plzen2015.net/ alongside Mons in Belgium, you can expect fervent activity in the area of visual and performing arts. To commemorate this, impressive golden fountains have been installed on the corners of Namesti Republiky.

The Brewery Museum

If you want to know more about the origins of brewing in the city then the Brewery Museum is an essential stop. One of the neatest things in the museum is a working miniature steam brewery, capable of producing thirty litres of beer in one batch.

Plzeň Underground

Years ago asked an old security guard at the brewery for directions to the Plzen Underground. He spoke excellent English and recognised that I was from London so he explained to me in great detail that Plzen does not have a subway system. The Plzen Underground refers to a network of tunnels, cellars and wells under the centre of the city that connected houses, formed a part of the city’s defences and provided temperature controlled storage for food throughout the year. There is one tour a day in English, at 1pm but you can join any of the 5 other tours a day and rent an audio guide. Having missed the English tour, this is what we did and the audio guide was more detailed than the human one, so you definitely don’t miss anything by doing this.

The Pilsner Urquell Brewery

In all honesty this is why you’re in Plzeň isn’t it? The tour takes you around the brewery, where you’ll see Europe’s most advanced canning and bottling plant (occasionally this is closed for cleaning so if you’re unlucky you won’t get to see it fully operational), the historical brewhouse (not used for production since 2004), get a look at the new brewhouse and experience the “sensory exhibit” where you can taste and smell the raw ingredients. The tour ends with a visit to the catacomb-like cellars beneath the brewery where small batches of beer produced in the old way are fermented in oak barrels, unpasteurised and unfiltered, specially for tour visitors (over 18!). If you happen to able to visit on the last weekend in August, that’s usually when the Pilsner Fest takes place, starting on Friday afternoon and carrying on to Saturday evening.

The Gambrinus Brewery

The younger (since 1869) Gambrinus brewery is next door, also owned by SAB Miller. If you’ve not seen enough brewery for one day then you could join once of the less frequent Czech language only tours of the home of the country’s most popular beer (which is rarely exported).

Where to eat?

Plzeň’s dining options have expanded a fair bit since I first went there a decade ago but it’s a good town to enjoy some traditional Czech grub. Na Spilce, the large (550 seat) beer cellar/restaurant at the brewery serves Czech classic with aplomb, washed down with a Pilsner Urquell, of course!

Getting back to Prague

Trains and buses are fast and frequent. If you’ve been enjoying the products of the city’s breweries then driving’s out of the question as the Czech Republic has a zero tolerance approach to drink driving.

Related posts:

1. Get out of town: A trip to Karlovy Vary
2. Thinking Small with Czech Beers

October

Morcheeba 7 October 2011 @ Kulturní Centrum Vltavská, Praha 7

November

Elvis Costello 4 November 2011 @ Kongresové centrum Praha, Praha 4

Kosheen 8 November 2011 @ Sasazu

George Michael, Symphonica: The Orchestral Tour 14 November 2011 @ O2 arena

Lenny Kravitz 15 November 2011 @ O2 arena

Erasure 15 November 2011 @ Mala Sportovni Hala, Incheba Arena, Prague 7

December

Rihanna, The Loud Tour 7 December 2011 @ O2 arena

José Carreras, Christmas concert 10 December 2011 @ O2 arena

If you’re headed to the city for one of these gigs and you need a place to stay, we have a great selection of hotels and apartments in Prague, and plenty of excursions and day trips for you to choose from, for the rest of your time here.

Related posts:

1. Prague Concert Lineup for Fall 2010
2. Prague Spring Festival 2011
3. Upcoming concerts in Prague for spring & early summer 2011

If you happen to be in Prague, you’re in luck – all you need to do is pop down to the new Prague Candy Store.

The creation of 22 year old Czech entrepreneur, the very likeable Marek Čermák, The Candy Store came about when he became frustrated trying to buy his favourite American treats that his father used to bring back from business trips to the US when he was a kid. There have been and still are other places that sell American candies in the city but annoyed by the seeming random availability and excessive prices as well as having to travel across the city only to find the object of his desire sold out, Marek took a straw-poll amongst his Facebook friends to gauge interest in a shop dedicated to American candy.

With the full product list available for online ordering on the website, The Candy Store is already a step ahead. The retail store, almost a candy boutique, opened on Monday 12th September and is located a short walk from I.P. Pavlova Metro Station and within a few minutes walk from the city centre.

Word about the store is spreading fast, with more than two hundred Facebook fans already. Marek’s biggest surprise so far has been the percentage of Czech customers to expats. He had expected fewer Czechs to drop by for a candy bar but so far he estimates 70% of his customers are in fact Czechs who have spent time in the US.

What about Whatchamacallits?

Yep, they’ve got those too. Marek’s keeping a list of all the other things people ask for though and hopes to keep his customers happy by adding to the range with subsequent shipments.

More than candy

It’s not all candy bars, the store carries breakfast cereals too – classics like Lucky Charms and Fruit Loops, with more varieties to come. A fridge full of soft drinks such as Mountain Dew can help slake your thirst or be tempted by the display case full of locally produced American-style cupcakes, cheesecake, brownies and carrot cake.

Some English favourites too

In a nod to the city’s British expat population there are a few items of UK provenance too – Curly Wurly’s, Walker’s Crisps and Maltesers are all on the shelves.

El Festival 23 & 24 September

The grounds of the Obcanska Plovarna restaurant and music club complex, on the left bank of the Vltava, between Manesuv and Cechuv bridges, will be buzzing on the 23rd and 24th of September as 7 of Prague’s top Spanish and Latin American restaurants serve up signature dishes and distributors of regional beers and spirits offer tastings of their brands.

Tuck into classic Spanish tapas and paella, discover Peruvian cuisine, enjoy Argentinian steaks or try classic Mexican dishes. Five renowned chefs from Spain, in Prague for the first time, will cook a variety of Spanish delicacies. Visitors will be able to try wines from South America, coffee from Ecuador and rum from the Caribbean.

Besides the eating and drinking the organisers promise cooking lessons and entertainment in the form of dancing shows and live music.

If you’re going to be in the city on these days, then it’s worth building up an appetite for a trip to El Festival, perhaps on a walking tour of Prague. Entry is just 95Kc in advance and remaining tickets will be sold on the door for 120Kc.

Semanas Gastronomicas 25 September to 5 October

If you miss out on the two days of Festival Gastronomico you can still enjoy the flavours of Spain and Latin America with special tasting menus on offer at several restaurants throughout the city. More details on the Alakarte site.

Related posts:

1. Prague Food Festival, 27th to 29th May
2. Prague Spring Festival 2011
3. Dubrovnik Summer Festival is underway

The group buying phenomenon hit Prague, as it did many cities, in 2010. Since then there have been literally hundreds of startups jostling for market share. Prague doesn’t have a Groupon or Living Social (yet) and most of the sites are available only in Czech. There are three that stand out as being in English (making a purchase a touch easier to complete!)

Slevomat – the biggest of the Czech Republic’s group buying sites, covering many cities throughout the country and usually offering 3 or 4 deals a day in Prague.

MyDeals – second fiddle to Slevomat in popularity. The main site template is available in English but some offers aren’t always translated.

Lime & Tonic – much more English-language capable, this is more along the lines of Gilt – higher ticket deals for fancier places than the other two.

If you’re buying a deal to use when you are on vacation in Prague here are a few things to bear in mind:

1. Pay close attention to the start and expiry dates of the deal’s validity.
2. Check any exclusions or exceptions such as hours or days when you can’t use a deal.
3. Be sure to follow the instructions for booking ahead.

For bonus karma points

When using a deal at a place where you are expected to tip, as a courtesy to the staff, tip relative to the full value of the deal, not just the price you paid (assuming the service merits a tip!)

Operators of group buying sites tell merchants that one of the reasons to run a deal is to get new customers who may come back at full price, which obviously isn’t going to happen if you’re on vacation. To make up for this write a review on TripAdvisor, AllPraha.com, Expats.cz, Prague.tv or the establishment’s Google Places page.

Related posts:

1. Prague Fringe
2. Looking for advice on where to eat in Prague?

Goulash, bread dumplings and potato pancakes

An introduction to Czech food

Prague’s status as a cosmopolitan capital city means that there’s plenty of variety when it comes to cuisines (and we’ll tell you about some of our favourite places in an upcoming blog post) but it would be a shame to visit Prague and not try any classic Czech dishes. Here’s our guide to some things you’ll find on the menu at most restaurants specialising in local food.

What to expect

Czech food is probably best summed up as ‘hearty’. There’s no prize-winning artistry amongst these dishes, and they’re best on a cold day and a hungry stomach, and washed down with a half-liter of beer.

Soups

Most Czechs start their meal with a soup. Cesnecka (garlic soup) is tastier than it sounds and very popular (though not with your fellow travellers if they didn’t partake too), onion soup, potato soup, chicken broth and beef broth also usually make an appearance in the soup section of the menu.

Knedliky

Many dishes are served with a side of dumplings. These aren’t quite like what you might be used to from your own cuisine or Chinese dumplings. There are two basic types, bread dumplings and potato dumplings. Bread dumplings are usually light and fluffy, potato dumplings are quite heavy by comparison. There are variants on the theme such as spekove knedliky contain small bits of bacon and fat and are quite a bit richer.

Bramboračky

These potato (and usually onion and garlic) pancakes are close cousins of latkes.

Svickova na smetane

Literally translated it means ‘tenderloin on cream’. It’s usually made with somewhat tougher beef than tenderloin however (unless you’re paying in excess of 250Kc for the dish, don’t expect fillet beef). You may see it translated on menus as ‘beef in candle-sauce’. The sauce is not, fortunately, made from candles, but a mixture of pureed vegetables and sour cream. Usually served with bread dumplings and a dollop of cranberry sauce.

Guláš

Goulash is traditionally a hungarian dish and there are lots of variations on offer. Goulash soup is a thinner, less meaty version, very similar to what you’d get in Hungary. As a main course, goulash tends to be thicker. The meat in a gulas is usually beef, but you may also find ‘Segedinsky Gulas’ which contains pork and cabbage, or venison goulash.

Pečená kachna

Roast duck, served with pickled cabbage and dumplings is a grander dish than the first two. Often you’ll get a half duck to deal with. The meat is usually still on the bone. Great with a cold beer to cut through the fattiness of the duck.

Vepřo-knedlo-zelo

Roast pork, dumplings and cabbage, this dish is so commonplace its name has been abbreviated to make ordering it quicker.

Smazeny Syr

Fried cheese isn’t just the preserve of mozzarella sticks you know! Vegetarian sections of Czech menus will often feature this option. In some places the cheese is just Eidam, a local take on Edam but if you’re lucky you’ll find a place with a variety of cheeses including hermelin (somewhat like camembert) or Niva, a blue cheese. The cheese is battered and bread-crumbed then fried. Definitely not for the health-conscious and quite the guilty pleasure. Often served with fries and a big spoonful of tartare sauce.

Vepřové/Kuřeci Řizek

Pork or chicken schnitzels are a cultural leftover of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The meat is usually hammered thin, battered and breadcrumbed then fried. Some places will serve it with fries, others will accompany it with a potato salad – take that option if offered. Tartare sauce is a frequent addition.

Looking for something fancier?

These are very much the basics of Czech cuisine and you will probably have spotted a distinct lack of vegetables. There is a movement that is gathering steam amongst restaurants here to rediscover some of the more adventurous recipes of Czech cuisine from the half century before Communism (and particularly the First Republic era of President Masaryk) and update them with modern flair and it is worth seeking those places out.

Where to go?

For the Czech Classics, we’re fans of Kolkovna, near Old Town Square, or either branch of Ambiente’s take on the Czech pub, Lokal, but you’ll find most of the dishes listed above on menus all around the city. If you’re looking to experience some of the First Republic spirit or some modern Czech cuisine, then Malostranska Beseda, on Malostranske Namesti, Krystal Bistro, a couple of tram stops out of the centre from Florenc, or Perpetuum which specialises in duck dishes, almost to the point of a fixation!

image credit: Kolkovna Restaurant Group

Related posts:

1. Prague Food Festival, 27th to 29th May
2. New Czech Smoking Laws, 4 months on
3. Thinking Small with Czech Beers