Czech Traditional Pubs

Category: Restaurants

Prague has a number of traditional old alehouses in which visitors can sample traditional Czech beers. The most famous is U Zlatého tygra, not far from Old Town Square is place where Czech president Václav Havel took Bill Clinton for a drink here in 1994. Another classic local pub is U Černého vola (just up from the castle), it’s one of the best pubs in Prague.

You have probably already heard that Czechs brew some of the world’s best beers. So where better to enjoy these pale, golden lagers and rarer dark varieties than in a traditional Czech pub? And once you choose from the recommended places listed below and order your first pint and start drinking, don’t be surprised that your glass is replenished even without asking. That’s part of the Czech tradition. Another tradition is sharing a table – it’s not unusual if someone asks you if they can share a table with you, and of course you are expected say yes.

U Zlatého Tygra (The Golden Tiger)

This is quite an old drinking hall with cool beer prices, just 30 CZK for 0.5l for the frothy Pilsner Urquell lager. When Bill Clinton visited the Czech Republic Vaclav Havel showed him this pub – to see a real Czech Pub. The average beer tourist may find it hard to get a seat in this popular locals’ hangout, so make sure you get there early as seats fill up quickly. Have a pint while standing at the bar if all the seats are reserved for regulars. This is one of the world’s greatest beer bars, so treat it and its regular patrons with appreciation.

Location: Husova 17, Old Town; Open: from 3-11pm.

Pivnice U Černého Vola

This is an authentic and very nice beer hall. Local clientele and local prices.

Location: Loretanské náměstí 1 (take tram 22 or 23); Open: daily 10am-10pm.

Hostinec U Kocoura

This long-established pub is located on the tourist route at Nerudova. It is very famous with cheap beer and is often crowded.

Location: Nerudova 2, Lesser Town; Open: daily 11am-11pm.

Pivovarský Dům

This is a small and the best microbrewery in Prague and is occupied mostly by locals. The restaurant’s extensive beer list boasts some fairly unorthodox flavours such as coffee and champagne. Czech lager at just 28 CZK for 0.5l is great value. It is a really nice place to have a few pints.

Location: corner of Ječná and Lipová street; Open: daily 11am-11pm.

U Vystřeleného Oka (The Shot Out Eye)

It is a pleasant pub with a beer garden and serves cheap food and beer. This pub pulls in all sorts of people from backpackers to local writers.

Location: U Božích Bojovniků 3, Žižkov; Open: Mon-Sat from 4.30pm-1am.

U Fleků

It is a pub and microbrewery in Prague. The front facade of the 12th-century building has an old, highly decorated clock above its door. U Fleku is more expensive than other places, but you are drinking special dark beer brewed on the premises of the oldest Czech brewery in Prague while enjoying live music and chatting with tourists from all over the world.

Location: Křemencova 11, New Town.

U Pinkasů

The first Prague pub to serve Pilsner Urquell (back in 1843), it is still recommended for a great and reasonable Czech meals. The interior is very simple, but the back patio is a surprising enclave surrounded by ruins and divided into distinct open-air rooms; it welcomes boisterous groups (you may hear impromptu singing) or those seeking a more romantic place.

Location: Jungmannovo náměstí 16, New Town; Open: daily 11am-11pm.

U Medvídků

Some bars in Prague have veered towards the tourist currency; U Medvídků has retained its traditional charm and is still very much a favourite with Czech locals. This is a straightforward Czech pub and easily large enough to accommodate everyone.

Location: Na Perštýně 7, Old Town.

Pub Customs

There are a number of different customs that have evolved over the years when it comes to pubs and beer halls and they are still observed today. Perhaps the best known is that when a man and woman enter the building, the male should always enter first, so that he can protect the woman should there be a brawl going on inside (although this is now a rare occurrence indeed).

Other customs include the placing of a beer mat in front of you to indicate that you would like to order, raising a glass to your neighbor and looking them in the eye before drinking and – perhaps most importantly – never complaining about a glass of beer having too much head, as this is simply the way that it is drunk in the country.

Pilsner Urquell

The most famous drink to come out of the Czech Republic is undoubtedly Pilsner beer, which has been made in the town of Plzen since 1842. As well as its fantastic taste, it is well loved for its color and clarity, which have both been refined over the years. The first beer made in Plzen was actually of poor quality, but this all changed when the Pilsner brewery was opened in 1842. The brewery was a coming together of all of 12 different breweries in the region and thus had a lot of experience to call upon. As the popularity of this beer spread, many different countries started breweries to imitate the taste, however there is still only one original Pilsner beer, and that is the beer produced in the town of Plzen.