If you’re wondering about Czech traditional food, expect a hearty cuisine defined by generous portions of meat, rich sauces, and endless variations of potatoes.
The Heart of Czech Cuisine: Meat, Sauces, and Potatoes
In a traditional Czech meal you’ll find that a side dish will be floating in a sauce—this is how they like to serve the main meal! And you’ll eat potatoes in so many different ways: traditional mashed potatoes (bramborová kaše), boiled potatoes (vařený brambor), potato dumplings (bramborové knedlíky), potato bread (bramborový chleba), and much more.
One more food locals absolutely love is anything fried in oil. They adore frying potatoes and call them Hranolky (French fries). You can order them as an addition or instead of a side dish. Restaurants also often offer Americké brambory (American potatoes). These are boiled potatoes with the skin still on, cut into pieces, seasoned with spices, and then fried in high-temperature oil. Another very popular dish is Kuřecí/Krůtí Řízek. It’s a piece of chicken or turkey breast covered with flour and eggs, and then fried in oil.
Decoding the Traditional Czech Menu
In my opinion, traditional Czech food is a blend of various Slavic and Central European cultures. This makes it interesting and sometimes unfamiliar to tourists from the EU and other parts of the world. When visiting restaurants, you might have difficulty understanding the names of dishes and knowing exactly what to order. I’ll help you better understand the meaning of the menu sections and the kinds of meals they include.
Menu Types in a Restaurace/Hospoda (Restaurant/Pub)
There isn’t a single “usual” format for a restaurant menu; every one is unique and includes various sections and meals. I will explain the most common parts and dishes.
Menus typically fall into two main types:
- A la Carte (Combinable Parts): The menu is broken down into sections for meat, fish, side dishes, salads, etc., allowing you to choose any combination you like.
- Traditional Dishes (Fixed Platter): A list of set meals where the meat, side dish, and sauce are served together on one plate (e.g., Svíčková).
Menu Vocabulary and Translations
Most restaurants in the center of Prague will offer a menu with both Czech and English versions. Another common practice is listing the dish name in Czech with the English translation or ingredients description underneath. However, outside of the city center, this is not always the case.
The table below outlines the common menu sections and what you can expect to find in them versions of menu – in Czech and English. Also common menu type – under the dishes names or ingredients put English version.
| Czech Name | English Translation | Expected Content & Typical Dishes |
|---|---|---|
| Předkrmy | Starters / Appetizers | This section covers cold or hot appetizers. Expect items like Topinky (fried garlic bread, often served with cheese), Sýrový talíř (cheese platter), or Šunková rolka (ham roll with horseradish cream). |
| Polévky | Soups | Soups are a crucial part of the Czech meal, often served first, especially at lunchtime. Look for Česnečka (garlic soup), Hovězí bujón (clear beef broth with noodles or liver dumplings), or thick, hearty Bramboračka (potato soup). |
| Hotová Jídla | Ready-Made Dishes | These are typically stews and braised meats (Czech traditional food) that have been prepared in advance and are served quickly. This is where you’ll find classic, traditional Czech dishes like Guláš (goulash) and Svíčková na smetaně (braised beef tenderloin in a cream sauce). |
| Minutky (or Jídla na objednávku) | A-la-carte / Cooked to Order | Meals that are cooked fresh after ordering, requiring a longer wait. This includes fried and grilled items, like Řízek (schnitzel—pork, chicken, or veal) or various steaks and poultry breasts. |
| Drůbež | Poultry | Dishes featuring chicken, duck, or goose. Common entries include Pečená kachna (roast duck) or Kuřecí řízek (chicken schnitzel). |
| Ryby | Fish | Typically features freshwater fish like Kapr (carp) or Pstruh (trout), often served grilled or fried. |
| Bezmasá Jídla | Meatless Dishes | The vegetarian section (often limited). The absolute staple here is Smažený sýr (fried cheese) served with tartar sauce, but you might also find smažené žampiony (fried mushrooms) or pasta. |
| Přílohy | Side Dishes | This section is vital, as main courses often do not include a side dish by default. You must order separately. Includes Knedlíky (dumplings—both bread and potato), Hranolky (fries), Rýže (rice), and Vařené brambory (boiled potatoes). |
| Saláty | Salads | Salads are often simple, such as Rajčatový salát (sliced tomato salad) or Okurkový salát (cucumber salad). A Šopský salát (Shopska salad, with Balkan cheese) is also very popular. |
| Moučníky (or Dezerty) | Desserts | The sweet conclusion. Expect classics like Jablečný závin (apple strudel), Palacinky (Czech crepes/pancakes, usually filled with jam or fruit and cream), or Zmrzlina (ice cream). |
| Nápoje | Drinks | Includes both alcoholic (Pivo—beer) and non-alcoholic drinks (Voda—water, Káva—coffee). |
Soups (Polévka) are Part of Czech Traditional Food
Of course, Czech Traditional Food include soups. The Czech word for soup is polévka. There are a few most common types:
- Broth – Vývar: A pork or beef broth boiled with vegetables. In a rich broth, you will find small pieces of vegetables (meat is almost never served in this dish). Chicken broth is often served with small pieces of potato “pasta” called galušky, which are boiled right in the broth.
- Cream Soup – Krémová polévka: Vegetable soups that are blended and served in a small plate. The most popular are dýňová polévka (pumpkin soup), houbova (mushroom soup), bramborova (potatoes soup) and rajčatová polévka (tomato soup).
- Gulášová polévka is one more item of Czech Traditional Food. In touristic places, they serve it in a bread bowl. The trick is that they take out the internal soft part of a real loaf of bread, leaving only the side with a cut top as a cover. And, in this “pan,” they put the soup. This is an interesting serving trick, but you need to eat the soup fast, because this “pan” absorbs the liquid very quickly.
Sure, there are many more soups in Czech traditional food, but they are more specialized. Example? Polevka with liver (I don’t like it but you can try), Zabijačková, Hrachová, etc.
Předkrmy (Appetizers/Starters)
Before you dive into a heavy main course, check out the Předkrmy (Starters) section of the menu. These dishes are perfect for sharing or just getting a taste of pure Czech flavor. They are often served with a basket of fresh bread (the kind they now bake for foreigners!).
Some of the most popular and essential starters to try are:
- Utopenci (Pickled Sausage): Literally translated as “drowned men,” these are pickled sausages, usually thick-cut frankfurters, marinated in a sweet and sour mixture with onions, peppers, and spices. They are cold, tangy, and go perfectly with beer.
- Nakládaný Hermelín (Pickled Hermelín Cheese): This is a Czech soft cheese (similar to Camembert) that is marinated in oil, garlic, and hot peppers. It is served cold and has a strong, pungent flavor. A must-try for cheese lovers!
- Tlačenka s cibulí (Head Cheese with Onion): This is a traditional meat product (a terrine or coarse loaf made from various cuts of pork) served sliced, often topped with raw onion, vinegar, and pepper. It’s very authentic and beloved by locals.
- Pivní sýr (Beer Cheese): A soft, strong-smelling cheese that is usually mixed with chopped onions, mustard, and spices at the table, then spread on bread. As the name suggests, it’s designed to be eaten with beer!
Main Dishes in Czech Traditional Food
- Combinable Dishes: These sections often divide Meat/Fish (Maso/Ryby) and Side Dishes. So, you can combine them as you wish. In the meat section, řízky (schnitzel), international steaks, and goulash (guláš) are quite popular. For fish, it’s almost always fried or grilled salmon, capr or trout. For side dishes, you can find mashed potatoes (bramborová kaše), boiled rice (rýže), fried potatoes (hranolky), boiled potatoes (vařený brambor), and sometimes grilled vegetables.
- Traditional Fixed Meals: However, the most famous Czech traditional meals are usually listed as single, complete dishes where the side is included. For example, Svíčková (beef sirloin in cream sauce) always comes with dumplings (knedlíky); Španělský ptáček (Spanish Bird) is traditionally served with rice; and Knedlo-vepřo-zelo (Pork, Dumplings, and Cabbage) is always served with its namesake sides. These meals are already a set unit and should be ordered as a whole.
Salads aren’t as popular, but they have appeared on many menus in recent years. What locals like to add to their meal is sour cabbage (sauerkraut). This is a “must-have” part of Czech traditional food for all. It can be white or red. Another vegetable, cucumber (okurka) and tomatoes (rajčata), are served sliced.
About behaving at restaurants read here.
Your Guide to Czech Beer and Drinks
Drinks are served first, and most locals order a beer. Beer is, arguably, the main part of Czech Traditional Food. I think all restaurants in Czechia have beer in tanks and pull it into special glasses. A small beer – malé pivo – is 0.3 liters, and a big beer – velké pivo – is 0.4 or 0.5 liters.
What kind of beer should you order? Which brand? Hm…All Czech beers are good. They really care about its quality and try to do the best. So, if you haven’t tried a Czech beer yet, there’s only one way: to try different ones and create your own preferences! To start, order any light 10-degree or 12-degree beer. In Czech, these would sound like Desítka (10) and Dvanáctka (12). These numbers indicate the original gravity, which affects the strength and taste. Desítka is the softest one; Dvanáctka is the best balanced. What about beer brands? Trying one brand and another, you can define what is better for you.
What about dark beer? It has a stronger taste and is often quite bitter. But I did try one dark beer (from a small bowery) that was soft and sweet, so again, try and you will find your best Czech beer.
And, for sure, the beverage list will also include juices, tea, and coffee.
Czech Classics: Must-Try Traditional Meals
Even if you don’t want to eat in tourist places, you should try these unique meals you can only find in the Czech Republic:
- Svíčková: Creamy sauce with slow-cooked beef, bread dumplings, and cranberries. It’s a national favorite.
- Guláš: A rich, thick beef stew, usually served with hearty bread or potato dumplings. Great for a cold day!
- Vepřo knedlo zelo: Roasted pork, sauerkraut (cabbage), and dumplings. A very traditional and filling meal.
- Španělský ptáček (Spanish Bird): Don’t let the name fool you—this is a hearty Czech dish! It is a delicious beef roll filled with bacon, hard-boiled egg, pickled cucumber, and sausage, all slow-cooked and served in a rich brown gravy, typically with rice or dumplings.
- Trhaný Ptáček (Pulled Bird): This is a modern, simpler take on the classic Španělský ptáček. Instead of rolling the beef, the meat and all the traditional ingredients (bacon, egg, pickle) are cooked together in the gravy until the beef is so tender it falls apart, resulting in a comforting, rich “pulled beef” stew.
- Sekaná. It’s minced meat (mostly pork, but it could be mixed with beef) with spices, baked in the oven. Slices of sekaná could be a part of a sandwich (sekaná v housce – one of the popular dishes for a quick bite) or served with side dishes and pickled cucumbers.
Sweet Endings: Must-Try Desserts
- Trdelník: A sweet, hollow pastry rolled in sugar and cinnamon, sometimes filled with ice cream or chocolate. Perfect street food!
- Warning! Stands selling Trdelník across the city center are aimed at tourists, and the prices are for tourists, too. If you want to have an idea of what it is – buy it.
- Palačinky: Thin, sweet crepes, often filled with jam, fruit, whipped cream or chocolate spread.
Beyond the Basics: Adventurous Czech Traditional Food
- Tatarák: Not cooked, marinated minced meat. This dish is made with a special cut of beef, some spices, salt, and formed as a steak. A fresh yelk of egg is placed in the middle. It’s served with garlic toast.
- Vepřové koleno (Pork Knee): It’s a boiled knee (with skin and this is more than 1 kg) that is then baked in the oven. It’s served with horseradish, mustard, and other sauces.
- Smažený sýr (Fried Cheese): Special types of cheese created for frying. Blocks of cheese are put in crushed breadcrumbs and then fried in oil or in a pan.
What is a Czech Traditional Food for Foreigners?
If you ask foreigners living in the Czech Republic if they like the local food, you will mostly hear something like, “After so many years, already yes, I’ve gotten used to it.” A lot of them find dishes they like, mix them with international cuisines, and are happy with this.
For example, I know quite a lot of people living here, but no one has told me they really like dumplings (knedlíky). Yes, this is a specialty and a very popular one, but you probably need to have eaten it since childhood to really like it. Sometimes I order dishes with dumplings, but I cannot say they are delicious.
They are perfect for soaking up the sauce (as there is always a lot of sauce in any main course). This is a fact. But you can use bread for this too. Also a fact: In authentic local cuisine, bread did not traditionally exist. They started to produce it for foreigners. In a traditional restaurace or hospoda, you will not find bread on the menu. So, I think dumplings are a local variation of bread. Try them and form your own opinion on whether they are good or not.
