Finding a great place to eat doesn’t have to be hard! You’ll see many different types of restaurants all around the city. Your task is simply to choose the one that suits you. In all the time I’ve been living in Prague, I’ve never had completely bad food. Service can be better or worse, but the quality of the food is usually decent. You can easily find good food in Prague by following these quick tips:
How to Find Place to Eat Using Online Resources
You could find where to eat by yourself. All what you need mobile or laptop and the Internet.
- Read Google Reviews: Take a quick look at the ratings. Anything 4.0 stars and above is usually a safe bet. Read a few recent reviews to get a feel for the current experience, and check the menu and prices (if they have a website).
- Check Opening Hours: Not all places are open all day. Always double-check the times online or posted on the door.
Based on these steps, make a list of a few places you might like to eat at. It’s best if they aren’t too far from each other, just in case!
The Walk-Up Check of Restaurants from Your List
Now it’s time to visit the restaurants on your list. Their menus are often displayed near the entrance. If the prices are shown, you can immediately see whether it’s too expensive or just right. If the prices match your expectations, you can walk in!
Warning! If there are no prices on the menu, the best decision is to leave the place. This is the first sign of unfair pricing.
The first thing I do when I visit a new restaurant is smell the air. If I notice an old, stale oil smell, I won’t eat there. The next thing I check is the cleanliness of the place.
Types of Places to Eat You Can Try
You have many choices for a meal in Prague!
Traditional Restaurants (Hospoda or Restaurace)
These are the best spots for classic dishes like Goulash and Svíčková. The atmosphere is often cozy and traditional—a must-try experience.
Modern Bistros & Quick Eats
These places offer quick, fresh, and often modern versions of classic recipes, making them great for lunch or a lighter bite:
- Salateria or UGO: Popular for a “quick eat.” They serve different vegetables, and you select what you want and pay by weight (grams).
- Delmart Bistro: These spots function as both a shop and a bistro. They offer fresh salads (where you can often build your own), sandwiches, hot lunches, and pre-packaged meals for a fast and healthy option.
- Country Life: They run self-service, pay-by-weight vegan/vegetarian buffets. It’s incredibly fast, and you can pick exactly how much of a dish you want. They have a few convenient locations in the center.
Cafés & Bakeries: Good Food in Prague
Another great way to find food in Prague for a fast lunch is to visit cafés and bakeries. They’re perfect for a quick coffee, breakfast, or a sweet treat like koláče (traditional pastries). They also offer sandwiches and other simple meals for lunch.
- Paul: A large international French bakery chain with many locations across Prague. It’s a reliable place for quick, classic French goods like baguettes and croissants, and they also offer sandwiches for a fast lunch. It’s a very safe and consistent choice.
- Ovocný Světozor (The Fruit Worldview): A famous Czech cukrárna (patisserie) chain with over a dozen locations in Prague. This is the place for traditional Czech cakes, fruit desserts, and ice cream (soft serve is very popular here). Crucially, they are also known for their wide selection of chlebíčky (open-faced sandwiches) and salads, which are great for a fast, light, and traditional Czech savory bite.
- Antonínovo Pekařství (Antonín’s Bakery): A popular, traditional Czech bakery chain. They bake everything fresh on-site in each branch. They offer classic Czech bread, rolls, sweet pastries (koláče and buchty), and simple cold snacks (chlebíčky).
- Artic Bakehouse: An artisan bakery chain famous for its excellent sourdough bread, baguettes, and wonderful pastries like croissants.
- Zrno Zrnko: A successful artisan bakery focusing on high-quality, handmade bread, sandwiches, quiches, and delicious Czech pastries. A great blend of traditional and modern quality.
- Cukrárna Hájek & Hájková (Hájek & Hájková Patisserie): A traditional Czech patisserie chain offering a huge selection of cakes and desserts. They also make excellent savory items like chlebíčky (open-faced sandwiches), making it a great stop for both a sweet treat and a fast lunch.
Street Food in Prague & Markets as Options
Look for seasonal markets. This is where you’ll find treats like Trdelník or Hot-Dog local named párky v rohliky. This is one of “must try food in Prague”. Actually, Trdelnik is a sweet pasta formed as a role, filled with fruits, wisped cream or/and ice-cream.
I know pizza isn’t a traditional Czech meal, but locals like it very much. When walking through the Old or New Town, you will see more pizzerias than traditional restaurace. I can’t say Prague pizza is the absolute best, but it’s certainly not the worst! And, if you are hungry, you can even grab a quick slice right in the metro. Pizza-selling points are situated in many metro stations, and for about €1.30, you can buy a large piece of it.
Other Convenient Spots
In a shopping mall, you will find a food court area. Here are the most popular food chains, like McDonald’s, Sushi, some Czech cuisine, and Chinese or Korean food. The meal isn’t “restaurant” level, but it’s quite good and cheap.
You can also find inexpensive and quick food in Prague in the restaurants of large hypermarkets like Globus, IKEA, XXXLutz, and others. Many locals from nearby offices and schools eat in these places. These are self-service restaurants: you take a tray, tell the staff which dishes you want, and then go to the cashier. This kind of food in Prague is among the cheapest you can get.
For a cheap and quick meal, you can go to Bageterie Boulevard, where the main dishes are baguettes with various fillings. Locals really like this place (not my favorite — too much bread), and they even have a TV show where participants create their own baguettes, with the winning recipes sold in the chain. The menu also includes soups, salads, and wraps, so you can always find something to eat. The service is fast — it’s like a Czech version of McDonald’s. There are many locations in shopping malls and on streets all around Prague.
One more cheap and fast option is a Doner Kebab spot. They offer not just the kebab sandwich, but also meals served on plates or in boxes. This is one of my favorites “quick eat” solutions when I’m in the city and don’t want to go to a full restaurant.
Dietary Needs and Allergies: Finding Safe Food in Prague
Navigating Prague with allergies or specific diets is much easier than you might think!
- Gluten and Dairy: Since traditional food relies heavily on dumplings and cream sauces, it can be tricky. But luckily, modern bistros and major chains usually have excellent gluten-free (Bez Lepku) and dairy-free options. I find the modern cafés and salad bars I mentioned are the safest and fastest places if you have complex restrictions.
- Vegetarian/Vegan: You’re in luck! Prague is very modern when it comes to plant-based diets. The self-service pay-by-weight buffets, like Country Life, are the best invention for fast, affordable vegetarian eating.
My Personal Recommendations
I am not a gourmet or a restaurant reviewer, but I can share places where I genuinely like to eat in Prague:
- Národní Pivovar: This traditional Czech Restaurace is located near the National Theatre. They serve good beer and very good meat dishes. The last time I visited this place with friends—six people of different ages (from 20 to 56) and from different countries—everyone ordered different meals, and we all agreed that the food was excellent.
- Gemoeby: This is a Georgian restaurant with its own distinct way of making food. If you want to try something other than Czech cuisine, try this place.
- Restaurace U Libuše: It’s situated near the tram stop Vytoň. This is a place where Czechs cook dishes for Czechs. The usual customers are locals living nearby, people working in the “Ministry of Labor,” or from the school across the street. If you want to try real Czech dishes, this is the one to try.
- Steak Bar EL PABLO. This is a small place near Malostranská metro station. The name sounds Spanish, but it’s owned by a Czech chef who also prepares the meals — and he’s really good at it. Most guests are people working nearby. The place specializes in steaks and other meat dishes, offers craft beer, good wine, and cocktails. They also serve one of the best tatarák you can find in Prague.
I don’t always go to restaurants. As I mentioned before, if I’m in a hurry or not in the mood for restaurant food in Prague, I usually grab a Doner Kebab.
Useful Tips for Eating Locally
Keep these simple tips in mind for a smooth dining experience.
| Tip Category | Advice |
| Ordering Tips | Do not be afraid to point at the menu. Also, remember that a beer is often cheaper than bottled water! |
| Payment Options | Most places accept card, but it is always good to have some cash for small cafés or market stalls. |
| Reservation Advice | For popular restaurants, especially for dinner on a weekend, it’s best to call ahead and book a table. |
More about Czech Restaurant Etiquette read here.
Typical Price Range for Restaurants Food in Prague (Refreshed for 2025)
These estimates are for a single person’s meal, excluding a large amount of alcohol.
| Category | Cost in Czech Koruna (CZK) | Cost in US Dollars ($) | What You Get |
| Budget / Quick Lunch | 150 – 280 CZK | $7 – $12 USD | Street food (Trdelník, Sausage), a quick soup, a large slice of pizza, or a fast-eat salad/sandwich from a bistro chain. |
| Mid-Range / Dinner | 350 – 700 CZK | $15 – $35 USD | A main course (e.g., Goulash, Řízek) and one drink (beer or soft drink) at a traditional or well-rated local restaurant. |
| Fine Dining / High-End | 1200 CZK + | $50 USD + | A three-course meal or a main course with wine at a high-end restaurant in the city center. |
