Comfort food at heart
Czech cuisine is built for cold winters and long days. Think slow-cooked meats, rich gravies and bread dumplings sliced like a loaf and used to mop up every last drop. It is not a light cuisine, but done well it is deeply satisfying, and a new generation of cooks is refreshing the classics with better ingredients and lighter touches.
A good way to eat is to follow the lunch menu. Many restaurants offer a daily lunch deal, often including soup and a main course, which is great value and gives you a taste of what locals actually eat on a weekday.
The classics
Svíčková is the dish many Czechs call their favourite: tender marinated beef in a creamy root vegetable sauce, served with dumplings, a spoonful of cranberries and a swirl of whipped cream. It sounds unusual and tastes wonderful.
Other staples include goulash, which here is thicker and less fiery than its Hungarian cousin, roast pork with sauerkraut and dumplings, and roast duck, often served on special occasions. Soups are a serious matter too. Look for garlic soup, a soothing broth with croutons, and kulajda, a creamy dill and mushroom soup with a poached egg.
Snacks and street food
Chlebíčky, small open sandwiches topped with ham, egg, potato salad and pickles, are a beloved snack and look almost too neat to eat. Specialist delis make them fresh throughout the day. Fried cheese in a bun is another guilty pleasure, popular late at night.
You will also see trdelník everywhere in the centre, a spit-roasted sweet pastry often filled with ice cream. It is fun, but it is more of a modern tourist favourite than a deep-rooted Czech tradition, so do not mistake it for the real local sweets.
Sweet things and cafés
For genuine Czech baking, look for koláče, round pastries filled with poppy seed, plum jam or sweet curd cheese, and buchty, soft yeasted buns. Fruit dumplings, made with plums or apricots and topped with butter, sugar and curd, are a summer treat.
Prague also has a grand café culture, with high ceilings, chandeliers and waiters in waistcoats. An afternoon coffee and slice of cake in one of these rooms is one of the city's affordable luxuries.
Where to eat well
Traditional Czech restaurants range from smoky pubs to smart, modern bistros that reinterpret old recipes with local, seasonal produce. Market halls and farmers' markets, such as those held by the river on weekends, are good places to taste regional cheeses, sausages and pastries. Wherever you go, check the menu prices before you sit down near the main sights, and do not be shy about asking staff for their favourite dish.
Good to know
- Look for a daily lunch menu, often chalked up outside, for the best value meals.
- Bread on the table may be charged per piece, so ask if unsure.
- Vegetarians should try fried cheese or potato pancakes, both widely available.