The 17 best restaurants in Prague

Recipes based on a nineteenth-century Czech cookbook but refined to impress any of today’s gourmands – that’s what La Degustation Bohême Bourgeoise has achieved, so it’s no wonder the folk at Michelin have come a-lauding (and awarding). The chef changes the menu daily, so come here ready to just relax and let the artfully prepared small plates arrive at your table.

Price: High-end

Another of Prague's Michelin stars belongs to Field, which attempts to source locally while creating an exciting, Scandinavian-inspired menu. Two different degustation menus are available (along with special lunchtime menus), and both give you choices like kohlrabi and quark or various fish creations you’ll be hard-pressed to find elsewhere in landlocked Czechia. In addition to wine pairings with the taster menu, Field also features non-alcoholic drink pairings – mostly vegetable juices.

Price: Mid-range/high-end

The painted starry sky, meat-free menu and peaceful vibe of Lehká Hlava (meaning ‘clear head’) has kept Prague’s vegetarian community smiling for more than a decade. As vegan and vegetarianism continue to grow in popularity among younger generations, reservations have become more and more essential at this small neighbourhood favourite near the riverside of the Old Town. A glossary of meat alternatives at the back of the menu helps to clarify the latest additions to staple ingredients like tofu, tempeh and quinoa. 

Price: Mid-range

Treat your taste buds to a wide selection of meats, freshly butchered and cooked to your tastes (which you specify on a hand-written order form). Seats fill up fast in this elegant former bank building, so you might need to eat on your feet at a long communal standing table in the lobby. If you’re up for an adventurous, waste-no-part-of-the-animal approach, reserve a spot for dinner with the butcher every Monday through Wednesday.

Price: Bargain

At first glance, the medieval decoration at U Modré kachničky – think armour, lush maroon velvet, lots of mahogany – might strike you as kitsch. But once you’re treated to the welcoming service and creative dégustation menus filled with duck and wild game, it all becomes more endearing. Pairing each course with wine will teach you a thing or two about Czech vino. Make sure you save room for dessert.

Price: Mid-range/high-end

For a multi-sensory gastronomic experience, you can’t beat the perennial favourite Terasa U Zlaté Studně. This small, elegant restaurant in the Golden Well Hotel, just below Prague Castle, serves a selection of Czech and European classics. It also comes with a view like no other. Come here on a warm evening, indulge in the tasting menu, enjoy a bottle of wine or two, and watch the sunset over the city.

Price: High-end

Many of Prague’s best restaurants focus on meats and butchery, but for moreish carby treats, an array of killer Czech bakeries can also deliver. An aroma of fresh-baked bread tempts passers-by into Eska’s warehouse space decorated in light, Scandinavian-inspired design in the Karlín area. Chlebičky (open sandwiches) and speciality coffee make for an ideal snack, but the seasonal tasting menu using farmers’ market finds is a feast worth booking for.

Price: Mid-range

Vietnamese food should really be one of Prague’s top attractions. Pho Vietnam Tuan & Lan provides the city’s most basic – and outright delish – versions of Vietnamese classics, whether it’s pho to warm up after a day of sightseeing or a couple of spring rolls to enjoy on the square across the street. You’ve got two seating options at this joint – either come prepared to stand at one of the counters or take the food elsewhere.

Price: Bargain

Run by a sweet Korean couple who warmly greet regulars and first-timers alike, Bibimbap Korea will give you an unforgettable culinary tour of its namesake country. You’d be remiss not to at least try the bibimbap, a traditional rice dish topped with sliced meat and veg. Their Korean fried chicken is also memorable, but your best bet is to order family-style and try as much as possible.

Price: Bargain/mid-range

A burger place ranking as one of the top restaurants in a Central European capital? Before you scoff, look at Hillbilly Burger’s short but oh-so-sweet menu of burgers and a few other pub favourites. How about a goat’s cheese burger with honey and rocket, for example? Rather than cornering vegetarians into just one or two choices, Hillbilly will also happily slap replace any meat burger with a veggie patty.

Price: Mid-range

It’s a bit of a stretch to refer to Naše Maso (which translates as ‘Our Meat’) as a restaurant – really, it’s a butcher’s shop with a few coveted tables. You can always count on the meat being fresh, locally sourced and treated with loving care from the team of butchers in the back. Although this is a physically tiny member of Prague’s Ambiente restaurant group, it still thrills crowds daily.

Price: Bargain/mid-range

Prague is a city known for its skyline of spires and towers, so why not try dining inside one? At Restaurant Zvonice, you literally sit around the bells at wooden tables inside Jindřišská Tower, just down the street from Wenceslas Square. They do traditional Bohemian Czech food just right – trust us and try the sauerkraut soup – and the atmosphere is intimate and homely.

Price: High-end

You’ll notice La Bottega Linka’s sleek lighting and design from the street when you walk by, but the quality of the Italian meal is what you’ll remember as you leave. They use a special charcoal-fired ‘X-Oven’ that cooks the meat, fish and veg to perfection and leaves them with a delicious woody flavour. The space was home to one of the city’s most beloved delis during the Interwar period.

Price: Mid-range/high-end

We know what you’re thinking. A restaurant next to Prague’s famed (and heavily trafficked) Charles Bridge couldn’t possibly focus much on taste, right? Mlýnec, however, emphatically breaks that pattern with a modern, seasonal Czech menu (we’re talking veal tartare, duck confit) mixed with more international flavours (vegan tempeh, seared scallops). The sommelier can help you pair with the best that Moravia – the Czech wine region – has to offer.

Price: Mid-range/high-end

Cafefin fast made a name for itself on Instagram with its colourful, shabby-chic interior, avocado toast and tasty bánh mì sandwiches. They’ll also set you up with a quality midday coffee fix, but far more interesting – if less caffeinated – is the passionfruit lemonade.

Price: Bargain

Snagging a seat at this popular brunch spot requires good timing and luck, but their fluffy eggs benedict and Florentine soufflés are worth waiting for. Pair yours with a palate-pleasing espresso or fresh homemade lemonade. Eclectic wood furniture softened with retro cushions makes this café a favourite for freelancers and hip young parents in no hurry to give up their seats.

Price: Bargain