Czech food to try in Prague and where locals actually eat

Czech cooking is hearty, built on meat, rich sauces, dumplings and good beer. It was made for cold winters and long working days, and it is at its best in a busy pub at lunchtime. This guide covers the dishes and drinks worth trying, and how to find restaurants where Prague people actually eat.

Main dishes worth ordering

• Svíčková na smetaně. Beef sirloin braised with root vegetables, served in a creamy vegetable sauce with bread dumplings, cranberries and a spoon of whipped cream. The dish most Czechs name as their favourite.
• Vepřo knedlo zelo. Roast pork, bread dumplings and sauerkraut: the classic Sunday lunch and the closest thing to a national dish.
• Guláš. Czech goulash is a thick beef stew with onions and paprika, eaten with dumplings or bread and ideally with a beer.
• Roast duck or goose. Served with red cabbage and dumplings. Around St Martin's Day on 11 November, many restaurants serve goose with the first young wine of the year.
• Smažený sýr. Breaded fried cheese with tartar sauce and fries, a favourite of students and children.
• Řízek. Schnitzel, usually pork or chicken, with potato salad. On Christmas Eve, Czech families traditionally eat fried carp with potato salad.
• Soups. Kulajda is a creamy dill soup with mushrooms, potatoes and a poached egg. Česnečka, a garlic soup, is the traditional cure after a long night.

Small dishes and pub food

• Chlebíčky. Open sandwiches with ham, egg, potato salad and other toppings, sold in delis and served at every Czech party.
• Nakládaný hermelín. A soft cheese similar to camembert, marinated in oil with garlic, onion and chilli.
• Utopenci. Pickled sausages with onion, a traditional beer snack.
• Tatarák. Beef tartare served with fried bread and raw garlic that you rub on the bread yourself.
• Bramboráky. Potato pancakes flavoured with garlic and marjoram.
• Klobása. Grilled sausage with mustard and bread, sold at markets and street stands.

Sweets and pastries

Czech bakeries are underrated. Look for koláče, round pastries topped with poppy seed, sweet curd cheese or plum jam; buchty, baked buns with a filling; and větrník, a large cream puff with caramel icing. Ovocné knedlíky are sweet fruit dumplings served with curd cheese, sugar and melted butter, a lunch that Czech children love. Before Christmas, homes and bakeries fill with small festive biscuits called cukroví.

Trdelník, the rolled pastry turned over coals all over the Old Town, is not a traditional Prague dish. It is fine as a snack, but it is not what locals grew up with.

What to drink

• Beer. The first pale lager was brewed in Plzeň in 1842, and Czechs still drink more beer per person than almost anyone in the world. Ask for tank beer (tankové pivo), delivered unpasteurised from the brewery in large tanks, and try the different pours: hladinka with a firm head, šnyt with more foam and mlíko, almost all foam and drunk in one go. See our day trip to Plzeň and the Pilsner Urquell brewery.
• Wine. Most Czech wine comes from Moravia, with smaller vineyards around Mělník and even in Prague itself. From August to November, look for burčák, a sweet, partly fermented young wine.
• Spirits. Becherovka, a herbal liqueur from Karlovy Vary, and slivovice, a strong plum brandy, are the classic toasts.
• Soft drinks. Kofola, a Czech cola with herbal notes, was created in Czechoslovakia around 1960 as a local alternative to Western colas.
• Winter drinks. Christmas markets sell svařák, the Czech mulled wine, and medovina, a honey wine.

How to find where locals eat

1. Walk five minutes away from the main squares. Restaurants facing the Old Town Square and the lower end of Wenceslas Square live from passing visitors. Prices rise and quality often falls.
2. Look for the weekday lunch menu. A board outside with a soup and a few main courses for lunch is a good sign of local customers.
3. Check the menu before you sit down. Prices should be clearly listed, together with the portion size or the volume of the glass.
4. Know what is on the table. Bread, nuts or starters placed on the table without being ordered may be charged. Send them back if you do not want them.
5. Read the bill. Check it before you pay. Our guide to money, cards and tipping in Prague explains how tipping works.
6. Book ahead for the best places. The most sought-after restaurants in Prague, including those in the Michelin Guide, are fully booked on weekend evenings, and tables for groups need weeks of notice.

Where locals go

Neighbourhoods such as Vinohrady, Karlín, Letná and Holešovice have many good restaurants, bistros and pubs used mainly by residents. Traditional beer halls in the New Town and the Old Town can also be excellent. The ones that brew their own beer or serve tank beer are usually the busiest with locals, which is the best recommendation of all. Our guide to Prague neighbourhoods describes each area.

Eating with a group, a family or special needs

Traditional Czech restaurants are easy for families: children's portions, fried cheese and schnitzel are on almost every menu. For groups, choose a restaurant with a separate room and agree a set menu in advance. For vegetarian, vegan, gluten free or other diets, a reservation with a clear note is essential, and we book restaurants that confirm your needs in advance.

If you want to taste the classics with someone who knows where to go, our Czech food and beer tour visits a traditional pub, a sandwich bar, a restaurant that cooks the old way and a café in one afternoon.