What’s good to eat in Prague? That’s the question on your mind. Well, don’t worry, Navaway is here to answer your culinary questions.

After all, it’s a good idea to find out about the food before you travel from one end of the city to the other. Prague is known for having a fairly healthy and balanced diet at every meal. Czech cuisine is made for gourmets, with fresh food served in good quantities. Influenced by Germanic and Balkan gastronomy, it offers a wide variety of flavours. Ready to sample?

What to eat in Prague

1. The Smažák

Introduced after the Second World War, this dish made with runny fried cheese is served piping hot. Accompanied by chips or potatoes (potatoes are very popular in the Czech Republic), this recipe is very popular with Prague residents and tourists from all over the world! Usually served with a delicious tartar sauce, it’s a must-try.

2. Goulash

Admittedly, this is not a dish that originated in Prague. It actually originated in Hungary, but quickly won the hearts of Prague’s inhabitants. And their stomachs! So what is it? It’s made from tender beef, deliciously seasoned with a digestive herb called “marjoram”, with flour dumplings rolled into soft balls inside. Goulash is undoubtedly the flagship dish of Central Europe, so it’s easy to find one in one of Prague’s cosy little restaurants.

3. Koleno

Isn’t the saying ‘everything’s piggy’? Well, the Koleno, or “knuckle” in French, has been specially designed to confirm this theory! As pork is one of the staples of Czech cuisine, this dish is a favourite with all lovers of good food. So, on a wooden board, you’ll find a large piece of roasted pork shank, accompanied by a little horseradish, a plant with a high vitamin C content (Prague cuisine is known to be fairly balanced) and fresh mayonnaise. Enjoy your meal!

4. The Svíčková

You’ll find meat in almost every meal, and Svíčková is no exception to the rule, to say the least! A popular dish at festive banquets, Svíčková is made from mitre of beef, to which a fine touch of cream and carrot sauce has been added. Eaten with slices of bread placed at the end of the meat on the plate, it is usually garnished with whipped cream, cranberry or bilberry jam. Apparently the taste is spectacular!

5. Duck with potato and cabbage dumplings

You’ll love this one! After all, who here doesn’t love white meat? In Prague, duck is often given pride of place, and it’s easy to see why, as it is cooked so brilliantly. It can be prepared in a variety of ways, but the most famous in Prague is duck roasted in an assortment of cumin. With potato dumplings, these have been topped with crispy fried onions and cooking juices. With a zest of red cabbage on top, we guarantee you’ll be won over.

6. Trdelník

Make room for the legendary and very artistic pastry straight from Prague! The trdelník is what the croissant is to Paris: its identity, a piece of its culinary DNA. This little piece of spit-roasted cake, wrapped around a stick to make it easier to eat, is baked over a large open fire. Flavoured with cinnamon, and with the dough mixed with walnuts and sugar, the people of Prague like to garnish it with sweets, chocolate or jam. Very popular in the city’s street food scene, you’re sure to love it!

7. Blonde beer

Honestly, there’s no drink in Prague as popular as this light, frothy nectar. Cheaper than water, it can be found at every table in front of every plate of food in the Czech Republic, and with every type of food! It goes well with everything: meat, vegetables, sugars, etc. The locals swear by it. We recommend Kozel beer, which means “goat”: it has a very mild taste and a slightly buttery, malty aroma.

8. Soup Česnečka

Did you know that soup is a very common dish in Prague? Česnečka, nicknamed “garlic soup”, is cooked with potatoes (the big stars of this ranking), onions, celery, and carrots, mixed in a meat broth. A very traditional meal, it’s perfect in the evening, when you’ve just returned from a long day exploring every corner of the city. It is usually eaten with bread, and is particularly rich in flavour.

9. Bramborák

These little potato pancakes, even if their name doesn’t mean anything to you, are very common in the Czech Republic, both on restaurant menus and in people’s kitchens. Resembling a mini pancake, bramborák is cooked with flour, eggs, onions and grated potatoes: you’ll love sprinkling this dish with jam or other ingredients to accompany it as if it were a pancake. The best part? You really must try applesauce – it tastes extraordinary! Who’d have thought that potatoes and apples could ever go so well together?

10. The Kolache

This little pastry is a real eye-catcher, thanks to its round shape and the colourful filling that can be seen in the middle of the pastry. Very sweet, many people like to eat it as a snack or dessert, with a good cup of coffee or a delicious lager! What makes it interesting? You can add absolutely any topping you like, savoury or sweet: cheese, fruit, meat, strawberry jam… What’s your favourite?