What to eat in Prague
Svíčková in a tavern, chlebíčky on the go, a dark lager with either. Five dishes that cover what people in Prague actually eat.
- Svíčková
- €8.98–10.21
- Goulash
- €8.57–9.39
- Chlebíčky
- €2.13–2.71 each, open-faced sandwich
Prague eats in taverns, with two dishes on almost every menu: svíčková in cream sauce and beef goulash. Trdelník is a hand-held sweet for while you walk, rarely a full meal. A main course in a tavern runs €8.57–10.21, a set lunch at noon €4.80–7.75.
The dish that opens almost every menu
Svíčková in cream sauce is beef sirloin stewed with root vegetables, served in a creamy sauce with a bread dumpling and a spoonful of cranberry. It's the dish to order on the first day in Prague, in any tavern, and it runs €8.98–10.21.
Thicker than the version across the border
Hovězí guláš is thicker and darker than the Hungarian version, with less paprika, and it almost always comes with a dumpling instead of bread. The price is €8.57–9.39, close to svíčková. The choice comes down to taste, not budget.
Lunch on the move
Chlebíčky are slices of bread with mayonnaise and a layer of ham, egg, salami or fish on top, sold by the piece and eaten standing up. It's the fastest meal in town when there's no time to sit down between two sights, €2.13–2.71 each.
A treat, not breakfast
Trdelník is dough wound around a spit, roasted over coals and rolled in sugar and walnuts, sold warm from kiosks all over the Old Town. Visitors often eat it in the morning as breakfast. Prague eats it as a sweet during the day, €3.24.
A beer for either dish
The Flekovský dark lager, poured at the U Fleku brewery since the Middle Ages, goes just as well with svíčková as with goulash, €4.06 for 0.4 l.
Before you go
Short answers to what people ask most before setting out.
What is svíčková?
Beef sirloin stewed with root vegetables, in a creamy sauce with a dumpling and cranberry. It costs €8.98–10.21.
Is trdelník a breakfast food?
No. It's a kiosk sweet eaten during the day, €3.24.
How much does lunch cost in a tavern?
A main course without a drink is €8.57–10.21, and a set lunch at noon €4.80–7.75.
Ready for Prague?
Where to next
The best time to visit Prague
→May, June and September keep Prague free of the summer crowds. December brings Christmas markets to Old Town…
Kutná Hora · 63 km
→A town that turned silver into coin and cathedral, while the village beside it turned bones into ornament.
How well does Prague suit you?
→Six questions: a score for this place and others like it.
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