31 Best Restaurants in Prague, Czech Republic

With a grand setting in a gorgeous former bank, you can bank on this cool butcher-shop-meets-meat-market-and-bar being packed when you arrive. There's a butcher's counter at the front where you can select the exact meat you want. The attendant will cut it, weigh it, cook it perfectly to your specifications, and then serve it hot off the skillet. Load up a tray with meat and sides, and grab a seat at a communal table or a spot at the bar and wash it all down with great beer. Keep track of what you eat and drink on a menu card (bread is free). The modern canteen feel and reasonable prices all contribute to the incredible popularity of this place.

This unexpected pastry paradise—essentially, a service hatch set within a regular apartment block—offers whole strudels (repeat: not a single slice, but a WHOLE strudel) for just 60 Kč. You can choose from three fillings: apple, tvaroh (curd cheese), or poppy seed. There are also seasonal flavors available on occasion, including plum in the summer months and raisin and almond at Christmas. Only open weekdays.

Across from the Újezd tram stop, this gelato gem offers delicious, homemade ice cream and gelato almost all year.

The home-baked sourdough bread, the huge selection of delicious pastries, and the lovingly brewed coffee make this café-bakery a local favorite. It's so popular that there are now two other branches in Prague, including a second one in Smíchov (at Štefánikova 31).

Great coffee and cool vibes in this cavernous, slightly rough-around-the-edges café in an interesting, historic building, which also doubles as an art and community space.

A pleasantly airy American-style bakery and café counter, Bakeshop Praha sells familiar U.S. favorites, from avocado BLTs to entire pumpkin pies. Though it gets crowded during peak lunch hours, there is indoor seating, and the space, with penny-tiled floors and ceiling moldings, has a retro charm. But the takeaway sandwiches, bagels, giant cookies, and good coffee make it easy to grab and go.

For a quick lunch on the go, walk smugly past the greasy international chains and come here for tasty fresh sandwiches, salads, and barista-brewed coffees.

This sweet "Little House" perched in a community center in the other park bordering Letná district, Stromovka, is a very pleasant option for a coffee in summer, particularly ahead of a leafy walk across the park. There are grilled foods, too, some cakes, some sandwiches, homemade ice cream and lemonade, and (of course) beer. The picnic tables in dappled sunlight outside are particularly appealing. Opening hours can vary out of season.

With its bare plaster walls and laid-back vibe, uber-cool Cafe Hrnek is a fab spot for great coffee, tasty brunches, and decadent sweet treats.

With queues outside on even mild days, this gelato shop is considered to serve the best scoops in the city. It's a great option for refreshment while you are sightseeing, particularly as it is conveniently located on the main drag that marks the border between Old and New Town. There are several other branches in town, too. 

Visitors with a sweet tooth should not miss this historic pastry shop in Nové Mĕsto, where Czech desserts, cakes, sweets, and treats are showcased over two floors. Opened in 1911 by František Myšák, the First Republic feel has been faithfully reconstructed.

Right behind the soaring spires of Staré Mĕsto's Týn Church, Beas offers inexpensive, Indian-style vegetarian and vegan food just a short walk from Old Town Square. Don't expect upscale service—you're going to bus your own table—but these dishes are worth the extra work. Great curries, dals, grilled flatbreads, fragrant basmati rice, rich grilled eggplant, and other vegetarian delights make you forget that nothing you're eating contains eggs, meat, or fish (and let's face it, that in itself is a bit of a rare treat in meat-loving Central Europe). Although meal prices are already low, the availability of free tap water makes it even easier on the wallet. There are a host of similarly reliable Beas branches around town.

Come for the swings, stay for the coffee: this small coffee shop has swing seats (a bit of a gimmick, but actually quite a cute one), lovely cakes, and excellent coffee. It's more of a daytime place than an evening bar, although it is open until 9.

There are retro vibes and delicious pastries in this mini-chain, which now has three branches around town. The company dates back to 1937, so it's authentic, with good coffee and more than 20 cake choices.

A perfectly located ice-cream parlor for taking a sweet, cold treat into Letná or Stromovka Park. Their slogan is "There's always a good time for an ice-cream," and frankly, when the gelato is this good, we agree. 

This old-school canteen dishes up classic Czech grub very cheaply, and aims to do so within five minutes of getting the order, so unsurprisingly it can get very busy at lunchtime. The soups in particular are a bargain and very traditional.

This large beer garden is one of Prague's most popular after-work hangouts during the summer months, and it's no wonder with those stunning city views.

The "Little Coffee" grinds freshly roasted beans from Brazil, Kenya, Colombia, and other renowned growing regions. Superlative strudel and small snacks in a peaceful setting make this a pleasant stop for refueling.

This cozy little café, which is tucked away on one of the city's prettiest backstreets, is a great stop for coffee and cake. It's only open from mid-morning to early evening (and not at all on Mondays), so you'll need to time it right.

A tiny bakery with a big reputation, this place allows you to take your pick from dozens of different focaccias, as well as delicious arancini (small balls of rice stuffed with a savory filling), fresh ciabattas, crispy Italian biscuits, and various pastries and cakes.

Choose from more than 50 varieties of chlebíček (Czech traditional open sandwich) at this old-school lunch stop.

Top-quality coffee (the founders were inspired to start their business after a trip to Ethiopia) and good grub, too, at this large, light coffee shop and roastery.

This little bakery was set up by a Danish chef in 1999, which means predictably good Danish pastries and brilliant breads, including the house special, rye bread with sunflower seeds.

It's almost sacrilegious to describe these U.S.-style dogs as the best sausage in town, but their greatness cannot be denied (make sure you grab a Czech-style klobasa, or sausage, while in Prague, too, though).

A Prague original, this combination Czech bookstore and coffeehouse draws a mix of students, intellectuals, and vagabonds. The coffee is very good, as are the homemade daily soups and breakfast specials. The rest of the food is only so-so, but everyone is drawn to the convivial atmosphere. This was the first home of the Globe Bookstore and Café back in the 1990s.

With its hip signage and location, you could be forgiven for assuming that Piknik is style over substance. But the lines to the counter would quickly set you right, as customers line up for delicious pastries, cakes, sandwiches, breakfasts, and coffee. There are some tables, too, but as the name suggests, it's a good spot to load up on provisions to take to Letenské sady (Letná Park) just across the river or farther afield. It opens at 7:30, for those who want to get ahead of the tourist hordes.

Craft beer and cake is a great refueling combination in this cute, family-run café in a historic building (check out the mini-exhibition on the way in).

Famed for its soft and squishy cinnamon rolls (some of the best in town), this takeout spot also serves perfect pulled-pork sandwiches and lip-smacking vegan wraps.