Prague’s Beer Scene: Highlights in the City of a Hundred Spires

You’ve just arrived in Prague and have had a look at “Beer in Prague: A List to Get You Started” during your train ride. You’re thirsty after that long journey and need to fortify yourself before you brave the crowds of the Castle District, Charles Bridge, and the Old Town. Now where do you find those beers?

Pleasures for your gustatory and visual senses abound in the historical capital of Bohemia. This post features a list of highlights, including what to see in Prague, where to find the beers on the beer list I just mentioned, and where to find the best tavern experiences.

As with the list of beers to get you started, this list of places to visit is far from exhaustive. Like any beer capital, it takes several visits to peel back all the layers of taverns, established breweries, beer gardens, and new breweries offering both “craft beer” and fresh interpretations of classics. We were in Prague for five days and combined our beer explorations with a heavy dose of urban exploration (as one should in Prague — it is, after all, one of the most scenic cities in Europe). You might only have a few days to pack in everything this fabulous city has to offer. With that in mind, I’ve included a “tankard rating” for some establishments to help you decide which ones you’d like to visit. You can read more about “Tempest’s Tankards” here. The short version: three tankards is outstanding. Of further note: these taverns and eateries are usually as much about the ambience and local beer culture as they are about the beer itself. Don’t get too hung up on the beer selection, or occasional lack thereof. You could do a whole lot worse than drinking Pilsner Urquell on every day of your trip to Prague.

And just as I mentioned at the end of the intro blurb for “Beer in Prague: A List to Get You Started,” if you’re a longtime reader unaccustomed to seeing Tempest posts that amount to lists and bullet points, the much longer narrative “guide” to Prague is on its way. (Update: “Prague: A Jewel in the Crown of Beer Culture” is now up and running.)

Breweries and Brewpubs:

• U Trí Růží (Three Roses) in Staré Město. Top-notch food and beer in an Old Town brewpub just steps from the Charles Bridge. Strongest all-round beer selection that we found during this visit to Prague. A constant rotation of specialty beers complements the three traditional year-rounds. Two Tankards

• U Fleků. One of the oldest drinking establishments in Prague, with a beer garden tucked into a courtyard surrounded by a warren of beer halls of varying sizes (eight, to be precise, each with its own history). They serve one kind of beer only: dark lager. Who needs selection when the beer’s as good as this? Even if U Fleků is on the touristy side, this is one of those “must visit” places that every beer enthusiast should have on his or her list. Three Tankards

• Pivovar u Bulovky Richter Brewery (website in Czech; the address and beer menu are easy enough to figure out). Way out in Liben along Tramline 3 –– an epic ride through the Old Town and on to Bulovka in the northeast of the city. Their světlý ležák 12 was among the best Czech lagers that we had. Tasty goulash too.
• Lod‘ Pivovar. An unexpected surprise: a brewery and brewpub in a steamer anchored on the Old Town side of the Vlatava River. The beers are stellar, and the food is served with contemporary flare. One Tankard

• Klášterní Pivovar Strahov (St. Norbert). A monastery brewery in the shadow of the Baroque Strahov Monastery. Cozy pub on one side of the courtyard, larger hall with vaulted ceilings on the other. Solid beers pair well with the fine food on offer.

• Pivovarský Dům. Despite the Yelp and Lonely Planet hype, this brewpub appears to have rested on its laurels. Avoid, especially since Prague has so much more to offer.

Taverns, Beer Gardens, and Restaurants:

• Letná beer garden. A hike up the banks of the Vlatava River rewards thirsty travelers with a stellar view. One of Central Europe’s classic beer gardens, despite the Pilsener Urquell and Kozel Černý served in plastic cups. One Tankard
• Bellavista. A restaurant terrace in the shadow of the Strahov Monastery where the vista truly is beautiful. The Klaster beer is not half bad either after that walk up the hill. Beer’s not the focus of this establishment, but beer or not, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better view out over vineyards and orchards to the Old Town below. (NB: Their wine list offers a decent introduction to Czech wine if you’re looking for a break from beer.)

• Vinohradský Parlament. Sleek industrial interior with Art Deco accents. Unfiltered Staropramen and lighter interpretations of traditional dishes. Right around the corner from the Náměstí Míru square and metro station in Vinohrady, a vibrant area to the northeast of the National Museum and the central train station.
• Prague Beer Museum (Vinohrady). Also near the Náměstí Míru square and metro station. Good for a night-cap. The brooding boho ambience is a better fit with shorter days and cooler weather than with the height of summer. Well curated beer selection from across the Czech Republic. An ideal place to get your “beer bearings.”
• Lokál in Staré Město (Old Town). An airy tavern restaurant with a long row of rounded arches and white walls. Three large tanks of beer in a glass case serves as the bar. Visit during the afternoon before it gets too busy. Try the carp dish, or go for the Svíčková, a dish similar to Sauerbraten. Cap it off with some unpasteurized Pilsener Urquell or Kozel Černý served fresh from tanks delivered direct from the brewery. One Tankard
• Pivnice u Černého Vola (The Black Ox). A traditional Prague watering hole in the Castle District. Beer selection limited to Pils Urquell and Kozel, but that’s not why you’ll make the trek up the hill beyond St. Vitus and Our Lady of Loreto. Timeless. One of my faves. Two Tankards

Scenic (beyond Prague’s “Greatest Hits”):

• A morning/early afternoon walk through the Malá Strana District, with a stop for coffee and walnut torte at Café Kafíčko before visiting the Vojan Garden (hidden away just beyond the Charles Bridge) and the Wallenstein Garden in the shadow of the Castle District. Great options if you want to avoid the crowds.

• A late afternoon/early evening walk from the rose garden at the top of the funicular on Petřín Hill over to the Strahov Monastery, followed by a drink the Pivnice u Černého Vola. Pubs don’t get much more classic than this. Follow up with a stroll across the wide cobble-stoned street to the elegantly proportioned Loreta and then through the charming Nový Svět neighbourhood. You might be the only soul walking around at dusk.
• The epic rides on Tram 22 in Prague. Just get on it anywhere and let it take you in any direction. This is one of Europe’s great tram routes.
• The views of Prague from just about everywhere, but in particular from the Bellavista terrace near the Strahov monastery, the Letná beer garden in Holésovice, and the benches along the northern slope in Vinohrady’s Riegrovy Sady Park.

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Got a favourite spot or two to recommend that I haven’t visited yet? Let me know in the comments and I’ll hit the place up next time in Prague. Na zdraví!

Further Reading:

For the most part, the hyperlinks to each establishment go into greater depth.

The 2015 BJCP Style Guidelines are just that: guidelines. As with the recent improvements to the German section over 2008, I’m sure the Czech style categories (which only made their first appearance in the 2015 edition) will sharpen up over time. Missing at the moment is a discussion of what makes a Czech dark lager different from a Munich Dunkel, or what makes a Czech amber different from a Märzen. My sense at this point is that the beers of Bohemia and the beers of Bavaria exhibit more differences within the respective style categories than they do across the national style categories.

Related Tempest posts:

Beer in Prague: A List to Get You Started

A Pivo Pilgrimage to Pilsen

Pictures at a Czech Beer Exhibition: Pilsen, Budweis, Český Krumlov

All images by F.D. Hofer.

© 2018 F.D. Hofer and A Tempest in a Tankard. All rights reserved.