Best Restaurants in Prague: Where to Eat by Area and Budget

Prague’s strongest restaurants fall into 3 groups: modern Czech kitchens that rework old Bohemian recipes, steakhouses that source and age their own beef, and cheap, loud pubs and canteens where a plate of roast pork and a Pilsner Urquell costs less than a starter in the fine-dining rooms. This guide sorts 14 Prague restaurants into 3 price bands, budget, mid-range and fine dining, and groups them by neighbourhood so you can pick a table close to where you are staying. One rule settles the tourist-trap question: the closer a restaurant sits to Old Town Square or to the walking route from Wenceslas Square to the castle, and the more languages on its photo menu, the more likely you are to overpay for average food.

Wonderful Wanderings’ own Prague eating happened on foot. Sofie Couwenbergh, who founded this site, ate her way through the classics on a guided traditional Czech food tour in Prague with her mother: chlebíčky (open-faced sandwiches) at Sisters, sausage and ham at the Naše maso butcher, a sauerkraut soup in the Jindřišská Tower and braised beef in cream sauce with bread dumplings, the dish Czechs call svíčková, at Café Louvre. The restaurants below are not the tour stops. They are a researched shortlist, chosen with the method explained further down, and each one deserves a quick check that it is still open before you go, because Prague restaurants change hours, chefs and names often.

Top restaurants in Prague compared: 14 picks by area, cuisine and price

The 14 restaurants in this guide are compared below by neighbourhood, cuisine and price band, so you can shortlist a table before you read the write-ups. Price bands follow the Michelin Guide’s spend tiers where a restaurant appears in its Prague selection: mid-range matches the guide’s “moderate spend” tier, fine dining matches “special occasion” and “spare no expense”, and budget covers canteen and pub pricing.

How we chose these restaurants

We chose these 14 restaurants with 5 criteria: cuisine spread, neighbourhood spread, a mix of price bands, consistent recent reviews and a clear reservation policy. Cuisine spread means the list covers modern Czech, traditional Czech, steak, Italian, Brazilian and seafood kitchens. Neighbourhood spread means at least 1 pick in each of Old Town, Lesser Town, New Town, Vinohrady and Holešovice. The price-band mix is 2 budget picks, 5 mid-range picks and 7 fine-dining picks. Consistent recent reviews means each restaurant’s Tripadvisor and Google Maps listings, linked under every entry, still describe the kitchen and concept written up here; the Michelin Guide’s Prague selection served as the tiebreaker for the fine-dining rooms, and 6 of the 14 appear in it. A clear reservation policy means we say if you need to book or can walk in.

The previous version of this guide listed 19 restaurants. We cut 5 whose details we could not confirm to the same standard, and they appear near the end of this page with their review links.

Where to eat in Prague by neighbourhood

Where to eat in Prague depends on where you sleep, because the centre is compact but the river, the hill up to the castle and the tram lines split it into distinct dining districts. The 5 districts covered below are Old Town (Staré Město), Lesser Town (Malá Strana), New Town (Nové Město), Vinohrady and Holešovice, listed from the most central outwards.

Old Town (Staré Město)

Old Town (Staré Město) holds 6 of the 14 restaurants in this guide, all within walking distance of Charles Bridge and Old Town Square. Old Town is also where the tourist-priced terraces cluster, so head for the addresses below rather than the tables on the square itself.

Restaurant Mlýnec

Restaurant Mlýnec is a modern Czech restaurant on Novotného lávka, the jetty beside Charles Bridge, with a terrace that faces the bridge and the Old Town Bridge Tower. Restaurant Mlýnec suggests a wine, mostly Moravian, for every dish on the à la carte menu, and its kitchen reworks Czech classics with seasonal local produce. Travel writer Catherine Courtney, who ate there for the Blonde Voyage Nashville blog, singles out the dry-aged beef tartare and the plum mille-feuille, and reports that a view table needs a reservation, so book ahead for the terrace in the warmer months. Read the newest Restaurant Mlýnec reviews on Tripadvisor or open the Restaurant Mlýnec listing on Google Maps.

La Degustation Bohême Bourgeoise

La Degustation Bohême Bourgeoise is the Michelin-starred restaurant on this list, a 35-seat dining room on Haštalská street where chef Oldřich Sahajdák serves a dinner-only tasting menu of modern Czech dishes. La Degustation builds its courses on old Bohemian recipes and on what local farmers, hunters and mushroom pickers bring in, so the menu changes with the season and has included boar, pigeon, snails and calf tripe. Pairings run from Czech wine and beer to non-alcoholic blends of local fruit, herbs and vegetables, and the Taste of Prague food-tour team rates the Czech wine pairing as the one to choose. Reservations are necessary, the earlier the better. Read the newest La Degustation reviews on Tripadvisor or open the La Degustation listing on Google Maps.

V Zátiší

V Zátiší is a modern Czech restaurant with Indian dishes on the same menu, a 3-minute walk from Charles Bridge in Old Town. V Zátiší opened as one of the first gourmet restaurants in Prague after 1989, and its quiet corners of glass and soft seating still draw diplomats, business lunches and couples marking an occasion. The Michelin Guide lists it in its Prague selection under modern cuisine in the “special occasion” tier. Read the newest V Zátiší reviews on Tripadvisor or open the V Zátiší listing on Google Maps.

George Prime Steak

George Prime Steak is an American-style steakhouse in Old Town that serves USDA Prime Black Angus beef from the American Midwest, wet-aged in-house for at least 30 days. George Prime Steak sears each cut on a Montague Legend broiler at 650°C (1,202°F), and the menu adds seafood, California wines and classic cocktails. The interior is understated, with a main dining room and 2 private rooms for groups. Read the newest George Prime Steak reviews on Tripadvisor or open the George Prime Steak listing on Google Maps.

La Finestra in Cucina

La Finestra in Cucina is chef Riccardo Lucque’s meat-led Italian restaurant in Old Town, the sister of the seafood-focused Aromi and of the bistros La Bottega di Finestra and Gastronomica. La Finestra brings a platter of raw imported Italian cuts to the table so you choose your steak before it is cooked, and the rest of the menu runs through soups, fish, pasta and desserts. Brick walls, wood and large mirrors give it a trattoria feel, and the Michelin Guide places it in its “moderate spend” tier, which makes it the mid-range Old Town pick for a sit-down dinner. Read the newest La Finestra in Cucina reviews on Tripadvisor or open the La Finestra in Cucina listing on Google Maps.

Brasileiro U Zelené žáby

Brasileiro U Zelené žáby is a Brazilian churrascaria in Old Town where one fixed price covers unlimited charcoal-grilled meat plus a salad bar, seafood and sushi. Brasileiro’s servers move between the tables with skewers and carve the cuts straight onto your plate, rodízio-style, until you say stop. Locals on the r/Prague subreddit name it among the reliable places to eat in the centre. Read the newest Brasileiro U Zelené žáby reviews on Tripadvisor or open the Brasileiro U Zelené žáby listing on Google Maps.

Lesser Town (Malá Strana)

Lesser Town (Malá Strana) has the 2 restaurants with the widest views on this list, one on a rooftop below the castle and one at river level on Kampa Island. Lesser Town is also the quieter side of Charles Bridge after dark, which suits a long dinner.

Terasa U Zlaté studně

Terasa U Zlaté studně is the fine-dining restaurant on the 4th floor of the Golden Well Hotel, a building that dates from the late 1500s just below Prague Castle. Terasa’s 3 terraces look over the terracotta roofs of Malá Strana to the spires of Old Town and the Vltava, and the menu leans European, with Angus beef, lobster, sika deer tartare and sea bass among the mainstays. The bar is one of 40 restaurants worldwide named a Louis XIII Cognac Fortress, which means its staff are trained to serve Rémy Martin’s Louis XIII. Travel writer Maddy Cornelius, who ate there, calls the view reason enough to reserve, so book a terrace table in advance. Our guide to hotels in Prague covers Malá Strana and the other neighbourhoods if you want to sleep nearby. Read the newest Terasa U Zlaté studně reviews on Tripadvisor or open the Terasa U Zlaté studně listing on Google Maps.

Kampa Park Restaurant

Kampa Park Restaurant sits on Kampa Island at the Lesser Town end of Charles Bridge, with a riverside terrace, covered outdoor seating, an indoor dining room and a rooftop. Kampa Park cooks seafood alongside traditional meat dishes, and its 5-course menu has run to lobster timbale, seared duck, grilled skrei cod, beef striploin and a choux au craquelin cream puff. The wine list holds more than 150 labels from around the world. Read the newest Kampa Park Restaurant reviews on Tripadvisor or open the Kampa Park Restaurant listing on Google Maps.

New Town (Nové Město)

New Town (Nové Město), the district around Wenceslas Square and the main railway stations, holds 3 of the restaurants in this guide: the budget canteen, a charcoal steakhouse and a palace dining room. New Town is the practical choice for a first or last meal in the city, because the main railway station sits on its edge.

Kantýna

Kantýna is a butcher’s shop and canteen in New Town where you order at the counters, sit at shared tables and pay for everything on the way out. Kantýna hands you a card at the door, you show it at each counter when you order, and you settle the total at the exit. The butcher’s counter cooks the cut you point at and sells meat to take home, and the canteen line serves ready-made plates such as potato pancakes, sausages and brisket, next to a bar with beer, lemonade and coffee. The sirloin steak with bone-marrow butter and mushroom sauce is the dish to order from the butcher. Evening reservations exist, but walking in is normal, and several locals on r/Prague name Kantýna as the place they send visitors. Read the newest Kantýna reviews on Tripadvisor or open the Kantýna listing on Google Maps.

MeatEater steak & wine

MeatEater steak & wine is a New Town steakhouse run by owner-chef Daniel Govoni, who has competed in the World Steak Challenge. MeatEater grills over charcoal at a controlled 220°C (428°F) at most, 6 minutes a side, so a steak takes longer than on a high-heat broiler and arrives evenly cooked. Order with time to spare. Read the newest MeatEater steak & wine reviews on Tripadvisor or open the MeatEater steak & wine listing on Google Maps.

Portfolio Restaurant

Portfolio Restaurant occupies the Lanna Palace, which industrialist Vojtěch Lanna built in the 1850s, and cooks Moravian and Bohemian-inspired dishes from seasonal produce. Portfolio serves a lunch menu and a 5-course tasting menu, and past dishes include ombrina with tiger prawns, Czech beef with oyster mushrooms, duck ravioli and salmon-prawn tartare. The wine list mixes Czech wineries with Austrian, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish labels, and the Michelin Guide lists Portfolio in its “special occasion” tier. Read the newest Portfolio Restaurant reviews on Tripadvisor or open the Portfolio Restaurant listing on Google Maps.

Vinohrady

Vinohrady is the residential district east of the National Museum and Wenceslas Square, in Prague 2, and its restaurants price for the people who live there rather than for the Old Town Square crowd. Vinohrady supplies 2 of this guide’s better-value picks: a steakhouse that has aged Czech beef since 1993 and a neighbourhood restaurant with dishes from €7.

Bílá kráva

Bílá kráva, “white cow” in Czech, is a French-style steakhouse in Vinohrady that has served Charolais beef from Czech breeders since 1993, dry-aged slowly in-house. Bílá kráva’s house cut is the Spider steak, a local speciality, and its desserts are prepared with liquid nitrogen. The room is casual and warm, closer to a family restaurant than to a formal steakhouse. Read the newest Bílá kráva reviews on Tripadvisor or open the Bílá kráva listing on Google Maps.

Restaurant BLUE WAGON

Restaurant BLUE WAGON is a neighbourhood restaurant in Vinohrady, a 2-minute walk from Náměstí Míru (the Square of Peace), that opened in October 2012. Restaurant BLUE WAGON mixes Czech and Eastern European cooking with vegetarian options, and the previous version of this guide recorded dishes from €7 to €37 (about $8 to $40, £6 to £31), the lowest sit-down prices here after Kantýna; check the current menu before you rely on that range. Outdoor seating, a full bar and a welcome for children make it an easy family dinner. Read the newest Restaurant BLUE WAGON reviews on Tripadvisor or open the Restaurant BLUE WAGON listing on Google Maps.

Holešovice (Prague 7)

Holešovice (Prague 7) is the former industrial district across the river north of Old Town, and it holds this guide’s value pick for a Michelin-listed lunch. Holešovice is a short tram ride from the centre, and its restaurants price for residents.

The Eatery

The Eatery is a contemporary Czech restaurant in Holešovice with an open kitchen, counter seats where you can watch and talk to the chefs, and a glass-walled wine room. The Eatery cooks seasonal Czech dishes such as beef stew with mashed potato and bone marrow, grilled pork belly with carrot purée and buttermilk panna cotta with pear, in a room of concrete, grey tones and wood. The Michelin Guide lists it in its “moderate spend” tier, and the Taste of Prague team calls its lunches hard to beat on value for money. Read the newest The Eatery reviews on Tripadvisor or open the The Eatery listing on Google Maps.

Budget, mid-range and fine dining picks at a glance

The same 14 restaurants are grouped by price band below, so you can match a meal to your budget. Each list starts with the pick to book first.

The 2 budget picks in Prague are listed below.

1. Kantýna (New Town): Kantýna is the cheapest steak on this list, because you pay per cut at the butcher’s counter and skip table service.
2. Restaurant BLUE WAGON (Vinohrady): Restaurant BLUE WAGON is the cheapest full-service restaurant here, with dishes recorded from €7 to €37 (about $8 to $40, £6 to £31).

The 5 mid-range picks in Prague are listed below.

1. The Eatery (Holešovice): The Eatery is the mid-range pick with a Michelin listing, cheapest at weekday lunch.
2. La Finestra in Cucina (Old Town): La Finestra in Cucina is the mid-range pick for Italian beef in the centre.
3. Bílá kráva (Vinohrady): Bílá kráva is the mid-range pick for dry-aged Czech beef.
4. Brasileiro U Zelené žáby (Old Town): Brasileiro U Zelené žáby is the mid-range pick for a big appetite, because one price covers unlimited grilled meat and the buffet.
5. MeatEater steak & wine (New Town): MeatEater steak & wine is the mid-range pick for slow charcoal-grilled steak.

The 7 fine-dining picks in Prague are listed below.

1. La Degustation Bohême Bourgeoise (Old Town): La Degustation is the fine-dining pick for a Michelin-starred tasting menu.
2. Restaurant Mlýnec (Old Town): Restaurant Mlýnec is the fine-dining pick for a terrace view of Charles Bridge.
3. Terasa U Zlaté studně (Lesser Town): Terasa U Zlaté studně is the fine-dining pick for the widest rooftop view.
4. Kampa Park Restaurant (Lesser Town): Kampa Park Restaurant is the fine-dining pick for seafood at river level.
5. V Zátiší (Old Town): V Zátiší is the fine-dining pick for a quiet, discreet room near Charles Bridge.
6. Portfolio Restaurant (New Town): Portfolio Restaurant is the fine-dining pick for a tasting menu inside a 19th-century palace.
7. George Prime Steak (Old Town): George Prime Steak is the fine-dining pick for USDA Prime beef.

Traditional Czech dishes to order in Prague

Traditional Czech dishes to order in Prague are built around pork, beef, bread dumplings, cabbage and cream sauces, and the 8 below cover the ones you will meet on most menus. Sofie tried several of them in one afternoon on her Prague food tour, and the write-up of that traditional Czech food tour in Prague explains where each stop was and what she made of each dish.

1. Svíčková na smetaně: svíčková is braised beef in a cream and root-vegetable sauce, served with bread dumplings, cranberries and whipped cream; Sofie had it at Café Louvre on Národní street.
2. Vepřo knedlo zelo: vepřo knedlo zelo is roast pork with bread dumplings and stewed cabbage, the national Sunday lunch.
3. Guláš: guláš is a beef goulash thickened with onion and served with dumplings, less paprika-heavy than the Hungarian version.
4. Kulajda: kulajda is a creamy dill and mushroom soup with potato and a poached egg, and Coda in Lesser Town draws praise for its version from travel writer Maddy Cornelius.
5. Chlebíčky: chlebíčky are open-faced sandwiches topped with ham, egg, potato salad or beetroot; Sofie tried the versions at Sisters on Dlouhá street.
6. Roast duck: roast duck comes with red cabbage and potato or bread dumplings, and it appears on menus from pubs to the tasting rooms.
7. Smažený sýr: smažený sýr is a thick slab of breaded, fried cheese with tartar sauce and chips, the standard vegetarian pub order.
8. Trdelník and apple strudel: trdelník is a sugared chimney pastry sold from street stalls rather than in restaurants, and apple strudel with whipped cream is the dessert you will find on restaurant menus instead.

Tips for eating out in Prague

Eating out in Prague goes smoothly with the 7 habits listed below, most important first.

1. Book the fine-dining rooms and walk into the rest. The terraces at Mlýnec and Terasa U Zlaté studně and the 35 seats at La Degustation fill up, while pubs, canteens such as Kantýna and neighbourhood restaurants take walk-ins.
2. Tip around 10% for good service. Tipping is customary in Czech restaurants but never compulsory, so round the bill up or add about 10% and tell the server the total when you pay by card.
3. Carry some Czech koruna. Cards are widely accepted in Prague, but some pubs and small restaurants still take cash only, a complaint that comes up repeatedly on the r/Prague subreddit.
4. Eat your main meal at lunch. A weekday lunch menu (polední menu) is a short set list served at midday on working days, and it is the cheapest way to try a good kitchen; the Taste of Prague team names The Eatery’s lunches as outstanding value.
5. Walk 2 streets away from Old Town Square. The route from Wenceslas Square through Old Town Square to the castle carries the highest share of tourist-priced restaurants, and a multi-language photo menu or a host waving you in from the pavement are the 2 clearest signs to keep walking.
6. Read the newest reviews before you book. Use the Tripadvisor and Google Maps links under each restaurant in this guide, and check Mapy.cz too, because Czech residents review there rather than on the platforms tourists use.
7. Confirm the opening hours the day you go. Prague restaurants close for private events, holidays and kitchen breaks between lunch and dinner, so check the listing before you set out.

More restaurants worth knowing

Five more Prague restaurants are worth a look, and their review and map links are listed below.

1. Czech Slovak Restaurant serves Czech and Slovak cooking: Czech Slovak Restaurant reviews on Tripadvisor and Czech Slovak Restaurant on Google Maps.
2. Restaurace Mincovna sits in a former coin factory on Old Town Square: Restaurace Mincovna reviews on Tripadvisor and Restaurace Mincovna on Google Maps.
3. Coda Restaurant is the restaurant of the Aria Hotel in the Lesser Town: Coda Restaurant reviews on Tripadvisor and Coda Restaurant on Google Maps.
4. Jaffa restaurant serves Middle Eastern food: Jaffa restaurant reviews on Tripadvisor and Jaffa restaurant on Google Maps.
5. Restaurant Pepř a Sůl is a family-run restaurant near the O2 Arena in Prague 9: Restaurant Pepř a Sůl reviews on Tripadvisor and Restaurant Pepř a Sůl on Google Maps.

Frequently asked questions about Prague restaurants

The 5 questions below are the ones searchers ask most often about Prague restaurants, each answered in its first sentence.

What is a must eat in Prague?

Svíčková, braised beef in cream sauce with bread dumplings, is the one dish to eat in Prague, followed by roast pork with dumplings and cabbage (vepřo knedlo zelo), beef guláš and a bowl of kulajda soup. Order svíčková at a Czech kitchen such as Café Louvre, where Sofie had it, rather than at a terrace on Old Town Square, and save trdelník for a street stall, because it is a street sweet, not a restaurant dessert.

What is Prague’s most iconic restaurant?

Restaurant Mlýnec, on Novotného lávka beside Charles Bridge, is the restaurant most often named as Prague’s iconic table: it tops Google’s local results for restaurants in Prague and its terrace looks straight at the bridge. La Degustation Bohême Bourgeoise is the answer if “iconic” means the kitchen rather than the view, because it holds the Michelin star for modern Czech cooking.

What are the top 10 restaurants in Prague?

The top 10 restaurants in Prague from this guide, chosen one per style so the list stays useful, are Restaurant Mlýnec, La Degustation Bohême Bourgeoise, Terasa U Zlaté studně, Kampa Park Restaurant, Kantýna, The Eatery, George Prime Steak, La Finestra in Cucina, V Zátiší and Portfolio Restaurant. Bílá kráva, MeatEater steak & wine, Brasileiro U Zelené žáby and Restaurant BLUE WAGON complete the 14 in the comparison table.

Which restaurants in Prague have a Michelin star?

La Degustation Bohême Bourgeoise is the Michelin-starred restaurant in this guide, with a dinner-only tasting menu of modern Czech cooking. The Michelin Guide’s own Prague selection, at the time of writing, lists 45 restaurants, 6 of them with stars and 7 with a Bib Gourmand, and it also lists Mlýnec, V Zátiší, Portfolio, La Finestra in Cucina and The Eatery among its recommended restaurants without a star.

Where can vegetarians and vegans eat in Prague?

Vegetarians and vegans eat well in Prague at dedicated restaurants such as Vegan’s Prague, Maitrea in Old Town and Country Life, and at the Michelin-listed kitchens, where the guide flags vegetarian options at 39 of its 45 Prague restaurants and vegan options at 21. Restaurant BLUE WAGON on this list carries vegetarian dishes, Restaurant Pepř a Sůl under the restaurants worth knowing offers vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options, and smažený sýr, fried cheese, is the fallback at any Czech pub.

More Prague guides

The Prague and Czechia guides listed below cover the rest of a trip, from where to stay to what to do after dinner.

• Czechia travel guides for itineraries, castles and prices across the country.
• Prague travel guide for Prague’s top things to do and how to get around.
• Hotels in Prague for where to stay by neighbourhood.
• Traditional Czech food tour in Prague for Sofie’s guided tasting, stop by stop.
• Bars in Prague for the top bars to enjoy a drink in Prague after dinner.
• Josefov, Prague’s Jewish Quarter for the synagogues a few streets from Old Town Square.
• Prague Christmas markets for dates, locations and what to eat at the stalls.
• Prague City Pass or Prague Card for whether the Prague Card pays off.

About the author. This guide is written and maintained by the Wonderful Wanderings editorial team. Wonderful Wanderings was founded in 2012 by Sofie Couwenbergh, and the first-hand notes in this post come from her guided Czech food tour through Prague with her mother, from chlebíčky on Dlouhá street to svíčková at Café Louvre. The team covers Prague and Czechia for independent travellers, including the restaurants, food tours and hotels worth booking, and updates this page when prices, opening hours and restaurant names change.