Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
have an English menu inside. Most Czech restaurants are open
Sunday through Thursday 11:00-22:00, and Friday and Saturday
11:00-24:00. Only a rude waiter will rush you. Good service is
relaxed (slow to an American). You can stay in a pub as long as
you want—no one will bring you the
účet
(bill) until you ask for
it:
“Pane vrchní, zaplatím!”
(PAH-neh VURCH-nee zah-plah-
TEEM; “Mr. Waiter, now I pay!”). The service charge is included
in the bill, but it's customary to tip 5-10 percent (for more on tip-
ping, see page 13). Remember that in Prague, it's smart to pay cash
for your meals rather than let your credit card leave your sight.
When you're in the mood for something halfway between
a restaurant and a picnic, look for take-out food stands, baker-
ies (with sandwiches and small pizzas to go), delis with stools or
a table, department-store cafeterias, salad bars, or simple little
eateries for fast and easy sit-down restaurant food.
Czech Food
Czech cuisine is heavy, hearty, and tasty. Expect lots of meat,
potatoes, and cabbage. Still, there's more variety than you might
expect. Ethnic restaurants provide a welcome break from Slavic
fare. Seek out vegetarian, Italian, or Chinese—these are especially
good in bigger towns such as Prague, Olomouc, Český Krumlov,
and Kutná Hora.
A Czech restaurant is a social place where people come to
relax. Tables are not private. You can ask to join someone, and you
will most likely make some new friends. After a sip of beer, ask for
the
jídelní lístek
(menu).
Soups:
Polévka
(soup) is the most essential part of a meal.
The saying goes: “The soup fills you up, the dish plugs it up.” Some
of the thick soups for a cold day are
zelná
or
zelňačka
(cabbage),
čočková
(lentil),
fazolová
(bean), and
dršťková
(tripe—delicious if
fresh, chewy as gum if not). The lighter soups are
hovězí
or
slepičí
vývar s nudlemi
(beef or chicken broth with noodles),
pórková
(leek), and
květáková
(cauliflower).
Bread:
Pečivo
(bread) is either delivered with the soup or you
need to ask for it; it's always charged separately depending on how
many
rohlíky
(rolls) or slices of
chleba
(yeast bread) you eat.
Main Dishes:
These are divided into
hotová jídla
(quick,
ready-to-serve standard dishes, in some places available only dur-
ing lunch hours, 11:30-14:30) and the more specialized
jídla na
objednávku
or
minutky
(plates prepared when you order). Even the
supposedly quick
hotová jídla
will take longer than the fast food
you're used to back home.
Hotová jídla
(ready-to-serve dishes) come with set gar-
nishes. The standard menu across the country includes
smažený
řízek s bramborem
(fried pork fillet with potatoes),
svíčková na
