Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
TheCzechsdrinkmorebeerthananyoneothernation,downingapproximatelyapinta
day for every man, woman and child in the country - in fact, more beer is drunk here
thanwater.Thatsaid,thesmokyoldpubs(
pivnice
),traditionallyfilledwithmendrink-
ing copious quantities of Czech beer by the half-litre, are a dying breed in Prague; the
few that do survive are found way beyond the centre of town. In the centre, the
pivnice
has had something of a makeover, with smarter decor, prompter service and a wider
range of food and, as in most European capitals, the drinking scene in Prague is now
enormously diverse, with everything from expat American-style bars and “Irish” pubs
to neon-lit cocktail bars.
Pubs and beer halls are about much more than just the beer; most serve
food
as well (though
barely any will have an English menu). Options can range from simple traditional pub grub,
suchaspickledsausages(
utopence
),potatopancakes(
bramboráky
),
pivný sýr
(“
beer cheese
”
- cottage cheese with beer) and pickled brie (
nakládaný hermelín
) to more sophisticated
dishes including venison goulash (
srnčí guláš
), roast pork with dumplings and sauerkraut
(
vepřoknedlozelo
) or roast duck (
pečená kachna
). Prague's pubs are particularly good places
for a cheap lunch, with menus starting at around 75Kč.
PUB MENUS
In pubs and the cheapest restaurants, the
menu
(
jídelní lístek
), which should be displayed
outside, is often in
Czechonly
and deciphering it without a grounding in the language can
be quite a feat.
These menus are usually divided into sections, beginning with
předkrmy
(starters) or
polévky
(soups),followed bythe main courses:
jídla na objednávku
(foodtoorder),
hotová
jídla
(ready-made food, which is cheaper and should arrive quickly),
drůbež a ryby
(fowl
and fish) and, if you're lucky,
bezmasá jídla
(vegetarian dishes). Side dishes are listed un-
der
přílohy
; puddings, where available, come under the heading
moučníky
.
Bear in mind, too, that in general the right-hand column lists the
prices
, while the far left
column often gives the estimated weight of every dish in grams.
ESSENTIALS
Costs
The average price for a half litre glass of beer is around 25-30Kč.
Opening hours
The cooking facilities in pubs usually close around 9pm, but you can often
go on drinking a bit after the official closing time, normally 11pm.
Smoking
All pubs and bars should have a non-smoking section, but as this is rarely divided
off from the rest of the premises, things inevitably get smokier the later it gets.
