Channel 03

Food & Drink

What to order, where to sit, how to tip and why the beer is cheaper than the water.

56 guides4 min average read

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  1. Becherovka and Czech spirits: bitter herbs, beet "rum" and fruit brandy4 min read
  2. Best bakeries in Prague: how to choose one and what to order4 min read
  3. Best burgers in Prague: how to choose one and order it well4 min read

Every guide

All Food & Drink guides

  1. 4 min read15 Czech dishes you will see on every menu, and exactly how to order themSvíčková, guláš, řízek and a pickled sausage called a drowned man. Fifteen names that decode any traditional Czech menu, plus the ordering phrases.
  2. 4 min readBecherovka and Czech spirits: bitter herbs, beet "rum" and fruit brandyA herbal bitter from Karlovy Vary with a secret recipe, a spirit made from sugar beet and a few rules for sipping what a Czech host pours.
  3. 4 min readBest bakeries in Prague: how to choose one and what to orderNo ranked list of shops, but a guide to the counter: rohlíky, sourdough, koláče and a cream horn, and when the good things sell out.
  4. 4 min readBest burgers in Prague: how to choose one and order it wellNo ranking, because kitchens change. Instead: the three kinds of burger place, five things to check and how to ask for the patty cooked your way.
  5. 4 min readBest pizza in Prague: how to find a good oneNo ranked list, because ovens and owners change faster than guides. Instead: Neapolitan versus Roman, five two-minute checks and how to read reviews.
  6. 4 min readBest steakhouses in Prague: how to choose one and order the cutA how-to-choose guide, not a ranking: the cuts, the doneness words and the ageing questions that show whether a Prague kitchen knows its beef.
  7. 4 min readBramboráky: crisp Czech potato pancakes, and a recipe that worksGarlic, marjoram and one step that decides everything: squeezing the potato dry. Where bramboráky come from, how to fry them and how to order them at a market.
  8. 4 min readBudvar vs Budweiser: the beer war over one small Czech townBoth beers borrow the name of České Budějovice, and the lawyers have argued for over a century. What is in each glass, and why Budvar goes by Czechvar abroad.
  9. 4 min readBurčák: Czech young wine, when it appears and how to carry it homeCloudy, sweet, fizzy and still fermenting, burčák is autumn in a glass. When to find it, how to drink it and the one thing never to do with the cap.
  10. 4 min readChlebíčky: the tiny open sandwich every Czech party is built aroundA slice of white bread, a heap of salad and a pickle on top. What goes on a chlebíček, how to order one at the deli counter, and when to buy.
  11. 4 min readCooking classes in Prague: how to learn Czech dishes and pick a good oneDumplings are harder than they look and a Czech sauce takes patience. How to pick a class that teaches you something, not a tourist-hour demo.
  12. 4 min readCzech bar snacks, from drowned men to garlic toastPickled sausage, marinated cheese, fried bread and a famously pungent Moravian cheese: what to order with your half-litre and what each one tastes like.
  13. 4 min readCzech beer decoded: světlé, tmavé, řezané and what 12° really meansThe degrees on the beer list are not alcohol. A pub-side guide to colours, pours, tank beer and the order to taste them in.
  14. 4 min readCzech Christmas dinner: carp, potato salad and a tin of cookiesThe big meal is on 24 December, and the main course may be swimming in the bath until a day or two before. What Czechs eat, and how to try it yourself.
  15. 4 min readCzech coffee culture: from a grandmother's glass to the specialty barWhy the last centimetre of turecká káva stays in the cup, how a kavárna differs from a counter-service cafe, and how to order, pay and linger.
  16. 4 min readCzech dumplings decoded: why the knedlík is the point of the plateBread, potato, bacon and fruit: which knedlík goes with which sauce, why it arrives sliced like bread, and how to ask for more.
  17. 4 min readCzech Easter at the table: mazanec, lamb cakes and a day of willow whipsGreen food on Thursday, a lamb made of sponge cake and a Monday ritual that ends with eggs and a small glass: what Czechs eat at Easter, and when.
  18. 4 min readCzech guláš vs Hungarian gulyás: why one is a stew and the other a soupSame word, different bowl. What the Czechs mean by guláš, what the Hungarians mean by gulyás, and the menu names that sit in between.
  19. 4 min readCzech soups, from garlic cure to kulajda: what to order firstSoup is the opening act of every Czech lunch. Nine bowls worth knowing, the one with a bread bowl, and the bread charge to watch for.
  20. 4 min readCzech street food: what to eat standing up, and what to check firstSausage in a roll, open sandwiches, potato pancakes, fried dough and a sweet wafer: the snacks worth stopping for, and how not to overpay for them.
  21. 4 min readCzech supermarket must-buys: 12 things worth taking homeSmelly cheese with legal protection, wafers from a spa town and a spread named after butter. A short shopping list for the next supermarket aisle.
  22. 4 min readCzech wine regions: Moravia, Bohemia and the six subregions on the mapTwo regions, six subregions, a vineyard under Prague Castle. A plain-English map of where Czech wine comes from, from Mikulov to Mělník.
  23. 4 min readDenní menu: the Czech lunch board that is Prague's best-value mealSoup, a short list of mains and a chalk board outside. How the Czech weekday lunch works, how to read the board and how to order without a word of Czech.
  24. 4 min readEating vegan in Prague: what to ask, what to skip, where to shopCzech cooking leans on butter, cream, eggs and lard, but Prague has vegan cafes and supermarkets. The phrases to use, the dishes that can work and the traps.