Online grocery delivery in Prague: Rohlik, supermarkets and how to pick

It is Sunday evening, the fridge is empty and the nearest supermarket shuts soon. In Prague you can have a weekly shop arrive at the door, in a van, on a day of your choosing. Whether that is worth doing depends on your flat, your hours and how much you enjoy carrying water bottles up stairs.

This guide sets out how the main options work, what to check before your first order and how to avoid the small irritations that put people off.

The two kinds of online grocer

The first kind is a dedicated delivery shop. Rohlik.cz is the best-known in Prague, and others operate in the Czech market. These companies run their own warehouses and vans, offer a large range of food and household goods, and show the site in English or Czech. Check the language option when you open the page. You order on the site or app and choose a delivery slot.

The second kind is the supermarket chain with its own online ordering. Several of the big chains let you order from their usual range and have it delivered, or collect it from a store or pick-up point. The range and rules differ by chain, so look at each chain's own page rather than relying on a summary. If you already shop at one supermarket and like its own-brand products, ordering from the same chain is the simplest switch.

A third option sits alongside them. Fresh produce, bread and meat can be ordered from market stallholders and small producers, usually through farm-box schemes or direct messages. Our guide to Prague's farmers' markets covers the markets themselves.

How an order works

You enter your address first. This tells the site whether it delivers to you, and which slots are open. Slots are windows of a couple of hours, and the best ones go early. Evenings and weekends fill first, so if you need Saturday morning, book earlier in the week.

Build the basket, pay online by card or, in some cases, on delivery, and wait for the confirmation. Many shops let you edit the basket until a cut-off before the slot. Look for that cut-off in your confirmation email, because it saves you when you forget the milk.

On the day, the courier phones or rings the bell. In older buildings with entry phones, put your name on the bell, and give a phone number that works. Missed deliveries are the commonest complaint, and shops may charge or rebook, so check the policy before you order.

Prices and fees

We are not quoting prices, because delivery fees, minimum orders and discounts change often and depend on the basket and the slot. What you can say is that most services publish a delivery fee and a minimum basket, and some waive the fee above a threshold. Look at the current figures on the site on the day. If you are working out a monthly budget, our guide to a weekly shop in Prague shows how to price your own basket.

A fair way to compare is to price the same ten items on two services and a supermarket's shelf, then add delivery. Do it once, then you know.

Reading Czech food labels

Even in an English interface, labels on packaging are in Czech. Two phrases matter. Spotřebujte do means use by, and applies to fast-spoiling food such as chilled meat and fish. Minimální trvanlivost do means best before, and is a quality date rather than a safety date. Eggs, dry goods and tins fall in the second group.

Chilled goods arrive in cool boxes, and the courier should hand them over promptly. Put them in the fridge before unpacking anything else. If an item arrives damaged or past its date, report it through the app on the same day, with a photo. Reputable services credit or replace, and the consumer rights that cover online purchases apply (see the Czech Trade Inspection Authority, ČOI, for how they work).

Alcohol, age checks and special items

Alcohol is sold online by many shops, and the courier may ask for ID on delivery. Sales to under-18s are not allowed, so have a document ready. Our guide to the drinking age in Czechia explains the rules.

For dietary needs, such as vegan, gluten-free or lactose-free food, use the site's filters and read the ingredients on the product page. Our guides to gluten-free eating and vegan food in Prague list the Czech terms to look for.

When delivery makes less sense

If you live a minute from a supermarket and shop daily, delivery adds fees you do not need. It earns its place when you work irregular hours, share a flat without a lift, buy heavy items (water, tins, cat litter) or plan a big shop around a visit. Many people mix the two: delivery for the bulk, a nearby shop for fresh bread and the milk you forgot.

Frequently asked questions

Does Rohlik.cz work in English?

The site and app offer English as an option alongside Czech, but product labels and packaging are in Czech.

Do I need to be home for the delivery?

Usually yes, or a neighbour or concierge who can take chilled goods. Check the shop's missed-delivery policy.

Can I order alcohol?

Many shops sell it online, with an age check on delivery. You must be 18.

Is delivery cheaper than shopping in store?

Not necessarily once fees are added. Compare a basket on two services and in a supermarket, then decide.

Open one site, enter your address and see the slots. If the Saturday morning window is full, you have learned the main rule of Prague grocery delivery for free.