Shopping and Eating in Prague, Czech Republic

Shopping and Eating in Prague, Czech Republic

Prague is one of the largest cities in the country of Czech Republic.

Shopping in Prague

The most popular thing to buy for tourists in Prague, the capital of Czech Republic described on Countryaah is shoes and crystal. In the Old Town you will find countless shops selling the world famous crystal from Bohemia (today’s Western Czech) at prices you can hardly dream of in Norway. You can get a huge chandelier with 20 candles with a diameter of more than one meter to NOK 8-10,000, and then you will be refunded the VAT at the airport. Most people settle for a bowl or a set of wine or champagne glasses.

The area at the bottom of Vaclavska Namesti is teeming with large shopping centers, and in the streets of Na Prikope and Narodni you will find all the well-known department stores and brand shops.

The Czechs are very happy with puppet shows, and you will see many shops selling puppet puppets of all shapes and sizes. Be aware that a real puppet doll costs thousands of dollars, and that most stores sell cheap copies.

On weekdays, most stores in Prague defined by AbbreviationFinder are open from 8am. 0900 to 1800 or later. Saturdays, some of the shops close a little earlier. Sundays are mostly closed everywhere.

Remember that you pay more than 15% VAT in the Czech Republic, and on all purchases over 2000 CZK, or approx. 500 NOK, you can get a refund of the VAT on departure. Not every business practices this scheme, so look for the Tax Free Shopping badge at the entrance if you are going to buy some more expensive items and bring a completed and stamped form and receipt.

Eating in Prague

Food in Prague, Czech Republic

The Czechs are not exactly best known for their contribution to the world’s haute cuisine. The local, traditional dishes are dominated by pork, sauerkraut and dumplings with beer. Since they have no coastline, fish and other seafood are among the exceptions. Trout is considered Christmas food.

However, Prague is developing rapidly, something it has long been, and the desire for innovation and the desire to learn from others is great. You will find more and more restaurants that combine traditional with modern Europe. And it often tastes very good!

But beer can the Czechs, and no one drinks more beer than them. Czech beer has a very long history, and the oldest breweries are around 900 years old. The biggest and most popular brands are Budvar, Gambrinius and Urquell. Budvar has been adopted by the Americans and renamed Budweiser, which is today one of the world’s most famous beer brands. The American variant is considerably lighter and lighter than the original.

And beer is reasonable in Prague ; at the local squatters outside the tourist areas you get a fresh foaming pint for a fifth, while on the outdoor restaurants on Gamlebytorget you need up to around 20-30 kroner.

The Czech wine is not so well known in Scandinavia, but it is relatively popular both in the Czech Republic and neighboring countries.

Some selected restaurants in Prague

Of the better and most popular restaurants in Prague that serve Czech cuisine, we can mention V Zatisi, which is located in a cobbled side street at Betlemska Square in the Old Town. We recommend that you book a table in advance. V Zatisi is open for lunch, 1200 – 1500 and dinner 1730 – 2300 every day of the week. The address is Liliová 216/1, 110 00 Staré Město.

Cheaper and perhaps more authentic Czech is U Zlateho Tygra or “The Golden Tiger”, in Husova 228/17 Stare Mesto (Old Town). The place serves Czech home cooking and has for years been a favorite of the locals. Opening hours for U Zlateho Tygra are 1500 to 2300 every day of the week. The place has once been visited by former US President Bill Clinton, and we understand the president well, get food and beverages of high quality.

A third classic is the brewery, beer hall and restaurant U Fleku, located in Kremencova 11 in Nove Mesto (Nybyen). Here you should not expect a quiet and tranquil meal, because here is life and stir, cabaret and live folk. The brewery opened in 1499 just a few years after America was discovered. Opening hours are 1000 to 2300 every day of the week.

Restaurant Eska

A modern and stylish restaurant located in the Karlin area northeast of downtown Prague is the restaurant Eska, (see picture first in the article). Here you will find a large open kitchen on the ground floor and a pleasant atmosphere in a casual restaurant on the second floor. Eska serves reasonably priced gourmet food and puts its soul in you to enjoy it. Here you can also get the food accompanied by well-composed wine menus.

A twist the restaurant Eska offers is that two pieces share a 5 course with recommended wine menu. With 5 dishes you will be satisfied anyway, and that makes the price really nice too. The food and wine are often short-traveled and organic, combining traditional Czech with modern Europe. Very tasteful.

Restaurant Eska is located in Pernerova 49, northeast of Prague, more specifically in the Karlin area. You can get maps here and read reviews of restaurant Eska. Opening hours are normally 0900 to 2330 every day of the week.

Special tips about restaurants in Prague

Near the Charles Bridge you will find a so-called Garden restaurant called Hergetova Cihelna. The food is varied and good, and the view you can enjoy on a warm and sunny evening is unforgettable. Alternatively, visit Hergetova Cihelna for a Sunday brunch. Hergetova Cihelna is open from 1130 to 0100 week throughout. The address is Cihelná 2b.

Café culture in Prague,

The café culture in Prague is not much left for the one you, for example. finds in Vienna, (Austria). The itinerary everyone recommends a tour of some of the classic cafes found in the center of Prague. Here you get high-class food, drinks, cakes and desserts, served by white-shirted waiters and neckties. And the prices are very pleasant compared to Norway, here too. We recommend the following places:

Café Imperial

For Café Imperial northeast of downtown, i the range Florenc. The address is Na Poříčí 15. A great stop if you plan to visit the New Jewish Cemetery or shop in Karlin.

Café Imperial is open from 0700 to 2300 every day and offers a wonderful Art Deco interior. And both food and drink hold similar quality. If you are going to visit Imperial’s restaurant for a larger meal, we recommend that you dress up a bit (not shorts and t-shirts). By the way, we recommend that you do at all proper restaurants as well. It’s a little less stiff if you want to sit in the coffee corner of Café Imperial and enjoy a good cup of coffee or chocolate and eat a cake or salad.

Café Imperial is in the list of places frequented by Leo Janacek (composer) and Franz Kafka (author). The walls of Café Imperial date back to 1914. Here you will find maps and read reviews of Café Imperial in Prague.