Where to Eat Traditional & Cheap Czech Food in Prague? (Honest Guide)

HONEST GUIDE

10 Oct 202109:08

Summary

TLDRThis video offers a culinary tour of Prague, highlighting affordable Czech traditional food options. Starting at Winslow Square, the guide explores a budget-friendly cafeteria with diverse meal choices under 5 euros. The tour continues to hidden gems near Old Town Square, featuring a cozy pub serving hearty lunches for around 4.3 euros. The guide also visits a historic restaurant on Old Town Square, explaining the daily menu concept and offering a taste of traditional Czech dishes. Finally, a local bakery is showcased for quick, inexpensive bites. The video concludes with a tip on Czech tipping etiquette, encouraging viewers to enjoy and support local cuisine.

Takeaways

🍽️ The video provides recommendations for traditional Czech food in Prague, catering to different budgets.
📍 The first location introduced is a cafeteria near Winslow Square, offering a variety of dishes at affordable prices.
💶 The cafeteria is cash-only and offers meals for around 4.7 to 5 euros.
🌟 The video rates the food, atmosphere, location, and price on a scale of 0 to 10, with 10 being the best.
🏠 A hidden gem, U chervaného Hubu by the Red Peacock, is highlighted for its good food and beer at even lower prices than the cafeteria.
🍲 Goulash with dumplings is recommended as a must-try dish at the hidden gem.
🏛️ The video also features a restaurant, Minso, located near Old Town Square, with a historical background as a minting coin office.
🍖 Secana meatloaf is a recommended dish at Minso, which is part of the daily menu offered during lunchtime.
🥪 For quick bites, a bakery in downtown Prague is recommended, known for its khalabic (open-faced sandwiches) and sweet treats.
💳 Payment options vary by location, with some places accepting card payments and others being cash-only.
💰 Tipping in the Czech Republic is customary, with a 10% tip being the norm, and rounding up the bill for ease of change is a local practice.

Q & A

What is the first place recommended for traditional Czech food in Prague?
-The first place recommended is a cafeteria located in Winslow Square, downtown Prague, where you can find pork with spinach and dumplings among other choices.
How much does a meal typically cost at the cafeteria in Winslow Square?
-A meal at the cafeteria in Winslow Square costs around 4.7 to 5 euros.
What is special about the cafeteria in Winslow Square?
-The cafeteria is a workers-class eatery that also attracts white collars and offers a wide variety of meal choices.
What is the name of the hidden gem restaurant near Old Town Square?
-The hidden gem restaurant near Old Town Square is called U chervanéhoho Huberta, also known as 'by the Red Peacock'.
What is the price range for a meal at U chervaného Huberta?
-A meal at U chervaného Huberta is even cheaper than the cafeteria, costing around 4.3 euros.
What is the significance of the name 'Minsovna' for the restaurant near Old Town Square?
-The name 'Minsovna' translates to 'mint' because it was a minting coin office in the late 17th century, and the restaurant's decor reflects this history with coins hanging on the walls.
What is the 'daily menu' or 'menu' in Czech restaurants?
-The 'daily menu' or 'menu' in Czech restaurants refers to a set of meals offered at lower prices from 11 AM to 2 PM on working days.
What is the nickname for the meal 'secana' at Minsovna restaurant?
-The meal 'secana' is nicknamed 'sakacha', which translates to 'lawn mower' in English.
What is a 'khalabic' and where can you find it in Prague?
-A 'khalabic' is an open-faced sandwich, a traditional Czech food, and it can be found at a bakery in downtown Prague.
How much does a quick bite at the bakery in downtown Prague cost?
-A quick bite at the bakery, including a khalabic and a sweet treat, costs less than 4 euros, specifically 3.78 euros.
What is the tipping culture in the Czech Republic?
-In the Czech Republic, it's common to tip around 10%, and it's helpful to round up the bill to make it easier for change, such as giving 400 crowns for a 365 crown bill.

Outlines

00:00

🍽️ Discovering Budget-Friendly Czech Cuisine in Prague

The narrator addresses one of the most common questions asked by travelers in Prague: where to find traditional Czech food at reasonable prices. The video will explore a variety of options, including budget-friendly meals, quick bites, and hidden gems. The journey starts in downtown Prague at Winslow Square, where they visit a worker's cafeteria offering a meal of pork with spinach and dumplings for about 4.7 to 5 euros. Although the cafeteria only accepts cash, an English menu is available. The narrator rates the food, location, and atmosphere a 10 out of 10 and highlights the affordable beer prices.

05:00

📍 Exploring Hidden Gem: U Červeného Páva

Moving from the busy Wenceslas Square to a lesser-known street, the video introduces a hidden restaurant, U Červeného Páva (By the Red Peacock), frequented by locals for its affordable meals. At just 4.3 euros, the meals are even cheaper than the cafeteria. The narrator’s friend tries the goulash with a variety of dumplings, praising it as one of the best goulashes they've ever had. The video highlights that despite Prague's reputation for overpriced meals, you can still find affordable local options in the city center if you know where to go.

🍻 Enjoying Traditional Czech Food at Restaurant Mincovna

Located on Old Town Square, Restaurant Mincovna offers traditional Czech food, such as sekaná (meatloaf). The narrator explains that Czech restaurants often offer a daily menu of cheaper meals from 11 AM to 2 PM, but the daily menu at Mincovna is only in Czech. Regular menus in English are available later in the day. The meal, nicknamed 'lawn mower' and 'pickle,' is a humorous highlight. The narrator and their friend enjoy the hearty meatloaf and discuss the affordability of meals even in central Prague.

🥪 Sampling Czech Open-Faced Sandwiches at a Local Bakery

After leaving the restaurant, the narrator visits one of the few remaining traditional bakeries in downtown Prague, known for its open-faced sandwiches called 'chlebíček.' The bakery also offers sweet treats like 'větrník' and 'pink Indian,' which the narrator enjoys. They mention that everything costs under 4 euros and can be paid for with a card. The pastries are delicious but very sweet, and the narrator humorously notes that they are struggling to finish due to the large amount of food they’ve already eaten that day.

👍 Final Thoughts and Tipping Etiquette in Czech Republic

The narrator wraps up the video by expressing how full they are and asking viewers to comment on their favorite places or past experiences in Prague. The video showcases a variety of dining options, from a budget cafeteria to a hidden gem and a restaurant on Old Town Square, all of which are reasonably priced. The narrator also explains Czech tipping etiquette, where it’s customary to round up the bill for easier change, and mentions that tipping around 10% is the norm. The video ends with the hope of seeing viewers in Prague soon.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Prague

Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. It is renowned for its rich history, stunning architecture, and vibrant cultural scene. In the video's context, Prague serves as the backdrop for exploring traditional Czech food. The script mentions various locations within Prague, such as Wenceslas Square and Old Town Square, which are significant landmarks and areas where the recommended eateries are situated.

💡Czech Traditional Food

Czech traditional food refers to the cuisine native to the Czech Republic, characterized by hearty and flavorful dishes often incorporating meat, potatoes, and dumplings. The video's main theme revolves around discovering and recommending places in Prague where travelers can enjoy authentic Czech meals. Examples from the script include 'pork with spinach and dumplings' and 'goulash with variety of dumplings,' showcasing the diversity within Czech cuisine.

💡Budget Options

Budget options refer to affordable dining choices that cater to travelers looking for cost-effective meals without compromising on quality or taste. The video emphasizes budget-friendly eateries in Prague, with mentions of meal prices such as 'around 4.7 maximum 5 euros' and '4.3 euros for a meal,' indicating the affordability of the recommended places.

💡Downtown Prague

Downtown Prague typically refers to the central areas of the city, which are bustling with activity and rich in historical and cultural significance. The script guides viewers to various food spots located in downtown Prague, such as Winslow Square and Old Town Square, highlighting the accessibility and convenience for travelers exploring the city.

💡Cafeteria

In the context of the video, a cafeteria is a type of eatery that offers a wide range of food options, often at lower prices. The script describes a cafeteria as a 'workers class cafeteria' where one can find meals like 'pork with spinach and dumplings' for a reasonable price, emphasizing the affordability and variety of food available.

💡Hidden Gem

A hidden gem refers to a lesser-known but valuable or delightful place, often a local favorite. The video introduces 'Uchervanejo by the Red Peacock' as a hidden gem, tucked away in a tiny street, which offers a cozy atmosphere and good food at affordable prices, adding an element of discovery and local insight to the dining experience.

💡Goulash

Goulash is a rich meat stew that is a popular dish in Central Europe, particularly in the Czech Republic and Hungary. In the video, goulash is mentioned as one of the meal options at 'Uchervanejo by the Red Peacock,' where the presenter's companion chose it with a variety of dumplings, indicating its popularity and status as a traditional Czech dish.

💡Daily Menu

The daily menu, or 'menu' in Czech, refers to a set of meals offered at a reduced price during lunchtime in many Czech restaurants. The video explains how this system works, mentioning that the daily menu at 'Minson' restaurant is only in Czech but can be translated for English speakers, providing viewers with practical information for navigating local dining culture.

💡Secana Meatloaf

Secana meatloaf is a traditional Czech dish that is featured in the video as part of the daily menu at the 'Minson' restaurant. The script describes it as a meal that comes with pickles, nicknamed 'nakhladacha' or 'beating,' adding a humorous touch and cultural insight into local food names and their meanings.

💡Khalabic

Khalabic, also known as an open-faced sandwich, is a type of quick bite that is highlighted in the video as a typical Czech food. The presenter visits a bakery in downtown Prague to showcase this affordable and popular snack, which is part of the local food culture and represents the variety of options available for travelers on a budget.

Highlights

Introduction to finding budget-friendly traditional Czech food in Prague.

First stop: a worker's cafeteria near Wenceslas Square, serving pork with spinach and dumplings for around 4.7-5 euros.

Cafeteria only accepts cash but has an English menu available.

Food rating system: The cafeteria food gets a 10/10 rating for quality, price, and atmosphere.

Beer in Prague is very affordable, with prices as low as 29 crowns (about 1.2 euros) for half a liter.

Second stop: U Cerveneho, a hidden gem near Old Town Square offering lunch meals for around 4.3 euros.

Recommended dish at U Cerveneho is goulash with a variety of dumplings, which ranks among the top 10 goulashes tried.

Third stop: Restaurant Mincovna, located on Old Town Square, with a unique interior featuring historical coins from the 17th century.

Explanation of daily menus in Czech Republic restaurants: cheaper options available from 11 am to 2 pm on working days.

Dish at Mincovna: Secana meatloaf with a pickle, humorously nicknamed 'lawnmower' and 'beating.'

Quick bite at a local bakery near downtown Prague, featuring open-faced sandwiches (Chlebíčky) and sweets for under 4 euros.

A humorous take on the bakery's pink 'Indian' pastry, with personal stories about why one host picked it.

The hosts are full after visiting multiple food spots, asking viewers to comment on their favorite places from the episode.

Summary of the episode: from a cafeteria, a hidden gem, to a fancier restaurant—all offering reasonably priced, traditional Czech food.

Tipping in the Czech Republic: usual practice is to round up to make it easier for the server to return change, with an average tip around 10%.