The interior of Červený Jelen restaurant
New restaurants open in Prague all the time, and though I'm a major foodie, it's impossible for me to try them all. Then the pandemic really put a dent in my dining lifestyle. But one new restaurant especially caught my eye – perhaps it was the very big, very red stag suspended between two buildings at the entrance to an alley near Prague’s Marriott Hotel – a location I pass by often. But I never got a chance to try it before things shut down. I did peer inside the windows once, though, as the red sculpture had drawn me in, but I never made it there for a meal. I put it on my list of places to try, though.
When travel to Prague finally began to resume, a friend from Switzerland who used to live in Prague visited, and we met for lunch at one of our favorite places, an old standby that we both love. She had already been in Prague for a few days when we met, so she’d been trying some of the many new restaurants that had appeared since she’d moved away. When we sat down for lunch at the old standby, we started talking about restaurants, and out of the blue she asked, “Have you been to Červený Jelen?” “No,” I said, “but it’s on my list.” She then added: “It’s great.” This only confirmed my hunch that it must be a pretty good place and moved it to the top of my list.
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If you know anything about beer – or even if you’re just someone who likes beer – you probably know that Czech beer is simply wonderful. In fact, many rate Czech beer as the best beer in the world. And if you’re planning to visit Prague, you’ve probably read about how good Czech beer is. The Charles Bridge? The Astronomical Clock? Prague Castle? No, beer is the REAL Czech national treasure!
In any case, if you’re a beer drinker, I would venture to say that you’ll love Czech beer. And many of my tour clients who are not beer drinkers at all want to at least try it when they visit, and even those non-beer drinkers say it’s “very good.” In this post, I’m going to tell you a few things about Czech beer and some of the best places to enjoy it when you’re in town.
Now that COVID-19 related entry restrictions for travelers to the Czech Republic have been suspended, I hope you’ve put Prague on your list of travel destinations for this year. And while you’re here, you will definitely want to try Czech food.
 You might know that in recent years Prague has become one of the top tourist destinations. That's because it's filled with architectural wonders and has centuries of rich history. But you might not know that Czech beer is also one of the country's national treasures. Czech beer is simply delicious, and the Czechs drink more beer per capita than any nation on earth. Don’t be surprised if you spot a few construction workers drinking it on their morning breaks! And Czech doctors routinely prescribe Pilsner Urquell to treat certain digestive disorders. As Gene Dietze points out in his popular memoir, “For the Love of Prague,” a Czech doctor insisted to him that a pint of beer or less per day is not considered alcohol, scientifically speaking. 
Pilsner urquell - king of Czech beers Many people (not just doctors) consider Pilsner Urquell (Plzeňský Prazdroj) to be the best Czech beer, or even the best beer in the world. It originates in the town of Pilsen, which is where we get the name "pilsner" from. Technically speaking, only beers brewed in Pilsen are allowed to call themselves pilsners, but the brewery gave up that loosing battle long ago. But they have not given up their time-honored tradition of brewing delicious beer. When you visit Prague (and most places in the Czech Republic), you will find Pilsner Urquell everywhere.  this bud's for you!Another famous – and probably one of the best – Czech beer brands is Budweiser (Budvar). Yes, you read that right – Budweiser originated here in the town of České Budějovice (Budweis in German). This Czech brewery alone among all others is still state owned – the government doesn’t want Anheuser-Busch to get its hands on this national treasure. For this reason (that is, the limited amount of funds a state-run enterprise has for things like distribution), it is relatively difficult to find a Budweiser here unless you’re close to the town of České Budějovice where it is brewed. But if you do find it, try it! It is very different from (and much better than) the American Bud.  Book a day trip to the pilsner urquell brewery in pilsen And Czech Budweiser is also very different from its main rival, Pilsner Urquell. The storied history of Pilsner Urquell is worth a trip to the town of Pilsen for a brewery tour. Because of its special fermentation process, this beer takes longer and costs more to make than other Czech beers. That’s also why it costs more than other beers. Still, given its amazing quality and taste, it is incredibly cheap by “western” standards (cheaper than bottled water – the Czechs would have it no other way). In any case, you’ll taste the difference. Czech microbrews? Yes, the microbrew trend has hit the Czech Republic, too, with great results. I'll tell you more in a future blog post, or you can learn more about this trend and all Czech beers in my Prague Restaurant Guide! It's available in both paperback and Kindle formats.  |
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AuthorI am an American who has been living in Prague for two decades. After a long career in international finance, I left the business world to pursue other interests. I now work as a writer, mentor and guide to the city. Archives
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