Glimpses of Prague

There are so many bars and pubs to visit in Prague, and some of them are worth taking a look at. In this post I will share a couple of places I recommend.

Not far from the Jiřího z Poděbrad metro station you can find Hrom do Police. This cellar restaurant is special as it sells beer from the Policka brewery. Right now the dark Eliška beer is available. This is a wonderful seasonal beer that it is worth checking out.

I usually spend some time at U Sadu while in Prague. This excellent hospoda offers several good draught beers. Tanková Pilsner Urquell is a treat that usually can be found here. This is an unpasteurized version of the excellent golden lager from Plzen. At my last visit U Sadu offered the unfiltered version that is even better. That beer was only available as a Pilsner Urquell marketing campaign for a short period of time.

Also in Žižkov, at Tachovské náměstí, you will find U Slovanské Lípy. This great hospoda sells the magnificent beers from the Kout na Šumavě brewery.

These beers are not available in bottles, so my tip is to bring along a water bottle so they can fill it up for you with draught beer. The 10° and 12° lagers are worth drinking in your hotel room as well. Or any Kout na Šumavě beer, for that matter!

My friend Pivní Filosof released his great book on pub crawls in Prague earlier this year. If you go to Prague, it is a must! One of the pubs not mentioned in the book is called U Vodoucha. It opened after the book was published. The pub in Jagellonská street is in walking distance from U Slovanské Lípy. The beer philosopher brought me to the pub, and it was a treat. Here there was great beers and fine Czech food. I was lucky to find beers from the Berounský Medvěd brewery, and I fell in love with the fabulous 11° Zlatý Kůn beer. This golden lager had a fantastic taste of fresh hops, and I really blame myself for not visiting this pub again during my stay in Prague. I should have bought some PET bottles to take home from the pub.

A few minutes from U Vodoucha you will find Vinohradská street. There you can jump on tram number 11 going towards Spořilov. In Čestmírova street near the Náměstí Bratří Synků tram stop the fantastic Zlý Časy pub can be found. With 24 draught beers available, there is always an interesting beer to find.

Take the trip to Zlý Časy and enjoy some of the beers available. You will not regret it.

By the way: Since my visit to Prague this Spring, the herna bar at the Dejvická metro has been closed down. That is a pity, as I liked having a half litre of Rychtář golden lager on my way to or from Prague airport. The pub was a dive, but the beers were good.

Double Rychtář

Back at Dejvická metro station in Prague, it was time to check out both the Rychtář beers available at the herna bar. The bar opens at 10AM, and I was one of the first guests. None of them had started smoking for the day, so it was a pleasant experience early in the day.

Rychtář's 12° golden lager (right) is a beer that I have tasted earlier at the Dejvická herna bar. It is a pleasant beer grains and malt in the nose and a malty taste before a finish with grapes and hops. Rychtář's 14° golden lager (left) is a stronger beer with a touch of white wine feeling in the mouth. It is a nice and somewhat strong lager with a fuller body, but I prefer the 12° lager. It is both better in taste and much more sessionable.

The Dejvická herna bar is a nice place for a last or first beer in Prague. Both Rychtář beers available are good, but the 12° golden lager is a gem that most travellers to Prague never get to try as they pass this herna bar in a hurry on their way to the airport or the city centre. My recommendation is to use the time at Dejvická to cool down and enjoy a Rychtář beer before heading into town or the airport.

Metro beer

I have walked past the herna bar at Dejvická metro station in Prague many times. Usually I have been busy trying to get to the airport, so there has been no time to check it out. Herna bars also have a bad reputation in the tourist guide books, and they usually sell beers that do not tempt me like Gambrinus or Staropramen.

The Dejvická herna bar is different. It sells draught beer from the Rychtář brewery. I have earlier tasted Rychtář's Natur, and that was a good experience. Therefore I took the time to enter the herna bar on my last visit to Prague. Inside, the herna bar is like many pubs all over the world. It has wooden tables, TV screens, slot machines and a bar. It is also a bookmaker there, so it is possible to play the Czech pools or have a bet or two while drinking a beer.

I sat down at the bar and ordered a 12° golden lager. The waitress was quick to give me a beer with some carbonation and a large and lasting head. I enjoyed this Rychtář beer. It had grains and malt in the nose, while the taste was malty with a touch of grapes before a hoppy finish. This was a very good lager beer, and it is one to be recommended. I know I will stop for a half litre or two of Rychtář the next time I am at Dejvická metro.