Beer tasting heaven

There are some extraordinary tap rooms and restaurants in Prague if you are interested in beer. I have written about places like U Sadu, Kralovstvi, Prvni Pivni Tramway and Hrom do Police earlier, but when it comes to beer selection they are all beaten by U Prince Miroslava. U Prince Miroslava can be found two tram stops from the Radlicka metro station. It is possible to see the hospoda from the Laurova tram stop, which is less than 100 metres from the pub.

Inside there are two big rooms. In the first room you can find the bar where no less than 13 taps can be found in addition to one for Kofola, a Czech soft drink. The fun thing is that what beers that are sold is not constant. I visited U Prince Miroslava on five occations in early October. While some beers were available all the time, others changed from visit to visit.

First of all U Prince Miroslava is a place for beers from Svijany, Primator and Opat breweries. The most common beers in the Czech Republic, Gambrinus and Pilsner Urquell, are also available. On all my visits I could drink stout, weizen and pale ale from Primator. From Svijany Maz, Kníže and Kvasničák were available, while Opat were represented with among others their pepper beer.

I did not try all beers that were available at U Prince Miroslava during my visits, but I tried some of them. There were even some beers that I tried several times.

My favourite was Primator Stout. That was a very pleasant beer, and I would love to do a comparison with an Irish stout. I guess this Czech beer without problems can go head to head with Guinness or Murphy's. The Primator Stout was a black beer served in a large glass. It has a large whitish head and nearly no carbonation. This was a bitter stout with a lot of coffee notes. I would have preferred it creamier, but in all an excellent beer.

Svijany's kvasnicove, Kvasničák, had also little carbonation, but it was served with a large and thick head. The beer was sweet with yeast tones. I liked it a lot, and it is one of the better kvasnicove beers I have been drinking.

Svijany Kníže had a large head. It tasted much more bitter than the kvasnicove and other Svijany beers I have tasted. I prefer other offers from Svijany than this one. By the way, it tasted better at U Prince Miroslava than at U Bejvalejch Vyndanejch.

My first beer from Opat was their pepper beer. There was pepper in the nose, and the pepper was clearly present in the mouth as well. I liked it as a novelty, but it will not be something I will actively seek out.

I also tried Opat Bitter. It was an OK beer, but I felt it was more or less the pepper beer without pepper. Try it if you want to, but U Prince Miroslava has better offers than this.

On my last visits there had been changes in the beer line-up. Among others U Prince Miroslava now offered lagers from Bernard and Rohozec and a amber lager from Herold. I tried the Rohozec lager, and I found it quite refreshing. This was a pale lager with lemon in the nose. There was a large head and little carbonation. In the mouth the lemon was there again together with some pleasant maltiness. A nice lager, by all means.

There was also food to be had at U Prince Miroslava. One day I tried smažený syr, fried cheese. On the side I had Czech potato pancakes, bramboráčky, and some salad. That was a great fast food snack with beer.


Another snack I tried was Nakládaný hermelín or marinated cheese. I have never tried that before, and found it very good together with a lager beer.

Utopence, pickled sausage with onions, was also great. I liked the sausage a lot.

U Prince Miroslava is one of my favourite hospodas in Prague, and I enjoyed visiting. The two young and blonde waitresses from my first visits were very good at their job, and had a smile while doing their work. They were also very efficient.

On my last visits two other waitresses were at work. The service was now slower and I missed the smiles from the blondes. A smile brights your day, and it also makes a visit at U Prince Miroslava better.

Prague delight

There are bars and pubs that end up among your favourites, My favourite in Prague is U Sadu, which can be found in the Zizkov neighbourhood.

U Sadu has the feeling of a local pub in Britain. People come and go, but after visiting several times you see some of the same faces. Inside there are several rooms for the guests, but the really interesting part is the interior. Everywhere you can find tools and machinery, and some of it is hanging down from the ceiling. There is never a dull moment while looking at it. It is also possible to watch sports at U Sadu. There are screens in the pub, and I have watched some football games there. The opening hours at U Sadu are unsual. U Sadu opens at 8 AM and closes at 4 AM. In the weekends it opens at 9 AM. Thus there is plenty of time for a quick pint more or less at any time.

In Summer there are tables outside, and I have had many well draughted half litres of beer sitting there. There is not much traffic in the square next to U Sadu, and it is nice sitting outside in a quiet corner of Prague.

Pilsner Urquell and Gambrinus are the beers that most people drink at U Sadu. Fortunately the Pilsner Urquell served is the tankova version. But there are more beers to be found. U Sadu also sells the two darker Master beers and Svijany Maz. Wheat beer connoiseurs will also be happy, as U Sadu also offers the excellent Primator weizen from tap.

When I was in Prague last month, there was also a new beer available. U Sadu sold draughted Jezek. I really liked this sweeter lager beer, as it was very drinkable in the warm weather. I do not know if Jezek will stay as one of the usual U Sadu draughted beers, as it may be part of a rotating tap system where they change beers now and then. In the meantime Jezek is a nice alternative.

I have spent many days at U Sadu, and I will be back. Excellent service, good food and a nice selection of beers make U Sadu a great hospoda in Prague.

Memories of Prague

I have written about Prague several times in this blog. Prague has become a favourite destination for me, and in a week I will be back in the Czech capital. The first time I was in Prague, was in 2006. I immediately fell in love with the city, and I have spent several vacations there since then. The architecture is fascinating, the city has many exciting sights to be seen - and (of course) there are many great beers to be found there. I will share some of my memories from Prague with these photographs.

The Meduzzy restaurant.

My first meal in the Czech Republic was at the Meduzzy restaurant at the Ujezd street. It was a Summer night after arriving late at the Prague airport. I can not remember what I ate, but they sold Budvar lager beer. Tasting Budvar from tap was extremely nice, and these days Budvar lager is still a favourite. Unfortunately I have not found Budvar for sale in any shops in Norway this year, so I have a craving for the golden lager these days.

Gambrinus and Pilsner Urquell.

My first days in Prague were spent in the tourist areas, where prices are much higher than in the residental parts of the Czech capital. Therefore I followed a good advice and had a tram ride out of the town centre. I ended up at Belohorska street near the Pyramida hotel. There I found the U Zelene Brany restaurant.

U Zelene Brany in January 2009.

U Zelene Brany is not the fanciest restaurant. It served Pilsner Urquell and Gambrinus from tap, and it also had some nice meals on the menu. I remember paying 150 Czech korunas for two dishes and below 30 Czech korunas for a half litre of beer.

Czech Goulash with dumplings from U Zelene Brany.

The food was tasty, and I enjoyed it very much. I also enjoyed sitting on the restaurant's porch on the warm Summer day with a nice draughted Pilsner Urquell. This was also my first taste of the Czech variant of dumpling, knedliky. I liked them a lot, but I also found them very filling.


Czech cuisine is to my liking. Many talk about bland courses, but I disagree. I like pork, and roasted pork with sauerkraut or pork knuckle are among my favourites. I am also fond of the Czech smazeny syr (fried cheese) and the pickled sausages served as beer snacks at many pubs and bars. In Prague I also have eaten a lot of duck dishes. Roasted duck is a favourite for me, and sometimes I prefer the Czech duck courses.

The Tiantan restaurant.

There are also many Chinese restaurants in Prague. I like Chinese food, and I have very often had lunch at various Chinese restaurants. One of my favourite Chinese restaurants is called Tiantan, and it is opposite Meduzzy in the Ujezd street. They serve draughted Pilsner Urquell, and I have always felt that the waiters have shown very good service.

The Charles bridge.

Being a tourist in Prague, it is also important taking a look at the sights. The Charles bridge is of course a must. But I also like to jump on a tram and ride somewhere at random. Now and then I have found nice restaurants or bars, and it is always nice looking at the houses and the streets.

Also in Prague: Modern architecture near the Haje metro station.

There are shopping centres and malls all over Prague. The largest ones can be found at the metro's terminus stations like Cerny Most, Letnany or Zlicin. I have also been to nice malls at the metro stations Andel and Flora. For a beer tourist the malls often have supermarkets or hypermarkets with a good selection in beers.

A great bargain for a good beer. Klaster lager at less than 0.25 Euros for a half litre!

Prague is a recommended destination for any beer lover, and the city has also much more to offer.

A popular sight: The astronomical clock in the Old Town Square.

And within a week I am back in Prague!

Czeched out at home

After several visits to Prague and the Czech Republic, I feel that Czech lager beers are among the best in the world. Sitting at home and thinking of delicious Kout na Sumave lagers or fresh Budvar or unpasteurized Pilsner Urquell brings back great memories. Some of those memories can be revived at home, as a few of the Czech beers are also available here in Norway.

Various beers at a Coop Mega supermarket in Norway. Among the international brands, you can see Czech lager beers like Starobrno and Pilsner Urquell.

The first time I tasted a Czech beer, was in England in 1990. A pub in Scarborough sold Pilsner Urquell from bottles. I liked the lager beer and had several bottles that evening. Later I found Pilsner Urquell now and then at the stately Norwegian Vinmonopolet outlet. Later Urquell also was available outside Vinmonopolet in ordinary shops, and at times I also found Budweiser Budvar here and there.

Pilsner Urquell is sold in both half litre cans and 0.33 litre bottles in Norway.

These days it is easy to get hold of some Czech lagers here in Norway. Pilsner Urquell is sold in many supermarket chains, and in my opinions this is one of the best lager beers. I really enjoy that hoppy taste. Urquell is a tasty lager beer and fortunately it lacks the sugary distinctions that I did not like with the Spanish lagers I had in Tenerife. Poured in a glass, Pilsner Urquell has a golden colour, a large head and little carbonation.

Gambrinus is only sold in half litre bottles in Norway.

Urquell's beer colleague from Plzen, Gambrinus, is sold in the Rema 1000 shops together with Bernard lager. Gambrinus lacks the bitterness and hoppyness of Pilsner Urquell, but it has nearly the same golden colour. Just like Pilsner Urquell, Gambrinus has little carbonation and a large head.

Bernard lager in green bottles - but without the trademark swing tops
as found in the Czech Republic.

Bernard is the odd one out. This is a lager beer that I thought I would never find in Norway's largest supermarket chain. But it is there! This is a malty lager with as good as no visible carbonation. In the glass it is presented with a large head and a brownish character in the colour. The beer is unpasteurized, which is quite uncommon among beers sold in Norwegian supermarkets. I like Bernard, and together with Pilsner Urquell, these are the lager beers I usually buy these days.

Starobrno is called "Czech traditional lager" on the bottle label.

Here and there I can also find Starobrno in 0.33 liter bottles. In a glass the colour is somewhat pale. The Starobrno lager is sweeter than the other Czech lager beers sold in Norway, but some hops and bitterness makes it a nice alternative. My wife likes this beer better than Bernard and Pilsner Urquell, but she prefers Gambrinus to Starobrno.

Dark lager from Staropramen.

Staropramen is the big brewery from Prague. Here in Norway Staropramen's pale lager beer is not available, but I can find their dark lager in some shops. Staropramen cerny is nearly black and it tastes fresh with some caramel notes. In my opinion this is much better than Staropramen's pale lagers, but I have tasted Czech dark lagers that are better than this. Kout na Sumave comes immediately to mind.

Budweiser Budvar is returning to Norwegian shops later this year!

Unfortunately Budweiser Budvar is not available in Norwegian shops these days, but that will change. According to a friend who has contacted the importers, the Norwegian ICA supermarkets will start selling Budvar in May. Hopefully more Czech lagers will follow. I would love to be able to buy Kout na Sumave's lagers now and then, and I would also appreciate some of the Svijany beers as well. And why not some offerings from for instance Primator?

Let us have Svijany in Norway, please!

Czech beers are very nice. If you have not tasted them, my recommendation is that you do it. And remember: Czech beers taste even better in the Czech Republic!

A short beer guide to Prague - part 3: Pub crawl

If you are in Prague, you may only have a few days to get to know the city. For a beer tourist, one of the evenings should be used on a pub crawl. Of course you can take part in one of the "official" pub crawls arranged by various travel companies. For instance it is possible to take part in such a pub crawl by joining a group in the Old Town Square every evening. How Czech such a pub crawl will be, is up to you to find out, but you will probably have fun together with some other fellow tourists. My advice is to try to find the real Prague. You may find it in Zizkov, where taprooms and hospodas abound.

The Prague TV tower is a real landmark.

Take the metro to Jiriho z Podebrad, and off you go. First of all you must not miss the TV tower. It is extremely easy to find, and if you go upstairs you will have a magnificent view of Prague. Then it is time for this pub crawl, which can take you to 10 different places. Some are taprooms, some are restaurants and there is also one optional outdoor beer garden. This pub crawl will give you an opportunity to taste several Czech beers - and there will also be possibilities for some food along the way.

After seeing the TV tower, you must go to the street on the southside, Ondrickova. Turn right and walk to the first taproom. This is a Tipsport herna bar on your left hand side.

Tipsport is a real herna bar. If this is truth in advertising, I do not know.
The two times I have been there, there has
not been any topless dancing.

Herna bars are infamous in Prague, but that does not mean that you should avoid them. Tipsport seems somewhat nice (and smoky), and if you fancy playing the Czech pools or having a round on the gambling machines, you could do that now. The reason for this place to be included in this pub crawl is that they serve Gambrinus. Sure, some people do not like Gambrinus 10° pale lager, but it is better than a lot of the leading lagers in several European countries. As this is the bestselling lager in the Czech Republic, it will be a good reference beer for the whole pub crawl. The price at Tipsport is also more than affordable. 21 CZK for half a litre.


After Tipsport you continue down Ondrickova until you turn into the Slavikova street on the right. Walk down the first block, and you will find Buon Giorno pizzeria. Maybe it is time for a meal? Then this pizzeria sells OK pizzas and other Italian courses at reasonable prices. But you are not there for food. Buon Giorno sells Bernard lager from tap. This is a good beer with a lot of malty taste, and it will give you something completely different than the Gambrinus at Tipsport. Which is your favourite? Find out before you continue.

Buon Giorno sells both Bernard and Stella Artois beer. If you go to the
Czech Republic to drink Belgian beer, please try Stella. My
recommendation is that you take another
glass of Bernard.

From the pizzeria you continue walking north through Slavikova. When you reach the corner with the Chinese restaurant, you may want to enter. If you did not eat any Italian food at Buon Giorno, you have the possibility to try some great noodle or rice courses. I can recommend the duck meals. They are great, and you can combine them with some excellent Budweiser Budvar beer from tap. Afterwards you turn right down Krkonosska into the square called Skroupovo Namesti. There you will find my favourite hospoda in Prague, U Sadu.

This is U Sadu. Do not miss out on it. In Summer there are
also tables on the street, by the way.

U Sadu is a great place, and I will write more about it in a later post. It is worth while visiting. Here you can find great food, and the prices are also reasonable. On tap you can find among others beers like Pilsner Urquell, Gambrinus, Svijany 11°, the excellent Primator wheat beer and the two Master beers from Pilsner Urquell. Take one glass of Pilsner Urquell and enjoy the unpasteurized tankova version.

Excellent Pilsner Urquell at U Sadu.

If you fancy more beer at this time, you should also try the Primator beer. This is a kvasnicove (yeast beer), and will give you a different beer experience. It is simply delicious. If time (and beer consume) allows, you can also try one (or two) of the Master beers. They are darker and stronger than the other beers on tap, so you may save them for another day.

Primator's wheat beer is a treat. Please give it a try. If you enjoy it,
you will be thankful that you did not refuse the chance to taste it.

From U Sadu you walk north down Sevcikova. Turn right down Krizkovskeho. On the left hand side you pass Palac Akropolis. There may be an interesting concert that you want to check out, but you walk down the street until you find Kralovstvi on your right.

The hole in the wall also known as the nice hospoda Kralovstvi.

Kralovstvi is a real gem. The food is Moravian, and there are many interesting courses on the menu. But more important: You will find beer from the Cerna Hora brewery here. Try first their great 12° svetly lezak. That is a great beer.

But do not stop there. Try some of the other beers from Cerna Hora. They have several on tap - and also some in bottles.My advice is that you at least should taste Kvasar. This is a great beer with honey in it. Try it!

There are many taprooms and pubs on the hill down to
Seifertova. This picture is taken at Krasova street.

From Krizkovskeho you should walk down the hill to Seifertova. Which street you walk down is up to you. You will find several taprooms on the way, and they will give you opportunities to try beers from breweries such as Pilsner Urquell, Gambrinus, Svijany, Stella Artois, Staropramen and Bernard.

Turn left into Seifertova, and walk towards the tramstop. Near the stop you will find a little combined pizzeria and taproom selling Budweiser beer. Not the American one. Not the Budvar one. But the other one from Budweiser Bürgerbräu - often called Samson.

Budweiser Bürgerbräu straight from tap.
Please note the beautiful glass.

Budweiser Bürgerbräu tastes good, and in any other country it would be one of the leading lagers. In the Czech Republic it is in my opinion beaten by several other brands, but it is still a very good offering.

At this point in time it is time to move on. Get back onto Seifertova and walk up the hill with the soccer team Viktoria Zizkov's home ground on your right. Just up the street you will find a Chinese restaurant called Harmonie.

If you are hungry, Harmonie will stop your hunger with a good and varied Chinese menu. But you are there to try another beer brand. Harmonie serves Krusovice lager from tap. Like Budweiser Bürgerbräu this is not among the best offerings in the Czech Republic, but it is still a good beer.

Now it could be time to compare the beers you have tasted so far. Stop further up the hill at the Kure v hodinkach restaurant. They serve both Pilsner Urquell and Budweiser Budvar on tap together with Bernard. The food is also good, so this is a nice place to sit down.

Budweiser Budvar lager - a great offering
at Kure v hodinkach.

But you may be ready for something else. Instead of Kure v hodinkach on your right hand side, turn left into the Blahnikova street. On your right you will find the U Pizducha taproom.

U Pizducha is a little pub, but the prices and offerings are good. Here you can find Staropramen 10°, Svijany 11° and Breznak 10°. Try all - or just one. I recommend the Svijany. This is not the best beer from the brewery, but still it is a good one.

Svijany 11° at U Pizducha.

After this pub crawl, you may have had so much beer that it may be time to retire. If not I will recommend you to take the trip back up the hill again and enter the Riegrovy Sady park. There you will find an excellent beer garden.

Drinks (and food) can be found at two stalls. One serves Gambrinus and another stall serves Pilsner Urquell. If it is Summer this is an excellent place to stay into the night. There are always many people here, and the atmosphere is nice. It is easy to get in touch with other people at the beer garden, and you can always hear people speaking English there. Try it!

Riegrovy Sady - a great place in Summer.

This pub crawl will take some hours, but it is worth it. You get to try many Czech beers, and you will also find some pubs and taprooms outside the tourist route. Prices are very nice, and most places will serve you good Czech lagers at 30 CZK or less.