Everybody knows about the beer. Some know about the wine. But where Prague really punches way above its weight, it’s artisanal cocktails. (And specialty coffee - just see for yourself).
And after two plus years of covid that feel like twenty regular ones (btw, have you seen my hair? I seem to have lost it some time in 2020), we all need a drink. (If you’re reading this later on, this was written days after Mr Smith “slapped the sh*t out of” Mr Rock.) And in that sense, Prague delivers. So where do you go to have a drink? Just read below... and enjoy. (Another Prague’s hidden gem: our Prague food tours, of course. [End of shameless plug.])
What follows is a shortlist of what we think are…
The Best Bars in Prague
But first, a few general observations that apply to nearly all the good bars in Prague:
Why are cocktail bars in Prague so good? We think that it all boils down to what we’ve heard someone call the“Czechoslovak bar mafia”: a group of Czech and Slovak bartenders who headed some of the best cocktail bars in the world: Alex Kratena at the Tayer + Elementary, Mr Lorenz at Kwānt or Mr Tvaroh at Lounge Bohemia, all in London, or the Atlas Bar in Singapore, or Martin Hudak at Maybe Sammy in Sydney, among many others. These world-class bartenders have been continuously raising the bar of mixology around the world and - by extension and through friendships, internships and sharing of know-how - in Prague. As a result, Prague can boast mixology at a level that clearly offers more than the price tag would suggest.
That brings us to the second point: cocktail bars in Prague can offer some fantastic value. “…The quality of the drinks, service and ambience is not reflected in the price, which is way too low, but hey, that’s Czechia,” said Martin Zufánek, the most famous Czech distiller, in an interview he gave us for our Prague Foodie Map. (BTW, did you already get your copy?)
Reservations are generally a good idea. Bar-hopping? You may not get a seat in the best bars in town. Places like Hemingway Bar or Tretter's can get really crowded. Otherwise, walk-ins are fine in some of the bars listed.
Finally, Prague benefits from a friendly community of high-end bartenders who know, like and support each other. Everywhere you go, you can feel the respect bartenders have for each other. Again, Mr Zufánek says that the Prague bar scene is run by “a group of real aficionados who never stop learning and who are bound together by camaraderie and mutual support: when you finish a drink in one bar and tell the bartender what bar are you visiting next, they will say some like “oh, great place, say hi and enjoy!” You should take advantage of that.
Must-visit Bars in Prague
Hemingway Bar
Ask anyone in Prague what’s their three favorite bars in town, and Hemingway Bar will inevitably pop up. A medium-sized two-story bar, Hemingway Bar has been a local favorite for years. As the name suggests, the bar has a slight focus on rums but the seasoned professionals behind the bar will fix you a drink out of just about anything. The bar uses quality ingredients, with many bitters made in house, and the bartenders make sure you understand what goes into every drink and why. They use dried egg whites for their sours. Our suggestion? The Becher Bitter Sour, which highlights Becherovka, the most popular liquor of the country and one of the most popular Prague souvenirs.
Also, Hemingway Bar is THE place for Absinthe in Prague: the bartenders will explain all the possible varieties and the differences between them and tell you how you should drink it. Hemingway Bar is clearly very popular so get in early: the last time we were leaving at about 11pm, about a dozen people waited to get in on the street outside. The best seats? Top floor at the bar: just talk to the bartender, explain what alcohol and flavors you’re looking for, and enjoy the sight and the drink. The atmosphere is lively but a bit subdued: they like their rules at Hemingway Bar (there’s a list of them at each table), which smooths out all excessive behavior. Clearly one of the best bars in Old Town.
Parlour
Parlour is a tiny basement place in Krakovska street, a truly uninspired street just three minutes off the top of the Wenceslas Square. We would not blame you if you had a hard time finding it: out of all the Prague bars listed, this one truly fits the bill as a “hidden gem" and they don’t go out of their way to advertise they’re there. It is also fairly small: the bar sits about twenty max.
This is basically a community-forming place for local “philosophers of mixology”, as they sometimes call themselves (all of the few signature drinks they have are named after the regulars’ nicknames) where many of the radical decisions they’ve made were inspired by budget restrictions or the fact the two founders were reluctant for a long time to hire anyone else. But this “club” is very warm to the one-time visitor, and they have completely cut down on the slightly patronising approach to novices because somewhere along the way, they realized they needed to make some money, too. Sitting here is like sitting in your old-school friend's living room, if he or she also happened to have a big bar in it. Given these qualities, Parlour wins the prize as the place to visit if quiet contemplation is what you like with your drink. The soundtrack helps: usually jazz classics (think Kind of Blue by Miles Davis) spinning on the turntable. Simply said, if your want to party like it’s 1999, look elsewhere. (They also don’t accept reservations for larger groups.)
But the drinks are fantastic. (They served cocktails at our wedding. ‘Nuff said.) The owner-bartenders subscribe to the Japanese school of mixology and avoid all disturbances: no cherries, no lemons, preferably no egg whites, and… wait for it… almost no bitters. The bar is a great place if you want to get nerdy about cocktails. But their drinks are the best and cleanest in town in our book, and if you are a serious cocktails aficionado, you might find yourself coming back to Parlous every single night. (No, really, we have had guests who did exactly that.) Also, their use of and interest in vintage cocktail glasses reaches near-fetish levels. In short, one of the best places to go in Prague, regardless of category. Also, the fact that the owner-bartender is fluent in three languages and incredibly well-read and cultured helps, too.
American Bar at the Municipal House
After a few years of hiatus, the 2nd oldest cocktail bar in Europe has opened again in the basement of the Art Nouveau Municipal House under the auspices of one of Prague cocktail scene’s veterans, the venerable Mr Tretter of Tretter’s Bar fame. Honestly, if you’re seeing a concert in the Smetana Hall upstairs and don’t have a drink in the American Bar down in the basement, we can’t be friends. This is simply a must.
You’ll be excused if you take a million pictures even before you get to the door: the Art Nouveau interiors are simply stunning, and there’s barely a soul in the basement, so you’ll have plenty of time to nail the perfect Instagram shot. Inside you’ll find cocktail waitresses from the original Tretter’s Bar, and it’s special to see women and men with experience serve you drinks in a town where the bar (and food) scene is dominated by sometimes extreme levels of youth. The drinks are great, but it’s really all about the ambience and the atmosphere of the place that opened in 1912 and had remained nearly intact ever since. You’re basically mixing your booze addiction with culture and history, which is a great form of rationalising your drinking if you ask us. A must go.
Other Favorite Bars in Prague
L'Fleur
L’Fleur has become so popular over the years it had to swap places with its bigger sister, the Steampunk bar. And no wonder: the owner, Mr Danihelka is one of the veterans of the Prague cocktail scene and one of the main importers of boutique Champagnes, focusing on the growers rather than the négociants. (If you know what that means, you should definitely go.) The interiors are geared towards the classic 1920s bar, incl. wooden panels and a stained window in the back. We’ve tried a few of their signature drinks and the flavors were great, and the friendly waiters explain all the drinks, including their history or motivation behind them. And they will fix you whatever you like, of course.
Over the years, L’Fleur has crossed over from the serious, sombre bar to a more approachable place accommodating to visitors of the infamous V Kolkovně street, with a modern soundtrack, some meals and the abolition of the seat boxes that offered more privacy to those who wanted it. But still, if you want a great cocktail, L’Fleur will deliver. And if you like bubbles and don’t mind spending on them, L’Fleur is the place to go for a splurge.
Liquid Office Bar
The hip Karlín district always lacked a good cocktail bar until now, when the good people behind the Cash Only Bar, the sister of Hemingway’s Bar that feel victim to covid shutdowns, decided to open a new bar in the Butterfly office building at the end of Pernerova street. So now you don’t need to take a cab back to town after you’ve just had dinner at Eska, located just a block away.
But there’s more to Liquid Office Bar than just evening drinks - the place is open nearly all day and boasts a respectable coffee program, with small dishes coming soon. Their drinks are smart and mostly pre-mixed and just finished on the spot. Their aged Negroni with local apricot brandy is a great local twist on the immortal classic. The space cannot disguise the fact it’s in a modern concrete-and-glass building, but the furniture taken over from Cash Only and the dim lighting schemes do their best. This is an absolutely great place when in the area.
Bonvivant’s Cocktail Tapas Café
Barely anyone now remembers the old Bonvivant’s in the Old Town, which had a loyal following thanks to the quality of drinks and the old-school vibe of both the decor and the white overcoat-clad bartenders... and that means that the new location in the Mánesova street in the Vinohrady district has caught on... and while way off the beaten track, it still has the loyal following of local residents.
Many features have remained - the entire decor has been dismantled and adapted to the new location, the bartenders still look like they came here through a time machine from the 1940s, and the soundtrack just reinforces that feeling. But the drinks don’t play second fiddle here: under the supervision of Tomáš, the manager/bartender, the display includes many Czech specialties and there is a clear inkling towards Czech and Slovak local ingredients. A great place to start, or end, your exploration of the Vinohrady district.
Schody Home Bar
Imagine you have a home bar. Maybe that globe that opens to reveal the booze. Or a cart full of liquor. Now imagine the bar actually comes with a professional bartender. And that’s exactly what Schody Home Bar is. Sure, they don’t have ALL the alcohol, but how much do you really need? Given the size and concept, the place feels super cosy and home-y, and the best part is the location: at the foot of the Lesser Town stairs that lead up to the Prague Castle. The bar is tiny and you have to be buzzed in, but the location is simply magical. We honestly can’t think of a better thing to do in the Lesser Town at night than just to wander around and then have a cocktail or two in this secluded space. Could be the best memory of your Prague stay.
Banker’s Bar
Banker’s Bar may be one of the youngest bars on this list, but you’d be fooled if you’d think it’s run by novices or amateurs. Instead, it was opened as a sister to La Casa de la Havana Vieja, one of the oldest bars in town. Designed as a bank vault, it retains a banking / stock market feel throughout. What we like about Banker’s Bar is that the drinks are rock solid and use great liquors. Sure, they do have a fairly extensive seasonal menu of their own originals, and we do like the drinks they make, but they can also fix you a classic drink with a wide array of choices for the alcohol. Which can also drive the cost fairly high: Jan once ordered a Boulevardier with a great whiskey and the drink ended up costing somewhere in the vicinity of USD 20. And it was worth every penny.
Additional pros include a great location near the “Dlouhá foodie central” (which includes La Degustation, Lokál, Naše maso or Bokovka), or their private room in the back that offers more privacy for larger groups. One last thing: the bar serves commented tastings of whiskey - standard or fancy bottles.
ANONYMOUS BAR and ANONYMOUS SHRINK’s OFFICE
With a strong “V for Vendetta” theme, secret menus and otherwise playful touches, Anonymous Bar may seem like a gimmick that lures in a younger audience in the Old Town’s Michalská street. Bat that would be incredibly unfair to a well-established and sophisticated bar that is one of the best in town. Being fun doesn’t have to mean you’re worse than anybody else. We took George Nemec’s Tour de Bar (which is awesome, btw) and Anonymous Bar was a surprising highlight of the entire event. So go, just expect to get involved into some playful interaction with the bartenders, the menu, or the space in general.
Also, check out their speakeasy in Jungmannova, called Anonymous Shrink’s Office, where the gimmickry is turned to eleven: the menu is a Rorschach test, where each ink blot represents a drink, so you choose based on your subconsciousness. Fun for one night, and the drinks are super solid. And no, you don’t have to talk about your mother. (Especially on a date!)
BUGSY’S Bar
Buy any Prague bartending veteran a drink and let them speak about their beginnings, and Bugsy’s will inevitable pop up somewhere in the story. Bugsy’s bar was undeniably the first artisanal cocktail bar in Prague when there were none other, and you have to respect that. It is a well oiled machine that may look flashy and glitzy on the outside, but on the inside, it’s really a wooden-clad old-timers cocktail bar that relies on rock-solid basics and is really the founding father of all the other bars around it. When it comes to looks, we feel it visually looks for inspiration in Singapore rather than NYC, but maybe that’s just us. Also, some “molecular” mixology is involved in here, along with a strong Champagne program.
Tretter’s
Calling Tretter’s a “meat market” would be a degrading label that would not give justice to a great cocktail program with a fairly long tradition and a strong base of signature drinks. But then again, it is totally a meat market. Critics say that the bar went down a bit since it was sold by the original owner, Mr Tretter (who now leads the American Bar in the Municipal House, see above), but it’s still a great choice if you’re looking to socialise in a more party-forward vibe.
