Prague local favorites

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Prague local favorites: Lokal Hamburk

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Prague local favorites: Lokal Hamburk

When Jan was small, he and his father used to visit the old Hamburk pub for Sunday lunches. It was not a beautiful place back then but then again, no pubs looked really that great in the 1980s under Communist rule. But Jan loved the maritime styling of the pub (referring, along with the pub’s name, to the fact that there was a river port with a direct connection to Hamburg nearby), with a big ship’s wheel under the ceiling as the main light in the room. It was a classic neighborhood pub with “regulars” hanging around the bar. A classic local pub of the Karlin district, a district with a “black soul”, the only “bad neighborhood” in town, a blue-collar worker, industrial neighborhood and a place when Jan’s father used to live.


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Prague local favorites: Botas 66

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Prague local favorites: Botas 66

The guests of our Prague food tours often ask us about souvenirs they should get from Prague. We think you have to be smart when it comes to buying souvenirs anywhere: it has to be something relatively small, something that will survive the journey in your luggage unharmed, and something that has a story behind it you can later tell your friends when you show off what you brought home. Botas 66 sneakers (or trainers for those reading this in the UK) meet all these criteria.


Prague local favorites: Muj salek kavy

Prague local favorites: Muj salek kavy

If we ever move to the Karlin district like we sometimes plan to, we’ll blame it on Muj salek kavy. The flagship cafe of the local Doubleshot coffee roasters single-handidly put Karlin back on the map and helped it turn into Prague’s Williamsburg that it is today. Why? Because the coffee is consistently good, and the place has a really nice, vibrant vibe. Oh, and are we the only ones who have noticed that their takeaway cups match the sizes of their porcelain cups? That is worth applause by itself. We don't want huge paper cuppa filled to the brink! We just want our regular coffee the way we like it! And yes, we're talking to you, the rest of the Prague coffee scene.


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Prague local favorites: Hemingway Bar

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Prague local favorites: Hemingway Bar

We are not uncovering a secret hidden gem here: Hemingway Bar is arguably the most popular bar in town, and also one of the best ones. Getting in past 9pm when the bar stops taking reservations can take some time, but the wait is worth it: the bar is a great place to drink those woes away with class and distinction. (If you can't get in right away, just sign in. There's lots to do in the area.) It is also a fairly adult place that does focus on mixology. If you're in need of a meat market, look elsewhere. Order something from the cocktail menu, get a sample of their wide selection of rums, or just tell the bartenders what you fancy. And then just watch them work. We could do that for hours.


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Prague local favorites: Dish Fine Burger Bistro

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Prague local favorites: Dish Fine Burger Bistro

We love the Dish Fine Burger Bistro, and we visit on the spur of the moment whenever we want to treat ourselves to a great, tasty, juicy burger. You know, the kind of burger that will make you want to cancel your dinner reservations for the month ahead and just come back again and again for seconds and thirds. We never have a reservation so our visits follow the same pattern. We come in, the staff looks at us with that didn’t-we-tell-you-like-the-past-twenty-times-you-should-make-a-reservation-before-you-come kind of face, and then we ģo for a walk around the block because the next table will hopefully be ready in 20 minutes but maybe later, too. Who knows.


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