Where to drink in Prague

, ,

Prague Drinks Wine Festival 2015

, ,
Prague Drinks Wine Festival 2015

We make a point of having a glass of wine on our tours. We have figured you will have the beer anyway. It’s cheaper than tap water in many restaurants here, and it’s so ubiquitous we would not believe you if you said you did not have one in Prague. But wines? No. Czech wine production is tiny and exports are rare, so most foreign visitors do not associate Prague with wine.

Well, we think that’s a mistake and that’s why we are trying hard to change that perception. Luckily, we are not alone. Far from it. There are other people in Prague working hard on the same thing. Take the good people of Veltlin, the wonderful local wine bar in the heart of the Karlin district. Mr Bogdan Trojak and his colleagues have long focused on the “natural” wines of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire. (You can see the Empire painted on the wall that dominates the bar.) 

The very same people have decided this year to organize the second installment of Prague Drinks Wine, a festival of natural wines from the former empire in Prague, to be held on 6 and 7 June. The festival tries to follow on the long-forgotten tradition of meetings of Empire winemakers held before WWI. The festival will host about 50 Central European winemakers offering about 400 samples of wine. 


Czech wines in Prague: the bottles you must try

Czech wines in Prague: the bottles you must try

Yes, sure. Prague equals beer. Of course. We get that a lot. But the fact that the Czechs have the biggest consumption of beer per capita in the world… by a wide margin, does not mean that you have to neglect that wine addiction you have worked so hard to build when you visit Prague. The Czech Republic actually produces some very nice and interesting wines, too. Heck, we even run our Moravian wine tours to promote that fact! The truth is you may not have heard about them: with about 18,000 hectares and a production that does not satisfy even one half of the Czech consumption of wines, it is hard to get your hands on a Czech bottle outside of the country.

But which wines should you drink in Prague? It is sometimes hard to pick that special bottle when you travel and you are not familiar with the territory, the tradition and the climate. Mind you, the sommeliers in the wine bars we like to visit in Prague are very knowledgeable and speak great English. Still, we wanted to know what some of the leading personalities on the Prague wine scene would recommend that you order in Prague. Here’s what they had to say.


, , ,

One-day in Prague: Best things to do in Prague?

, , ,
One-day in Prague: Best things to do in Prague?

Let’s get the disclaimer out of the way at the beginning: visiting Prague for one day only is not, ehm, the ideal scenario. Prague has so much to offer that you will definitely wish you’d stay longer. You’ll see. That said, we are well aware that we get far less vacation time than we all deserve, and sometimes you want to try to see as much as possible. 

Inspired by guests who have recently stayed in our rental apartment, we have prepared an emergency, one-day, try-to-see-it-all-in itinerary for Prague. Setting up an itinerary like this is about compromises. But we have tried our best to create an itinerary that will mix the local with the famous, and throw in some great bites on the way, of course. Just remember: Prague is a bit hilly and the streets are cobblestoned, so wear comfortable shoes and prepare mentally for a long walk. You’re in for a looong walk, but hey: you brought it on yourself. Visiting Prague in one day? Crazy.


Prague local favorites: Tea Mountain

Prague local favorites: Tea Mountain

When it opened last year, Tea Mountain was a revelation. You see, while Prague may be a hidden kingdom of tea rooms, most of them did have a slightly annoying New Age vibe: people with linens playing the triangle who made you feel guilty because you had a cell phone. 

Tea Mountain is different. Nestled right next to the Veltlin wine bar in the Karlin district, it sports a modern design with clear reference points to Japan and the Orient. They do have wifi. They do explain everything without being patronizing. And, on top of that, they have fantastic teas. Even a very basic tasting can really open your eyes to what tea can be.

The founder, and really the face, of Tea Mountain is Martin. A friendly guy who seems to know everything about teas, and everyone in the foodie community in Prague and whose enthusiasm about everything food and tea-related is nearly as addictive as his teas are. We asked him a few questions.


,

St Valentine's Day in Prague: romantic Prague itineraries

,
St Valentine's Day in Prague: romantic Prague itineraries

Let’s get one thing straight right away: St Valentine’s Day is not something that the Czechs would traditionally celebrate, and is by some seen as an import of the 1990s. (The decorations of many retail shops would indicate otherwise, but that’s an entirely different issue.) Still, many of our guests ask us about romantic things that can be done in Prague ahead of St Valentine’s Day, and truth be told, the week of St Valentine’s Day is a small season by itself in the midst of what is one of the slower months for our tours. That is why we have created a few Prague itineraries that are best enjoyed in two, whether you like St Valentine’s Day or are against the whole idea. We think a romantic itinerary is in season the whole year around.

Thus we bring you our best ideas for a nice St Valentine's Day spent in the company of your significant other. Just like with everything we do, this post is really written for ourselves: we write about the things we would love to do to spend a few nice, romantic hours together. If you're like us, we think you may like these.


Prague local favorites: Kafe Karlin

Prague local favorites: Kafe Karlin

To be honest, the people of Kavovy klub really ruined mediocre coffee for us. Some five years ago, you felt like a connoisseur over a cup of Illy coffee. Then Zuzi joined the wonderful Scuk gang and agreed to attend their coffee course. She was concerned. Coffee usually caused bad heartburn for her and she always ordered lattes to dissolve the coffee in lots of milk. But she was new and wanted to learn. The course, lead by Zdenek, one half of the Kavovy klub duo, opened her eyes to specialty coffee. No heartburn and delicious arabicas!


,

The Prague food scene in the year 2014: the Recap

,
The Prague food scene in the year 2014: the Recap

Food projects we hope will continue in 2015

Street Food Festival. From its very first edition in the Holesovice district, the Street Food Festival was an instant success: perfectly organized food event with lots of young talent cooking great food. So great, actually, that we ended up stuck in traffic on the D1 motorway for two hours on our way to the Brno edition while watching Instagram photos of the great bites we would never be able to taste because they were sold out before we actually got there. Great events with great people and food, and we can’t wait for the festivals in 2015!   


,

Lokal Beer Draughting School

,

So we're sitting in a cafe, researching for our US trip, and we get an email from the Ambiente group of restaurants: They are opening a new season of their beer draughting school, two people cancelled just two days before the first session, and we are invited to fill in the vacancies. We did actually want to join a class and promised ourselves we would go after our main season was over, so this was a great opportunity.


,

Our favorite places in Prague for Czech craft beers

,
Our favorite places in Prague for Czech craft beers

We know. If you are planning your trip to Prague, you've already heard it all about Pilsner Urquell or Budweiser, the two largest and traditional breweries in the Czech Republic. And the truth is that even the basic products of these two brewing giants are actually very good and definitely worth a try. 


,

Prague off the beaten path: Novy svet

,

Let’s face the facts: Prague as a popular destination gets very, very busy during the summer season. We like to avoid the crowds when we travel, too, and that is why we give some Prague tips to the guests visiting our food tours. 

For instance, we recommend that you visit the main sights early in the morning or late in the evening, and for the rest of the day visit the more residential, local parts of the town. We have already written about the Charles Bridge early in the morning earlier, or about Prague views that can be enjoyed outside of the main tourist routes. 

But still, sometimes you may find yourself in a busy area and are in need of a quick escape. Where to go? What to see? We understand that you still want to see something meaningful but without all the crowds. That is why we will, from time to time, write about some Prague escapes: gems that are still in the historical centre but off the beaten track. The first of our escapes - and our secret Prague tip if you are in the Castle area - is Novy Svet.

NOVY SVET

Novy svet (which loosely translates as “The New World”) is a fantastic, picturesque part of the Castle district that is severely neglected by virtually all the tourists but secretly loved by all the locals. Dating back to the 14th Century, it is a small area consisting of just a few streets that have retained the atmosphere of a small village. If you want quiet far from the madding crowds (actually, it’s just two streets away from the main route between the Castle and the Strahov Monastery), this is where you’ll find it.

On top of that, the area now boasts a wonderful cafe that bears the name of the area: Novy svet. It’s a tiny room and a few chairs outside. Nestled in an area associated with tourism, you would expect inferior products and premium on everything. You would be wrong: they take coffee from Doubleshot, high-quality Prague-based roasters, and use an E61 Faema machine. They also serve good ice-cream by 2AD and a few cakes and snacks. The venue sits about 20 maximum but includes probably the most beautiful place in Prague to enjoy a cup of coffee: their small balcony with two chairs and a table overlooks a dense, forgotten garden.

The smartest Prague food tours. Cool rental apartment. Awesome pocket wifi device. We’ll turn your Prague trip up to eleven.

Book a tour Get the guide Rent the apartment Rent the pocket wifi

If you want to go back to the centre but wish to avoid the castle and the associated crowds altogether, we recommend you walk through the Deer Moat, a steep, lush valley underneath the castle. The beautiful walk includes the famous tunnel that allows the Brusnice stream to flow along the length of the valley. The route will eventually lead you into the Lesser Town, namely the Klarov area near the Malostranska subway stop.


newsletter!

Subscribe for news about cool stuff happening during your stay in Prague! We promise to respect your privacy. No spammings, no misuses. We hate those, too.