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Food tours in Prague: what to eat and which tour to book
Czech food is pub food: roast pork with dumplings and sauerkraut, beef in a creamy vegetable sauce (svíčková), goulash with bread dumplings, fried cheese, and snacks made to go with beer, such as pickled sausages and marinated soft cheese. Beer is central: the Czech Republic drinks more beer per person than anywhere else, and unpasteurised tank beer in a local pub is cheaper than water in some restaurants. The best eating is in neighbourhood pubs and bistros in Vinohrady, Žižkov, Karlín and Holešovice; the Old Town centre is mostly aimed at visitors.
Use this page to choose what to eat and where: the dishes, markets and neighbourhoods below say what each does well and when to go. The tours listed are real GetYourGuide listings, with prices as we saw them when we checked; prices and times change, so confirm on the booking page before you pay.
What to eat in Prague
| Dish | What it is | Where to eat it | Typical price* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beef in cream sauce svíčková na smetaně | Marinated beef sirloin in a sauce of root vegetables and cream, served with bread dumplings, cranberries, a slice of lemon and whipped cream. Often called the national dish. | Traditional pubs and Czech restaurants; often on the weekday lunch menu (polední menu). | roughly CZK 220–380 (about €9–15) |
| Roast pork, dumplings and cabbage vepřo knedlo zelo | Roast pork with bread or potato dumplings and stewed white or red cabbage, the most typical Czech Sunday meal. | Pubs and traditional restaurants across the city. | roughly CZK 200–340 (about €8–14) |
| Goulash with dumplings guláš s knedlíkem | Czech beef or pork goulash, thicker and milder than Hungarian versions, served with bread dumplings and often raw onion; a classic beer dish. | Pubs, especially on lunch menus. | roughly CZK 180–320 (about €7–13) |
| Fried cheese smažený sýr | Thick slice of Edam (or Hermelín) breaded and deep-fried, served with fries or boiled potatoes and tartar sauce. Popular with students and as a vegetarian option. | Pubs and fast-food stands; also as a sandwich at Wenceslas Square stands. | roughly CZK 160–260 in a pub (about €6–10) |
| Open sandwiches chlebíčky | Small open sandwiches on white bread with ham, egg, potato salad, salami or cheese, made in delis and eaten standing, often at breakfast or for a quick lunch. | Lahůdky (delicatessens) and modern chlebíček bars in the centre and Vinohrady. | roughly CZK 30–70 each (about €1.20–3) |
| Beer snacks nakládaný hermelín / utopenec | Hermelín is a soft Camembert-style cheese marinated in oil with garlic, onion and chilli; utopenec ('drowned man') is a sausage pickled in vinegar with onions. Both are served in pubs with bread. | Traditional pubs. | roughly CZK 90–160 (about €4–6) |
| Fruit pastries koláče / buchty | Round sweet yeast pastries topped with curd cheese, poppy seed or plum jam (koláče), or filled buns (buchty). | Bakeries and cafés; farmers' markets. | roughly CZK 30–70 each (about €1.20–3) |
| Czech beer pivo | Pale lager (světlé), dark lager (tmavé) or a half-and-half (řezané), often unpasteurised from tanks (tankové pivo). The foam style matters: a 'mlíko' glass is almost all foam and drunk in one go. | Neighbourhood pubs (hospoda) and brewpubs throughout the city. | roughly CZK 55–90 for 0.5 l in a local pub (about €2.20–3.60), CZK 100–150+ around the Old Town Square |
Where to eat: markets and neighbourhoods
Náplavka farmers' market
Riverside farmers' market on the Rašínovo nábřeží embankment below Vyšehrad, with bread, cheese, sausages, koláče, hot food and drinks, used by locals at weekends.
Jiřího z Poděbrad farmers' market (Vinohrady)
Market on the square around the Church of the Most Sacred Heart in Vinohrady, with produce, baked goods and street food; a good start for exploring Vinohrady's cafés and wine bars.
Vinohrady and Žižkov
Residential districts east of the centre with many traditional pubs, brewpubs, wine bars (vinárna) and international restaurants at local prices. Žižkov is known for having a very high density of pubs.
Karlín
Rebuilt district east of the Old Town with modern bistros, bakeries, cafés and some of the city's best-known restaurants, popular for brunch.
Holešovice and Pražská tržnice
Former industrial district north of the river with the Prague Market (Pražská tržnice), a large old market complex with produce stalls, Asian groceries and some food venues, plus galleries and bars.
Old Town and Wenceslas Square
The centre has the sausage stands on Wenceslas Square and the Christmas and Easter markets on Old Town Square, but restaurant and food-stall prices are much higher than elsewhere in the city.
Food tours in Prague compared
Every tour below is a real listing on GetYourGuide or Viator, checked on 2 Oct 2026. Prices move with season and group size, so treat them as a guide and confirm on the booking page.
| Tour | Length | Price* | Group | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prague: Food Tour with 10 Tastings of Classic Czech Dishes | 3 hours | from €83 per person | — | Travellers who want to cook the dishes again at home; easiest option for dietary needs, since you control the ingredients. | Check dates |
| Prague: Guided Street Food Walking Tour | 2 hours | from €68 per person | — | First-timers on a budget who want to try many cheap dishes in one go. | Check dates |
| Prague: Guided Food Tour with Tastings | 3 hours | from €69 per person | — | First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide. | Check dates |
| Prague: Unique Wine Tasting Experience | 2 hours | from €40 per person | — | First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide. | Check dates |
| Prague: Traditional Czech Cooking Class with Market Tour | 4.5 hours | from €139 per person | — | Travellers who want to cook the dishes again at home; easiest option for dietary needs, since you control the ingredients. | Check dates |
| Prague Food and Culture Tour | 4 hours | from €129 per person | max 10 | First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide. | Check dates |
Prague: Food Tour with 10 Tastings of Classic Czech Dishes
On GetYourGuide · run by Secret Food Tours
- Length
- 3 hours
- Price
- from €83 per person
- Rating
- 4.8 ★ from 114 reviews (on 2 Oct 2026)
- Suits
- Travellers who want to cook the dishes again at home; easiest option for dietary needs, since you control the ingredients.
Prague: Guided Street Food Walking Tour
On GetYourGuide · run by DH Travel s.r.o.
- Length
- 2 hours
- Price
- from €68 per person
- Rating
- 4.8 ★ from 636 reviews (on 2 Oct 2026)
- Included
- Walking tour Guide 5 tastings Tips
- Suits
- First-timers on a budget who want to try many cheap dishes in one go.
- Starts
- Your guide will be waiting for you at the tram station Vodickova 9.
Prague: Guided Food Tour with Tastings
On GetYourGuide · run by Taste your way around
- Length
- 3 hours
- Price
- from €69 per person
- Rating
- 4.8 ★ from 353 reviews (on 2 Oct 2026)
- Included
- Walking tour Guide 6-7 food tastings 1 beer (or non-alcoholic drink) Food and travel tips about Prague Additional drinks (available for purchase)
- Suits
- First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide.
- Starts
- Meet your guide in front of Národní Třída metro stop, exit Spálená, in front of the Tchibo shop, outside.
Prague: Unique Wine Tasting Experience
On GetYourGuide · run by WineList
- Length
- 2 hours
- Price
- from €40 per person
- Rating
- 4.9 ★ from 180 reviews (on 2 Oct 2026)
- Suits
- First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide.
Prague: Traditional Czech Cooking Class with Market Tour
On GetYourGuide · run by Ondřej Molina
- Length
- 4.5 hours
- Price
- from €139 per person
- Rating
- 4.8 ★ from 71 reviews (on 2 Oct 2026)
- Included
- Market tour (
- Suits
- Travellers who want to cook the dishes again at home; easiest option for dietary needs, since you control the ingredients.
- Starts
- Meet your guide at Holešovice Food Market, Holešovická Tržnice. The meeting point is right in front of Hall 22 next to Pekárna (bakery). In case of rain, your guide will wait inside of Hall 22.
Prague Food and Culture Tour
On GetYourGuide · run by Prague Foodies
- Length
- 4 hours
- Price
- from €129 per person
- Rating
- 4.9 ★ from 47 reviews (on 2 Oct 2026)
- Group size
- max 10
- Included
- Food, drinks, desserts, insider tips and more
- Suits
- First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide.
- Starts
- ## Important information
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Street food, sit-down or a cooking class?
Street food
Prague street food is limited: sausages and fried-cheese sandwiches from Wenceslas Square stands, chlebíčky from delis, and seasonal market food. Trdelník, the sugared spit-cake sold everywhere in the centre, is a recent tourist product rather than a traditional Prague food. Farmers' markets such as Náplavka are the best street-food option.
Sit-down meals
Eat in a neighbourhood pub (hospoda) or a traditional restaurant; on weekdays many serve a cheap lunch menu of soup and a main. Portions are large and heavy. In the Old Town, check prices before sitting and read the bill carefully. In pubs, the waiter marks each beer on a slip of paper on your table; you pay at the end.
Cooking classes
Cooking classes in Prague usually teach svíčková, goulash or dumplings, and sometimes include a market visit or beer. They are less common than in Italy or Spain; check what you will cook and eat before booking.
How much to budget for food
| Style | Per person, per day* |
|---|---|
| Budget (street food, markets) | CZK 600–900, about €24–36 (bakery breakfast, pub lunch menu, chlebíčky and beer) |
| Mid-range (one sit-down meal a day) | CZK 1,300–2,000, about €52–80 (two restaurant meals with beer or wine) |
| Splurge (tasting menus, wine) | CZK 4,500+, about €180+ (tasting menu with wine pairing) |
Vegetarian, halal and gluten-free
Vegetarian & vegan: Workable but limited in traditional pubs, where the standard vegetarian dishes are fried cheese, mushroom dishes in season, potato pancakes (bramboráky) and fruit dumplings. Many soups and sauces use meat stock. Prague has a good number of vegetarian and vegan restaurants, mainly in the centre and Vinohrady.
Halal: Limited: halal options are mostly kebab shops and some Middle Eastern, Turkish and Indian restaurants. Pork is central to Czech food (roast pork, sausages, smoked meat, lard), and many sauces are made with pork stock, so ask.
Gluten-free: Hard for traditional food: bread dumplings, sauces thickened with flour, fried cheese, pastries and beer all contain gluten. Many restaurants mark allergens with numbers on the menu (1 = gluten). Potato dumplings and roasts without sauce can work; dedicated gluten-free places exist in the centre.
Food scams and tourist traps to avoid
- Prague ham (Pražská šunka) from spits on Old Town Square, priced per 100 g; staff cut a large piece and the bill is far more than expected. Ask for the price of the portion before they cut it, ask for a smaller piece, or skip it.
- Restaurants in the Old Town and Malá Strana that add items you did not order (bread, nuts, sauces, a 'cover' charge) or a service charge, or give a menu without prices. Check prices first, send back anything you did not order, and read the bill line by line; eat in Vinohrady, Žižkov or Karlín instead.
- Exchange offices advertising '0% commission' with very poor rates, and street money changers who hand over worthless foreign notes. Never change money on the street. Withdraw koruna from a bank ATM and decline the conversion offer, or check the 'we sell' rate and the amount you will get before exchanging.
- Trdelník sold as a 'traditional Czech' pastry at high prices, sometimes filled with ice cream or Nutella. Treat it as a tourist snack; for a real Czech pastry, buy koláče from a bakery.
- Card terminals and ATMs offering to charge in euros or your home currency at a poor rate. Always choose to pay in CZK (koruna).
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Staying near the markets saves time and taxi money — most food tours start in the old centre.
Common questions
Do I need to tip in Prague?
About 10% is normal in restaurants when service was good; in pubs, rounding up is enough. Check the bill first, because some restaurants in tourist areas add a service charge; you do not need to tip on top of that. Tell the waiter the total you want to pay when you hand over the money. On food tours, about CZK 100–200 per person is a normal thank-you.
Is trdelník a traditional Prague food?
No. Spit-cakes of this kind come from other parts of Central Europe and became common in Prague only in the 2000s, sold to tourists in the centre. It is fine as a snack if you like it, but it is not a Czech tradition. For real Czech sweets try koláče, buchty, větrník (a caramel cream puff) or fruit dumplings.
How much should I budget for food per day?
On a budget, about CZK 600–900 (€24–36) covers a bakery breakfast, a weekday pub lunch menu and chlebíčky with beer. A mid-range day with two restaurant meals and drinks is about CZK 1,300–2,000 (€52–80). Tasting menus at well-known restaurants start around CZK 3,000–4,000 before drinks.
When are the farmers' markets open?
The Náplavka riverside market runs on Saturday mornings to early afternoon, with a smaller version in winter. The market at Jiřího z Poděbrad square in Vinohrady usually runs several days a week from Wednesday to Saturday. Days and hours change by season and on public holidays, so check before you go.
How does ordering beer in a pub work?
Sit down and the waiter will usually bring beer when your glass is nearly empty unless you put a beer mat on top of it. Each beer is marked on a paper slip on your table, and you pay at the end. A half-litre (velké) is standard; a third-litre (malé) is smaller. Tank beer (tankové) is fresh and unpasteurised.
Should I book food tours or restaurants in advance?
In summer, at weekends and during the Christmas markets, book small-group tours a few days ahead. Popular pubs and restaurants in Vinohrady, Karlín and the centre need a reservation for Friday and Saturday evenings; some pubs reserve most tables, so check the 'rezervováno' signs. Mention dietary needs when you book.
* Prices are approximate, gathered on 2 Oct 2026 from menus, markets and the booking pages linked above. They change with season and exchange rates.