A Beer Tourist’s Guide To…Prague
Czech beer is basically perfect. Their totally neutral water profile means they concoct Pilsners that are almost unrecognisable from the macro gunk we drink in the UK, with heavenly clouds of foam and aromas of central European forests that will haunt your dreams (important distinction from haunting your nightmares). These beers are to be found everywhere in Prague, so our guide is designed to take you on a journey sampling all the different indie beer vibes that the city has to offer. And you can still have a few corporate Pilsner Urquells along the way, we won’t judge.
Right in the heart of Prague’s old town is its O.G. craft beer bar. Tucked away down a little alleyway, the venue is more spacious than you’d expect and carries a handful of Czech indie beer on tap, with a larger selection in the fridges. Atmospheric and tourist-friendly, it is a solid first stop to acquaint you with Prague’s old town charm and new-style beer.
In a slightly less chaotic part of the old town, Sibeeria Tap Room is a bright, cafe-style tap room that has the most welcoming opening hours we’ve ever really seen: 11am-2am, every day! The weekday vibes are very chill, with local hipster beer fans coming in to try their new releases, small groups huddled around board games, and solo drinkers with laptops out. The weekend is far livelier (i.e. don’t bring your laptop) and just as friendly. 10-15 taps of their own beer grace the draft lines, with a huge fridge of cans available for takeaway. While they may encourage you to indulge in their flagship IPAs, our advice is to keep enjoying what the Czechs are best known for, with their fresh hop lagers being some of the best we’ve had worldwide.
Pivovarská nalévárna v Soukenické
200 metres from Sibeeria but 200 gazillion billion miles away in vibe and every other metric, this is a quintessential Czech pub that helps you feel like you have stepped off the crowded streets of Prague and teleported to a small village: 15-20 seats, no music, mostly big Czech dudes, and beer galore. It IS still actually Prague, though, so the regulars are pretty tourist friendly, just don’t ask for a taster, or any other questions to be honest. The big win here is that the beer is locally brewed, and not Budvar or Urquell. Choose your beer colour (light, amber or dark), choose your foam level, watch the bartender execute a traditional Czech perfect pour, then find a seat and drink.
Up by the central train station, this is basically another central train station, except in this one You don’t ride the train – your beer does. Undoubtedly an absurd gimmick, we can’t help but enjoy seeing our pint steaming around the venue on its way over to us, couriered by a model train. The beer itself is totally decent, and tastes better because you just grabbed it off a small locomotive. Expensive by Prague standards but worth a couple of rounds for the hilarity.
Over on the castle side of the city, you will inevitably find yourself needing hydration after a big walk up and down the hill. While many Prague beer guides suggest the classic U Hrocha pub, we find it to be similar to Pivovarská nalévárna v Soukenické above, but with only macro beer. Instead, we wager you ROESEL, a delightful courtyard down a tiny alleyway right off the main tourist drag. They have a great lunch deal and 3-4 taps of local indie beer, along with a substantial fridge. The locals aren’t hanging here, but if you’re in this part of town and need fed and watered, this is the place.
Also on the castle side of the city but further in, The Beer Spot is a more typical craft beer taproom, with a modern layout and bright, plentiful seating. They boast over 10 taps of Czech craft beer and cater to local Czech beer nerds as much as they do tourists, so getting tasters should be no problem. Worth going out of your way for if you want variety, and certainly worth stopping into if you find yourself in this part of town. As pictured, also the only place to get a decent hazy IPA if you’re really feeling homesick.
You can’t really go wrong in Prague, but you can go extra right, and with these six you’ll be yelling Na zdraví at everyone you encounter. Enjoy!
