Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Adventure #113, #111-#109, #094-#091, #084, #083, #050, #043, #042-The Cafes, Bars and Restaurants of Prague

Every city has many pubs, clubs, restaurants and cafes.  As a creature of habit, I generally go to the same places all the time.  Friends recommend places, places look new and interesting, but I almost always forget about them when the time comes to eat, drink or dance.  Here's my attempt at 1. discovering Prague, 2. expanding my circle of regular places, and 3. striving to 'Eat, Drink and be Merry!'
#113- U Tri Prasek, the name means three pigs, and there are 3 giant pink pigs over the door.  Who doesn't want to go there?  We went, and it was a typical Czech pub, except the waitress was friendly and even happy when we paid with a large amount of small coins.

#111- Propaganda, the original.  A friend has been telling me about their amazing nakladany hermelin for about a year now, so after a movie, I suggested we try it out.  It was an eclectic space in the center of town, mixed in amongst the tourist places and the student places.  It was a bit of both; decent prices, good food and a friendly English-speaking barman.

#110- Roxy, After many failed attempts, I made it there the night before NYE.  It was free (I hate paying cover charges) and I was basically pulled there by a large group of Germans (they wouldn't even let me go upstairs for my jacket.)  We had a great time dancing, there weren't many people there (both good and bad- good because you have space to dance and bad because then there isn't as much energy from other people) but the music was enjoyable and we danced until 5 in the morning.

#109- Radost, I've been for the brunch, I've been for the cocktail lounge, both stellar.  As you have to go downstairs to use the toilet, you often hear the music from the club (never sounds that great though).  One night before Christmas, we finished our cocktails upstairs and decided to head downstairs, because we didn't want to go looking for a place in the freezing cold.  It's a good space, but the music wasn't amazing.

#094- Cafe Hanoi, a Vietnamese restaurant that I was afraid to try the first time, it was empty, new and I was a bit intimidated by the emptiness of the place.  After a private lesson in the area, I decided to head over for a bowl of pho.  It was pretty tasty, although nothing compared to Golden Flower in Reno ;), no reason to worry.

#093- Friends Cafe, a coffee shop in the center of Prague (coincidentally near Jugmannova also).  This place feels like an American coffee shop, with cool seating (there is even a fountain in the center part, that is a glassed-in part of the courtyard), good coffee(!), friendly staff and a great atmosphere.

#092- Jetrinkova, a pivnice (beer hall) on my way from Jugmannova to the tram stop.  During the summer, it was so busy that people were standing outside, I thought it must be something special with so many people visiting it.  But it was just an old man pub, which is not without its charm, but with only Pilsner, it was a bit expensive although the waitress was friendly.

#091- U vycep piva, once a week, on my way to a certain class, I would pass this place.  One night Martin invited me to join him and a couple of friends to a pub.  When I arrived, I was excited to see that it was this place.  The outdoor garden seating always looked nice and the evening was quite warm.  The meals were HUGE and I took half of mine home.  The proximity to the tram tracks sucked a bit 'cause they were loud.

#084- Kavarna Nad Muzeum, a coffee shop in name only this 'bar' opens at 4pm and is a place I pass almost every day on my way to work or play.  I went with my new Spanish language exchange friend and I enjoyed a glass of white wine.  It is a good location, with a bit of a sophisticated feel, but they don't have beer on tap, and their selection is lacking in depth and imagination.


#083- Cafe Adria, a cafe atop a theater in the center of town, this is one of the 'Grand Cafes' of Prague.  I have a class just up the street from here and as I walk past it 4x/week, I decided it was time to visit when my friend Aidan was in town over the summer.  The coffee wasn't anything special, but the view from their terrace overlooking the center was great.  It also meant that we had a great breeze to keep us cool!

#050- Yam Yam, a new Thai restaurant that Jon frequents with his fiancee.  The prices are reasonable, the food tasty and the portions normal-sized (no jumbo gulas and dumplings here!).  The atmosphere is nice but the surroundings are a bit lacking (a metro station).

#043- Sokolovna, restaurant on Slezka, walked by it many times going to and from the grocery store, recommended by my roommate Michal.  Good Czech restaurant, with a bit of sophistication and good prices.
#042- Mama Cafe, near IP Pavlova, recommended by Jana, my roommate.  Great coffee, great mugs, but really small!





1 comment:

  1. yes it's in a metro station but there are lovely views of the city! Should have gone in the middle of the day!

    ReplyDelete