Prague has more pubs per person than anywhere else on earth, and Czechs drink close to 150 liters of beer a year each, more than any other nation. But most visitors never see a real one. They stay in Old Town Square, where the beer is fine and the crowd is entirely tourists, and miss the neighborhood hospoda where the actual drinking culture lives.
Hospoda Etiquette
A hospoda is a traditional Czech pub, and the best ones aren’t in the historic center. They’re in Zizkov, a working-class district a short tram ride out, where locals have been drinking at the same tables for decades. The etiquette is different from a normal bar.
- Wait to be served at your table rather than order at the counter.
- Your beer arrives on a wet glass, so use the coaster underneath it.
- The foam on top isn’t wasted space, it’s part of the pour, poured through a Czech-invented side tap that controls exactly how much foam sits on the beer.
- The bartender keeps bringing you full beers the moment your glass empties, whether you ordered another or not. If you’re done, put the coaster on top of your empty glass. That’s the signal to stop.
Best Czech Beers to Try in Prague
- Pilsner Urquell. The original golden pilsner, first brewed in Plzen in 1842 by Josef Groll. Nearly every style called “pilsner” worldwide traces back to this beer.
- Budweiser Budvar. Brewed in Ceske Budejovice, a town with brewing rights dating to 1265. A different beer entirely from the American Budweiser, with a long-running trademark dispute between the two to prove it.
- Staropramen. Prague’s own major brewery, founded in the Smichov district in 1869 and still the largest brewery actually located in the city.
- Velkopopovicky Kozel. Brewed in Velke Popovice outside Prague, with the Kozel Dark version worth ordering if you want something maltier than a standard pilsner.
- Bernard. A family-run brewery known for unpasteurized, unfiltered lagers with a noticeably fuller flavor than the mass-market brands.
- Flekovsky Lezak 13 degrees. U Fleku’s own dark lager, brewed on site since 1843 and only really available at the source.
U Zlateho Tygra (At the Golden Tiger)
U Zlateho Tygra has poured beer on Husova Street since 1702, making it one of the oldest pubs in the city center. It was writer Bohumil Hrabal’s regular spot for years, and it still pours a well-regarded Pilsner Urquell despite being firmly on the tourist map at this point. Arrive close to the 3pm opening if you want a seat among the regulars.
- Husova 17, 110 00 Praha 1, Czech Republic
- Phone: +420 222 221 111
- Website: uzlatehotygra.cz
- Open daily, 3pm-11pm
U Vystrelenyho Oka (and Zizkov’s Real Hospody)
For the real Zizkov experience, look for U Vystrelenyho Oka, U Slovanske Lipy, U Jary or U Sadu. These are neighborhood institutions, not tourist stops, where you’ll find construction workers and university professors drinking the same beer at neighboring tables. None of them are trying to look authentically Czech for visitors. They just are.
- U Bozich bojovniku 3, 130 00 Praha 3-Zizkov, Czech Republic
- Phone: +420 222 540 465
- Website: uvoka.cz
- Evenings only, roughly 4.30pm-1am, closed Sunday; tram 9 from the center runs about 20 minutes
U Fleku
U Fleku has been brewing on the same site since 1499, making it one of the oldest continuously operating breweries in Central Europe. The current dark lager recipe dates to 1843, and the sprawling pub around it has eight halls and a beer garden, though it’s built for tour groups more than quiet conversation these days.
- Kremencova 11, 110 00 Praha 1, Czech Republic
- Phone: +420 224 934 019 or +420 602 660 290
- Website: ufleku.cz
- Restaurant open daily 10am-11pm
Klasterni Pivovar Strahov
Klasterni Pivovar Strahov, tucked into the grounds of Strahov Monastery near Prague Castle, has brewed beer on and off since the Middle Ages. The current brewery dates to 2000 and makes small batches of its own St. Norbert beers, an amber and a dark, alongside seasonal releases.
- Strahovske nadvori 301, 118 00 Praha 1, Czech Republic
- Phone: +420 734 852 382
- Website: klasterni-pivovar.cz
- Open daily 10am-10pm
Book the Strahov Monastery Brewery Tour
U Medvidku
U Medvidku in Old Town runs its own mini-brewery producing X-Beer 33, oak-barrel-fermented for 200 days and among the strongest beers made anywhere at 12.6% ABV. It’s a novelty, but a real one, brewed with historical methods on site.
- Na Perstyne 7, 110 00 Praha 1, Czech Republic
- Phone: +420 224 211 916 (restaurant: +420 736 662 900)
- Website: umedvidku.cz
- Open daily, roughly 11.30am-11pm, later Thursday through Saturday
Staropramen Visitor Centre
Staropramen’s visitor center in Smichov runs guided tours through its history since 1869, led through exhibits named for former head brewer Josef Paspa, ending with a glass of the beer itself. It’s the easiest full brewery tour to fit into a short trip since it’s inside the city rather than a day trip out to Plzen. If you have a full day to spare instead, the Pilsner Urquell brewery in Plzen is about an hour from Prague by train and worth it for anyone serious about where the style actually started.
- Pivovarska 9, 150 00 Praha 5, Czech Republic
- Phone: +420 251 553 389
- Website: centrumstaropramen.cz
- Booking required, English-language tours run several times daily
Book a Guided Beer Tour Instead
If you’d rather have a local guide handle the route, admission and translation than plan each stop above yourself, Viator lists dozens of Prague beer and brewery tours, including several that hit U Fleku, Strahov and Pilsner Urquell directly.
Browse Prague Beer & Brewery Tours on Viator
Or see our full breakdown of all 64 bookable Prague beer, pub and brewery tours, ranked by real ratings and review counts.
FAQs
What is a hospoda?
A hospoda is a traditional Czech pub, historically used as a neighborhood gathering place as much as a place to drink. The word carries a different meaning than a typical bar, closer to an extension of the living room.
How do I stop a Czech bartender from bringing more beer?
Place your coaster on top of your empty glass. In many traditional pubs, the bartender’s default is to keep refilling your glass until you signal otherwise.
What is the oldest brewery in Prague?
U Fleku, which has brewed on the same site since 1499 and is one of the oldest continuously operating breweries in Central Europe.
Where should I go for an authentic Czech pub experience?
Zizkov, a working-class district a short tram ride from the center, where pubs like U Vystrelenyho Oka and U Slovanske Lipy are still mainly used by locals rather than tourists.
