The Julius edit: Where to eat in Prague

Prague is a city that rewards those who eat well in it. And there is, it turns out, a great deal of eating well to be done.

Some evenings you won't want to leave the hotel. Our restaurant is here for those nights and we think you'll find it worth staying in for. But the city has much to offer. Here is where we go. And where we send our guests.

Right Now

The places generating the most interesting conversations in Prague at the moment.

Marie B, Old Town

Behind a graffiti-covered door on Dlouhá Street, created by the chef behind La Dégustation. No menu. No idea what you're eating until you've finished. A succession of dishes that arrive with quiet confidence. You won't know what you're eating until you've finished. You won't mind at all. One of those Prague experiences that is very difficult to book and completely worth the effort.

Levitate

One of the most exciting restaurants in Prague right now and a newly awarded Michelin star that felt entirely deserved. Modern, ambitious and already earning a devoted following. A restaurant to visit now, while it still feels like a discovery.

Štangl

Chef-driven, intimate and serious without taking itself too seriously. Another new Michelin star and one of the most talked about additions to Prague's dining scene. Exactly the kind of restaurant that makes you feel like you've found something before everyone else has.

Eska, Karlín

A former factory in the neighbourhood of Karlín, transformed into a bakery, restaurant and all-day dining destination. The bread alone is worth the trip. The brunch is one of the best in the city. Make the journey to Karlín. The neighbourhood rewards it.

Sansho, New Town

Whole animal butchery meets Asian flavour in a relaxed, sharing-plate format that manages to feel both creative and entirely comfortable. One of those restaurants that regular Prague visitors return to every time. Book ahead.

For Czech food done properly

420, Old Town Square

Directly opposite the Astronomical Clock, inside a 15th-century building with a glass ceiling and swallows hanging from it. Created by the Michelin-starred chef behind Field, the menu is playful and precise in equal measure, Czech cuisine that takes its heritage seriously without being solemn about it. A grocery, bakery and butchery in the Gothic cellar downstairs. One of the most characterful addresses in the city.

Lokál, Old Town

The definitive modern Czech gastropub. Loud, lively and completely unpretentious, with some of the freshest Pilsner Urquell in the city and a menu of Czech classics that earns every bit of its reputation. There are now several locations across Prague. The Dlouhá original is the one to visit.

Kantýna, New Town

Housed in a former bank building near Wenceslas Square, Kantýna is where Prague's love of meat reaches its most considered expression. Steak, pastrami, smoked beef tongue, and what many consider the best burger in the city. Order the beef tartare. Then order it again.

Naše Maso, Old Town

A butcher's shop and restaurant in one, a concept that sounds simple and tastes exceptional. Prague ham of real quality, honest cuts and a counter culture that feels entirely its own. Go early. It fills quickly and the best cuts go with it.

For a special occasion

Sometimes an evening calls for something more. These are the ones worth knowing about.

La Dégustation Bohême Bourgeoise, Old Town

One Michelin star and one of the finest evenings you will have in this city. The chef builds his tasting menu around a 19th-century Czech cookbook, elevating forgotten recipes into something that feels both deeply rooted and entirely contemporary.

Papilio

The only two-Michelin-star restaurant in the Czech Republic. Precise, considered and completely its own thing. Book months ahead.

Mlýnec, Old Town

Right beside the Charles Bridge, with views of the Vltava that make it one of Prague's most quietly spectacular dining rooms. A terrace in spring that is difficult to leave.

One More Thing

Two places you won't find in the standard guides. Both worth knowing about.

Parlour

No sign outside. No menu. No WiFi. No credit cards. No reservations for more than four people. The only way you'll find it is a small picture of a horse on the door somewhere in the Old Town. Prague's most quietly legendary bar, known entirely by word of mouth, and exactly as good as that suggests.

The Shrinks, Office by Anonymous

A hidden bar where your drink is chosen for you. Not randomly – the bartender builds your cocktail around a psychoanalysis of sorts. Choose an artwork. Choose a perfume. Describe a memory. What arrives in the glass is invariably surprising and invariably right. One of those Prague experiences that is genuinely difficult to explain to anyone who hasn't been.

A few things worth knowing

• Marie B books up quickly and well in advance – ask our team to help secure a table

• Reservations are essential at Levitate, Štangl, La Dégustation and Papilio – book as far in advance as you can

• Lokál and Kantýna are walk-in friendly but fill quickly on weekend evenings

• Karlín is 15 minutes from the Old Town and well worth the trip for Eska alone

• Prague restaurants tend to eat earlier than Southern European cities – kitchens often close by 10pm

• Our team is happy to make reservations on your behalf – just ask at reception

The Julius Edit is our curated view of the city, the places we know, trust and return to. Updated regularly.