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8. We are both vegetarians, and we heard that this
is a challenge in Prague. Any suggestions?
General Suggestions
Hedgie is very pleased to report that finding vegetarian food in Prague is much less of a challenge than it once was.
While pubs and typical Czech restaurants still emphasize
meat dishes, particularly pork, chicken, and beef,
restaurants in the historical center now are much more aware that
vegetarian customers exist and that they are good customers to remember in menu planning. Many feature salads and vegetarian
dishes as well as omelets.
A wider variety of lettuces is becoming more available. International chain hotels led the way
with salad bars featuring mixed fresh baby greens as well as quality fresh ingredients to top them with.
Now even many neighborhood fruit and vegetable stores and supermarkets carry a good selection of ingredients.
A few caveats:
- Cheaper pubs and restaurants generally do not make more than fresh tomato and cucumber salads, or iceberg
lettuce with "balkan" (feta) cheese and some canned or frozen vegetables.
- Some middle-range restaurants are still struggling with the transition from cabbage marinated overnight to the concept of a fresh lettuce salad.
One waitress argued that the lettuce salad was fresh, as it had been made and dressed with oil and vinegar
that morning -- 12 hours ahead. Otherwise, she patiently explained, it would turn brown. She was unimpressed by a description of the real thing.
- Do beware: "bez maso" means "without meat" but may only mean you don't get actual pieces of meat in your dish, not that it was cooked without lard, and without beef or chicken broth. In a country with long Central European winters, lard was a positive ingredient.
Even today, you may see menus which proudly boast "larded with" bacon or ham.
- Vegetarian in simpler cheaper places may mean a choice of breaded deep-fried cauliflower,
breaded deep-fried broccoli, or breaded deep-fried cheese. (The latter sounds terrible to
many of us raised on low-fat foods, but it's yummy. At its best, the cheese is tasty, soft, and runny, while the crust is crunchy. A generous garnish of vegetables, and you're on cloud nine.)
The Czech "smazene" means "fried" but on a menu it very often indicates breaded and deep-fried. A visitor is likely to conclude that just about anything can be "smazene" in the Czech Republic. Except perhaps, fresh fruits. They are made into fruit dumplings, which are boiled, then sprinkled with powdered sugar, a kind of firm cottage or farmer's cheese (tvaroh), melted butter, and cinnamon or poppy seeds. Yum!
More Possibilities
- If you like deep-fried, you could try vegetable tempura at one of the Japanese restaurants. Some noodle dishes and a few kinds of sushi are also vegetarian.
- Pizzerias are option. There are many,
and some of their pastas, salads, and pizzas are a good choice. They often have risotto as well.
- The comprehensive website The Czech Restaurant and Bar Guide lists 51 Prague restaurants which say they have vegetarian cuisine, but it does not review them.
- To shop for organic supplies for a picnic or to cook "at home" if you are renting an apartment, check out
these extensive suggestions.
Restaurant Reviews
Strictly vegetarian restaurants in Prague seem to fold more quickly than those which
simply have vegetarian selections.
An excellent long-running favorite is Lehká Hlava ("Clear Head") at Boršov 2, the very short cobbled street
off Karoliny Svétlo in the Old Town not far from the Karlovy Lazně tram stop. They speak English at the restaurant,and now their Lehka Hlava website is also available in English.
Their photo gallery will give you a overview of the pleasing ambience. This
review of both the food and the philosophy behind it gives a good idea of what to expect.
Country Life at Melantrichova 15 in the Old Town is an old standby from the days when a vegetarian restaurant in Prague was a novelty. It needs an upgrade. Both the courtyard tables and the indoor seating are charming, but the cafeteria-style service does not live up to the ambiance. The Country Life store next door has a good selection of health foods of all types, though many are now available in local markets as well.
Prague-Stay reviews a few vegetarian restaurants as well as many othrs. The reviews are well-illustrated with excellent photos and maps.
At
VegDining.com Tara Foss' views about eating vegetarian in Prague seem similar to our own.
Note that La
Creperie
at Janovskeho 4 in Prague 7, included in her guide and frequently cited in many others,
is often quite smoky and still seems to have only one crepe pan, so that even orders for
two arrive at different times.
Located in a dimly-lit basement, the
unpretentious haphazard decor and miscellaneous assortment of old
tables and chairs is apparently intended to be fashionable. This restaurant seems old and tired. Hedgie gives it a "fair" rating for food, wine, and service.
Prague-in-Your-Pocket adds a few
ideas to this mix, grouping them by location.
And some treats!
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Head to Fr. Odkolek at Rytirska 12 in the Old Town if you like excellent pastries and coffee for either breakfast or an afternoon treat. There's a large selection of both cakes
and flaky filled pastries, as well as the usual coffee drinks, soft drinks, and
open-faced sandwiches (chlebicky). In summer, the outdoor seating gives you a view of the
Theatre of the Estates where Mozart's "Don Giovanni" premiered. You may be hard-pressed not to
rationalize coming back every day.
- If you are on Dlouha street, just off Old Town Square, you have your choice of a half dozen bakeries and cafes. The American-founded Bake Shop
has, in addition to good salads and quiche, brownies, cookies, breads and rolls, tortes and other treats. Seating at counters with high stools is limited.
A more comfortable and indulgent bakery/cafe is Au Gourmand, with a large selection of superb classic quiche, cakes, tortes, and other French delights.
- Wherever you go, don't forget to stop at a "cukrarna" for some
Italian-style ice cream!
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