Prague has a plethora of pubs. Some are modern, others still totally rustic. But to find the right pubs for a real Prague pub crawl, you need to know your way around a bit. Years ago, faced with the sheer number of pubs, I decided to simply visit pubs with animal names. The walk through the pub zoo is probably the best cross-section to get to know the best taverns in Prague. It’s been a few years since the last tour, but I checked again to see which pubs are still around. There are now only six pubs left out of eight. But that’s okay. They are still all highly recommended and each one is unique in its own way. The only thing is that you’re no longer allowed to smoke there – to the delight of some and the chagrin of others.
Prague pub crawl in 6 pubs
Simply going out for a few beers in Prague is no problem. There’s always a pub nearby. One tour that I found through a previously existing app caught my eye in a particularly positive way: the “Zoo Tour”. The developers had put together a list of pubs, each with an animal in their name. For the first tour, I visited all eight pubs with my good Czech friend Anna. She knows a lot of pubs and immediately said: “Yes, that’s quite a good selection.” So we set off that same day at 5 pm. After all, we had a lot to do. The rules for the pub crawl: at least one small glass of the pub’s own beer per pub/brewery.
Pub1: U hrocha (At the Hippo) – Slowly through the smokehouse
The masses of people move ponderously through the “Hippo”. This may have something to do with the fact that back then you had to saw your way through the opaque smoke before reaching the bar. However, freshly tapped Pilsner Urquell is still available at the bar today. If you want to sit down, you’ve probably come to the wrong place. Because the regulars take up all the seats. People like to shout across the room for entertainment.
The beer served is fresh and delicious though. However, the waitress likes to complain that you are standing in the way, even though there is basically no other room. Well then – if you imagine a hippo to be a cute, fat animal, you’ve apparently never seen a documentary about Africa anyway. They like to attack people. That doesn’t happen in Prague’s “Hippo”. But it’s not exactly friendly either – a normal pub by Prague standards.
Rating for U hrocha: 3/5 beer mugs
- Beer: Pilsner
- Good: Very original, many locals, cute furnishings, corner pub despite tourist location
- Rather bad: hardly any free seats, unfriendly staff
- Insider tip: The regulars sit at the table on the left. Apparently they’ve been there since the opening.
- Address: Thunovská 10, 118 00 Prague 1, Czech Republic
Pub2: U kocoura (At the Tomcat) – Beer rather than espresso
The name says it all, as many of the guests are on their way to a hangover. There are also a few tourists in between. They often only dare to sit at the front tables, just like us. The waiter is a little reserved at first, but later becomes quite talkative and even cracks a few jokes.
This is also where I first notice what seems to be a Czech phenomenon. In Italy, people go to cafés quickly for an espresso. The Italians drink them without sitting down. In Prague, the same thing happens with beer. A man in his early sixties comes in and sits down. He is greeted by his first name. Before we have even had a chance to place our order, he already has half a liter of Kozel in front of him. Before we even have our glass, he has already finished his. A brief conversation ensues: “Just watch out for your husband. Otherwise he’ll start drinking,” the fast drinker shouts to the wife of the owner.
Her, the drinker and the innkeeper laugh loudly. The beer is noted down and will be paid for later, the guest disappears as our beer is brought to the table. What espresso is to Italians, beer is to Czechs. This is also reflected in the beer-drinking statistics. At 152 liters per person per year, the Czechs are far ahead of us Germans with an average of just 88 liters. Here we are beaten by many countries and score the 10th place only now.
Rating for U kocoura: 4/5 beer mugs
- Beer: Pilsner, Bernard, Budvar
- Good: Food looked delicious, lots of locals, right on the way to Prague Castle, good stop, fan scarves from European soccer clubs, service a bit slow but very friendly after getting used to you
- Rather bad: nothing
- Insider tip: There’s still room for fan scarves on the wall!
- Address: Nerudova 205/2, 118 00 Prague
Pub 3: U cerneho vola (At the Black Ox) – Black is beautiful
The Black Ox is apparently something of a Prague institution. It is recommended in almost all pub guides and yet it is the people of Prague who have saved it from becoming a McDonald’s. The quaint establishment near the monastery and not far from Novy Svet offers plenty to do, and not just for the eyes. You should definitely have a Kozel here. Velkopopovický Kozel is one of the best beers you can get in Bohemia. By the way, my tour guide Anna loves the dark version!
In the Ox itself, you may well have to drink your Kozel standing up. There are bar tables in the entrance hall. The pub with 40 rare seats is said to be always full. But the beer makes up for it!
Rating for U cerneho vola: 3,5/5 beer mugs
- Beer: Kozel (light and dark), Pilsner
- Good: Beautiful interior, nice details, good beer
- Rather bad: lack of seats, staff unfriendly as always
- Insider tip: If you have a folding chair, you have a clear advantage!
- Address: Loretánské náměstí 107/1, 118 00 Prague
We now fight our way through the old town with mugs of beer and soon arrive where Bill Clinton and Vaclav Havel also raised one. And so we get off the tram. Evil tongues would say that we have rolled off the tram already. In Prague, you can hardly make it otherwise because drinking does take its toll. But our motivation is still high, as we have only visited half of the pubs. Now the old town is on the agenda. You might expect to find only tourist caves here. And indeed, the old town is a little more crowded. Nevertheless, there are cozy pubs here too – with and without tourists.
Pub 4: U Medvidku (To the Little Bears) – Dance on the copper kettle
Next stop: The “Zu den kleinen Bären” brewery is a mystery from the name alone. We still haven’t quite figured out which bears are actually meant here. Anna was no longer with us for this part of the tour. However, we later found out that the house had nothing to do with bears. It was named after its first owner, Jan Nedvidek. How the N became an M is an interesting question, which is particularly good to talk about when you’re no longer sober.
The quickest way to find a seat is at the bar, where you can watch the bar staff literally filling the bottles. Because you actually have to try several beers here. U Medvidku also brews its own beer. You can choose between the softer 1466 and the rather bitter Oldgott. However, if you want to drink something really rare, you should go for the almost 13% X-Gott 33. For fitness reasons, however, I only sipped on it. Other beers fresh from the tap could also quickly make the brewery the final stop of the evening. The seasonal beers are also special. Personally, I would have liked to drink the chestnut beer. But we’ll probably have to come back again.
Rating U Medvidku: 5/5 beer mugs
- Beer: house beers, plus various Czech varieties fresh from the tap and from the bottle
- Good: huge selection from interesting to delicious, bar very central with a good overview
- Rather bad: Quite crowded, walking traffic in some places, not as cheap as others
- Insider tip: The X33 beer, the beer brandy, which you can buy as any of the beers in bottles for take away in the beer store next door.
- Address: Na Perštýně 345/7, 110 00 Prague
Pub 5: U zlateho tygra (To the Golden Tiger) – For a drink in the presidential suite
The Tiger is a Prague original. When the late Czech President Vaclav Havel wanted to invite the US President Bill Clinton to a real pub, the two of them went here. And indeed, the Tiger is a feast for the eyes. Havel was often seen here. The interior with its painted walls and stained glass windows is reminiscent of the Middle Ages, while photos and plaques commemorate the pub’s former visitors. Once a meeting place for artists, the Tiger still attracts locals today. Although there are a few tourists in between, it’s mostly people from Prague that visit. The beer prices are still quite moderate for this well-known location.
Rating U zlateho tygra: 4,5/5 beer mugs
- Beer: Pilsner Urquell
- Good: Also popular with Prague locals
- Rather bad: Typically unfriendly staff, always full
- Insider tip: take time to look at the furnishings
- Address: Husova 228/17, 110 00 Prague
Pub 6: U dvou Kocek (To the two cats) – On the North Sea coast
Finding the two cats requires some skill, as they are hidden in a passageway. However, once inside you are rewarded with a truly beautiful original interior. So it’s best to get your beer standing up. This is also a good way to explore the dining room. Apparently there are musicians there every evening to assist the audience. On the evening of my visit, it was a friendly accordion player who played and sang Czech classics. The accordeon and the quirky decor reminded me a little of the North Sea coast in Germany. More of a particular song than the actual coast. But maybe it was the seventh beer in total that contributed to this.
Rating U dvou Kocek: 4,5/5
- Beer: Kocka, Pilsner Urquell
- Good: cozy, live music, nice details and the food looks delicious
- Rather bad: Little space to sit down
- Insider tip: Kocka is the name of the beer served here. Be sure to try it. But why else would you be here?
- Address: Uhelný trh 10, 110 00 Prague
Conclusion on the Prague pub crawl: A nice cross-selection of Prague’s pubs
Prague is always worth a visit. And there is hardly any other city where beer is always so cheap. It’s hard not to get drunk here and end up with a hangover from this particular “zoo”. The pubs are all unique in their own way. Some are more modern, others are really traditional pubs where Prague residents and tourists will probably still be drinking in a hundred years’ time. You don’t have to try all the pubs on the list or you can simply find your own. But a pub crawl through Prague is definitely a good way to get to know the city and its people better. If you have tried some of the pubs in Prague, please leave your favorites or tell me about your tour through Prague’s “beer zoo”. I look forward to your comments!
Book an organized Prague pub crawl
If you fancy a Prague pub crawl but don’t have the company or would simply prefer to wander through the city with more people in a large group, then a pub crawl is a good idea. They are often a very entertaining experience and you get to meet people from all over the world. It’s not the same as a tour through the pubs of Prague that you do yourself, but it has other advantages. You can find a pub crawl in Prague all year round. A pub crawl through Prague is easy to book, for example via GetyourGuide*.
