Prague is a popular tourist destination and, as such, it has wonderful selection of restaurants to choose from when dining out. It many ways, the food is similar to the rest of central Europe, but as always, there are slight variations. One of the common themes that we were served was a dumpling that was very similar to bread pudding. They are thick and dense and wonderful for soaking up the different gravies, but will definitely leave you feeling like you could use to do a few extra exercises.
The other commonality is the various selections of wild game that were available, which was obviously due to the time of year. The United States talks a lot about fresh ingredients and serving what is most available for the season, but rarely do you actually find as many restaurants all carrying seasonal menus with traditional favorites. There was rabbit, deer, duck, goose, perch, as well as the typical pork and beef dishes. When prepared properly, these dishes taste wonderful and don’t have harsh flavors, which can sometimes happen when serving wild game.
We were in Prague over the holidays, so we did find some set menus on Christmas Day, but there were still wonderful choices to select from. In fact, the only disappointing meal that we ate while we were in Prague was at a medieval restaurant that was part of our tour the one day. The restaurant was very touristy and the food, which was served to large tour groups, was obviously mass prepared. That is to be expected when having a meal as part of a large group such as this, but it is possible to create meals that are flavorful and tender, even under these circumstances, so it was a shame.
Overall, the food of Prague was truly wonderful and enhanced what was already an amazing experience. We would certainly recommend going to one of the many restaurants that are in the Mala strana, which is just a section of the old town area. It is highly recommended that you make reservations during the weekends or busy tourist times, which seems to be just about all of the time. There are few places open between 15:00 and 18:00, typical of much of Europe, so plan your day accordingly.
