Page 195 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Prague

WHERE T O EA T AND DRINK  193

Disabled Travellers
Many restaurants still do
not cater specifically for the
disabled. The staff will almost
always try and help, but
Prague’s ubiquitous stairs and
basements will defeat all but
the most determined.

Reservations
There is generally no need to
reserve a table at lunchtime
or on weekday evenings in
Prague. If you are planning
to eat dinner on a Friday or
Tourists eating at a restaurant in the Old Town Square Saturday evening, however,
particularly in Prague’s better
Extra Costs for others to join your table if known restaurants, it is
In some restaurants or bars, the there is any room. No restaurant advisable to book in advance.
waiter may bring nuts to your has an official dress code, but Reservations can be made in
table. Yes, they are for you to eat, people tend to dress up when person, by telephone or occa­
but at a price equal to, or higher dining in upmarket restaurants. sion ally online. Alternatively,
than, an appetizer. You will not online booking companies will
insult anybody by telling the make a free reser vation for you.
waiter to take them away. Payment and Tipping Your book ing is confirmed by
The same applies to appetizers The average price for a full meal email and you pay as usual at
brought round by the waiter. in the centre of Prague ranges the restaurant.
You may notice extra charges from about Kč250 to Kč1,100
you don’t recognize when you per person and more, Recommended
check your bill. But they may well depending on the type of
be legitimate, as cover charges establishment. In some restau­ Restaurants
(usually Kč10–25) might include rants the waiter may write your Prague offers an astonishing
such items as milk, ketchup, bread order on a piece of paper and array of cuisines, from French
and butter might be charged then leave it on your table for and Asian to traditional and
for. Finally, a 21 per cent tax is the person who comes around modern Czech fare (see Flavours
normally included in the menu. when you are ready to pay. of Prague pp194–5). Traditional
Tipping in the Western sense Czech involves dishes with lots
is rare; most Czechs round the of meat, potatoes or dumplings,
Etiquette
bill up to the nearest 10 or while modern Czech is where
You don’t have to wait to be 100 crowns. Most restaurants enterprising chefs are taking the
seated in snack bars and smaller accept major credit cards, old recipes and making them
eateries. It is also quite normal but ask before the meal to fresher and lighter.
make sure. Cafés, pubs and Our restaurants are divided
bakeries often accept only cash. into six geographical areas:
Old Town, Jewish Quarter,
Prague Castle and Hradčany,
Vegetarians
Little Quarter, New Town and
The situation for vegetarians in Further Afield. We’ve selected
Prague is improv ing as awareness the best from across the city,
increases. Fresh vegetables are and encourage you to move
available through out the year, out of the centre and explore
and numerous restaurants offer some other neighbourhoods
vegetarian and vegan options. for more variety and cheaper
Nevertheless, even when a dish prices. The specially recom­
is described as meatless, it’s mended restaurants, marked as
always worth double­checking. “DK Choice”, have been chosen
Vegetar ians should particularly because they offer a special
beware of menu sections called experience – either for the
bez masa as, whilst the literal superb cuisine, for enjoying
translation of this word is “with­ a traditional Czech dining
out meat”, its actual meaning night out, for the excellent
Fine dining amid stained-glass Art is that meat is not the main value, or a combination
Deco splendour ingredient in the dishes listed. of these.

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