Potrefena Husa restaurants, Staropramen group

While walking in Prague’s centre, you will probably notice several Potrefena Husa restaurants. If you get in, you’ll see that they only have Staropramen beer or beers from the same group (for instance Stella Artois, which is distributed by Staropramen on the Czech market). This is simply due to the fact that this chain of restaurants was launched by the beer group.

A popular chain of restaurants

This chain of restaurants is very popular amongst the young working population (20-30 years of age), and the brand Potrefena Husa has succesfully developed in secondary cities namely in Plzen, Olomouc, Ostrava or Zlin. Potrefena Husa has now more than 30 restaurants operated in the Czech Republic.

Menus may vary depending on restaurants, but you’ll always find the Czech classic dishes (svickova, Plzen gulas, or pork schnitzel), as well as some very common international dishes such as burgers, chicken wings, grilled salmon and potato purée.

A great option for a cheap lunch

Some of the restaurants are located in the very centre – if you’re planning on going there for dinner, make sure you make a booking as they get very busy even during week days. At lunch time, you will be able to get the typical lunch menu (very common in Czech Republic) where you get a soup and a choice of 4 main dishes (one being light in calories). The soup will cost you approximately one euro, while the main dish costs from 4 to 6 euros – a great deal especially if you’re on a small budget. Still, one thing you may have to do is ask one of the waiters (who are always happy to help) to translate the lunch menu for you, as these are generally only on Czech.

Here below are some of Potrefena Husa restaurants in the centre :
Praha Hybernska – Dlážděná 1003, Prague 1 (Booking: +420 224 243 631)
Praha Národní třída – Národní třída 364/39, Prague 1 (Booking: +420 273 130 555)
Praha Vinhrady – Vinohradská 104, Prague 3 (Booking: +420 267 310 360)
Praha Holešovice – Dukelských hrdinů 696/43, Prague 7 (Booking: +420 233 931 003)

For more information and the menu, you may check Potrefena Husa website (only in Czech).

Up for an old style French bistro ? Chez Marcel is where you may want to go…

Get in “Chez Marcel”, you’ll feel like you’re in a bistro in Paris, back in the old days. On the walls, you’ll find some old style adverts (Pernod Ricard, “la vache qui rit”…).

The French bistros’ classics

In Chez Marcel, you’ll find all the French classics : quiche lorraine or goat cheese salad to start, from the simple omlette to the duck confit with salardaises potatoes or the rabbit with mustard sauce for the main course. And if you still have some room for dessert, don’t miss the famous “crème brulée”! In the restaurant, they serve wines from Bordeaux, Beaujolais and even Languedoc… the offer is not that extensive but still fair for a bistro type of restaurant. If you’re on a small budget, you can still enjoy a daily menu (soup with main course) for approximately 6 EUR. Still these menus are only valid from Monday to Friday.

Chez Marcel also serves brekafast. Still it will cost you 7 to 8 EUR which may be a bit pricey if you compare that to the local standards. You’ll probably be better off going to some small independant café such as Mamacoffee, where you can enjoy great coffee, muffins and brownies.

The service is of good quality and the menu is in French, English and Czech.

Where to eat if you have a backpackers’ budget ?

You’re in Prague for a couple of days or longer and only have a backpackers’ budget. If you’re looking for a place to eat, the best solution for you would be to avoid the city center… but it’s not that handy when you’re a tourist! If you only have a small budget, here is one restaurant (in fact, it’s more like a canteen) you might want to try: “Havelska Koruna”.

Traditional Czech food and beer

They serve traditionnal Czech cuisine and also the best beer on tap, Pilsner Urquell (34 CZK for a pint… or 1.40 EUR, if you’re not used to go from CZK to EUR!). They only speak a bit of English, but still enough to be understood.

When you enter the place, you get a piece of paper where anything you order will be written down. Keep this piece of paper until you get to the counter (when you leave, at the exit) where it will be asked as you pay the bill. Be careful not to lose your paper, they’ll make you pay an extra charge…

A place for small budgets

In a word, Havelska Koruna is a good place to go to if you’re really on a small budget, but if you can afford a little bit more, I would recommend something like Kolkovna or Celnice, that are definitely of better quality and offer a service which is definitely better!

Havelska Koruna
Havelska, 23
Stare Mesto
Prague 1
Tel: + 420 224 239 331