Feb 02 2009
Eating out in Prague
Prague restaurants, especially the ones around old town square, have still the (bad) reputation of ripping guests off. Fortunately things are changing, slowly, slowly, for the better. Here some tips and tricks how to make the most out of you “eating in Prague restaurants” adventure:
1. Bear in mind that the above is a problem that exists nearly exclusively in the very touristy areas of Prague. It is a pity that a few black sheep can bring down the name of many others. Eating out in Prague is in 95% of the cases a very pleasurable experience, so don’t be afraid to “stray from the flock” and try out new places 
2. Different country, different culture.
Many things that tourists perceive as a “rip-off” are just the Czech way of doing things differently and the tourist not knowing about it and not looking out for it. For example:
Cover charge: Many restaurants still have a cover charge, normally only a few coruny/ pennies/ cents, that covers (sic!) bread, standard sauces and couvert. The cover charges should be mentioned on the menu in not too small print.
Side dishes: Simply an organizational thing. Instead of “dictating” the customer what side dish to eat with which main, the choice is the customers. In Germany, it is often the other way round, main dish and side dish are “set in stone” and if you want boiled potatoes with your trout instead of, lets say, rice, you have to pay a “changing fee” in many places.
Sauces: A bit unusual but nothing to worry about. It means simply that instead paying a “overall calculated” price, you pay only what you order/ eat. So, for example, if my hubby orders fries with his main course and I order fries and mayonnaise, we pay different prices, because he doesn’t pay for what he doesn’t eat. Does that make sense?
Prices, pieces and weights: Traditional Czech menus tell you often exactly what you get for the money like “150 g rice 25k”. There are a tiny bit bureaucratic the Czechs, must be a leftover from their time in the Austrian-Hungarian empire
“Accept only printed bills!” Is a sign you see in some places where a lot of part-time and/ or occasional staff works. Just do what it says and insist always in a printed bill.
3. So, here the “trying out a new restaurant in Prague”-check list:
Cover charge? Service charge? Side dishes? Drink prices? Calculate the overall price that will result, and if you are happy with it and like the look of the place “go ahead and
DOBROU CHUT´!
PS Over the next days I will start a series of mini reviews about great places to eat out in Prague, all tested by yours truly own tummy. If you don’t want to miss that, you should really subscribe to my blog feed – it is free!
PPS How is the situation where you live? Are there any “tourists traps” or local peculiarities visitors should know about or not? Leave a comment and share the knowledge 
I remember in Portugal discovering that at the start of a meal - you get a basically a tapas like thing where they keep bringing plates of - stuff (my Portugese is limited :-)) olives, fish, cheese - you pay for it so if you don’t want it you wave it away or leave it untouched and they take it away - this all happens while you read the menu or after you order from it - I always wanted to say - skip the menu - I just want this stuff its great- but that wasnt the way it was done LOL
Does Praha have cheap fixed price lunch menus like some other European countries?