Tipping habits in Prague

Another thing that an expat gets often asked by tourists is “How does tipping work here in Prague”. So here is my scoop on the Czech tipping habits for restaurants, pubs, bars, taxis, barbers etc. Hope it is helpful and/ or even sparks some discussion about: how to tip/ if to tip and different tipping habits in different countries.

image courtesy of Lumaxart

1. For small sums just don’t accept the change, i.e. if your pint was 28CZK give 30 and “waive” the rest.

2. 10% is the norm, 15% is for exceptional service.

3. You are supposed to signal to your waiter when to stop giving you your change or to tell him/ her to where to “round up” the bill, but if your Czech doesn’t go that far either give it directly or leave it on the table.

4. Be kind, give your tip in cash, don’t add it to your (credit) card bill.

5. Don’t fall for a so-called “service charge”, accept printed bills only and then decide what the service was worth.

More tips about eating out in Prague And now tell me, what are the tipping habits and customs in your country/ city?

Pretty Please!

Czech Beer - Kozel

Czech beer is so much more than Pilsner Urquell, Staropramen or Budvar. Don’t get me wrong, they are very nice beers, but I like also to taste the less known brews. One of my favorite ones is Kozel from Velké Popovice, around 25km south-east of Prague. Kozel means “goat” in Czech; that is the reason that the mascot of this brewery is a mountain goat, in advertising as in real life!

Image source

First a bit of history, to make you thirsty.

Velké Popovice was first mentioned in the 14th century and the brewery itself in the 16th century, being described as a family enterprise. So, unlike so many other European breweries, it has secular rather then monastic roots. But after the 30years war it passed into the possession of Strahov Monastery (Prague) and later into the hands of Benedictine Monastery of St. Nicholas (also Prague).

After the abolition of monasteries, it was bought by a private owner and passed though several hands until, in 1870, being bought by Frantisek Ringhoffer, who built a new brewery in the same spot and introduced modern brewing technologies. Here begins the modern history of Velké Popovice’s Kozel beer.

Both world wars stopped, to certain extent, the beer production and in 1945 the Brewery became a state enterprise, i.e. was owned by the communist Czechoslovakian government. Shortly after the Velvet Revolution, in 1991, the Brewery gained its independence and became a joint-stock company which was taken over in 1995 by the Radegast Brewery, the third biggest brewing group in the Czech Republic with a 20% market share. 1999 it celebrated its 125th anniversary.

In 1999 the Radegast brewery merged with Pilsner Urquell and in the same year the whole set-up was bought by South African Breweries, plc. That means that several of the most emblematic Czech beers are now owned and marketed by an South African company.

The more important – the Kozel beers (from low>high alcohol content)

Černý (dark)
This dark beer is produced from dark malts, causing its “crown” (foam) to be also dark. Dark brown, nearly as dark as stout. It has a taste rich in caramel and hop at the same time. 3,8 % alcohol.

Světlý (pale)
It has a pale color (sic!) and a slightly bitter taste and a light golden color. 4% alcohol content makes it a good companion to meals.

11 Medium
A new beer of the lager type with 4,6 % alcohol and a distinctive bitter taste and a slightly “bubbly” feeling on the tongue.

Premium
Hoppy and more bitter than the others and with an alcohol content of 4,8. It is a bit too bitter for my taste; my favorite one is either Černý or Světlý, or a mixture of the both. Something very common in Czech pubs.

And you - which is your favourite Czech beer?

In case you want to visit the Kozel brewery you’ll find all necessary information here on their web site .

Czech Beer 1

Czech people drink the most beer worldwide, an average of 160 liters per head. Some sources say even more. So beer is an important part of the daily life in the Czech Republic; time to take a closer look at it. Pour yourself a glass of your favorite beer, lean back and enjoy the information. With a glass in your hand, it shouldn’t be too dry!

Huch! 10° alcohol???

First time Prague/ Czech Republic visitors get sometimes shocked how strong the beer here seems to be. Please relax, the 10° to 19° values don’t refer, at least not directly, to the strength of the beer. They stand for the density of the beer wort used. The higher this density the higher also the resulting alcohol percentage in the finished beer. A 10° beer has about 4% alcohol. If you still want to know the nitty-gritty details have a look at these wikipedia articles Brix and Plato. Most pubs in Prague offer 10° and 12° beers, seldom higher.

Light, dark or mixed?

That refers to the color of the beer and, to a certain extent, also to the taste. In general the darker the beer the fuller and sweeter it will be in taste.

Image source

Lager, Ale or Wheat beer?

Lager is the most common one and Pilsner Urquell the most famous of these. Ale is not very typical for Czech beer. Rumor has it that there might be one or two breweries around that produce it, but seriously, Ale belongs to the UK, not to Prague! Wheat beer with its yeasty-crisp taste is slightly more common, especially with microbreweries. So that was a short intro into the world of Czech beer. Don’t forget to subscribe to my feed, so that you don’t miss my next posts. See you and Na shledanou!

Eating on a shoestring

Pickled ermine and drowned men.

If you are after a quick, cheap and filling meal and don’t fancy going to McDonald, some of the following pub snacks might fit the bill.

Smažený Sýr means fried cheese and is often served with tartar sauce and boiled potatoes or French fries. The cheese used is normally edam, but you can find also variations like fried Hermelín (see below).

Nakládaný Hermelín translates to “pickled ermine”, but don’t call now PETA or RSPCA, Hermelín is a camembert-style Czech cheese that can be pickled with onions, garlic, spices, oil, pepperoni and the like. Each pub or beer hall has its own recipe. The taste also differs with the time the cheese has been macerating. Freshly pickled cheese tends to be firmer and “sharper” whilst, after a while, it becomes softer and the taste “rounder”, but still quite spicy. This one is my personal favourite when it comes to pub food! The photo on the left shows the cheeses packed tightly in the glass jar, before serving.

Image source

Utopenec, meaning “drowned man” or “drowned body”. A pork sausage, pickled in vinegar with onions, gherkins and spices. Utopenec like Nakládaný Hermelín are normally served with a tiny salad garnish (for vitamins, you know) and a generous helping of bread. Combine this with a pivo (beer) and you have a satisfying and affordable meal for normally under 100ks. There are more things to discover in Czech pubs like home made soup or rollmpos, just be adventurous and try it out. Just one word of warning: Czech food drops directly from your lips to your hips!

Book tip: We seldom leave the house without “Czech, The Rough Guide”, it is small and has an extended section for food/ drink/ menu translations. Highly recommended.

This post was loosely inspired by Matt’s comment on my post Blog Writers Block . Thanks, Matt!

I guess after reading the following you will call me a liar:

Imagine, there is a restaurant in the center of Prague, 5min walking distance from Charles bridge, where you can eat superb contemporary Czech cuisine in a beautifully restored and decorated historical building without that it costs an arm and a leg. A place where even Sean Connery and Vaclav Havel have dined.

See, I told you, you will not believe me. So perhaps I better should shut up now and keep this little insider secret for myself? Do not fear dear reader (btw, have you subscribed to my feed yet? It is free!), the story is absolutely true and the name of this wondrous place is Století, which in Czech means “century”. Have a look here at their web site to see the menu and prices for yourself. Want some more mouth watering details? Be my guest!

First I must confess I have no idea how old the building is or what it was before it became “The Století”, but it has a distinct historical feel about it and my best guess would be that it was part of a monastic set-up. There are two main parts, the bar area and the restaurant, both with the same menu – and prices. The interior design in both is superbly done, the bar being a tad more comfy and the restaurant a bit more elegant, that’s it. All dishes are named after famous people, so ordering an “Al Capone” will get you roast chicken leg served with hot salsa and papaya or a “Louis Armstrong” pork medallions with peanuts and cold orange curry and cayenne pepper sauce. The last one is divine, I get hungry by only thinking about how good it was. Service is also good and attentive.

Only one little remark, they claim that you can say, after a visit to their restaurant, “You can honestly say you`ve had a pure Czech meal at a new place and thoroughly enjoyed it at Století.” You will have enjoyed it for sure, but pure Czech, look at the menu? I think that one needs a bit of re-wording…