A WINTER WEEKEND IN PRAGUE

by YouShouldGoHere
April 2, 2016
in Drink Here, Eat Here, Go Here, Stay Here
0

[PRAGUE] — This is going to be a pretty easy post for you, more of a postcard travelogue. I think I am the last guy to visit Prague, but I slapped it on to a Christmas trip to Brussels just to see what it’s like and have some beer. Pretty city. Too many tourists for me. I feel sorry that it was so overrun.

But it definitely is pretty. These are the best things I’ve found. Click to open the slideshow and follow along.

: Praguein’

: Chuck. The Charles Bridge. The center of everything in the city. And you can understand why

: Few people pay attention to Charles’ dark twin on the other side. I think he’s called Todd.

: Current mood. Lit and in line. Damn there’s a lot of tourists here. Beer helps.

: I was just obsessed with these guys. Coulda been just another barge barrier

: A great sunset thing to do is go up to the Strahov Monastery and watch the sunset and overlook the city. Great views.

: Right across from the monastery is a newly opened brewpub. Great food and beer.

: Just a perfect place to pull up a bench, eat some good food and meet people.

: This Flamendr stew, slow cooked with peppers, beef, pork and dark meat chicken is as good as it looks, with an extra kick to it. Not to mention the awesome beer in this 17th century brewery on a high hill above Prague. Take a leisurely stroll up, take a pic, sip a beer and stuff your face. Then it’s naptime.

: This is the money shot view of the city from the castle. I know that I am the caboose in finally getting to Prague; everyone else has already done the route. But for me, finally, here, now. Everyone always talked about the Charles Bridge.The first time I saw it, I thought there must be a protest going on… or a reenactment of battling the Swedes at the end of the Thirty Year War… but no, it was just a Wednesday. Good lord, the humanity. These crowds make touring the Vatican look like a rest stop in Hayes, Kansas. There are more tourists than people here. Talk about Barcelonaitis. To Prague: I am sorry I added my part to this. Hopefully, I visited digitally and left no prints.

: There are definitely some people visiting the castle.

: Love how they did this faux brickwork with paint

: I love this, told to me by the awesome guide that took me all over the back alleys of Prague and away from all the tourist stops and Segways. “Take me away from people, please.” Anyhow, he laughed when we walked by this place, right below the castle, and told me this story: This quiet corner is the single worst-reviewed restaurant in all of Prague. They’re known for fleecing tourists, serving horrible food, mean service, bad health scores and lighting up TripAdvisor, with matches, for years. So then what did they do? They just painted over the restaurant name and address. Nothing but generic signs like “pizza” and “cafe” so now nobody can look up the reviews, or write about them… nobody could find them! They just sit and wait for the next moth to trip down the steps and into their web.

: I have a problem. Even sitting in one of the world’s prettiest cities, I look up and think: Mmmmmmm, wonder where they’re going… four engines, gotta be far… I wanna be on that beautiful thing…

: Everything screaming all at once. Like a Republican Debate.

: Must be the maid’s room 🔝

: Duckin’. Again. Man, they love their Daffy in Prog. I think I had duck four times. (Not that I’m complaining.) This is Cafe Savoy. #youshouldgohere Hard to find a great looking Beaux Arts place that hasn’t turned to churn n’ burn tourist place. This place is steel the real deal. Happy New Year’s you silly wabbits.

: Loved La Finestre. Highly recommend. Great for lunch.

: Second best meal in Prague. La Finestre. White truffles, shaved and weighed at the table. “Want some more?” “Definitely.” Delightful place. Friendly peeps that loved serving as much as I loved eating.

: Mandarin Oriental are typically not my type of hotels, but they had a great deal over the holidays. Nice big rooms, sterile clean restaurant. But great location

: Like a cat circling the edges of a big pillow, I walked around Prague for two hours, looking for The Right Spot. Too big. Too touristy. Too bright. Too empty. Too loud. Soon as I walked by outside these leaded glass windows I skidded in my tracks, Tom & Jerry style. It was the ceiling that got me. Okay, dozens of candles too. Surely, it was the tray going by with silver sauce bowls and big red goblets of wine. Yep, this was just the ticket. In jeans, walking boots and a little dew on the lily from the walk, I didn’t realize I’d walked into one of the top restaurants in Prague. The expression on their face told me so. Kinda like “Seriously?” (but with a thicker accent, obvs.) “Ano, prosím!” Then I snagged the last table, the nicest waiter and the best Czech Cab they had and settled in for the night; staring at this gorgeous ceiling, dragons and noblemen and two-tailed lions glaring back. I had to wait for the ridiculously beautiful French family — redundant, I know; aren’t they all? — to leave before taking this pic. All cosy and candley, turns out U Malírù is one of the oldest restaurants in Prague, slingin’ port wine reduction since 1543. With its arches and alcoves and candles, you almost feel like you’re there, pulling back your chainmaille to tuck in some mousse from saddle of rabbit or slurp some mushroom soup. “Just think how many people have ett here” Jed Clampett would say. All I knew was that my saucer of wine was running low, lamb shank was on its way and all I could do was purrrrrr.

: The Right Spot. (See previous post)

: Seriously, I could not have stumbled upon a better place. Absolutely stunning.

: You can just sit for hours staring at the ceiling. And the beautiful people

: I tried going in here because it was so pretty, right next to the Mandarin Oriental. A French restaurant in Prague, run by an Italian lady. Had to be good. It was jammed every night. Also, right around the corner from the French Embassy.

: Here are all the names and details of where you should go in Prague.

: Hating the crowds, I asked the concierge to find me a guide to take me away from him. I didn’t need to see the top sites, I wanted to see undiscovered backstreet. He ended up being my savior. A former TV producer, he grew up under the communists and told fascinating stories about what it was like, took me to quiet backstreets nobody knew about and told great stories. Highly recommend you email him before your trip and line him up. He knows everybody and everything in Prague. Not your typical cheesy guide. Save this info.

Last visited Christmas 2015

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