Best 7 Beer Halls & Brewery Pubs in Prague

Seven places to drink Czech beer where it is brewed or poured with real pride — from the hall that first put Pilsner Urquell on tap in Prague to a brewery on a boat.

Beer is the backbone of social life in Prague, and the best beer halls do two things well: they look after the beer — clean lines, the right temperature, a firm, creamy head — and they serve food that belongs next to it. Some of the places below pour Pilsner Urquell or Staropramen where those beers made their name; others brew their own, in a monastery, a palace and a ship. For small independent brewers, see our guide to Prague’s best craft beer bars.

All seven are places we have written about in detail on Prague Hints. We chose them for good beer and proper food rather than a cheap pint alone, and spread them from Old Town and Malá Strana to Smíchov and the river itself.

At a glance

Best for beer history	U Pinkasů — Prague’s first Pilsner Urquell on draught, 1843
Best monastery brewery	The Strahov Monastic Brewery — house beers in the Strahov Monastery complex
Best palace setting	Vojanův Dvůr — pub and brewery in a Malá Strana palace
Best on the water	KVASOUL (formerly Loď Pivovar) — brewery ship with Castle views
Best brewery restaurant	Potrefená Husa Na Verandách — inside the Staropramen brewery in Smíchov
Best Pilsner restaurant in Old Town	Kolkovna v Kolkovně — the first Pilsner Urquell Original Restaurant
Best for a late night	U Vejvodů — old Bohemian alehouse that stays up late

1. U Pinkasů

Jungmannovo náměstí 15/16 · Nové Město

U Pinkasů was founded by Jakub Pinkas in 1843 and holds a real first: it was the first place in Prague to serve Pilsner Urquell, the bottom-fermented lager from Plzeň, on draught. More than 180 years of continuous operation later it is still pouring it, so a beer here is a small piece of Prague history as well as a very good pint.

The kitchen is traditional Czech, built around the beer, with seasonal specials and a few more refined dishes. It sits just off the bottom of Wenceslas Square, an easy lunch stop between Old Town and Nové Město; call ahead in the evening if you are a group.

Read our full guide to U Pinkasů →

2. The Strahov Monastic Brewery

Strahovské nádvoří 301 · Hradčany

The Strahov Monastic Brewery sits inside the Strahov Monastery complex, not far from Prague Castle, and brewing here goes back to around 1400. Today it serves its own house-brewed beers with Czech cooking in rustic rooms where you can see something of the brewing process.

Drink the house beers, including whatever seasonal special is on, with something hearty from the Czech menu. It is the natural stop between the Castle and the monastery, or after a walk on Petřín Hill. The middle of the day is busiest around the Castle, so come early or in the late afternoon for a calmer table.

Read our full guide to The Strahov Monastic Brewery →

3. Vojanův Dvůr

U Lužického semináře 21 · Malá Strana

Vojanův Dvůr is a pub and brewery in the Windischgrätz Palace in Malá Strana, a building whose story goes back to 1249, when it was the seat of the Bishop of Prague. It is stylish rather than rough-and-ready, mixing historic rooms with modern comfort.

The kitchen sticks to traditional Czech food plus seasonal specials, with weekday lunch specials too. The street starts at the Malá Strana end of Charles Bridge, so it is the obvious place to sit down after crossing — and quieter than the main route up to the Castle.

Read our full guide to Vojanův Dvůr →

4. KVASOUL (formerly Loď Pivovar)

Dvořákovo nábřeží, mooring 19 · Praha 1, by Štefánik Bridge

The brewery ship we first wrote up as Loď Pivovar now trades as KVASOUL, at the same mooring below Štefánik Bridge. The boat once served as a disco and is now a microbrewery across two decks, one of the most unusual places to drink beer in Europe, and its beer has recently won a Brewer’s Seal medal.

Beer comes from 13 brew-vats. When we wrote it up, the taps included a 10° Legie, a 12° Republika, a dark 13° Monarchie and two seasonal specials; names may have changed with the new brand, so ask what is pouring. The upper deck serves Czech dishes with views of Prague Castle; the cosier lower deck does cold plates and locally smoked meats.

Read our full guide to KVASOUL (formerly Loď Pivovar) →

5. Potrefená Husa Na Verandách

Nádražní 43/84 · Smíchov

Potrefená Husa Na Verandách is the restaurant inside the Staropramen brewery in Smíchov, and it carries on a tradition of brewery dining that goes back to the brewery’s founding in 1871. If Pilsner Urquell dominates the centre, this is where Prague’s other great brewing name gets its due, with a long list of Staropramen beers on tap.

The menu is traditional Czech, designed around the beer, with a weekly lunch menu for a cheaper midday visit, and the decor nods to the brewery’s history. It is a short walk from Anděl, so it is easy to reach by metro or tram.

Read our full guide to Potrefená Husa Na Verandách →

6. Kolkovna v Kolkovně

V Kolkovně 910/8 · Staré Město

Kolkovna v Kolkovně opened in 2001 as the very first restaurant to carry the Pilsner Urquell Original Restaurant brand. The idea was to pair Czech brewing tradition with cooking for modern tastes, and it remains a dependable place for Czech food and Pilsner in the middle of Old Town.

Order Pilsner Urquell with a Czech classic and check the specials: there is a weekday lunch menu and seasonal themes, with game in autumn when we last checked. It stays open until midnight, which is useful after a concert.

Read our full guide to Kolkovna v Kolkovně →

7. U Vejvodů

Jilská 4 · Staré Město

U Vejvodů is built in the image of the old Bohemian alehouse, with traditional decor and a warm atmosphere in the lanes of Old Town. The beer is Plzeň — Pilsner — and it is kept well; the menu covers both classic Czech dishes and international food, which helps when not everyone in your group wants dumplings.

Its other strength is the hours: it opens early enough for breakfast and has traditionally stayed open far later than most central restaurants, which makes it a reliable fallback when everywhere else has stopped serving.

Read our full guide to U Vejvodů →

Practical tips

Degrees are not alcohol. The 10° and 12° on Czech menus measure the strength of the wort before fermentation, not the alcohol content. A 12° lager is usually somewhere around 4–5% ABV, and a 10° a little lighter.
Try a different pour. Besides the standard hladinka, many pubs will pour a šnyt (a smaller beer with more foam) or a mlíko (almost all foam, drunk in one go). The foam is part of the beer.
Keep the tally slip. In traditional beer halls the server often marks each round on a slip of paper left at your table. Do not lose it — it is your bill.
Use the beer mat. A new beer tends to arrive as soon as your glass is nearly empty. Put the beer mat on top of the glass when you are done.
Share the table. Long tables are normal in beer halls. Ask “Je tu volno?” (Is this seat free?) and sit down.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most historic beer hall in Prague?

Of the places on this list, U Pinkasů has the strongest claim: it was founded in 1843 and was the first in Prague to serve Pilsner Urquell on draught. Brewing at Strahov goes back much further, to around 1400, and Vojanův Dvůr occupies a palace with a history dating to 1249.

Where can I drink beer brewed on site?

The Strahov Monastic Brewery, Vojanův Dvůr and KVASOUL all brew their own. Potrefená Husa Na Verandách sits inside the Staropramen brewery itself, which is the next best thing.

Do I need to book a table at a Prague beer hall?

For two people at lunchtime you can usually walk in. For dinner, at weekends or with a group, it is sensible to book, especially at the central places such as U Pinkasů, Kolkovna v Kolkovně and Vojanův Dvůr.

Is tipping expected?

Rounding up or adding about 10% is normal for good service. Tell the server the total you want to pay when you settle up, rather than leaving coins on the table.