Best 6 French & Belgian Restaurants in Prague

Six places in Prague for French and Belgian food, from a Malá Strana entrecôte and Charolais beef to pots of mussels and Belgian beer straight from the tap.

French and Belgian cooking in Prague falls into two camps. On one side are the bistros and smart dining rooms, mostly in Malá Strana, where steak, sauces and French wine are the draw. On the other are the Belgian places, where mussels, fries and strong abbey-style beers make a heartier night out. Both make a good break from goulash and dumplings. This list suits couples after a romantic dinner, meat lovers and anyone who wants to try Belgian beer without leaving Prague.

Every restaurant here is one we have written about in detail on Prague Hints, and each one was checked again before this page went up. We have spread the picks across neighbourhoods and budgets: two in Malá Strana, two in Vinohrady, one on Pařížská in Josefov and one near Náměstí Republiky, ranging from a beer-and-mussels lunch to a celebration dinner under painted ceilings.

At a glance

Best for a romantic lunch or dinner	Café de Paris — signature entrecôte with a secret sauce
Best for a celebration	Restaurant U Malířů 1543 — French-Czech dining under painted vaulted ceilings
Best for mussels	Les Moules — twelve kinds of mussels every day
Best for steak	Restaurant U Bílé Krávy — Charolais beef in a French country-pub room
Best for Belgian beer	Belgická Restaurace Bruxx — eight imported Belgian beers on tap
Best for breakfast through dinner	Next Door by Imperial — Pohlreich’s Czech cooking, Paris bistro mood

1. Café de Paris

Velkopřevorské náměstí 4 · Malá Strana

Café de Paris is a French restaurant on Velkopřevorské náměstí, the quiet Malá Strana square that is also home to the Lennon Wall. Its signature is the Entrecôte “Café de Paris”: a beef steak with the house’s secret sauce, crisp fries and a green salad. Around that there is a simple lunch menu and a few seasonal specialities, served in a warm, elegant room.

Order the entrecôte; it is what most people come for, and it is a fair test of any French bistro. The wine list is short and mostly French, which suits the food. It works for lunch or a relaxed dinner for two after a walk around Kampa and the Malá Strana lanes, and it is open every day from late morning. Book for evenings, especially at weekends.

Read our full guide to Café de Paris →

2. Restaurant U Malířů 1543

Maltézské náměstí 11 · Malá Strana

Restaurant U Malířů 1543 is the grandest room on this list. Its name means “At the Painters”, and it fills historic rooms with painted, vaulted ceilings on Maltézské náměstí, a couple of minutes’ walk from Café de Paris. The cooking blends French and Czech traditions, and the wine list is chosen with the same care as the food.

This is a place to book for a celebration or an anniversary rather than a quick bite. Expect a menu that sets French dishes beside Czech ones, served in a setting that does a lot of the work, so leave time to look up at the ceilings. Opening days have been limited at weekends in the past, so check before you plan a Saturday or Sunday dinner.

Read our full guide to Restaurant U Malířů 1543 →

3. Les Moules

Pařížská 19 · Josefov

Les Moules is a Belgian restaurant on Pařížská, Prague’s smartest shopping street, and the city’s mussel specialist: twelve varieties are served every day, with Belgian beers and crisp fries alongside. Its mussels were named the best in Prague at the Prague Mussel Week festival two years running. It belongs to the Gare Restaurants group, and the room mixes modern touches with classic Belgian style.

Order a pot of mussels with fries and a Belgian beer; that is the whole idea. If you want to push the boat out, there are fresh lobsters, and you can choose your own. Seasonal menus and drinks events run through the year, such as a St Martin’s menu, so ask what is on.

Read our full guide to Les Moules →

4. Restaurant U Bílé Krávy

Rubešova 10 · Vinohrady

Restaurant U Bílé Krávy, “At the White Cow”, is a steak restaurant with a French accent. It specialises in Charolais beef, the white cattle of Burgundy, served under the Apros Beef Natural label, and the rest of the menu covers traditional French dishes. The rustic interior is modelled on a cosy French country pub.

Come hungry and order the beef; it is the reason the place exists. The room is intimate and suits a relaxed dinner with friends or family more than a formal occasion. The restaurant has also marked Beaujolais Nouveau with its own event, a good excuse to visit when the new wine arrives. Weekend opening has been limited in the past, with Sundays closed, so check before you go.

Read our full guide to Restaurant U Bílé Krávy →

5. Belgická Restaurace Bruxx

Náměstí Míru 9 · Vinohrady

Belgická Restaurace Bruxx is a Belgian restaurant and beer bar inside the Národní dům, the historic National House on Vinohrady’s Náměstí Míru. It has passed its tenth anniversary, and its big draw is the tap list: eight Belgian beers imported directly by the restaurant, plus a rotating Czech guest beer brewed specially for Bruxx by a selected local brewery.

Order mussels and frites with a Belgian beer, then look at the seasonal specials, which change through the year. It is a versatile place: a casual lunch, a beer night with friends or a proper dinner all work here. Náměstí Míru metro station on line A is right outside, so it is an easy evening out even if you are staying in the centre.

Read our full guide to Belgická Restaurace Bruxx →

6. Next Door by Imperial

Zlatnická 3 · Nové Město

Next Door by Imperial is Zdeněk Pohlreich’s take on a Paris bistro, with modern Czech cooking on the plate. An open kitchen sets the tone, the interior mixes a contemporary look with regional touches, and the menu is built on seasonal, local ingredients. It is listed in the Michelin Guide.

It earns its place because it fills a gap the others leave: it is open every day from early morning, so you can come for breakfast as easily as dinner. Order the seasonal Czech dishes; this is the place to see how a leading Czech chef handles bistro cooking, not to hunt for escargots. It is a few minutes’ walk from Náměstí Republiky, handy if you are staying on the eastern side of the Old Town.

Read our full guide to Next Door by Imperial →

Practical tips

Combine Malá Strana with dinner. Café de Paris and U Malířů 1543 are on neighbouring squares, close to Kampa and the Lennon Wall, so plan dinner after an afternoon in Malá Strana rather than a separate trip.
Mind the Belgian beer. Many Belgian beers are much stronger than a Czech lager, often 8 percent or more. Order a smaller glass if you want to try several.
Mussels have a season. The old rule is to eat them in months with an R, roughly autumn to spring, when they are at their best. Les Moules serves them daily, but that is when a pot is most worth ordering.
Book weekend evenings. The smaller dining rooms fill quickly on Friday and Saturday nights, and some of these restaurants keep shorter hours at weekends, so check days as well as times.
Tipping. Around 10 percent for good service is normal in Prague. Check the bill first, as some places add a service charge.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I eat mussels in Prague?

Les Moules on Pařížská is the specialist, with twelve varieties served daily and fresh lobster if you want to go further. Belgická Restaurace Bruxx in Vinohrady also serves mussels and frites alongside its Belgian beers.

Which French restaurant in Prague is best for a romantic dinner?

Café de Paris in Malá Strana is the easy choice for a relaxed evening for two, with its signature entrecôte. For a bigger occasion, Restaurant U Malířů 1543 has historic rooms with painted vaulted ceilings a couple of minutes away.

Where can I drink Belgian beer in Prague?

Belgická Restaurace Bruxx has eight Belgian beers on tap, imported directly, plus a Czech guest beer brewed for the restaurant. Les Moules also pours a good range of Belgian beers to go with its mussels.

Do I need to book a French restaurant in Prague?

For dinner, yes, especially at weekends and at the smaller Malá Strana restaurants. Lunch is usually easier to walk into, but a quick call still saves disappointment.

Is tipping expected in Prague restaurants?

Tipping is customary but not compulsory. Around 10 percent is normal for good service; if a service charge is already on the bill, there is no need to add more.