Tasting the Best of Prague on a Food Tour

I’m not sure when my love of food really started. I don’t think I was always so hungry but at some point (probably the first or second year out of college) I realized how much fun food can be. It became less of a necessity and more of a desire. There were a brief few years where I had a sudden fascination with cookbooks (thanks to years of working at a Barnes & Noble bookstore), but my own cooking took longer to develop into a passion. These days, food is pretty much always on my mind. Especially when I travel.

Travel and food go so well together, I don’t really know why the idea of “food tours” took so long to catch on. But these days, you’d be hard pressed to visit a city and not find out about a food tour. Ever since taking my first food tour in 2011, I’ve been hooked, and have now taken these kinds of tours all over the world—from Bangkok to New York (and just about every city in Europe!). And my passion for food & travel has even gone so far that I now also work quite a bit for Eating Europe Food Tours—a company so clearly aligned with my own passions: good food, good fun and local experiences.

Note: Since most of you are probably curious, you can read more about my work
in digital marketing on my other blog.

So when I was in Prague earlier this month for Prague Pride, I took the opportunity to take the Prague Food Tour with Eating Prague Tours. The 4-hour walking food tour included a brief history of the Old and New Town around Wenceslas Square, the Old Town Square and some quiet side streets full of places I’d never have found on my own. And perhaps not surprisingly, the tour include 7 different Czech food tastings from the traditional Czech cuisine (think sausages, dumplings and beer) to more contemporary Czech food dishes.

The food tour started with a taste of Prague’s lesser known specialty: strudel!

The tour started in a beautiful courtyard not far from the Old Town Square where we learned a bit about Prague’s history with strudel. It’s not just a Viennese dish, apparently, but actually comes from the Austro-Hungarian empire. Apple strudel for breakfast…I’m not sure why the Austro-Hungarian empire collapsed!?! After that we made our way to a really delicious sandwich shop, Sisters Bistro, where they make some of Prague’s best open-faced sandwiches. We sampled three different kinds including one with beetroot and goat cheese which was far away my favorite. Beetroot usually has a strong taste, one I’m not always so fond of, but this sandwich was d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s!

Following the visit to Sisters Bistro, our tour took a turn toward the much more traditional Czech cuisine: sausage. It was a lot of heavy food to take in, but actually better-tasting than expected. I’m not the biggest sausage aficionado. Those Czech know how to handle their meat! The rest of the tour include food stops to try other local food specialities, but one of my highlights of the day was the stop we made at a Czech brewery. Beer and the Czech Republic seem to go hand-in-hand and Czech-style pilsners are pretty much my drink of choice. The brewery stop on the tour included a private tour (and of course a pint!).

The food tour wasn’t just about food, though. We also took in sites around the city including the Jerusalem Synagogue. I’d previously visited Prague’s Jewish Quarter but hadn’t been aware of the art-deco styled synagogue. I only wish I’d mapped the walk we’d taken so I could find some of the hidden squares and parks we passed through!

Open-faced sandwiches – apparently a famous Prague food, but this bistro makes the city’s best

No food tour in Czech Republic could possibly exist without beer!

Learning about the super-cool Czech artist David Černý who has a handful of quirky sculptures around Prague

A bowl of “sauerkraut soup” – a Czech specialty that’s more delicious than it sounds, I promise!

The Cafe Louvre is famous for its history, but the food’s really good, too ;-) You can’t tell, but under all that orange cream sauce is braised beef

The Prague Food Tour from Eating Prague Tours costs 75€ for adults and includes all the food tastings. It was enough food for me and I didn’t even eat all the food samples (how much sausage can you eat in a day?!). It’s a great way to taste Prague’s food specialities, plus get a good overview of the central part of town. And, as mentioned earlier, I honestly believe food tours are a great way to experience new cities. They provide a quick introduction to the city’s history, plus you’ll learn which restaurants are the best for the remainder of your stay. Eating Prague also provides a small booklet to each guest with the guide’s favorite restaurant recommendations and other travel tips. Super useful! Learn more about the Prague walking tour on their website, or if you’re looking for Prague travel tips (and Czech food recipes!), be sure to read their blog!