Prague has its fair share of fine dining restaurants where you’re in for a bill of at least $100 per person if you opt for a tasting menu, but many of these high-end establishments also offer a very reasonably priced lunch menu, so you can try some fantastic dishes in a stylish setting for much less. Here’s our latest roundup of where to enjoy fine dining in Prague at lunchtime on a shoestring.
Grand Cru
Executive Chef Jan Puncochar, Formerly of Le Terroir, is a bright star of the Prague culinary scene. His 7+2-course tasting menu at Grand Cru runs about $80. Add wine and you’re up around $120. The lunch menu, which comes in at under $20 for a plentiful 3 courses, with a weekly-changing choice of 3 starters and mains, and 2 desserts, exhibits all of those same delicate touches and so much finesse that you’ll be wondering how they do it (ice cream INSIDE an oven-fresh soufflé?!). Located in a tucked-away spot with a fresh, crisp decor, Grand Cru is one of our go-to lunch spots when we’ve got friends and family in town.
Cafe Imperial
A 6-course degustation, in either Czech or Imperial style, will set you back around $60, and dinner reservations are recommended at least a week in advance at Cafe Imperial. Or you could drop in for lunch and pick from the a la carte menu, which features several of the same dishes. You can also take your pick from the lunch menu. 3 courses should set you back around $20. Our fave here is definitely the dill soup. Don’t ask, just order it. Why is Imperial special? For one thing the art deco decor of this Grand Café is fabulous but the main reason is that the Executive Chef is Zdenek Pohlreich, who as well as mentoring many of Prague’s current crop of top chefs is also presenter of the Czech version of Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares.
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Na Poříčí 1072/15, Nové Město, 110 00 Praha-Praha 1, Czech Republic
Ovocný trh 573/12, Staré Město, 110 00 Praha-Praha 1, Czech Republic
Lodecká 1181/4, Nové Město, 110 00 Praha-Praha 1, Czech Republic
Charlie is head of marketing at JayWay Travel. A long-term Prague resident, his interests are cooking, eating out, cycling, skiing and of course, travel.