18 Best Restaurants in Mala Strana (Lesser Quarter), Prague

One of the best of Prague's traditional turn-of-the-century-style grand cafés, the Savoy is popular day and night for its brunches, coffees, Czech classics, and pastries. In particular, try the větrník, a Czech classic made of choux pastry with cream and caramel. It's far more authentic than the touristy trdelník (a type of rolled, spit cake) available everywhere, although if you need that sugar hit to get up the hill to the castle, no judgment. It's also an opulent but still traditional spot for a beer in the evening—or heck, go all out and get some sekt (Czech sparkling wine). 

An excellent pit stop while exploring Malá Strana, this warm, inviting café and bakery serves freshly made soups, salads, sandwiches, and pasta dishes, making it a convenient oasis for lunch. Or just rest your feet with a coffee and a slice of pie or cake. The light-wood booths and exposed-beam ceilings give Cukrkávalimonáda (literally "Sugarcoffeelemonade") a country-farmhouse feel. Lunchtime can be overcrowded, so try to book a spot in advance; at other times, you can normally find a seat. Note: the café closes daily at 7.

On top of the boutique Golden Well Hotel, lunch or dinner, either inside or on the terrace of this Michelin-rated restaurant overlooking the city's rooftops, is a delicious experience that more than lives up to the views and prices. The menu runs the gamut from the full degustation (3,400 Kč) to more reasonably priced à la carte lunch options.

This old-fashioned tavern puts on airs, but if you're looking for the perfect Czech venue for a special occasion, it's hard to beat the "Blue Duckling." Dusty portraits hanging on the walls and lavish curtains and table settings impart a certain slightly frilly 19th-century look. The menu, filled with succulent duck and game choices, brings things down to earth a notch. There's dining on two levels, but the upper floor's intimacy—with secluded tables in each nook and cranny and soft piano music wafting through the air—is preferable. There's now a second, smaller restaurant (unimaginatively named U Modré kachničky II) near Old Town Square.

Across from the Újezd tram stop, this gelato gem offers delicious, homemade ice cream and gelato almost all year.

Don't let the slightly weird name and offbeat location fool you: this is a gem. Great seafood, service, and wine at this hidden-away restaurant on the edge of the Mala Strana district, serving choice meals from all over the world.

For a quick lunch on the go, walk smugly past the greasy international chains and come here for tasty fresh sandwiches, salads, and barista-brewed coffees.

The twin stars of the show at this Gallic import are beef entrecote and French fries. Café de Paris even makes its own "special sauce" (béarnaise with a hint of mustard). The look is classic French bistro, down to the old photographs and red banquettes lining the walls, which makes sense considering its location near the French Embassy. There are a few other things on the menu, classics like Caesar salad and a rotating option of soups, but there's little reason to stray from house specialties.

Tucked into a side street between Malá Strana and Smíchov, the Ichnusa Botega & Bistro evokes the island of Sardinia, with Mediterranean-blue accents, rustic wall decor, and plenty of seafood and wines from Italy's southern reaches. The owners are Sardinian, so the experience is authentic overall. Be sure to ask about daily specials.

The "Little Coffee" grinds freshly roasted beans from Brazil, Kenya, Colombia, and other renowned growing regions. Superlative strudel and small snacks in a peaceful setting make this a pleasant stop for refueling.

The zenith of riverside dining is offered at this legendary restaurant just off the Charles Bridge, known almost as much for its chic decor and celebrity guests as it is for its elegant continental cuisine and great wines—it's the kind of place where European royals and heads of state mingle with their head-of-studio counterparts from Hollywood. But the real star power arrives on the plate, with dishes like olive-oil-poached halibut with truffle pearls or tuna tartare with caviar butter. The only drawback: the food and views command some of the highest prices in town.

Sometimes, only a beer and a burger will do, and until recently, that would have been a difficult ask in this historic part of town. Enter Loki Burgers, with quality patties and a relaxed atmosphere, at the Petřín park end of town rather than up the hill by the castle.

The decor is bright and eccentric—think cats in fake windows, Picasso-esque murals, and bells hanging from the ceiling—but the ambience is friendly at this pan-Balkan restaurant on a busy stretch of the Malá Strana. Taking cues from Bosnian, Serbian, and Macedonian cuisine, the menu branches out to cover the best of the coasts and hill country plus hearty regional wines from family-run vineyards.

A loungy spot on a well-trafficked stretch of Újezd, NOI delivers on the promise of its Zen interior by cooking excellent Thai classics. Lithe staff are quick to accommodate their hip clientele at low tables surrounded by Buddha statues. The kitchen excels at standards like a citrusy pad Thai and curries, which run from tingly to tear-inducingly hot. There's an excellent selection of wines and special teas.

The clue is in the name here (although beware of the pronunciation: the diactric above the 'r' here makes it sound more like a 'rzz'). Great pasta and other Italian classics at this family-style Italian restaurant, just over the river from the National Theater, making it a good option for a comfortable pre-show bite. 

Craft beer and cake is a great refueling combination in this cute, family-run café in a historic building (check out the mini-exhibition on the way in).

This narrow little room across the river from the Narodní divadlo (National Theater) is home to some of the city's best sushi. It was the first sushi place to open in Prague, back in 1999, and the selection remains first-rate by Central European standards. Though prices for individual maki pieces start relatively low, the bill can rise quickly, depending on how many you order.

With no-frills, well-priced, hearty Czech cooking in an atmospheric cellar, this is the kind of restaurant where tourists and locals happily intermingle. The menu boasts the big hitters of Czech cuisine at non-rip-off prices and hosts many happy patrons chowing down—with large mugs of pilsner, of course.