8 Best Restaurants in Smichov, Prague

Kavárna co hledá jméno

$$ Fodor's choice

Literally translated as "A Coffee Shop Looking for a Name," this achingly hip café-cum-gallery serves great coffee, tempting cocktails, and excellent food—including top-notch breakfasts and brunches until midday on weekdays and 3 pm on weekends. The gallery space showcases work by local artists and hosts pop-up events.

Na Kopci

$$$ Fodor's choice

Although a little out of the way, this lovely restaurant overlooking Smíchov (the name means "On the Hill") serves exceptional, high-end Czech and international cuisine within a comfortable and casual setting. The menu is completely overhauled every three months, making the best use of seasonal, locally sourced ingredients—from rabbit and wild boar to porcini mushrooms—to create surprising and satisfying dishes. Yet for all the fine-dining credentials, there's not an ounce of pretentiousness, thanks to the unstuffy decor (including walls plastered in family photos), the friendly and informal service, and the reasonable prices.

The restaurant is about the same walking distance (15 minutes) from Radlická and Smíchovské nádraží Metro stops (both Line B), but you can save a walk uphill by arriving at Radlická and leaving from Smíchovské nádraží.

Taro

$$ Fodor's choice

This extraordinary Asian fusion restaurant, which consists of just 17 bar stalls arranged around an open kitchen, offers an interactive dining experience combining traditional Vietnamese cuisine with European techniques and flavors. It's a combination inspired by owners Khanh's and Giang's personal experiences as Vietnamese men growing up in Prague. Watch in awe as the international kitchen team painstakingly puts together each course—it's not uncommon to see four of them huddled over a single dish—before presenting and explaining it to you. There are weekly a la carte lunch menus available, but come in the evening for the exceptional eight-course tasting menu (1,790 ). It changes with the seasons, but typical dishes might include summer rolls with chicken and tamarind sauce, sea bass with Thai basil and fermented radish, or pork consommé with bonito and pork dumplings. Wine pairings are also available.

Unsurprisingly, the restaurant is very popular, so book ahead.

Nádražní 100, 150 00, Czech Republic
777–446–007
Known For
  • kitchen spectacle with chef interaction
  • flavor-packed seasonal dishes
  • great quality-to-value ratio
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon.

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Artic Bakehouse

$

The home-baked sourdough bread, the huge selection of delicious pastries, and the lovingly brewed coffee make this café-bakery a local favorite. It's so popular that there are now two other branches in Prague, including a second one in Smíchov (at Štefánikova 31).

Bockem

$$$$

It may not look too salubrious from outside, but this tucked-away fine-dining restaurant has a wonderfully warm and welcoming interior, all roughly plastered walls, sturdy wooden furniture, soft golden lighting, and autumnal wall hangings. What's more, the food is great: the seasonal, five-course degustation menu (1,590 ) has a mix of influences but really comes to life with main courses built around classic Czech ingredients like rabbit, pork, dumplings, and cabbage. Note that the portions are small, courses are quite spread out, and there are few extras (including no bread), so you may leave feeling not entirely full. Opt for a wine pairing (955 Kč) with dinner or add something a little different to your dining experience with a non-alcoholic pairing (480 Kč) of kombucha-like fermented lemonades. They vary in level of acidity; some are pleasantly subtle, others are more of an acquired taste. As well as dinner, the restaurant serves three-course prix fixe breakfasts (480 Kč).

Elišky Peškové 5, 150 00, Czech Republic
770--101–223
Known For
  • seasonal menu of delicious and inventive dishes
  • distinctive non-alcoholic pairing option
  • beautiful interior with limited seating
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues. No dinner Wed. and Sun.

Café Savoy

$$

High-quality meals at not-too-high prices are the order of the day at this elegant, Viennese-style café, which dates back to the 19th century. Diners can enjoy everything from cream of green pea soups to crisp seasonal salads and Parisian steak tartare to classic Wiener schnitzel, all complemented by fresh breads from the in-house bakery. The selection of cakes and pastries make for the perfect sweet finish. For the very best of Café Savoy, come for breakfast during the week or for brunch on weekends; you'll need to book ahead.

Vítězná 5, 150 00, Czech Republic
731–136–144
Known For
  • extensive breakfast and brunch menus
  • bright and elegant interior
  • delicious home-baked pastries and cakes
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: Reservations essential

Fortel

$$

On the site of a historic Smíchov theater but now a paean to industrial-chic design, this hip restaurant and bar combines eye-catching decor with an excellent menu of modern Czech and international cuisine. Regular main dishes are available, but order instead from the extensive tapas menu, where highlights include duck parfait with cognac, beet hummus with whipped goat's cheese, and crispy pork belly in hoisin sauce. Seek out the mixed media wall hangings by Canadian-born, Prague-based artist David Strauzz; more is revealed by looking at them through a phone camera. The prices are surprisingly reasonable and the service is incredibly friendly and helpful—traits that aren't always a given in these parts. Connected to Fortel is Backdoors cocktail bar, a good option for those looking to extend their evening.

Gourmet Pauza

$$

This small and stylish bistro, run by mother-and-daughter team Zuzana and Pavlína, offers a casual, family-friendly atmosphere in which to enjoy a delicious meal. Open from breakfast to dinner, the place is busiest at lunch, where the good-value daily menus feature some of the restaurant's best dishes (like the gnocchi with salmon and sun-dried tomatoes) at half the usual price. Save space for dessert; the cakes are superb.