Havelská Koruna

Havelská Koruna is a great place to try authentic Czech cuisine right in the heart of the Old Town. Because of its central location, there was a long queue when I visited, but since the restaurant operates in a fast-food / canteen-style model, the line moved quickly and the wait wasn’t too long. The restaurant was completely full, so finding a free seat can be a bit challenging, but the turnover is fast if you’re patient. I ordered the goulash with a dark Czech beer, and both were excellent — flavorful, hearty, and very authentic. The food is delicious, traditional, and reasonably priced, especially considering the location in the city centre. It’s a perfect spot if you want a quick, honest Czech meal without paying tourist prices. Highly recommended for anyone wanting to experience local food in a casual, no-frills setting.

I visited Havelská Koruna and ordered the Fried Cheese (Smažený sýr) with potatoes and tartar sauce, and the Fried Pork Schnitzel with boiled potatoes, along with two ice teas. The food was certainly tasty and satisfying, though I wouldn't call it groundbreaking. However, considering the price point, I would describe it as a very good value meal. The concept here is similar to Polish 'milk bars' (bary mleczne): the dishes are served immediately, and what you took is marked down on a paper slip, which you pay for upon leaving. The portions were generous enough to leave you full. This system of self-service and quick dispensing meant the potatoes were from a bain-marie, and the cheese and schnitzel were kept warm on a hot plate, but the overall experience felt genuinely authentic and very 'Czech Prague'. The service was flawless: fast, efficient, and communicative, which is crucial for a high-volume place like this. The atmosphere is truly unique and inimitable. The restaurant is well-maintained, but it definitely has a charming, slightly "communist-era canteen" vibe. It was quite noisy, likely due to the large number of people constantly flowing through. The location is ideal, just a few minutes' walk from the Old Town Square. I would rate the quality-to-price ratio similar to Polish milk bars: cheap, fast, and surprisingly good. I would highly recommend this spot to anyone looking for a quick, full-fledged meal at an excellent price in the heart of the city.

I never thought I’d experience a public cafeteria that serves high-quality food at such affordable prices. Upon entry, you’re given a meal log card, which is filled as you enjoy as many dishes as your appetite allows. Once you’re satisfied, you present the card, the bill is calculated and you make the payment. Really yummy Czeck cuisine.

The food was very comforting, delicious, and a great value. We had researched the cafeteria style restaurant so we knew to be prepared to order when we got to the front of the line. It was very busy at dinner time, but the line moved quickly. We had chicken paprika with pasta, and chicken schnitzel with potato salad. Both were delicious, especially with a Pilsner Urquell. Dinner and drinks for two was less than $25 USD (500 CZK).

A big classic restaurant in the middle of Prague. It is busy most of the time but the two times I went (around 2 pm on mid February) I didn't have to wait more than 5 minutes for a table, you have to look for one though. At the entrance they give you a ticket and then you go to the kitchen area, where you tell the cook which plate and drink you want and they put it on your note and you pay at the exit. The prices were not the cheapest, but considering is homemade food and very traditional it was not expensive whatsoever. The beer was cold and the food was hot and delicious. Particularly, the goulash is amazing and goes really well with the bread dumplings. If you want a taste of traditional food at a great price this is the place to go.

We ate a late lunch here with a group of four. I have thought a long time about what I was going to rate this place. Since it’s in the centre, there could be a line but the waiting time’s okay. When you enter the restaurant, they give you a piece of paper per person which your order will be written on by the employees. You wait in line until you get to the front and then you have to immediately order your food. They give you your food, you order drinks and then after you can choose a place to sit and enjoy your meal. You have to pay when leaving and you need to give them the paper. If you lose your paper you will have to pay 500 czk so don’t lose it. We tried the chicken in paprika sauce, the schnitzel, the goulash and the fried cheese. The food was okay, but for me personally it was not worth the wait. The price was very cheap considering this restaurant is in the middle of Old Town.

This was probably our cheapest traditional Czech meal in Prague Old town touristy area. (Slight less than 200ck/pax for a main course.) The portion was generous, the taste was authentic & homey. I came across this place recommended by the YTber Honest Guide. It is like the canteen style / IKEA restaurant style. Fast & efficient queue system provided you know what you are going to order. Please check the menu first before you queue in the line. The English menu - Top 10, and Top 15 most popular items are available to help you to decide quickly. Keep the piece of paper and pay on your way out Note: the washroom is at the downstairs, 1 level down.

you have to come here if you are in prague!!! we tried the hungarian gulasch, svickova and the grilled cheese. all of them were delicious (especially grilled cheese was a perfect choise as our side dish) -although the svickova might not be for everyone (it had a mild sausage taste which i didnt know where it could come from) also get the cucumber salad, it tastes really good and goes well besides the heavy meals. the staff were friendly and everything in total was not expensive. we paid 700kč for three dishes plus two soft drinks and a cucumber salad. definetly a must-eat in prague

I came here after trying to find authentic Czech food at an affordable price and was very pleasantly surprised. We ordered: -#2A Morovian pork sparrow, cabbage, potato dumping -#4A Beef goulash with bread dumpling -Beet salad The total ended up being $24.82 Canadian !! For everything !! I highly recommend them both. The meats were flavourful and the consistency of the dumplings really tickled my pickle. The beet salad was also very good. Additionally, this place is conveniently located at the heart of the city. Highly recommend !

This place looks like it is right out of the communist era in Prague. The somewhat confusing system slowly becomes apparent as you wait in the long line. When you enter they hand you a blank order card that carries a warning that if you lose it you have to pay a big fine - what? This card is used by the workers to mark off what you order as you go through the cafeteria line. Fortunately there are lots of pictures to help with selecting. After you eat you stop at a booth on the way out and they tally up what you ate and you pay. The food itself is inexpensive and basic. I tried the Hungarian goulash and my wife the local goulash. I decided mine was better - it had more spice and flavor. The bread dumplings while good for sopping up the gravy were just OK. Worth a stop to experience an old school dining hall that the locals flock to.

If you are looking for very affordable, quick, traditional Czech food in Prague, this is your place! It's like cafeteria style dining here, where you are handed an order slip upon entry and they have a dessert station and a main course station. You walk up to each one, tell them what you want, and they will give it to you right there and note it down on your order slip. Then when you leave, you hand the lady your slip to check out / pay. As for the food, it was very traditional and very good! Fried Gouda and mashed potatoes - This was a very simple plate of one large piece of fried Gouda with some mashed potatoes but it was great for a cheese lover like myself. The cheese was fried in such a way that it was nicely crispy on the outside but still soft on the inside. It actually went very well with the mayo-like sauce on the side. Fruit dumpling with apricot and cheese cream - This was like a soft dough ball filled with sweet apricot and cheese cream on top. Very yummy. Both of these plates together only cost me the equivalent of $12 USD, so a great deal! Environment: The place has a traditional kind of vibe with many wooden booths for seating, which offer a nice and somewhat private seating space. As you might expect, the atmosphere is very casual and there was a handful of others there for lunchtime. Service: While it is super fast, my only slight complaint is that the staff could have been a bit more friendly, but it's not like they did anything particularly unfriendly either. Overall, if the staff were just a bit friendlier, I would've given 5 stars here, but regardless, this place is great value and I highly recommend it, especially if you are on a budget.

Our second time coming here (first a few years back). Great affordable way to get a good meal with lots of options and simple cafeteria style atmosphere to order but once grab a table it's relaxed and nice wooden booths that feel private enough and old world charm.

We had such a delicious meal here. At first we were a bit confused but then they instructed us to grab a tray and order by number at the counter. We easily found a table and were comfortable eating our delicious dinner.

Simple, good, Czech food at a very affordable price. Cafeteria style so you take a tray and then order by number. Beer on tap if course! It's easy to find a table and the ambience is traditional. Lots of locals. Highly recommend for lunch. Close to the main tourist square but out of the hubbub.

A cafeteria style traditional Czech restaurant in the heart of praha 1 amongst all the tourist spots. It's off the main strip but it is definitely worth tracking down and coming in to enjoy a meal. Probably one of the best deals in the area. Most plates are $5 or less and the beer is even cheaper. Just make sure you know what you want by the time you get to the front of the line with your lunch tray because the ladies have very little Patience since there are plenty of locals waiting behind you to get their lunch.

Affordable and delicious! If you don't have time for a sit in restaurant, this cafeteria style place is satisfying. Grab a tray, order, get a ticket, then pay when leaving. We ordered #1. Svickova (sirloin with cream sauce and bread dumplings, #4A Gulyas (Beef Goulash), #8 Kurekci maso (creamy paprika chicken with pasta), #6A fried Gouda, refreshing dark beer. All hearty, authentic, and decent portions.

havelská koruna is a canteen style czech restaurant located in old town. it's a no-frills spot to try a lot of different traditional czech food for some of the lowest prices in the area. in my opinion though, you're getting what you pay for lines vary but when we went for dinner there was only a short queue. grab a tray, look at the menu (pictures and english) and take a seat to eat. bring your ticket to the exit in order to pay when you leave. i got the half portion (~70czk) of the goulash with bread dumplings (they charged 18czk. the half portion is good if you're not hungry but the amount of beef is very small and the dish is mainly sauce. i found it to be too salty for me. the bread dumplings were standard. my mom got the #1 dish, the steak with cream sauce and bread dumplings. the cream sauce is quite sweet which i wasn't expecting and wasn't really my preference. the steak doesn't taste like steak, more like regular meat. good portion size for normal order. overall it's a good place to try czech dishes low risk because it is inexpensive. however, i thought the food tasted so so (maybe i just didn't like the dishes we ordered though). it would be good to come with friends and split a bunch of dishes. they also have a dessert counter too

As Anthony Bourdain said "Get the cream sauce. Have a cold pint at 4 o'clock". Do that here and you got a damn good meal my guy.

A friend recommended this place for our travels to Prague. Did not disappoint, food was awesome and reasonably priced.

Great cafeteria style restaurant, grab a tray, point or order by number. It's al la carte style. By 7pm every table was filled, mostly with locals. Family of 4, dinner was $37

Came here because I wanted to try traditional Czech food even though I anticipated it would probably not be digested well. How it works is that you wait in line for food, tell the workers what you want (they don't do modifications), take your tray, find somewhere to sit and eat, and then finally pay at the end when you leave. There are lots of food options which can be overwhelming, but luckily everything has a photo to reference. They even tell you which dishes are the most popular. Everything is affordable, and you can eat a quick meal here if the line isn't too long. The seating is limited though, but the turnover is fast. I had the Moravian Pork Sparrow w Cabbage & Potato Dumplings. The potato dumplings were so filling and made me feel like I just competed in a food competition. Glad I tried it, but I'm just not used to eating Czech food and would have preferred something a bit lighter.

The "lunch ladies" at Havelska Koruna, a rustic, cafeteria-style restaurant, dish up plates of traditional Czech food behind a metal steam table. The atmosphere was old-school yet clean and charming, making it a great place to escape the tourist bustle of Prague. The Svickova na smetane was a dish made of a slice of beef sirloin topped with a spiced cream sauce and a dollop of cranberry sauce, along with airy bread dumplings; and the Moravsky vrabec (Moravian sparrow) was made of crispy, tender cubes of pork shoulder in a savory meat sauce, served with sauerkraut and dense, chewy potato dumplings. Both of these dishes were flavorful, meaty, and delicious, and the bread/potato dumplings were the perfect vessels for soaking up the sauces. We also got a side of Shepherd's salad, made of chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, and peppers, topped with grated sheep cheese. The chopped vegetables had a refreshing crunch, and the cheese added just the right saltiness to the salad. Overall, this was a great place to stop for a simple yet delicious meal that came at an extremely affordable price!

Cheap and easy food for when you want to try a variety of traditional Czech food. It's a canteen style, where the worker hands you a paper at the entrance, and as you order your food at the cafeteria-style line of hot foods. When you tell the people at the counter what you want, you hand them your slip of paper and they write down what you got. You then hand this to the worker at the door before leaving to pay. I got the small portion of the goulash and potatoes, and it was the most flavorful thing I've had in Europe thus far! I couldn't even begin to describe the types of spices and seasonings they used, but it was great. I read that the Czech version is thicker and stewier than the original Hungarian Goulash, but I think the consistency was just right. We went at around 6pm on a Thursday night and they had sold out of a few dishes already, so I would recommend getting there a little earlier if you want to guarantee a wider variety.

I watched a vlog on youtube which recommended this place and I am so glad we were able to have a meal there. This place is the definition of traditional home cooking. The restaurant is set up cafeteria style, you pick a tray you are handed a plate and then you get a ticket. After eating you pay up front. The goulash was to die for, and especially on a cold night , it was the perfect hearty meal. you could taste the paprika, chili in the gravy and the big chunks of meat were seasoned to perfection. The quantity was pretty huge too! and a big plate would cost you about 4$ if that. I wish we had more time to go a second time, but needless to say the next time I am in Prague, I know the first stop I will be making.

Unfamiliar with Czech food but interested in indulging? Then you definitely need to check out this spot here for some great Czech dishes at very affordable prices. It was so good that my friend and I came here twice in two days for lunch. Havelska Koruna is a cafeteria style eatery where you can sample some of the best homemade Czech dishes. Located in the center of Prague, their menu is accompanied with English on most items that seem a bit more tourist friendly. When you first enter the restaurant, you are given an ordering sheet that you take to the different stations to order your food. You've got plated dishes, stews, beer, etc. to choose from, and you can go back up as many times as you'd like. We headed straight to the Czech dishes area where they plate a dish for you with a protein, side, and sauce to top it all off. Note that everything (including the sauce) is an additional fee. My recommendation: get anything in stewed pork and potatoes. The pork here was very flavorful with the sauce options that they provide. While it can be a bit on the saltier side, use the sides to help mask some of that flavor. Plus, the side of potatoes (both mashed and baked) themselves were phenomenal. Once you've filled your tray with some of the best Czech in town, you'll have to find a seat- and that is the hard part. When you come during peak lunch time, it can be hard to find a spot. Be open to asking for folks to share a table with you if they've got some space. It never hurts! Your plate will likely come up to be about 150kc - 200kc which is not terrible at all for a hearty meal.

Good food at a good price. Dinner cost about $10 US per person. We went around 7p and unfortunately it seemed like they were out of several things. No worries though, they had a menu of about 40 items.

This is one of the few places I found in Prague's old town that has traditional Czech food. Not my favorite type of food but taste is always subjective. I would never be able to recreate the name of these plates but it's essentially meat in mushroom sauce with bread, and a lentil soup.

I would say i had very low expectations when i entered but it was quite a good experience . Food is good , presentation not the best but food turned to be good

I came for lunch and just beat the rush. The food was good and fresh, but I was not too thrilled with the flavor. The sauce on the Svíčková was a little sweeter than I like. It was a good, quick lunch so I could get back to exploring the city. The total cost for the meal including a small beer was very reasonable.

Budget-friendly, casual, and yummy - this cafeteria-styled dining establishment is probably one of my favorites in Prague. It was a little confusing at first, but basically: - get a blank ticket from the cashier at the entrance - head to the back of the restaurant and grab a tray - order and give the people behind the counters your slip - take back your slip, find a seat, and pay on your way out! I had no idea what to order, so I asked for recommendations and ended up getting a spicy beef goulash and potato dumplings. Everything was delicious and with beers, our total for two people was around 14 US dollars!

While we were wandering around Prague, we found this restaurant on Yelp for traditional Czech food so we came by around 3pm. It was pretty empty since it was an odd hour to be eating anyways. That was a good thing for us. It's a different type of service to many restaurants that I'm used to in the sense that right when you enter, there's a lady that hands you this paper that you apparently hand over to your server. It's a cafeteria style where whatever you choose to eat, the server will write it on your bill. I got their pork with dumplings dish while SF got their beef. Pretty good! There were plenty of tables to choose from but if you're in a big group, their biggest table is like two benches and there's also an outside area. The food was tasty and when we walked out, we paid with the same lady that gave us the slips.

This is a fantastic, cafeteria-style restaurant that is both efficient and relaxed. Having lived in the Czech Republic and Slovakia for several years and having sampled food at literally hundreds of restaurants during that time, I can't say this restaurant serves the absolute best versions of the Czech classic dishes. However, without a doubt, I can recommend this restaurant to anyone who visits Praha and wants some good Czech food in an unpretentious environment. As many reviews already expound upon the cafeteria ticket process of getting your food, I'll skip that and get straight to why I really like this place: 1) The cafeteria layout allows you to not only look at each food before you order it (perfect for newcomers), but it also allows you to move at a leisurely pace, possibly holding back for a minute or two just to get an idea of which dishes seem most popular at that time. 2) As you can easily leave your table and pick up another item, there is little worry that you will leave while still hungry. Just bring your tray and ticket to another counter to try something else, or return for seconds if you find something you love. I regularly return for additional dumplings. 3) Although prices at nearly all restaurants in Prague are typically 20% higher than you would find in smaller Czech cities (especially in the little cafe-style establishments surrounding a town square), the prices at Havelska Koruna are quite reasonable. Picking this restaurant over a US chain like TGIFridays will save you a bundle, and provide you with valuable exposure to delicious Czech dishes. This is a perfect place to sample dozens of Czech-specific dishes in a casual environment. I highly recommend this restaurant, particularly to those new to the Czech Republic or only spending a short time in the city. Additional Tip: Many of the classic Czech entrees, particularly those with a sauce, will be served with knedliky (approximately 3" circular slices of steamed dumplings...far tastier than that sounds). One of the most common points of confusion and delay here can be avoided by knowing how many dumpling slices you would like with your food in advance. The servers will love you for holding up three or four fingers (or more) when they're asking how many you would like, especially since this restaurant is typically on the noisy side.

Very affordable, casual and authentic Czech cafeteria style restaurant FTW! Glad I found this place because it was exactly what I was looking for and a good change of pace from the chaos of crowded tourist areas. Just at the end of Havel's Market or Havelska. Grab your order slip from the cashier up front as you enter. Then grab a tray and head to the back of the restaurant where at the counters you choose your meals, appetizers, desserts and drinks. I ordered the beef goulash and potato dumplings, Pilsner Urquell 0.5 L as is the custom, and a coca-cola - all for only 185 czk! Cash only in czk. Unfortunately as it was dinner time nearing closing time, Smazak or fried cheese was not available. Some items are listed in English, worst case scenario smile and point to what you'd like to order. Don't lose your order slip and pay at the cashier on your way out. Really enjoyable experience all around. Give this place a try if you're in Prague!

Awesome experience - so this is what it felt like during the Soviet / Communist days. They hand u a blank dining bill when u enter and then u line up and order ur food at a canteen / cafeteria like place where they handwrite what was ordered. You better make sure everyone in ur party has their own ticket as they get mad if u don't. The food was delicious and the Pilsner Urquell beers were inexpensive, cold and plentiful. Not a high brow foodie experience but one of our best meal experiences in Central and Eastern Europe.

Havelska Koruna is this spacious self-service cafeteria of sorts where you can get all the traditional Czech foods you want for significantly cheaper than everywhere else in old town. If you're traveling on a budget, like good food, or just want a chill place to sit down and not be around a bunch of other tourists, this is a good choice. When you go in, the attendant at the door will hand you a piece of paper. Grab that and a tray and head to the back of the restaurant, where you give the people behind the food counter your paper slip. As you tell them what you want and they put it over the counter, they'll mark on the slip what you got. Go sit down and eat, and after you've finished and returned your tray, go back to the person at the front and give them the slip, which will allow them to calculate your total. You then pay and leave, satisfied. I can definitely recommend the mushroom soup and the beef goulash, which is really hearty. Get a beer if you so choose, but if you want water then bring your own, because they make you pay for bottled water instead of just giving you tap, just like everywhere else.

Some of the best Hungarian goulash, tasty chicken noodle soup, and plentiful beer! I just wish there was more seating.

Havalska Koruna is like eating authentic Czech food at the house of your grandmother if your grandmother is a mediocre cook. Not everybody's grandmother is Craig Claiborne, you know. Think of your stereotype of restaurant food in Eastern Europe under the Communist Regime and you have Havelska Koruna. Say what you will, they are completely uncompromising. There are no concessions to tourists, yuppies, vegetarians, light eaters or any new food trend since 1953. This is a cafeteria. You go to the back, you read what they have, you say what you want and they ladle it on a plate. Liver and onions with gravy. Plain pork meat. Plain beef. (Sauce is extra but available.) You want cabbage? Ask for it off the menu and they plotz it on your plate. They open at 11 with a full line of dishes and when they run out they run out. There are more choices at lunch than at dinner - which was bad news for the vegetarian who saw most of the things she had come for no longer available at dinner. How is the food? Plain. Liver. Onions. Gravy. Potatoes. Spinach was the green stuff that made children hate spinach. Cabbage was sweetened so that was better. Dessert was plum dumplings with shredded cottage cheese. Grandma's desserts were not always so wonderful either. The dumpling sits in your stomach like a rock. The plums are the boiled to death plums of fruit compote. Old style fruit compote is a duty rather than a dessert. The minced cottage cheese has powdered sugar and a very light syrup poured on it. That part is actually good - but it still comes with the dumpling. The only consolation prize. They serve Czech beer. You drink to drown the sorrows of your meal. If I had grown up eating this kind of food, I would be fat, unhappy and alcoholic. And speaking of Eastern European stereotypes .......

Cheap Czech food, I have found thee. The real struggle was figuring out the whole restaurant setup and how to actually get the food. Life has never been so confusing being American. They will give you a slip on paper when you walk in. Pick a tray and you can walk towards the back of the restaurant with the cafeteria-like setup. You pick items off the menu (hung on the walls). The items all have a corresponding id number, which they will write on your paper after you receive the food. Seems simple enough? Except the items are listed in Czech so time to be surprised by your food! LOL. Sometimes it's pretty easy to figure out and you can just point to the food. I ended up with goulash and bread and was perfectly satisfied by that. My meal was probably around $4 or something but was super filling. They also have a salad and dessert section. Bathrooms are located down the stairs. Quick food for anyone who is trying to save some money and be satisfied!

Goulash! This place won't win awards for gastronomic feats, but it is a great place to get quick, cheap, straightforward, classical Czech food, especially considering the central location. The decor is quite inviting -- they could have settled for far more utilitarian furniture. As many have said: cash (CZK) only, not much English, don't forget the slip of paper.

Located on the historic street that houses the greengrocer outdoor vegetable market...I loved staying at a pensione around the corner. Be ready to pay according to how much your plate weighs (hint: bramboraky are heavy!!), and let the olde-school home food and cheap prices begin. Cafeteria style: like the lunch lines of yesteryear, grab a tray and slide it along, pointing at what you want. For me, gulas....forever. Came here a good few times...trapped in time with their fare and their interior, I personally loved it. Not for the foodies, I fear. They might be screaming inside their heads: "methinks not!"

This was my absolute favorite food stop in Prague. The cafeteria was so charming and I was eating shoulder to shoulder with the locals. As you walk in, each customer is handed an order slip. DO NOT LOSE THE SLIP! Everything you order is written on the slip - entrees, beer, sides, dessert, etc. if you lose the slip, you will have to pay a much heftier amount than what you really ate. Bring the slip to any of the counters and make your order. Then will write on the slip what you have ordered and hand it back to you for each item you order. Seating is difficult to find, because it is self seat and quite busy. It is normal to sit with other parties at the same table as long as there is space. When you have finished your meal, take your slip and proceed to the exit where The cashier will total up your purchases and tell you your total amount. Get the goulash. The schnitzel. The beer. The chicken soup.

The place resembles an American diner/buffet. I went here almost every day when I studied abroad in Prague and found the Chicken Schnitzel and the Beef Goulash to be incredibly tasty. You get a small note card from the hostess at the front and they mark down the items you order. After you order you can find any table to sit down and enjoy your meal. On your way out they check your note card and charge you from there. Definitely recommend this as a lunch spot.

I came here on a recommendation from a teacher to try out the fruit dumplings and even though they were good, they were far too sweet. Maybe it's just me not really getting adjusted to how sweet the Czechs like their foods, but I really couldn't even finish half of my dumplings because they were too sweet. Don't get me wrong, they were pretty good, but it was just too sweet after a while. In terms of the atmosphere, it's very much like a cafeteria and there isn't much emphasis on the presentation of the food. It's mostly for a quick, cheap, authentic Czech lunch which I would recommend if you're short on time and just want to grab lunch somewhere! I'd also suggest you do try the fruit dumplings because they are one of their classic dishes (they run out of certain flavors pretty quickly), but I probably won't come back if I wasn't pressed for time to find a meal near where I'm studying.

Good Czech food, tastes authentic and the place is buffet style, very basic and no frills. The quality of food is quite good and they serve coffee and knedliks. Central location makes it even more awesome!

Great place! Right off of the Mustek station and next to the Visitor Info Center (side note: they give a better rate for exchanging $$). Very efficient and simple service. They give you a slip, and whatever you order they write on the slip. When I went it was a bit busy but not loud so great for taking your time and eating. I got the traditional svíčková and it was deeelish! The staff do speak English so don't hesitate to ask questions. I love the beer - well beer in Europe is just better than US beer period. The man gave me the larger size so next time I'll get a smaller one (I'm 5'0" so half of the drink made me buzz). This place is cash only, so be sure to have enough! I spend less than 200 crowns on my beer and dish (~$9.00 USD). PERFECTION!!!! I would definitely come here again for traditional Czech food!

Wanted to give the place 5 stars for the food, but marking it as 4 stars for now because I do not have enough reference points for czech cooking, yet.

Cafeteria style service and standing space. The potatoes and mushroom soup Was delicious despite disliking soups. The dill made it refreshing and other than that I wouldn't go back. Taste confusion at it best. The locals love it.

This place is really awesome. I'm here on a study abroad and a grad student local took us here since I don't think it's somewhere any tourist would just normally stumble into. It's basically a canteen. When you walk in, they give you a piece of paper which is how they track what you get. You hand the ticket to the person who gives you the food and they write down the order number. Keep the ticket otherwise you'll have to end up paying a fine. Eat, and pay up at the front. I went and got the chicken soup and a order of duck with cabbage and dumplings. I kind of wish I could have just gotten the duck, but they didn't serve that unfortunately. The duck and the chicken soup were both very delicious though, and the menu itself has a wide variety of other very classic Czech dishes. Quite a delicious lunch, and all for less than 10 USD. tldr; great place to stop by for a cheap meal when you're wandering around Old Town!

The food just wasn't that good. The dumplings were more like heavy white bread, the portion of goulash we got was small, at least compared to what I saw on the locals plates.

Very simple and basic cantine (no service). Meals are ok and very cheap. For a fast Lunch its good enough. But nothibg for your perfect dinner. Toiöets were clean but not enpugh for rush hour.

This place was a real experience! Cafeteria-style eating in the heart of Prague! There was a great variety of Czech food that you know had to be authentic (based on the number of locals getting their lunch there). The food was delicious and the beer and wine was super cheap. The lunch rush can be a bit chaotic. It was really tricky to find a seat, and when you are done eating, expect people to be hovering over you so they can swoop in on your booth. Also, the beer and wine line can be long at the rush.

Similar to a military diner g facility but an excellent inexpensive lunch option to save a few bucks for a really nice dinner. All dining options were authentic czech

Great food served in the style of a cafeteria. Great quality for very low cost. The only challenge is finding a spot to sit.

Two beers, two homemade soups, salad, two rolls, two gulyas with boiled potatoes. Food was very good and no one rushed you. At an unbeatable price of 483k. It's close to the clock and full of locals. No CC accepted!

If I could give 4 1/2 stars, I would. Authentic Czech food buffet/cafeteria style. You basically go in and walk around to figure out what you want. They charge you based on what you order. The price is really cheap for the portions. And the beer?? 20kč for .50l of pilsner beer. OMG! Can't beat that anywhere (I don't think). My husband and I got different kinds of goulash with dumplings. The pork one was awesome. Taking half a star off only cuz I've had tastier food. But can't beat the price anywhere.

Delicious, inexpensive, and lots to choose from. Here's how it works: walk in and a worker sitting in a little booth will hand you a paper slip. Grab a tray and make your way through the various buffet stations. They're split into category (sweet, main, soup, etc.) to help you organise your eating strategy. When you order something, hand them your paper slip so they can write the corresponding code. Everything is cheap so go nuts. You can go back and get more as often as you'd like-don't forget your paper slip. When you're done, put your tray and dishes on the little corrals (think IKEA) and head back to the worker in the booth with your paper slip. Pay them money. Be happy.

Bring Czech currency as that is all that is taken; at checkout, the cashier was very rude about not accepting credit card or Euros and did not hold back to express her extreme disapproval of our not having Czech currency. That aside, the good was really tasty: I got pork with cabbage and dumplings while my boyfriend got beef with mushrooms and rice. Both meats were moist and drenched in awesome gravy. The river and dumplings were not dry at all and my cabbage was almost sweet tasting. Upon entering this shop, they'll give you a ticket slip (don't lose it out they'll charge you a fortune!). You'll stand in line and as everyone else has reported, pick what you like cafeteria style. There was a woman that asked what meat, starch and vegetable we wanted, wrote it on our ticket and off we went with our food. The woman spoke several languages so there were no issues for us. We were lucky enough to grab an empty take, but it was so packed it seemed the custom to scoot over and make room for others to dine in the same booth. We had three people join us and they were from Czech and confirmed that this is one of the best, authentic and budget friendly Czech eateries. Score for us on our first day in Prague!!