Versión en español
Pivo and Hospoda, what a combination. I like Czech food a lot, specially for lunch. At the right place, it is usually good value for money, and you can be sure that you will be served a good pint as well. And since I will be writing a lot about good beer spots, I thought I would start with my favorite, Pivovarský Klub.
It is one of the many hospody that I found by chance. One day after a successful meeting with a client, being in a good mood, I started walking looking for a nice place to celebrate with a beer, and I found the Klub. Of course I already knew its sister brewpub, Pivarský Dům, so without second thoughts, I went in.
It immediately fascinated me . Two of its walls had shelves full of bottles of beers, not only Czech, but from other countries as well. When I was handed the menu I noticed that it listed more scores beers, including 6 on tap. I had found paradise.
Pivovarský Klub calls itself a Restaurace and Pivoteka. It has two rooms, one at street level, non smoking, decorated, apart from the already mentioned shelves, with hundreds of beer bottles from the last 50 years. At the windows there are some beer paraphernalia and two small copper kettles where sometimes beer is brewed. The furnishings are tall tables with empty beer barrels as legs. The cellar room is darker, with vaulted ceilings and exposed bricks, nice to have some beers with a group of friends.
The Service is usually very good, and sometimes truly friendly (something rather rare in Prague). Some of the waiters know a lot about beer, and are able to recommend which beer will go better with the taste of the client.
The Food, nothing fancy here, actually is more something to go with the beer. However, some things can be very good, for example Pečené Koleno (sold by weight) or Jelení guláš podle pana nadlesního (Venison goulash a la game warden). Also the beer snacks are wonderful if you want something smaller to help you drink more.
There are six beers on tap, the house Pivo, Štěpán Klasický Světlý Ležák (brewed by Pivovarský Dům), and the rest rotating and coming mostly from small independent breweries and brewpubs from all over the Czech Republic, which makes every visit a sort of beer adventure, since likely is that you will find something you have never drunk before (which makes me go there almost religiously at least once a week) . You can also drink any of the 200+ bottled beers not only local, but also imported. If this was not enough, sometimes the also brew their own beers, all of them in very limited batches and all of them excellent.
They also organise tastings. Usually they are presentations of regional breweries who come to show their products and talk to the attendants, but also some foreign beers are presented. And not only that, patrons can also make their own beer with the assistance of a brew master; something that seems quite popular for corporate events, though not very convenient for tourists since at least a month is needed for the beer to lager.
In a nutshell, it is the perfect place for those who want to discover and learn more about Czech beers, at a place with a very special atmosphere, good food and very good service all at very reasonable prices.
Pivovarský Klub
Křižiková 17°
Praha 8 - Karlín
+420 222 315 777
Pivo and Hospoda, what a combination. I like Czech food a lot, specially for lunch. At the right place, it is usually good value for money, and you can be sure that you will be served a good pint as well. And since I will be writing a lot about good beer spots, I thought I would start with my favorite, Pivovarský Klub.
It is one of the many hospody that I found by chance. One day after a successful meeting with a client, being in a good mood, I started walking looking for a nice place to celebrate with a beer, and I found the Klub. Of course I already knew its sister brewpub, Pivarský Dům, so without second thoughts, I went in.
It immediately fascinated me . Two of its walls had shelves full of bottles of beers, not only Czech, but from other countries as well. When I was handed the menu I noticed that it listed more scores beers, including 6 on tap. I had found paradise.
Pivovarský Klub calls itself a Restaurace and Pivoteka. It has two rooms, one at street level, non smoking, decorated, apart from the already mentioned shelves, with hundreds of beer bottles from the last 50 years. At the windows there are some beer paraphernalia and two small copper kettles where sometimes beer is brewed. The furnishings are tall tables with empty beer barrels as legs. The cellar room is darker, with vaulted ceilings and exposed bricks, nice to have some beers with a group of friends.
The Service is usually very good, and sometimes truly friendly (something rather rare in Prague). Some of the waiters know a lot about beer, and are able to recommend which beer will go better with the taste of the client.
The Food, nothing fancy here, actually is more something to go with the beer. However, some things can be very good, for example Pečené Koleno (sold by weight) or Jelení guláš podle pana nadlesního (Venison goulash a la game warden). Also the beer snacks are wonderful if you want something smaller to help you drink more.
There are six beers on tap, the house Pivo, Štěpán Klasický Světlý Ležák (brewed by Pivovarský Dům), and the rest rotating and coming mostly from small independent breweries and brewpubs from all over the Czech Republic, which makes every visit a sort of beer adventure, since likely is that you will find something you have never drunk before (which makes me go there almost religiously at least once a week) . You can also drink any of the 200+ bottled beers not only local, but also imported. If this was not enough, sometimes the also brew their own beers, all of them in very limited batches and all of them excellent.
They also organise tastings. Usually they are presentations of regional breweries who come to show their products and talk to the attendants, but also some foreign beers are presented. And not only that, patrons can also make their own beer with the assistance of a brew master; something that seems quite popular for corporate events, though not very convenient for tourists since at least a month is needed for the beer to lager.
In a nutshell, it is the perfect place for those who want to discover and learn more about Czech beers, at a place with a very special atmosphere, good food and very good service all at very reasonable prices.
Pivovarský Klub
Křižiková 17°
Praha 8 - Karlín
+420 222 315 777
Need to fix the post date on this one
ReplyDeleteI realised as soon as I had published it and corrected it, but thanks anyway.
ReplyDeleteOh! you were right!!! Bloody American way of writing dates!!!! :) Thanks again for letting me know...
ReplyDeletehmmm, I already have a taste for some ceske jidlo. I am not big fan of pivo but I am sure when David will come to Czech he would choose you as his guide. :)))
ReplyDeleteAh, what a nice post. Actually, the Štěpán that is served at Pivovarský klub is actually brewed under contract by Pivovar Kácov — it's similar to the brew at Pivovarský dům, though it's not quite the same.
ReplyDeleteStill an excellent kvasnicové, though, and probably my favorite pub in Prague, too.
Of course!!! Forgot to mention that, and thanks for pointing it out.
ReplyDeleteŠtěpan is a reassuring beer, something you know you can go back to if you don't feel like having anything fancy.
Yeah, I agree: I really love that beer.
ReplyDeleteI think I might have mentioned this elsewhere, but Garrett Oliver once told me that he thought it was one of the best Pilsner-style brews in the world, and I certainly wouldn't argue with him. I think most people here don't realize how good that beer really is, in both incarnations.
Wow,this is torture,I just get back from Praha,and what do I discover online,the hospoda of my dreams,where i can savour and sample almost every Czech beer.But I have to wait till March and my return flight.Je velka hruza!Thanks for the info
ReplyDelete