Foodie Finds for $5 Prague – Trdelník, Sausage, Dumplings
I was in Prague for a total of 36 hours, so I didn’t have much time to try all of the delicious food. I did do my research and made sure that everything I ate would be delicious. Most of the items you’ll see below were $5 or less, but a couple of them were more. Whether you are looking for a cheap and delicious $5 meal or a fancier sit-down dinner, I’ve got some recommendations for you below.
Trdelník
First up, trdelník. How you are supposed to pronounce that, I don’t know, but I do know that it is sold on every street by like 17 different vendors. Trdelník is a traditional Hungarian pastry that the Czech adopted and it consists of a crispy cone filled with delicious toppings. Sometimes they are filled with ice cream, other times whipped cream and chocolate, and my favorite, berry compote.
Trdelník is the perfect walking companion while you are moseying down the narrow streets of Prague. It is quite messy, at least for me, so make sure to grab a few napkins.
Now, I have to be honest. I can’t remember where exactly I got my trdelník for the life of me. There are so. many. vendors. and they all look the same. I just pulled up Google Maps and picked one with 5 stars. Not only are they delicious, they are very photogenic and look great on Instagram.
Lokál
Traditional Czech cuisine consists of a lot of meats, stews, breads, and dumplings. You’ll find lots of mushrooms in Czech food (yummy) and fried cheese (my favorite). Lokál is a restaurant that serves traditional Czech cuisine. There are a few locations in Prague, and I have been to two of them. Both were equally delicious and I assume the other locations will uphold the same standards.
At the first location (Dlouhá 33, 110 00 Staré Město, Czechia) I ordered the roast beef and dumplings. For a little over $5 I had an amazingly filling, traditional Czech meal. Beer is also notoriously cheap in Prague. The big mug you see in the background of the picture below was less than $2. The dish looks a little… meh… but tastes absolutely incredible.
At the second Lokál location (Míšeňská 66/12, 118 00 Malá Strana, Czechia) I ordered a smaller dish because I had already eaten a large meal. What you see in the picture below is a very Theon-esque traditional Talián” sausage served with grated horseradish and mustard. That and a beer put me just over $5.
The sausage was delicious and warmed me up. My friend and I had to sit outside in the cold because this particular location was crowded at the time. BUT, Lokál had blankets for all of the customers who had to sit outdoors. They were so hospitable and it made me love the food even more. Check out the menu here.
Bakeshop
You already know that Prague has some killer desserts, like the trdelník, but that was just the tip of the iceberg. Bakeshop is a bakery in Old Town, which was where I spent most of my time in my 36 hours in Prague. I bought a delicious strudel-type pastry filled with walnuts (I believe), apples, and some sort of berry.
Everything at Bakeshop looked and smelled amazing. Look at the size of these merengues.
Ferdinanda
Now, I want to be honest with you. The meal I ate at Ferdinanda cost closer to the $10 range, but it was so large for a breakfast that I wish I shared it. It could easily feed 2 people, especially with the table bread added in.
I went to Ferdinanda for a late breakfast (around 11am) and I ordered the mix board with sausages, cheeses, and garnish. It came with a big mug of beer, bread, and I couldn’t finish half of it. Every single meat and cheese was so flavorful and delicious. I especially liked the blue cheese. I used to be a little weary with blue cheese, because… mold. Luckily my brain just decided to turn off the gross-factor when I eat it now. Blue cheese is too rich and decadent to pass up. If you are on the cusp of trying blue cheese, just close your eyes, take a bite. I promise you, you’ll love it. You can check out the menu here.
Mistral Cafe (not $5)
So, this is not a $5 meal type of place. This is literally the only place that I ate at in Prague that wasn’t in the $5 range and I don’t think it needs a post of it’s own so I am sticking it here at the end as an honorable mention.
I went to Mistral Cafe because I wanted to splurge. I wanted to sit down somewhere quiet and eat a delicious meal, and I was craving pasta. I ended up at Mistral Cafe because it was near the end of the tour I went on and it had great reviews on Google.
I ended up ordering the potato gnocchi with chicken in cream sauce with Grana Padano cheese. It was so rich and creamy that it sent me into a food-coma afterwards. The dish costs about $9.50, and I ate it all. It would not feed 2 people unless you have a small appetite. You can check out the rest of the menu here.
Potato Stick – Honorable Mention
I wanted to see if they lived up to the hype. I had seen them in a few cities abroad and never bought one. Well, I bought a delicious looking golden stick of spiralized potato near Prague Castle, and… it was ok. I’m glad I tried it and found out what it tasted like, but I’d much rather have dumplings, or a pastry, or a beer. The potatoes were a strange consistency. They were very greasy, salty, a little chewy in the middle, but crispy on the edges. It tasted good, but it just wasn’t my thing. For $2 though, I definitely think you should try it, even if it is just to get the ‘gram.
