Summertime tapas in Prague: light bites and refreshing drinks to beat the heat

There’s no better time than summer to enjoy light bites and a tipple. And while you’ve probably heard of a “pub crawl” — one drink per pub at multiple bars in a single night, the foodie version of that activity is to eat your way through any given city stopping throughout various neighborhoods to enjoy small plates and sips.

We combined the crawl idea with one of our favorite forms of food: Spanish-style tapas. We did a Prague tapas crawl in February and had so much fun that we are sharing our results. The pleasing combination of outdoor seating, a good cheese board or antipasto platter, and a crisp glass of wine, is the perfect antidote to sweltering summer nights.

With so many choices, it’s impossible to do the entire Prague tapas crawl in one day. So how should you design your summer tapas crawl? Here are a few tips:

Select your start and endpoints. No need to stay in one neighborhood. A tram ride between stops is a great way to see the city.
End close to home; you’ll be glad for this advice after several glasses of wine!
Choose how many places you want to visit in advance. We recommend 3-5 total stops.
Finally, pick what appeals to you from these tried-and-tested locations on our tapas list (ratings based on a maximum of 5 chiles).

These are our favorite stops on a summertime tapas crawl in Prague:

Staré Město

AUTENTISTA wine & champagne bar, Řetězová 10

Eat: charcuterie selection with cheese, bread, and olive oil

Drink: Czech white wines including unfiltered Martin Vajčner Havranické vřesoviště from Znojmo

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Autentista on Řetězová in Old Town is our kind of wine bar. Moody, interesting mid-range local stock, knowledgeable presentation, + quality snacks to keep things rolling. Still swooning over the 80 Kč/glass unfiltered Martin Vajčner Havranické vřesoviště from Znojmo.
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ pic.twitter.com/RXfFbIyHhd
— 𝗟𝗮𝘀𝗦𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘀 (@LasSaboritas) June 7, 2020

Tempo Allegro, Karolíny Světlé 24

Eat: pecorino with walnuts, truffle salami, marinated artichokes, burrata, Valpolicella piccante

Drink: Pinot Grigio 2018, Bidoli, Italia

Tempo Allegro wine bar near Karlovy lážně was our favorite stop on the wine crawl. Nice proseccos, orange wine, tempranillo, spritz, etc. High-quality Italian snacks like marinated artichoke, truffle salami, burrata, + warm bread. Cozy interior and attentive service.
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ pic.twitter.com/FN0xm6Jcy5
— 𝗟𝗮𝘀𝗦𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘀 (@LasSaboritas) March 6, 2020

Vinohrady

Gilda Pintxos & Tapas, Náměstí Jiřího z Poděbrad 1659/10

Eat: calamares fritos, croquetas, your choice of pinxtos from the bar, manchego semicurado

Drink: house garnacha or tempranillo

Gilda by Kogo group at JZP defines tapas as hot + pintxos as cold (get Spanish tortilla). Rich reds w garnacha + tempranillo. Tasty patatas bravas lacked a little crunch. Croquetas on the creamy side. 195 Kč chorizo plate feels steep for 50g. Nice service + seating.
🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ pic.twitter.com/t1oDUUeKFc
— 𝗟𝗮𝘀𝗦𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘀 (@LasSaboritas) February 26, 2020

Oliveira Wine | Tapas | Market, Čermákova 1231/4

Eat: the tasting board of ham, cheese, walnuts and quince jam; chorizo sausage; baked codfish with bechamel sauce; grilled octopus

Drink: red wine sangria or any of the Portuguese red wines that fit your budget

Be transported to Portugal at Oliveira Wine|Tapas|Market on Čermákova. Big menu of meats, cheeses & seafood dishes, wines & sangria. We liked the octopus, the melted cheese with oregano and the “Bacalhau espiritual” codfish with bechamel. Minus 1 chile for spotty service. 🌶🌶🌶 pic.twitter.com/9pbVGL8IUa
— 𝗟𝗮𝘀𝗦𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘀 (@LasSaboritas) July 14, 2020

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Nové Město

La Casa, Lípová 10

Eat: meat & cheese board and fill up on affordable snacks here

Drink: a glass of whatever looks good to you, but save your wine quota for better selections elsewhere

La Casa on Lípová is a more of a charcuterie bar than a tapas bar. Pub style ambience. Affordable wines. XXL meat/cheese board was mid-range quality but abundant for sharing. Mix-up on olive order left our bill higher than expected. If you're nearby with friends, stop in.
🌶️🌶️ pic.twitter.com/xXTgGzRjpQ
— 𝗟𝗮𝘀𝗦𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘀 (@LasSaboritas) March 6, 2020

Žižkov

PORKE,Tapas & Restaurant, Kubelíkova 33

Eat: grilled halloumi and pinsa romana

Drink: atypical for tapas, but go with beer from Únětický pivovar here

Porke on Kubelíkova in Žižkov is a casual tapas spot w style. Meatball sauce is fruity (?) + boring padron peppers, BUT substantial Roman pinsa w chorizo rivals many pizzas in Prague + grilled halloumi had perfect melt/squeak balance. Attentive, friendly service.
🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ pic.twitter.com/WaN90NDt8T
— 𝗟𝗮𝘀𝗦𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘀 (@LasSaboritas) August 7, 2019

V11 Wine Bar – Ondříčkova 11

Eat: before you arrive (we suggest grabbing an olive focaccia loaf from Le Caveau around the corner)

Drink: Stapleton 2016 pinot noir by the bottle–it’s that good

V11 on Ondříčkova serves mid-range wines from Italy, France, Lebanon (!), & the Czech Republic. Cozy shop. Warm service. Typical orange wine. Stapleton 2016 pinot noir warms this Californian's heart w a well-executed local take on Mendocino County at 120 Kč/glass.
🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ pic.twitter.com/FZtlj8qTN3
— 𝗟𝗮𝘀𝗦𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘀 (@LasSaboritas) November 24, 2019

Smíchov

Tapas Bar Miró, Štefánikova 46

Eat: gambas al ajillo, 12 month aged manchego, chorizo a la sidra

Drink: cava, also known as the ‘champagne’ of Spain

Back at Miró the gambas al ajillo were garlicky + well-cooked. 12 month manchego had excellent flavor. Crema catalana w burnt sugar crust was tasty too. The price/serving size ratio is high, so we won't be regulars, but we had a gold time. pic.twitter.com/L2Bk0q0bsa
— 𝗟𝗮𝘀𝗦𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘀 (@LasSaboritas) March 6, 2020

Bubeneč

Vino Bar Dvojka, Veletržní 40

Eat: plum chutney on bread

Drink: Terras d’el Rei Tinto, Carmim, Portugal

Dvojka on Veletržní in Bubeneč is hipster cool. Whitewashed aesthetics, bathroom in a fridge, etc. Ok snacks. Nice wine. Odd prices: 4-5 glasses cheaper than bottles. Staff admits to being unfamiliar with the wine list. Repeat ordered a dry Portuguese red + got Italian.
🌶️ 🌶️ pic.twitter.com/QvpARERABw
— 𝗟𝗮𝘀𝗦𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘀 (@LasSaboritas) December 1, 2019

Will you try some tapas from this list or organize your own Prague tapas crawl? Tell us in the comments. Join us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, and share your tapas adventure with us.