Where to celebrate Christmas: A guide to Prague's most festive feasts

If the thought of preparing a homecooked traditional meal seems a bit too daunting, you’ll be glad to know that while many Prague restaurants close over the holidays, many will be offering sumptuous Christmas feasts on Dec. 24, or holiday brunches on Dec. 25 and 26. From prix fixe menus featuring seafood and snails to traditional Czech Christmas dishes like carp or schnitzel with potato salad, we’ve put together tips for where to go for a stress-free holiday celebration.

Andaz Prague’s ZEM restaurant offers a refined take on traditional flavors with its ‘bistronomy’ concept in a heritage setting. From Dec. 24–26, sit down to an à la carte Christmas lunch (12–3 p.m.) or a Christmas Eve prix-fixe five-course dinner on Dec. 24 (6–8:30 p.m.) featuring creamy fish soup, veal schnitzel or grilled trout, Christmas-tree brownies, and vegetarian options. Priced at 2,995 CZK per person, the experience includes an optional wine pairing for 1,495 CZK. Make your reservation here.

Located in Old Town, just steps away from the world-renowned Christmas markets, the White Horse restaurant's three-course Christmas menu features traditional choices including fish soup, mushroom risotto, duck rillettes, vegetarians options and chocolate fondant. Available from Dec. 24 from 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. or Dec. 25 from 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Make your reservation here.

From Dec.1 to Dec. 26, Hard Rock's Christmas menu is packed with delicious seasonal treats from Sleighride Sangria to turkey dinners, hearty steaks, and a bevvy of signature burgers. Whether you stop in to warm up after visiting the nearby Christmas market or are looking for a venue to host a private party, Hard Rock will welcome you with its two- and three-course menus of starter, main, and dessert. See the festive menu here.

Hilton Prague has a memorable holiday dining experiences planned for families. On Christmas Eve (6–10 p.m.), enjoy a gourmet buffet with live cooking stations, a welcome drink, and live music (1,890 CZK/adult; 940 CZK/child 3–12). On Christmas Day, start with an indulgent brunch (11:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.), featuring free-flowing food and drinks, including dedicated kids buffet and unlimited wine and beer (2,190 CZK/adult; 1,090 CZK/child). Make your reservation here.

Kuchyň at Prague Castle offers a Festive Castle Feast amid its open kitchen and warm, inviting interior. The three-course menu starts with options like smoked eel or slow-roasted sirloin with fig marmalade, followed by appetizers such as snails poached in red wine. Mains range from sirloin steak with foie gras sauce to cod fillet topped with trout caviar. Finish with desserts like braided Christmas bread or chocolate cake. Price: CZK 1,490/person (wine pairing: CZK 648). Make your reservation here.

Celebrate the holidays at Prague’s Hotel Augustine from Dec. 24 with a four-course dinner by Chef Jan Horák (2,590 CZK) paired with live jazz. Dec. 25 offers a brunch (1,800 CZK non-alcoholic; 4,290 CZK with rosé champagne) featuring Mediterranean seafood, Czech charcuterie, and desserts, with live music from a guitarist and saxophonist. End the day with a second four-course dinner (2,590 CZK). Call +420 266 112 280 or email restaurant.augustine@luxurycollection.com to reserve.

The Monkey Bar Prague's Jungle Christmas Dinner entices with a five-course menu of oysters with Vichyssoise and caviar, foie gras with cocoa and quince, lobster soup, beef Wellington, and crispy coffee cannelloni, paired with cocktails and live music (3,500 CZK, wine pairing 900 CZK). The Christmas Jungle Brunch serves up roasted beef with Béarnaise sauce, and caramelized French toast, along with unlimited Prosecco, mimosas, and cherry bellinis on the twinkling winter terrace (2,500 CZK). Make your reservation here.

Prague steakhouse Čestr has made a name for itself with its honest cuts of beef from Fleckvieh cattle paired with sauces and sides served family style in rustic yet modern surrounds. During the holiday season, Čestr leans into Czech tradition, serving carp specialties alongside its juicy steaks grilled over charcoal. A three-course menu gives you a flavorful taster with choices ranging from a marinated carp, shallot, fennel, apple, and dill starter to brisket and various steaks. Make your reservation here.

Paloma Restaurant in Průhonice makes for a gourmet holiday adventure (the restaurant sits on a charming square beneath a stunning neo-Renaissance Castle). Bouillabaisse, grilled lobster, and scallops are on this year's festive menu together with a Snail Festival event, featuring Burgundy-style snails with white wine and Morbier cheese, or truffle butter and black truffle. Order one portion and receive a second for free. Make your reservation here.

Enjoy a taste old Bohemian Christmas tradition at these two interconnected Prague Vinohrady restaurants. Vinohradský parlament together with Bruxx Belgian brasserie will be sending out snails, a lesser-known dish on the Czech Christmas menu. In addition to honest Czech cuisine and beer from Vinohradský parlament, Bruxx is your go-to place for mussels, frites, and Belgian brews following a trip to the Christmas markets at Náměstí Míru.

Červený Jelen's festive menu runs from Dec. 24-26 with a special Christmas menu offered on Dec. 25 and 26. The à la carte menu includes fish soup, barley risotto with dried mushrooms, pike-perch with Riesling sauce and gratin potatoes, veal tenderloin, and salsiccia with black truffle and potato salad. End on a sweet note with Kaiserschmarrn, beer cake, pecan square, or plum crumble. A special three-course Christmas menu features Magret duck breast with roasted Hokkaido squash, chestnut stuffing, mulled wine sauce, and gingerbread cake. Make your reservation here.

Throughout the Christmas season, Mandarin Oriental Prague is offering a five-course Christmas menu at its newly opened Monastiq restaurant, located on the grounds of a former 14th-century Dominican monastery. The modern menu takes inspiration from Czech heritage cuisine stretching back hundreds of years to incorporate ingredients found in historic cookbooks: crayfish, perch, rhubarb, chicory. Visitors can enjoy winter-themed snacks and cocktails on the restaurant's decorated, heated terrace.

Restaurace 1890 in the newly renovated palatial setting of the NH Collection Prague has a six-course Christmas Eve menu. Start with foie gras mousse, followed by a parsnip cream with pear and miso, pike-perch ravioli with ginger, caviar, and Riesling, quail with morel sauce and chestnuts, a chocolate tart with macerated cherries and ice cream, and a champagne praline. The festive dinner includes a welcome drink, soft drinks, beers, and wines (CZK 4,490 CZK/person). Make your reservation here.

Celebrate Christmas at the Alchymist Grand Hotel and Spa where a beautifully illuminated courtyard featuring a radiant Italian nativity scene welcomes diners. On Christmas Eve, savor a Traditional Czech Christmas Lunch, complete with unique dishes like snails prepared three ways. In the evening, enjoy a festive Christmas Dinner Menu, accompanied by the enchanting melodies of a harpist. Experience the holiday season in this elegant setting, filled with warmth, charm, and festive cheer.

Celebrate the festive season in style with a four-course Christmas Eve dinner on Dec. 24 at Le Petit Beefbar au Grand Café, the world renowned Michelin-starred steakhouse which has just set up shop at W Prague, housed in a landmark art nouveau building on Wenceslas Square. Christmas Brunch is on Dec. 25. Both events will be accompanied by live beats. Reservations can be made at w.prague.bf.reservations@whotels.com