September 15, 2019

Prague, Czech Republic Vegan Travel Guide

The second destination on my celebratory, post-college graduation, Europe 2018 trip was Prague! I hope you enjoy my Prague vegan travel guide!

It was a short train ride from Vienna to Prague and a walkable distance to the hotel. I stayed in the Intercontinental Hotel near the heart of Old Town Prague because it was close to all the places that I wanted to explore.

The public transportation wasn’t nearly as good as it was in Vienna, so I walked everywhere and only explored the Old Town area of Prague. The farthest I ever walked was 2 miles away from the hotel, so you definitely don’t need to use public transportation to explore.

Also, I normally like to find great breakfast places and cafes, but I didn’t find very many places and slowly learned that Prague is more a night life city than I had expected.

Lunch

Loving Hut

I found this place because it is a well known and has various locations, but I was extremely impressed with the quality of the food, as it is a franchise. The Loving Hut serves Asian infused vegan food buffet style. There were lots of great options such as fried cauliflower, spring rolls, kung pao soya, and best of all their mango cheesecake for dessert. You simply grab a plate and load up as much food as your heart desires and then you pay by weight. This was definitely some of the best Asian vegan food I’ve ever tried.

Country Life

This place was right in the heart of Old Town Prague and they were serving up some delicious vegan comfort food. There were soups, stews, Asian infused curries, dessert, and more. You simply grab a plate or container, fill it up, and pay at the end by weight. The café itself made me feel like I was in the country. Unfortunately, we were in a rush and couldn’t stick around to eat, but I would highly recommend planning to eat there to enjoy the ambiance.

Dinner

Vegan Prague Restaurant

I read bad reviews for this place, as people said their vegan Czech food wasn’t very good, but when I saw the view from their roof top seating I couldn’t resist. I called to make a reservation and made sure to time it perfectly with sunset. I recommend setting a reservation 1-2 hours before sunset because then the sun isn’t beating down on you. The rooftop view is spectacular, as you have the perfect view of the Prague Castle sitting on top of the hill.

I was able to try their Beet Carpaccio appetizer, Potato Goulash entrée, Svickova with dumplings and smoked tempeh entrée, and Raw Chocolate Cake dessert. I wasn’t a huge fan of their entrees and found them to be very bland, but I absolutely loved the Beet Carpaccio, which was a nutty and salty salad served with pumpkin oil, and their Raw Chocolate Cake, which was a rich and light chocolate mousse. I recommend coming here for a snack or happy hour.

Maitrea

Now this is the place you want to go to if you are looking to enjoy some vegan Czech cuisine, but fair warning it is Asian infused. Maitrea is located right in Old Town Prague and has the best interior design. We were taken downstairs where I felt like I was transported into a beautiful meditation sanctuary. I was able to try their Goulash and Udon Peanut Sauce Noodles and both dishes were fantastic. The flavor was full and incorporated a multitude of different spices. This was probably my favorite dinner in Prague.

Indian by Nature 2

I was trying to look for vegan Czech food because when in Prague, why not eat their country’s cuisine, but I noticed this Indian restaurant continued to pop up on my searches. I finally read the reviews and saw terrific feedback, so I figured why not get some delicious Indian food. It was a bit of a journey to get there from the hotel, as I had to walk through a park, but it was well worth the walk.

To this day, this is the best Indian food I have ever had in my entire life. I tried their Spicy Chickpea curry, Chili Garlic Yuka curry, and Chili Garlic Naanbread. I devoured everything. The food was perfectly spicy and I loved how strong the spices came through in the curry and naan bread. Absolutely recommend this for some delicious Indian food.

Sweets

Angelato

The two best gelato places that popped up on my searches were both conveniently located in Old Town Prague and I couldn’t be happier. The number 1 gelato place was Angelato and as soon as I turned the corner I could see the line out the door. Granted it was starting to really heat up in Prague, I definitely understand why this place was voted number 1. The gelato was incredibly creamy, light, and smooth. The vegan options I got to try were Pistachio and Coconut. Both were delicious, and I could eat buckets of it!

Crème de la Crème

The second best gelato joint was Crème de la Crème and even though it was ranked second, it had a decent line outside the door as well. I thought the gelato here was just as good as Angelato. If I had to be extremely picky, then I would say I could see why Angelato was ranked higher. However, Crème de la Crème has more vegan options! I was able to try their Passion Fruit, Mojito, Orange Campari, Strawberry Basil, Pistachio, and Chocolate. All were fantastic and much needed to help beat the heat.

Areas to Explore, Things to Do

As I mentioned in my Vienna blog post, I learned that I am not a big fan of paying to go to museums or see art, so I spent majority of my time roaming the streets and stumbling upon different shops. However, these are the places that I did manage to visit that are well known things to do.

Naplavka Farmer’s Market

I love Farmer’s Markets and since I was in Prague on a weekend I thought it would be a good idea to find a cool Farmer’s Market. I stumbled upon this Farmer’s Market because it was less than a 2 mile walk from the hotel. It was located right along the river.

The market was fairly large and filled with delicious foods; therefore, I decided to make a breakfast/brunch out of it. I had delicious Basil Pesto Bread, Pastries, Freshly Baked Breads, Refreshing Drinks, and so much more. I enjoyed walking the Farmer’s Market and everyone was so friendly and nice.

John Lennon Wall

This iconic portrait of John Lennon was a major tourist attraction, but I did manage to hustle my way through to get a picture. I would definitely recommend passing by to at least snap a quick picture, but by all means don’t go completely out of your way to see this mural.

Prague Castle

I love admiring the architecture of buildings, so I was excited to walk around the Prague Castle. I didn’t realize how large it was from the outside, but the inside courtyard was huge. There are great photo opportunities up top as well and I highly recommend getting a picture because you should be proud of yourself for getting up the steep and long hill to the castle.

Charles Bridge

This was another heavily populated tourist attraction, however, you’ll need to pass by this anyways to get across the river so be sure to snap a quick picture. As touristy as it is, I still think it’s absolutely beautiful.

Old Town Square

This was home base for me and I found myself traveling in different directions from this main square. There are tons of restaurants and shops surrounding the main square and I actually had a great time simply people watching and taking a break from walking around. You can venture down any of the streets leaving the square and you will find a multitude of fun shops to explore.

I had such a great time exploring Prague and if I were to ever travel back I would want to explore more of the New Prague area now that I have seen everything there is to see of Old Prague.

I would also want to venture more into the night life as well because I didn’t really go to any of the bars since I was trying to make the most of my day exploring the city. Overall, loved Prague and another great city I get to check off my list!

– Nutti Nelli