Trip Report: Prague Butcher Shops/Cafe

It’s fun to find things that are unique to a particular city. The opposite of that is the “Instagram-worthy” coffee shops that are found everywhere- of course they are cute and likely have good coffee, but sometimes, it feels like the coffeeshop could be anywhere.

Well, in Prague, I found the coolest type of restaurant that was new to me! A butcher shop/cafe where a counter-service cafe co-exists with a functioning butcher shop. I went to two during my trip. The first was Naše Maso, a popular cafe that I found during my pre-trip research. Although the sausages/hot dogs were written up, I decided on the cheeseburger. Oh my goodness, it was delicious. It was a thick puck of a burger that was deliciously seared on the outside, fairly raw on the inside. The Czech favor the rare, it seems. Steak tartare is on many menus, and the steaks and burgers also seem to be on the rarer side. I was fine with it and you could probably asked for more well-done. I ordered from the e-kiosk, but there was a woman inside who took orders at the register and spoke English. There was definitely a large tourist clientele, but it wasn’t overly touristy. Just tourist-accomodating, if that makes sense.

When I read reviews, someone said the burger was small and I almost ordered two dishes, since I was pretty hungry and wanted to try things. But I decided to just stick with the burger and order more if needed, which it definitely wasn’t. The burger wasn’t the biggest, but it was quite dense and completely sufficient for me.

There was self-service beer where you would fill your own cup. I did a great job (thanks rugby days!), but other people were not so facile and one of the butchers was keeping a watchful eye on the tap. He didn’t offer the gentlest corrections, which seemed to make some guys feel slightly emasculated. But whatever, they can drink their beer to help their hurt feelings.

The next night, I went to Kantyna, which was larger and much more raucous. The front shop had steaks for purchase, to either take home or to have cooked there. I really wanted a ribeye, but was told it was too big for me. Fair. I didn’t want to be a big food waster so I got a flank steak instead. I was given a number written on a bone, and I headed to the back where there was a definite beer hall vibe. On entering, you’re given a ticket to track the beers, drinks, and food ordered. In the backroom, there’s a bar on the right and a grilled meats line on the left. There was a large butcher block-style standing table and cafeteria-style tables and chairs.

At the standing table, I made friends with a four-person group consisting of an Australian couple and two Czech guys. It was a lot of fun to talk to them and rounds were bought! The beer above on the left is a half/half mixture of pilsner/lager that takes 5 minutes to pour and maintains it separation throughout the drinking time. Also, note the foam: very important!

Although I loved both restaurants, I went back to Kantyna for lunch on my last day in Prague. The second time, I ordered beef tartare and a Gruner Veltliner. It was a substantial helping of tartare and I couldn’t quite finish it, but I’m glad I stuck with a traditional Czech dish. Although it would have made a good hamburger, haha.

Interestingly, Leona the food tour guide said that in general, the Czech don’t share dishes. So when you get a bar snack, it’s yours. We had a pretty big tartare plate at the Lokal stop and when I asked her if one person would eat it, she shrugged and said, “Yeah, you know, if it was your dinner.”

Above, is the drink ticket that tracks your drinks and serves as the final bill, paid at the cash registers by the exit. I highly recommend both places and would definitely go back on my next trip to Prague (TBD, but I definitely want to!).