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36HoursinPragueNYTimes.com

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TRAVEL

36 Hour in Prague
APRIL 17, 2014

36Hours
By EVAN RAIL

ForpeoplewhohaventtraveledtoPraguerecently,theCzechcapitalmight
seemlikeaknownquantity:acitywithathousandyearsofarchitecture,
cheapbeerandoftenboringrestaurantswherethemostunusual
ingredientsarethedoughydumplings.ButPragueisdevelopingsoquickly
thatmanylocalsstillhaventheardofallthenextbigthings:flashynewart
galleries,dynamicallydevelopingoldneighborhoods,greatbarsbeyond
andincludingbeerandnewrestaurantswithflavorfulofferingsfrom
classicsteaksandchopstoAsianspice.Infact,somanynewdevelopments
haveappearedinPraguethatyoucouldspendanentireweekendvisiting
onlythoseplacesthathaveopenedinthepastcoupleofyears.SeePrague
Castle,CharlesBridgeandalltheotherclassicattractions.Butfinishout
yourstaywithsomeofthevibrantnewcomers.
FRIDAY
1.CleanUp|5p.m.
BuildingsandresidentsinOldTownhavecleanedupnicelyof
late.IntheoncedecrepitPalacDlouha,anArtDecolandmark,thenew
groundfloorshoppingarcadeincludesSisters,anairybistrowithgourmet
openfacedsandwiches(25to49koruna,or$1.25to$2.50,at19.50
korunastothedollar)thatmakeperfectlateafternoonsnacks.Ablock
away,twoyearoldEternoModernooffersvintageandnewfashions,
mostlyforwomen,somemadeoutofrecycledfabricacrossthestreet,
KurazstocksclothingandaccessoriesfromavarietyofyoungCzech
designers,likekneehighstockingsprintedwithinsects,revolversandother
unusualpatterns.Evengentlemenaregettinginontheact:Across

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WenceslasSquare,theRoomhasbeensellingmenswearfromartsy
NorthernEuropeanbrandslikeDenmarksLibertineLibertineandRoyal
Republiqforthepasttwoyears.Andjustaroundthecorner,Thomass
BarberShopoffersaScotch,cigar,handwrap,haircutandstraightrazor
shavepackagethatcosts1,600koruna.
2.OpulentOligarchy|7p.m.
LikemanyEuropeancities,Praguehasgonecrazyforfancy
hamburgers,andtheresnothingquiteliketheoligarchburgeratthe
eightmontholdGeorgePrimeSteak:ajuicypattyofimportedaged
Americanwagyuwithfoiegras,blacktruffleaioli,BrillatSavarincheese
andofcourse!ribbonsof24karatgold,creatingajuicy,smoky
explosionofsavoryflavorsthatissafelyservedonlyinthebar(990
koruna).Theburgergetsthemostattention,buttherealdrawsatthissleek
chophousearetheribeyes,filetsmignonsandstripsteaks,includinga34
ounceporterhousefortwo(1,950koruna),allsourcedfromtheUnited
States.ThereisalsoalineofrareAmericanwhiskeysthatarguablystopsat
a22yearoldryefromHirschSelection(550koruna),sincetherarestname
onthelist,23yearoldVanWinklebourbon,isusuallysoldout.Clearly,
someoligarchshavegoodtaste.Dinnerfortwowithoutwine,2,500to
4,000koruna.
3.CureThyself|10:30p.m.
Afewofthemoversand(literal)shakersinLondonscocktailsceneare
Czechbarownersandbartenders,severalofwhomhaverecentlyreturned
tomixupconcoctionsinPrague.ThebestnewcomerisBonvivants,asmall
speakeasyinOldTownthatopenedthispastwinter,servingdrinks
preparedwiththeirownhousemadeflavorings,includingrosehipand
hibiscusbitters(cocktails,around150koruna).Afterahighball,wanderthe
cobblestonestreetsuntilyoustumbleacrossthetwoyearoldAnonymous
Bar,whichtakesitsdesigninspirationfromVforVendettaandoffers
similarlytheatricaldrinks,liketheSt.MarrysViruscocktail(175koruna),
servedfromagiantsyringe.
SATURDAY
4.HighGrade|10a.m.
Dontsettleforhotelcoffee.Foryears,highgradearabicawashardto

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findinPrague,thoughthatchangedwiththearrivalofafewqualitycafes
andartisanalroastinghouses.IntouristfriendlyOldTown,however,abig
gapremained.Thenewestarrival,OriginalCoffee,openedearlierthisyear,
closetothechurchofJanHusatBetlemskeNamesti.Afterword,burnoff
thatcaffeineenergywithamorningconstitutional.Althoughthe
neighborhoodishometomanytouristattractions,Saturdaymorningsoften
havefewercrowds,andtiny,littleusedstreetslikenearbyZlataand
Stribrnaofferplentyofbeautifulphotoopportunities.
5.PairTheeWell|Noon
Yes,Pragueisabeertown,butqualitywineismoreandmore
common,especiallyatmeals.Thevanguardofthecityswinecultureis
Vinograf,ayearoldwinebarandrestaurantatSenovazneNamesti,which
serveswellselectedCzechwines,mostlyfromthesunnyregionsofSouth
Moravia,alongsideimportsfromAustria,France,Italy,Hungaryand
elsewhere.ThemenufeaturesMediterraneanandContinentalrecipes
thinkofroastporktenderloinwithpaprikasaucethatpairwellwiththe
650orsoavailablebottles.Lunchfortwowithoutwine,about1,000
koruna.
6.SideStreets|2p.m.
ThegrungyZizkovdistricthasdevelopeditscolorfulculturallifeeven
moreinrecentyears,withahandfulofnewartgalleriesnorthofSkroupovo
Namesti.StartoutatthetwoyearoldDrdovaGallery,whosecurrent
exhibitionincludesworkfromJiriThyn,FedericoDiazandHynekAlt.Two
blocksfromthereyoullfindHuntKastnerArtworks,whichmovedto
Zizkovoneyearago,downtheblockfromtheCitySurferOffice,agallery
andexhibitionspacerunbyacollectivethatalsohasitsownrecordlabel.
OnnearbysidestreetsvisittheunusualBlissFarmGallery,whichturns
antiquephotosintohorrorinspiredworksofart,and35m2,atiny
exhibitionspacebehindCafPavlac,whereyoucanfinallystopfor
refreshments.
7.VintageDesigns|4p.m.
FashioninZizkovandVinohradyusuallymeansstreetwearandretro
style.Duringtheweek,youcansiftthroughBohemianRetrosimpressive
collectionofmensandwomensvintageclothing,mostlyfromtheformer

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Czechoslovakiatheshopisgenerallyclosedonweekends,socalltocheck.
AdecentalternativeonaSaturdayafternoon:PragueThriftStore,aless
curatedcollectionofleathertrenchcoats,blazersandevensecondhand
books.ForladiesstreetwearfromCzechdesigners,tryPourPour,which
stocksdecoratedacrylicbracelets(390koruna)andleatherbackpacks
(2,500koruna),aswellastutuinspiredskirtsanddresses.
8.LiberalArts|5p.m.
Manyinterestingnewdevelopmentsinthecitysnortherndistrictsof
HolesoviceandBubenecflyundertheradar.Startoutattheexcellenttwo
yearoldKavarnaLiberal,anoldschoolcoffeehousewithhighceilings,
refreshingspiritsandfreeWiFi,whereyoucanaskthefriendlylocalsfor
tips.Downthestreet,checktoseeifthefourmontholdGalerieZari,an
unusualexhibitionspace,isopenonweekends,astheschedulehasrecently
changedtheneighboringGaleriePetrNovotnyshouldbeopenon
Saturdayslaterthisspring.
9.CurryFavor|7p.m.
ManyoftheoldfavoritesinOldTownhavechangednames,owners
andcooksrepeatedly.OncecalledMollyMalones,thepubonUObecniho
DvorastreetisnowknownastheJamesJoyce:althoughthepintsof
OHarasstoutmakeanicechangefromPraguesubiquitouspilsners,the
acecardhereisthepubsnewlistofspicycurries.Themenucomesfrom
theinhouseSexyCurryCompany,whichoffersjalfrezi,CapeMalayand
ThaigreencurriespreparedbySofiaSmith,thechefresponsibleforseveral
ofPraguesbestlovedrestaurants.Dinnerfortwowithoutwine,about
1,000koruna.
10.TapRace|9p.m.
Praguesreputationforgreatbeeriswelldeserved.Thefrontrunner,
ZlyCasy,inthesouthcentralPraguedistrictofNusle,hasledthecraftbeer
tapraceforyears(itnowhas48),butlastyearthepubgotyetanother
expansion,andanewgrillmenu.Otherneighborhoodpubsincludethe
excellentUVodouchainZizkov,servingBohemiancuisineandbeers
mostlyfromregionalbrewers.AndintheverycenterofPrague,thestylish,
yearoldTAnkerbaratoptheKotvadepartmentstoreoffersCzech,
GermanandBelgiancraftbrewsonarooftopterrace.

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SUNDAY
11.ContemporaryComfort|10a.m.
Eventheformerlyrundown28Rijnastreethasblossomed,welcoming
severalnewshops,includingabranchofHarmont&Blaine,anItalian
producerofupscalecasualwear.Thestunner,however,isanewoutpostof
JuliusMeinl,thedelicatesseninViennathatopeneditsthreestoryfood
emporiumandrestaurantherelastwinter.Evenifyoudontfeellikebuying
awholeMediterraneanoctopusoroneofthe450kindsofcheese,the
renovatedSecessionistbuildingisamustsee.Afterward,recovertwodoors
downwithabowlofcontemporarycomfortfood:heartytonkotsuramen
(240koruna),filledwithpork,seaweedandsoftboiledeggs,atthetwo
montholdKitchenRamenBar.Youcanhavedumplingssomeothertime.
THEDETAILS
1.Sisters,Dlouha39chlebickypraha.cz.EternoModerno,Benediktska4
2008.cz/eternomoderno.Kuraz,kuraz.cz.TheRoom,Skolska7
basmatee.cz.ThomassBarberShop,thomasbarbershop.cz.
2.GeorgePrimeSteak,Platnerska19georgeprimesteak.com.
3.Bonvivants,Bartolomejska3facebook.com/bonvivantsctc.
AnonymousBar,Michalska12anonymousbar.cz.
4.OriginalCoffee,Betlemska12originalcoffee.cz.
5.Vinograf,SenovazneNamesti23vinograf.cz.
6.DrdovaGallery,Krizkovskeho10drdovagallery.com.HuntKastner
Artworks,huntkastner.com.CitySurferOffice,
citysurferoffice.tumblr.com.BlissFarmGallery,fler.cz/blissfarmgallery.
35m2,35m2.cz.
7.BohemianRetro,Chvalova8bohemianretro.com.PragueThrift
Store,Sumavska29thriftshop.cz.PourPour,Vinohradska74
pourpour.cz.
8.KavarnaLiberal,Hermanova6facebook.com/kavarnaliberal.Galerie
Zari,facebook.com/galeriezari.GaleriePetrNovotny,galeriepn.cz.
9.TheJamesJoyce,UObecnihoDvora4jamesjoyceprague.cz.Sexy

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CurryCompany,thesexycurrycompany.com.
10.ZlyCasy,Cestmirova5zlycasy.euUVodoucha,Jagellonska21
uvodoucha.pivovarkostelec.cz.TAnker,NamestiRepubliky8tanker.cz.
11.Harmont&Blaine,harmontblaine.it.JuliusMeinl,meinlpraha.cz.
KitchenRamenBar.
A version of this article appears in print on April 20, 2014, on page TR11 of the New York edition
with the headline: 36 Hours: Prague.

2015 The New York Times Company

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