Visiting Prague as a Couple

Article by guest author Peter Brooker

Last week I was in Prague for a long weekend getaway with the better half. I'm not sure you can consider Prague as a romantic destination, despite many of its beautiful baroque architecture. It has too much of a lad culture still. There is a reason guys come here for stag dos. 

But if you're trying to carve out a romantic weekend here are some tips on places to go, eat and drink. 

Where to stay 

We checked in for 3 nights at Aurea Legends Hotel. Price all in was £425 plus city tax which wasn't much. The room was quiet, bed was comfy and the tele had some great viewing options. (We watched The Bourne Ultimate because the embassy escape was set in Prague. More on that later). 

The staff were pleasant, we didn't have breakfast because we wanted to sample some other eateries. But you can have that as an option for £20 a head. The only downside was they had taken away the welcome drinks by the time we got there. Everything is walkable from this hotel and it's right outside the famous head of Frank Kafka which we enjoyed seeing every day. 

Where to eat 

The food is fairly hit and miss in Prague. You'll find most of the decent ones need to be booked in advance so do some prep before going and make some bookings. By happenstance we chanced upon the Deer Restaurant. Not only were the settings ornate and very romantic, the cuisine was also first class. You have to try the Deer Saddle. 

I asked a friend who had been recently and he recommended the Mlýnec Restaurant. We couldn't get in as we didn't have any reservations. Another was U Kroka which was recommended and has been well reviewed on Trip Advisor, but we didn't try that one either. 

A complete random one, but the Pivnice Obecní dům which is underneath the Obecní dům concert hall was an improvised stop off, but I consider it a lucky one. The Pilsen Pub of the Municipal House started its operation on January 5, 1912 and has always prided itself on the quality of traditional Czech food, prepared from fresh home-grown ingredients, and excellently treated Pilsen beer on tap. 

We went to see a show upstairs after, which really capped off a romantic evening. 

Film Locations worth seeing 

If you're into movie location hunting then there are countless landmarks in Prague where you can find locations used for Casino Royale, Mission Impossible, Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol, and The Bourne Identity. My friend has written a complete film location guide in Prague on his blog which I recommend you check out. 

If you have to pick a couple then the Charles Bridge for it's beautiful romantic vistas over the river and the National Museum for its beautiful marbled staircase featured in the first Mission Impossible film. 

Beer tastings and bars 

You won't struggle to find places that serve beer tasting boards. The one I liked the most was Fat Cat beer & restaurant. It was vibey, musical and whilst it wasn't an intimate place, it was well lit, had some great decor and the beers were great. For a more romantic night of cocktails and intimacy then you should book the Hemingway Bar. We didn't book ahead so were turned away, but the insides looked like a perfect old fashioned speak easy. Make a reservation to avoid disappointment. 

Other places we were told to try but never got round to: 

• U Kunštátů

• Pivovarský dům Benedict (nettle beer)

• Tv tower zikov (champagne bar next to it)

• Fleku for Beer

• Starpramen beer tour, kind of fun

Tips in general

1. Everything is walkable if you stay in district one. (The hotel I recommended is situated there). The Prague Castle is beautiful and if you want to get to the guard precession you should get there at least 20 minutes early to ensure you have a decent view. It's free entry. 

2. Cash is king here and some places don't accept card at all. Even the places that did take cards looked a bit aggrieved when you told them you had no cash. 

3. Uber works from airport to town and costs roughly 20 pounds if you're heading to Prague 1. 

4. If you want to make this as romantic as possible you should look at doing the reservations ahead of time to restaurants and bars. 

5. We spent 3 nights in Prague and caught the train to Karlovy Vary and had two nights there. In retrospect I wish we did it the other way round. Karlovy Vary is far more quaint and relaxing. I'll do a report on that next.