The day of the Vinohrady beer crawl, we slept in, got a late breakfast and espresso, and hopped aboard the tram to head to Prague’s neighborhood: Vinohrady.

It was a quick ride on the tram to get a few neighborhoods east. Though previously in a more touristy part of the city, we found ourselves surrounded by young Czech people in a vibrant town square.

Our first stop was the Prague Beer Museum. Perhaps a bit of a tourist spot (first time we paid more than two USD for a beer!), but had 30+ Czech (or elsewhere) beers on draft. Here, we experienced more of a variety than anywhere else (if you read ‘Color of Prague’: you definitely couldn’t walk in and say “two beers please” without a lot of clarifying questions).

Next, we rounded the Square to Parlament, a hip, crowded spot (even at 2pm). We grabbed a booth upstairs, which was great for people-watching. Everyone seemed to be coming for the food, but we just wanted a few drinks. Here, there were more beer selections than the standard Czech pub (but not as many as the Prague beer museum).

I wanted to sit outside, but in my wife’s defense, it was a bit chilly; however, the patio looked delightful. Though we did not eat the food, it smelled and looked incredible. There was a buffet outside, and on the photograph above you can see their specials (in Czech, however). From my understanding, it seemed to be a modern twist on some Czech specialties. The wait staff was incredibly friendly and helpful.

We walked a few blocks deeper into Vinohrady and noticed the people get younger and there are fewer tourists with each step. Le Caveau was our next Lonely Planet-recommended stop, which at first I was the least excited about, only because I am not much of a wine person.

But despite being a beer snob who typically drinks wine only out of the box, Le Caveau was one of our favorites. We were ready for a snack; my wife ordered a delicious brie croissant, and I requested a standard croissant, which came with some delicious jam. The wine was refreshing and delicious, and the food was even better.

The atmosphere, though, was the best part. The kind of cafe for every occasion: lounge chairs and couches for catching up with friends, wide tables for drinking espresso on repeat over schoolwork, or a casual date spot to enjoy some reasonably-priced wine.

After our snack, we were ready for a longer stroll. Leaving Vindohrady and headed towards Žižkov, we detoured to catch a glimpse of one the world’s ugliest buildings (supposedly), the Žižkov TV tower. Though it was indeed unattractive, the best part is the art installation: artist David Černý created fiberglass sculptures of babies crawling up the statue – pretty creepy. Unfortunately for us, the babies had been removed in 2017 and are still missing. So, no art for us – just an ugly TV tower!

We headed next to Lonely Planet’s recommended Pivnice Usadu. Now THIS is a COOL bar. It was too crowded to feel comfortable taking a photograph on the inside, but check out Trip Advisor for some cool photographs that do the place justice.

I wish I could tell you all about the food, because it looked and smelled AMAZING, but we were just too full to have a snack! Pivnice Usadu seemed a great place to grab a bite (as I said, it was crowded, and we were there at a random afternoon hour on a weekday!) or go for some evening drinks.

Our next stop was what we were most excited for – Riegrovy Sady. Despite the number of beer gardens we have visited thus far in Prague, we were craving more. Every experience was so perfect, we longed to find another. And there is one in Riegrovy Sady, a park in Vinohrady.

We had peak fall colors during our visit to Prague, and Riegrovy Sady did not disappoint in that respect (our photo does not do it justice). With dozens of children playing in the playgrounds while parents sipped wine and chatted with their friends, couples taking long walks through the winding paths in this large urban spot, my wife and I were able to handle our disappointment that the Beer Garden was closed for renovations.

Finally, and I hate to end on a bad note as there were so few negative experiences in Prague (this is really the only one), our final bar visit I do not recommend: Bar and Books.

It’s not far from Riegrovy Sady, so we walked there after sunset. I was expecting a small cocktail bar in a room that felt like an old library, with lounge chairs and couches meant for wanna-be authors to socialize. Book clubs would want to meet here to discuss their recent adventure over a beer. I would want to go there with my wife, peruse the old first editions marking the floor-to-ceiling bookshelves with sipping my non-box wine.

But alas. We had our first hint that this would be a disappointment on the sign: three cities were listed. (I hate chains, so unoriginal). It was an overpriced cocktail bar with regular tables. And by overpriced: in Prague we spent 1 or 2 USD on each beer, and not much more on wine and cocktails, even in the touristy districts. But this – this place was Boston prices. I can’t say for sure, but I’d guess we spent more here than drinks anywhere else – possibly combined – for two cocktails. There were only a few books in this large dining room, in the corner. The service was friendly and our bartender was kind and attentive (and spoke English), but the establishment itself was very disappointing and not at all unique.

Well – after Bars and Books we headed back to ‘our’ neighborhood. Our day in Vinohrady was certainly one of our favorites – temporary art exhibits in parks, friendly, grassy squares with dogs and local eateries, young friendly people eager to interact with tourists. If we are able to make it back to Prague, we will definitely prioritize finding accommodations in Vinohrady so we can experience the culture there daily.

Vinohrady neighborhood of Prague:

Young and hip, we were in good company of open-minded folks our age or younger. If traveling to Prague, I’d recommend finding a place to stay in this area.