Švejk restaurant - Caffe Restaurant Praha — Restaurant in Prague

During my recent visit to Prague, I had the pleasure of dining at Švejk Restaurant - Caffe Restaurant Praha, and it proved to be a delightful experience that perfectly captured the essence of Czech cuisine and the spirit of the beloved character, Švejk. Nestled in the heart of the city, this charming establishment offers a warm and inviting atmosphere along with a menu that showcases traditional Czech flavors with a playful twist.

From the moment I entered Švejk Restaurant, I was greeted by friendly and attentive staff who exuded a genuine passion for their culinary offerings. The ambiance was cozy and inviting, adorned with charming decorations that paid homage to the famous literary character, Švejk. The restaurant successfully captures the essence of Czech hospitality, creating a welcoming environment for locals and tourists alike.

The menu at Švejk Restaurant celebrates the rich culinary heritage of the Czech Republic, offering a variety of traditional dishes prepared with care and creativity. I started my culinary journey with a classic Czech appetizer, the smažený sýr (fried cheese), which was perfectly crispy on the outside and delightfully gooey on the inside. The accompanying tartar sauce added a zesty tang that complemented the dish wonderfully.

For the main course, I opted for the signature dish, the Švejk goulash with dumplings. The goulash was a hearty and flavorful stew, rich with tender pieces of beef, onions, and a blend of spices that created a satisfying depth of flavor. The dumplings were pillowy and served as the perfect accompaniment, soaking up the delicious gravy.

Another highlight of the meal was the selection of Czech beers available. The restaurant boasts an impressive variety of local brews, allowing guests to pair their meal with a refreshing and authentic Czech beer experience. The knowledgeable staff were more than happy to provide recommendations based on personal preferences, ensuring a delightful beer pairing that enhanced the overall dining experience.

To conclude the meal on a sweet note, I indulged in a traditional Czech dessert, the ovocné knedlíky (fruit dumplings). These delightful dumplings, filled with seasonal fruits such as strawberries or plums, were topped with a dusting of powdered sugar and accompanied by a dollop of whipped cream. The combination of the sweet, slightly tart fruits and the soft dumpling dough was a delightful symphony of flavors.

While the food at Švejk Restaurant was undoubtedly delicious, the only aspect that slightly fell short was the pacing of the service. At times, there were slight delays between courses, which could have been improved to enhance the overall dining experience. However, the friendly and attentive staff more than made up for it with their warm hospitality and genuine enthusiasm.

Overall, Švejk Restaurant - Caffe Restaurant Praha offers a delightful culinary experience that celebrates Czech cuisine with a playful twist. The cozy ambiance, attentive service, and delectable flavors combine to create a memorable dining experience. Whether you are a fan of the iconic character Švejk or simply seeking an authentic taste of Czech cuisine, this restaurant is a charming destination that is well worth a visit during your...

Wow. What a restaurant. What a terrible, embarrassing, godawful, appalling restaurant.

We started our cursed time in Svejk with our waiter telling us there’d be a charge for bread we didn’t order. Okay, whatever, it was only 50kc. We then ordered our drinks and mains, and to be fair to the place the coffee was pretty good. The drinks came out fairly quickly. So far, so okay.

Then it all went downhill from there. We were waiting for our food for a while, and after our waiter checked 5 times, 3/4 meals arrived. My parents had omelettes which they were satisfied with.

I had ordered a granola bow with yoghurt and raspberry, surely this is impossible to mess up. Svejk went against all odds and presented me with a horrible bowl of gloopy mess. The raspberries were clearly frozen, then heated up in a microwave. This resulted in hot, runny raspberry soup. I did not expect the sensory hell of hot fruit with cold yoghurt. It tasted awful and artificial.

My sister ordered the american breakfast which arrived 15 minutes after our meals. We were quite short on time as we had a tour booked afterwards, so I asked for the bill without the american breakfast as my sister had no time to eat it.

The waiter came back and offered us a takeaway bag including the American breakfast, to which we declined as we couldn’t take a breakfast into our tour. They asked us this a further 3 times. I wonder if the staff at Svejk are deaf? We waited for the bill to come, but before it did we got given a takeaway bag including the American breakfast. We were wondering if this was an elaborate prank, but it’s clear Svejk just like not listening to their customers.

We declined the bag once more, and asked for that meal to be taken off the bill, and our waitress sighed, rolled her eyes, and walked off. To be fair, if I worked in a place like Svejk I would be as miserable as her, perhaps more!

We then had a short argument with the staff about the bill. The bread I had mentioned previously had never arrived, so we asked for that to be taken off too. Our waitress had the gall to say we used the condiments they had given to us, so the charge should stay on. I was looking for hidden cameras at this point as I was convinced this was a prank.

After standing our ground, we ended up having the American breakfast AND the bread charge taken off, phew! I would not recommend this place to anyone, the staff are rude and the food was bordering on mediocre. All the hidden costs were so cheeky, and it’s clear that’s the only way they can make any money as they continually insult their customers with words and...

I decided to write this review once my anger had subsided, wanting to provide an objective perspective rather than one driven by spite.

It’s a terrible feeling to realize you’ve been taken advantage of. I believe many people have had a similar experience in one situation or another.

🚩 Red flag #1 While entering, I held the door open for three American men. As they walked past, I overheard one of them say, with a displeased expression, “we got scammed.” I should’ve heeded that warning, but I dismissed it.

🚩 Red flag #2 When I inquired about paying with a credit card, the lady expressed a preference for cash and attempted to persuade me. While it’s acceptable to use cash if available, and it does save on credit card fees, I didn’t have any on hand. It was inappropriate for her to persistently suggest the restaurant’s preferred payment method.

🚩 Red flag #3 Upon examining the bill, I questioned the “couvert” charge. I was informed it was for the bread – bread I never asked for and wasn’t given the option to decline. The dismissive attitude of the elderly server was as if to say, “Just pay.”

🚩 Red flag #4 As I scrutinized the bill for any other deceptive charges, she mentioned that a service charge (Tip) would be applied, regardless of my consent, plus an additional % charge that was higher than usual just for using my card. What kind of credit card fee is that?

I strongly advise avoiding this place. However, if you prefer walking in and forming your own opinions, consider the following:

• Look through other customer reviews if you think I’m just writing out of spite or sheer frustration over being deceived.

• If possible, pay in cash to avoid unnecessary fees and dubious charges.

• Request the removal of any bread, peanuts, etc., from your table. You might be told these items are automatically added to your bill, which is a warning sign in itself.

• I won’t criticize the food. While it wasn’t outstanding, it was acceptable. However, the cappuccino was lukewarm with an imbalanced milk-to-coffee ratio. Additionally, despite my specific request for over-hard eggs, they served them over-easy. While this might seem trivial, I did take the time to politely and clearly ask for what I wanted, but this specific mistake with how eggs are served has been a recurring theme in my travels, and it’s always...