Restaurace Mincovna — Restaurant in Prague

I’m not the guy to write reviews. Everyone is different, every experience varies. But if I do, it’s usually because I had an amazing experience or an awful one. In this place, I had the worst experience so far for our trip to Prague. Mind you, the restaurant is located in one of the tourists hottest spot, so- What can you truly expect service wise, hey? Each new day, brings a new boat-load of customers in the Czechia’s capital, off-course why they should care about you…

While this might be true you go elsewhere no far and very surprisingly, get the very opposite treatment: amazing! Not here. It was atrocious.

Anyways, the story goes like this:

Two of us just wanting to make a quick lunch break with local soup. my gf doesn’t drink alcohol and I just wanted tap water.

The attitude started there. The waitress snapped at me telling me that wasn’t possible.

Not possible I repeated, a little taken aback ?! Oh ok.

She reiterated aggressively this time as if to make a point “NO” (thinking out loud: we don’t accept beggars here)

That put me in the mood right off; Before showing me that if I wanted water, I just needed to order one mineral bottle from the drinks menu.

Not enjoying being scolded as a paying customer, I declined.

Moving on we ordered our soups, the whole reason for us to come here in the first place.

But that apparently didn’t check the right box either: the waitress surprised use a “waiting the rest of the order stance”

Wanting to cut short I noticed her this was our order, only to be met with a “that’s it??” And the situation kept escalating passing the petty details for more clarity…

Then we got changed waitress but the new one was no better. The soups got served lukewarm, “cold” would say Gordon Ramsey .

Being done with the shitty attitude poor service and the radio “night club music” atmosphere, I asked for the bill.

I made an enquiry after paying wanting to understand what was “DHP” +12% added to our bill (it’s VAT in Czech)

Wow it felt like I was a criminal. The waitress told me the service was not included (false: tips are not included but prices in Czechia are all inclusive with a detailed tax on your check)

And she went on chasing me back to the table argue with me telling I had a problem. To which I responded, triggered by the lack of professionalism and it all blew up in a scandal. Did I have the best response- no Did I waste my time money and energy - yes

However, in 23+ years career in the hospitality industry I have always respected the golden rule that is never ever argue with a client. De-escalate if you can or agree politely to disagree, but never ever argue in plain service in front of other clients about a dispute.

If you read this far then it’s up to you to make your judgement. In my humble opinion tap water, smile and proactive attitude making all your clients feel comfortable will secure good reputations, prosperity and repeated business It’s just good practice when you are in the service industry. Not the policy here;

“Rinse repeat make the tourist bleed their cash, and chase low paying customers, their just not worth our time”

Should be written clearly above the establishment as their device.

Be warned tourists and pass if you enjoy being treated...

Despite being recommended by our hotel to try this restaurant, which is a 5-6 min walk from us, we had a truly humiliating experience there. The moment when we stepped in, a waitress (tall with ponytails and freckles on her face) took us to our reserved table with a very unfriendly (or should I say hostile) glance. It was weird as in general waiters/waitresses always greet customers with a smile. We ordered a pot of warm water apart from other drinks, after waiting for 20-25 minutes, and seeing her passing us multiple times, we still didn't get it despite having been served Starters. When I checked with her, she was very rude and responded "did you not see that I am busy?!". When the bill came, I asked her why there was a charge for hot water (as usually it was not chargeable, and the night before we were eating at a high end restaurant which had no such charge, so assumed in Prague it was a no-charge policy for such request), she rudely shouted at me "do you expect this to be free? this is a restaurant, and you have to pay everything you order". It was okay to pay but not okay to be confronted with some rudeness, so I questioned her attitude. Then she became extremely aggressive and questioned me "where are you from" with a hatred on her face as if I owed her £500, which I felt somehow connected with her attitude at the beginning. She could well be a racist. So I complaint to a lady manager on duty (had glasses on) before leaving the premise. She was very apologetic and kindly offered to give us half of the bill, and even had a nice chat with her. I was very grateful for her kind offer, and it was no fault of hers in any measure, however this humiliating experience completely ruined my dinner and I have to share it here, for any Japanese/Chinese looking customers to be careful with this racist waitress. I have travelled to close to 50 countries, and must say this was the single rudest waiter/waitress I have ever come across so far. It was utterly disgusting and I think the owner should have a word with that waitress - she should not be employed in any...

Located right in the heart of Prague's Old Town Square, Restaurace Mincovna is perfectly positioned for visitors looking to soak in the historic ambiance. However, as with many tourist-cantered spots, the experience can be mixed, especially when it comes to value for money.

During our visit, we sampled a selection of traditional Czech dishes: Segedin (sauerkraut pork stew), Guláš (beef goulash), Nakládané sýry (pickled cheese), Selečí kolínko (pork knuckle), and Seletické klobásky (regional sausages). The food overall was satisfying but didn’t quite deliver the rich, memorable flavours we had hoped for.

For instance, the Guláš, which I ordered, had a noticeable bitterness that felt a bit off, and the beef itself was unfortunately tough and sinewy. The Selečí kolínko and Seletické klobásky were well-prepared, showcasing the hearty flavors typical of Czech cuisine, though they didn’t stand out as exceptional. Other items, like the Segedin and Nakládané sýry, were enjoyable but lacked the depth we’d experienced at other, less touristic spots in Prague.

One highlight, however, was the service. Our waitress, Tereza, was fantastic—attentive, warm, and willing to offer recommendations with a friendly smile. Her energy and professionalism added a welcoming touch to the experience, which we appreciated.

As for pricing, expect a higher-than-average bill here. It’s clear that the premium location has influenced the prices, especially when compared to similar restaurants off the main square.

In summary, while Restaurace Mincovna offers a convenient and comfortable spot to sample Czech dishes, especially if you’re sightseeing around Old Town, the food didn’t quite match up to its elevated prices. If you’re here, enjoy the ambiance and the friendly service—just keep in mind there are other spots in Prague where you might find more bang for your buck when it comes to authentic...