Republic of Ireland football fans will travel to Prague next week to watch Ireland take on Czechia in the Fifa World Cup 2026 semi-final play-off. The historic capital of the Czech Republic has far more to offer than the on-pitch drama inside the Fortuna Arena and for this reason attracts more than eight million visitors a year. Limerick-native Brian Stewart has called the city his home for eight years. Here he offers his local insights into restaurants, pubs, places to stay and things to watch out for.
Where to eat in Prague?
• Most Czech restaurants are pretty solid. People here have a similar diet to Irish people that consists mainly of meat and potatoes. Some chain restaurants I eat at with my Czech friends include Kozelovna or Kolkovna. There are a few of them around the city offering good food and great beer.
• If you’re looking for something different, I recommend any of the Vietnamese restaurants all over the city (the duck dishes are great). There is a large Vietnamese community in Prague, many of whom arrived during the communist period.
• Vinohradska Pivovar is a brewery about 15 minutes’ walk from the Fortuna stadium. I highly recommended it, great food and beer.
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• For something really different, there is a restaurant called Vytopna in the city. Here the food and drinks are brought to your table on model trains running around the restaurant. One of my friends only ever wants to go here when he visits. It’s quite busy so ideally make a reservation.
Where to drink in Prague?
Lots of Czech pubs offer food so if you go for lunch or dinner, you will also have the option of staying for a few more beers. You can also go to the restaurants and say you are having drinks only.
• Irish pubs I go to for watching rugby or football include The Dubliner, Beckett’s, The 3 Fiddles.
Café des Taxis: This café near Prague Castle is run by two Kilkenny guys. It’s a bit hidden but I often bring visitors there because it’s familiar, is near the castle, and vitally, they have Barry’s tea.
What are the top sights to see in Prague?
Prague is a beautiful, historic city and people who come to visit me will usually manage to see a lot in a couple of days. Here are my top picks.
• Prague Castle forms an ever-present part of the city skyline and is worth a visit.
• Vysehrad is an old fortress only a few stops from the city centre on the red line – it’s worth seeing and is nice to walk around.
• Old Town Square / Astronomical Clock: This historic square is the heart of Prague.
• Charles Bridge: With 16 arches and 30 statues and sculptures, this bridge across the Vltava river is one of the most photographed spots in the city.
• Prasna brana: The Powder Tower is one of the gothic gates that allowed entry into the old town.
• Petrin tower: Inspired by the Eiffel Tower, it offers a great view of the city.
• The National Museum in Wenceslas Square covers everything from Czech history to natural history.
• The National Technical Museum: You could spend more than five hours in this place. It is huge. It has two dozen floors including the grand transportation hall with old steam trains, vintage cars and aeroplanes.
How to get around Prague?
• Public transport here is unbeatable, the fastest and cheapest way to get around. The ticket for Prague covers the metro, buses, trams and trains within the city limits. But avoid taxis – many overcharge tourists.
• Bring good comfortable walking shoes. The city is very walkable and after public transport, walking is the easiest way to get around.
• Given Prague’s excellent public transport, choose accommodation near a bus, tram or metro stop.
What to be careful of in Prague?
• Watch out for people offering to exchange euros for Czech crowns. They are scammers who will not give you Czech crowns but Russian roubles (which are worth almost nothing). Most places take card but if you need cash use an ATM (avoid euronet ATMs since their minimum withdrawal is a few hundred euro when they detect a non-Czech card being used in them).
• Avoid taxis. Only use Uber or Bolt apps. Don’t get a taxi from the airport – most are a scam and are likely to overcharge you.
• Take a few minutes to watch the Honest Guide YouTube videos on Prague to give you an idea about what to look out for. He is a Czech guy who posts videos confronting the scammers. I highly recommend people to watch his videos so visitors have an idea of what to look out for.
Any other top tips?
• Don’t mess with the police. They won’t hesitate to sort you out if you give them a reason. Also drinking in the streets (especially the city centre and on public transport) has been cracked down on in the last few years because of problematic tourists, so stick to the pub, restaurant or beer garden.
• Take a few minutes to learn to say please Prosím (proseem) and thank you Devkuji vam (dyekooyi vam) in Czech. The Czechs really appreciate the smallest effort foreigners make with their language. At the very least know the word Pivo means beer.
• Don’t forget to tip, 10 per cent is customary. Eating out is really affordable here so it isn’t asking for much. Or tip if you have been sitting somewhere for a while having a few pints.
Brian Stewart is from Limerick and has lived in Prague since 2018, where he works in IT security.
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