The Best Microbreweries in Prague

From classic beers to contemporary flavours, these microbreweries in Prague are brewing up a storm

The Czech Republic may be most famous for its giant beer brands like Pilsner Urquell, Budweiser Budvar and Staropramen, but in Prague, microbreweries form an important part of the local beer industry. From historic manufacturers like U Fleků and the Strahov Monastic Brewery, to the unique flavours of smaller outlets like Pivovarský Dům, discover the city’s best craft brews with this guide to microbreweries in Prague.

Strahov Monastic Brewery

Given that monks were some of the world’s earliest beer brewers, it’s only fitting that one of the city’s top microbreweries is located in a historic building formerly owned by the Strahov Monastery. However, the beers here go beyond the traditionally Czech; expect everything from IPAs made with American hops to German-style wheat beers, in addition to the St. Nortbert flagship brew, a Munich-style dark lager. Interestingly, the first batch of St. Norbert was brewed on 6th June 2001, timed with the annual holiday of St Norbert. The Strahov Monastic Brewery (Klašterní Pivovar Strahov) is also home to a restaurant and a courtyard beer garden that’s particularly popular when the sun is shining. After a tasting, enjoy a hearty Czech meal, washed down with your favourite brew.

Pivovarský Dům

A favourite of local beer enthusiasts, Pivovarský Dům is a brewery-meets-restaurant serving excellent Czech beers and cuisine. Numerous varieties are brewed in-house, including two popular Czech-style beers: Štěpán and Pšeničné pivo. Štěpán is an unfiltered, unpasteurised lager that comes in both pale and dark varieties, while the Pšeničné pivo is a top-fermented ale, made using both barley and wheat malts. Pivovarský Dům also brews intriguing flavoured beers including cherry, coffee, banana and nettle, as well as unique specialties such as Šamp (which undergoes a secondary fermentation with Champagne yeast) and Black Hill, an herbaceous beer aperitif. If you’re staying for dinner, note how beer is incorporated into many dishes on the menu.

New Town Brewery

A pub, restaurant and brewery in one, the atmospheric New Town Brewery (Novoměstský Pivovar) offers a memorable drinking and dining experience to visitors. Copper brew kettles stand within the restaurant, which serves traditional Czech fare and house-brewed pilsner. Those more interested in the beer than the food can take a tour of the brew house, fermenting room and lager cellar, during which guides teach guests about the entire beer-making process and share their secret recipes. New Town Brewery is also one of the only microbreweries in Prague that uses its own beer to distil beer spirits, called Pivovice, which are well worth sampling.

U Fleků

With roots dating back to 1499, U Fleků is known for its fascinating history as well as for its vast size. A cultural attraction in itself, the brewery has been brewing beer continuously for over 500 years. The complex has an incredible eight beer halls and a beer garden, meaning there’s plenty of space despite its popularity. Thousands of beer lovers head over to sample U Fleků’s tasty brews each week and indulge in traditional Czech cuisine, washed down with copious glasses of Flekovský ležák 13° (their strong, dark lager). There’s also an onsite beer museum and brewery tours are available in the ancient brew house, where original copper brew kettles from 1937 still stand.