This one is everywhere.

And it doesn’t look like a trap.

It looks like a nice restaurant in a perfect location.

The setup

You’re in Old Town.

You’re hungry.

You see a place:

• right on the square
• nice view
• menu outside
• maybe even photos of the food

You sit down.

That’s where it starts.

The “100 grams” trick

You see something like:

Pork knee — 89 CZK

Sounds great.

What you don’t notice:

👉 that price is per 100 grams

What arrives at your table:

• a 1.2–1.5 kg portion

Your bill:
👉 1,000+ CZK for one dish

This happens a lot.

We point out the difference on our tours so you don’t waste a meal (and money).

“Chef’s special” with no price

If something on the menu:

• has no price
• or is just “recommended”

Don’t order it.

There’s a reason the price isn’t there.

Two menus, two realities

Some places have:

• one menu in Czech
• another in English

Different prices.

Same food.

The small things that add up

You sit down, and suddenly:

• bread appears
• sauces appear
• something small “on the house”

It’s not on the house.

You’ll see it later on the bill.

Service charge

Some places add:

• 10–15% automatically

In Prague, tipping is normally voluntary.

So this is… let’s say, creative.

The location problem

Restaurants directly on:

• Old Town Square
• Karlova street
• near the Astronomical Clock

Almost always come with a tourist markup.

Same food, two streets away:
👉 half the price
👉 better quality

Beer (quick reality check)

A normal price for a good Czech beer (0.5l):

👉 60–90 CZK

If you see:
👉 120, 140, 150 CZK

You’re not paying for the beer.

You’re paying for the location.

One subtle trick

The waiter asks:

“Large beer?”

You say yes.

You get:

• 1 litre

And a much higher price than expected.

Red flags (quick checklist)

If you see:

• photos of food outside
• someone inviting you in
• menu in 5 languages
• no clear prices

Just keep walking.

What I actually tell people

Don’t try to find the “perfect place” in the middle of Old Town.

Instead:

👉 walk 5–10 minutes away

That’s usually enough. But if you would like to eat in the center visit out section Eat & Drink for some tips.

There are good places nearby — you just need to know where to look.

Quick tip that saves you every time

Before you sit down:

👉 check Google Maps reviews

If it’s:

• under 4.0
• or full of words like “scam”, “rip-off”

That’s all you need to know.

Final thought

Prague has amazing food.

But the center is full of places that don’t need you to come back.

Just once is enough for them.

Want to avoid this kind of stuff completely?

If something feels slightly off, it usually is.If you’d rather skip the guesswork and just get Prague explained properly:

→ See tours