We dread the „Year in review“ articles. „Oh, nothing has opened this year. What are we going to write about? Prague is not NYC, you know? It’s not like something new opens every week. Jeez, this is gonna be boooooring!!!!“ Oh well.

But then you start counting. What the heck? 48 new places worth a mention? And we’re pretty sure we forgot a few. Which boils down to nearly… wait for it… one opening every week. Yup. Hold our beer, NYC! Prague coming through! Well, obviously, we’re not there yet, but in hindsight - and despite the perceived lack of „major“ openings, 2019 was a great year for the Prague food scene. Food and coffee in Prague flourished last year, and we could honestly write a separate version of our Prague Foodie Map just covering the openings of 2019, and it would still be a decent guide. Let’s keep that going in 2020. 

What follows is a list and a small description of the new openings on the Prague food scene in 2019, followed by a handy map and a “cheat sheet” - a downloadable and printable checklist of the 2019 openings to brag to your friends how many you’ve covered so far.

So this is big. After many months of deliberations, failed attempts - and honestly, towards the end, quite a bit of bitching by Zuzi (“So when is the podcast coming out? This is ridiculous.“) - I have the slightly nervous pleasure of introducing the Taste of Prague Podcast. It’s a podcast about two things we love: travel and food. And it’s about travel and food in two places we love: Prague… and everywhere else.

When we started the Taste of Prague food tours back in 2011, we had no prior experience in tourism. And eight years later, it is still an industry that keeps fascinating us. I mean, 25 years ago, Taste of Prague could not have existed. But now the internet, the connected phones and the apps, and the affordability of travel have changed everything, and will continue to change everything. It is fun to be in the middle of it, but it’s also nice to take a bit of a back seat, put the popcorn in the microwave, and just enjoy the show. And that’s what this podcast should be: a look at travel and food around the world, mostly through interviews with interesting people who have something to say about either or both. Oh, and we’ll throw in tips for Prague, I guess.

Anyway, here we go, and we start with a great one: Jiri Duzar of Czech Tourism’s Digital Marketing Strategist.

Jirka Duzar is not only a friend, but a true Renaissance man: he is an accomplished photographer (for a sample of his work, have a look at his website and Instagram account), owns a coffee business with his father (and a very successful business at that), an avid cyclist, but first and foremost the Digital Strategy Manager for Czech Tourism’s US and Canada office. And as such, he is in charge of Czech Tourism’s collaborations with influencers. And all that at less than 33 years of age. Makes me kinda rethink my career.

Life is great when you don’t have any food allergies. When you are gluten intolerant, things have not been so rosy here in Prague. Typical Czech cuisine does use gluten rather than not, and choices have been limited. That said, things have been getting better even in the gluten-free food department. We have decided to set up a small guide of Prague for people with gluten intolerance. We have picked some places that are good in their own right but are also good options for celiacs. We have tried to avoid places that offer one gluten-free dish, instead opting for eateries that offer more variety even for a diner with gluten intolerance.