What is in season in Prague. and what to order when the market changes.
Spring
- Wild garlic (medvedi cesnek): Foraged from Bohemian forests March to May. Restaurants serve it in soups and on chlebicky. Naplavka stalls sell bundles by the bunch.
- Asparagus: White and green spear-asparagus from Moravian farms hit Prague markets through April and May. Cafe Imperial puts a hollandaise version on the spring menu.
- Mazanec sweet bread: Sweet braided Easter bread with raisins and almonds. Antoninovo Pekarstvi bakes it in the week before Easter Sunday, single-loaf orders only.
Summer
- Bohemian fruit dumplings: Plum, apricot and strawberry filled dumplings (ovocne knedliky) are the canonical Czech summer dessert, served warm with butter, sugar and farmer's cheese.
- Trnka plums: Bohemian small-fruit plums from August on. Pivnice serve them as the season filling for dumplings; markets sell them by the kilo for slivovice fermentation.
- Carp from Trebon ponds: Bohemian freshwater carp peaks in late summer. Restaurants serve carp soup and fried carp portions; Naplavka stalls run a summer fish soup.
Autumn
- Burcak young Moravian wine: Partly fermented Moravian grape juice, alcoholic and yeasty, sold across Prague from early September to mid-October. Wine bars and markets pour it by the half-litre.
- Wild mushrooms: Bohemia's autumn mushroom hunt is a national sport. Naplavka and Holesovice market stalls sell boletes, chanterelles and saffron milk-caps from late August through October.
- Goose for Saint Martin: Roast goose with red cabbage and dumplings is the canonical November 11 meal across Prague. Restaurants book up two weeks ahead, with Saint Martin wines paired.
Winter
- Czech Christmas cookies: Vanilkove rohlicky (vanilla crescents) and linecke (linzer cookies) anchor the city's Advent baking. Antoninovo and Petite France sell selection boxes through December.
- Fried carp and potato salad: The canonical Czech Christmas Eve dinner across the city: breaded fried carp with mayonnaise-bound potato salad. Markets sell whole carp from tubs the week before December 24.
- Hot mead (medovina) and trdelnik: Christmas-market drinks: spiced honey mead with cinnamon, plus the tourist-magnet trdelnik chimney cake. Real Czechs drink mulled wine, but trdelnik is a December market constant.
Seasonal in Prague, FAQ
When is the best time to eat in Prague?
Peak food season in Prague is year-round.
What time do people eat in Prague?
Local dining hours: lunch around 12:30, dinner from 19:30.
How does tipping work in Prague?
service is typically included; small extra is welcome but not expected.
What is the one dish to try in Prague?
Ask the next local you meet what they would order. Prague rewards trust.