| Pilsen (Plzeň) Pub Guide |
| Bars - Brewpubs - Beer gardens |
| Introduction | |
The CityIn most of the world, Plzeň is known for one thing: beer. Yet those expecting a romantic old town like Bamberg might well be disappointed. For Czechs it's just as renowned as an industrial city, home to arms and car manufacturer Škoda. | |
Pilsen pubsYou would never guess that Pilsner Urquell was brewed in Plzeň. Only azound 99% of pubs sell Pilsner Urquell or Gambrinus. Most of those that don't (or at least sell something else as well) are listed below.SABMiller (see right) have obviously decided to have Pilsner Urquell as the 12° and Gambrinuss as the 10° in their pubs. If a dark beer is required, it's Velkopopovický Kozel 10°. Gambrinus12°, the favourite tipple of my mate Phil in the old days, is barely to be found. Which makes the choice of beer pretty limited. One pub does sell unfiltered Pilsner Urquell. The "also available" beers provide little comfort. Such classy Inbev products as Hoegaarden Witbier and Stella Artois are disappointingly widely available. That Stella Artois - the epitome of a low-quality, factory-made lager - can be sold in Plzeň depresses me beyond belief. Fortunately, there are a few interesting beers on tap - Bernard, Svijanský Kníže, Modrá Hvězda, Chodovar 13°, Lochota 14° and Pernštejn Porter, if you know where to look for them. Which is where this guide should help.... |
Pilsen breweriesDuring the communist days, though lumped together in the same state-owned organisation, Pilsner Urquell and Gambrinus operated independently. The stupid way privatisation was implemented in the brewing industry (state firms running all the breweries in a region were sold of as single units) left both in the same ownership. SABMiller, is the current lucky owner. Unsurprisingly, as the breweries were right next to each other, the two sites have been merged. So today there is only one industrial-strength brewery in Plzeň.The role of second brewery has been passed on to Minipivovar U Rytíře Lochoty, a brewpub founded in 2001. |
Pilsen infoWho would have guessed it? Plzeň has a brewing museum.Public transport Plzeňské městské dopravní podniky operates a network of trams, trolleybuses and petrol buses. A 24-hour ticket, valid on all three, costs 40 crowns. Single tickets cost from 12 crowns. |
AddressesPivovarské muzeumVeleslavínova 6, 301 14 Plzeň. Tel.: +420/377 225 955 Fax : +420/377 235 574 Email: muzeum@pilsner-urquell.com www.prazdroj.cz/ Plzeň city transport authority http://www.pmdp.cz Ttransport planner for the whole Czech Republic (in English) Plzeň city site Guide to Plzeň pubs (Czech only). |
| Pilsen Pub Guide |
| Pub Listings |
| Bernard-In | |
| Sady Petatřicátníku 6, 301 00 Plzeň. Tel: Fax: Email: http:// |
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| Number of draught beers: 5 | |
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| Food: Snacks, meals. | |
| Pub in the centre of town with a modern interior (industrial
ducting and the like). Serves pretty well a full set of beers from the well-respected
independent brewery Bernard. |
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| Rating: | Public transport: |
| Bílej Medvěd | |
| Prokopova 30, Plzeň. Tel: 377 322 445 Fax: Email: http:// |
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| Opening hours: Mon - Fri 15:00 - 01:00, Sat - Sun 17:00 - 05:00 |
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| Number of draught beers: 5 | |
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| Food: Snacks, meals. | |
| Town centre pub. Has a beer garden in the summer. | |
| Rating: | Public transport: |
| Hospůdka v Chaloupce | |
| Podebradova 415/12, 301 00 Plzeň. Tel: 736 / 647 808 Fax: Email: hospudkavchaloupce@seznam.cz http://hospudkavchaloupce.sweb.cz |
- Jižní Predmestí |
| Opening hours: Mon - Thur 09:00 - 22:00, Fri 09:00 - 23:00, Sat 12:00 - 23:00, Sunday closed. |
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| Number of draught beers: 1 | |
| Number of bottled beers: 6 | |
| Regular draught beers: | |
| Food: Snacks 20-50 kr, meals 45-60 kr. Beer 16 kr for 0.5l. | |
| Pub in what looks like a large shed. It has a rustic interior.
There is a beer garden. A little to the west of the city centre. |
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| Ve Dvoře | |
| Slovanská 74, Plzeň. Tel: 377 455 511 Fax: Email: http:// |
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| Number of draught beers: 4 | |
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| Food: Snacks, meals. | |
| Pub south of the railway station with a bright, modern interior. |
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| Pivnice U Feřtu | |
| Gerská 1866/60, 323 00 Plzeň - Bolevec. Tel: 377 536 655 Fax: Email: hukot@volny.cz http://sweb.cz/pivniceufertu/ |
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| Food: Snacks 20-50 kr, meals 50-120 kr. Beer 22-24 kr for 0.5l. | |
| Traditional pub in a long, low building. It´s right next to
the terminus of the number 4 tram. |
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| Rating: | Public transport: Tram 4 to the Košutka terminus |
| Hamburk | |
| Nádražní 16, Plzeň. Tel: 736 488 985 Fax: Email: http:// |
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| Opening hours: Mon - Fri 10:00 - 24:00, Sat - Sun 17:00 - 24:00 |
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| Number of draught beers: 4 | |
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| Food: Snacks, meals. | |
| Pub opposite the railway station with a dark, wooden interior.
The Budvar makes a welcome change in a town where every other pub seems
to sell Urquell. |
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| Hospoda u Hamburku | |
| Nádražní 18, Plzeň. Tel: 739 060 963 Fax: Email: http:// |
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| Opening hours: Mon - Fri 11:00 - 24:00, Sat - Sun 16:00 - 24:00 |
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| Number of draught beers: 4 | |
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| Food: Snacks, meals. | |
| Pub with a modernish interior close to the station. Interesting
for having beer from Pivovar Svijany, one of the Czech Republic´s dwindling
band of regional breweries. |
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| Hemingway | |
| Houškova 16, 317 00Plzeň - Slovany. Tel: 377 441 577 Fax: Email: http:// |
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| Opening hours: Mon - Sun 18:00 - 01:00 | |
| Number of draught beers: 7 | |
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| Food: Snacks, meals. | |
| Supposedly the town´s first English-style pub. Included because it
sells Modrá Hvezda, a micro-brewed beer from Dobrany. Located about 500 m southeast
of the railway station. |
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| Kavárna Inkognito | |
| Husova 24, 30 124 Plzeň . Tel: 377 237 970 Fax: Email: http://www.inkognito.cz/ |
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| Opening hours: Mon - Fri 07:30 - 23:00, Sat - Sun 17:00 - 23:00, Public holidays 17:00 - 23:00 |
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| Number of draught beers: 3 | |
| Number of bottled beers: 3 | |
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| Food: Snacks, meals. | |
| A modern cafe/bar with lots of pine and pastel colours. Stages
live music. Located on the edge of the old town. |
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| Šenk Na Parkánu | |
| Veleslavínova 4, 30114 Plzeň. Tel: 377 235 574 Fax: 377 224 955 Email: http:// |
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| Opening hours: Mon - Thur 11:00 - 23:00, Fri - Sat 11:00 - 01:00, Sun 11:00 - 22:00 |
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| Number of draught beers: 1 | |
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| Food: Snacks, meals. | |
| Pub/restaurant in the old town. The only outlet for unfiltered
Pilsner Urquell. Part of the Pivovarské
muzeum (Beer Museum). |
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| Rating: | Public transport: |
| V Plachovce | |
| Plachého 31, 301 00 Plzeň. Tel: 377-226-084 Fax: Email: http:// |
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| Opening hours: Mon - Fri 10:00 - 22:00, Sat 13:00 - 22:00, Sunday closed. |
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| Number of draught beers: 3 | |
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| Food: Snacks, meals. | |
| A typical hospoda about 1 km east of the station. Has a no smoking room! |
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| Potrefená Husa | |
| Kopeckého sady/Martinská 1, Plzeň. Tel: 377 320 832 Fax: Email: husa@janakbros.cz http://www.potrefena-husa.cz |
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| Opening hours: Mon - thur 09:00 - 01:00, Sat - Sun 11:00 - 01:00 |
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| Number of draught beers: 8 | |
| Number of bottled beers: 6 | |
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| Food: Snacks 50-100 kr, meals 20-200kr. Beer 27 kr for 0.5l (hoegaarden 45kr | |
| Corner pub in the town centre. The interior is a modern take
on a traditional Czech boozer. Bottled Leffe Blond and Bruin (69 kr). The menu even offers steak cooked with Leffe Bruin. It´s depressing to see shitty Inbev beers (especially Stella Artois) on sale in Plzen. What self-respecting Czech would drink that crap? |
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| The PUB, Pilsner Unique Bar | |
| Prešovská 16, 301 00 Plzeň. Tel: 377 221 131 Fax: Email: thepub@seznam.cz http://www.thepub.cz |
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| Opening hours: Mon - Thur 10:00 - 01:00, Fri - Sat 10:00 - 04:00, Sun 13:00 - 01:00 |
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| Number of draught beers: 3 | |
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| Food: Snacks, meals. | |
| Modernish pub with a vaulted brick ceiling in the old town. What makes it "unique"
are the beer taps on each table from which customers dispense their own drinks.
Sounds like a recipe for chaos to me. The Pilsner Urquell is unpasteurised and served from cellar tanks. |
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| Minipivovar U Rytíře Lochoty | |
| Karlovarská třída 103, 323 17 Plzeň. Tel: 377 540 946 Fax: Email: leas@volny.cz http:// |
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| Opening hours: Mon - Thur 09:30 - 23:00, Fri - Sat 09:30 - 24:00, Sun 09:30 - 22:00 |
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| Number of draught beers: 4 | |
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| Food: Snacks, meals. | |
| Brewpub in the northern suburb of Lochotín. It says something
about Urquell´s dominance of the town that it´s sold even here. Located
in a large detached house with several modern, light rooms. There is also
a garden. |
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| Rating: | Public transport: Tram 4, Bus 33, 39 or 40 to Lochotín Karlovarská. |
| Restaurace U Salzmannu | |
| Pražská 8, 301 00 Plzeň. Tel: 377 235 855 Fax: 377 235 476 Email: info@usalzmannu.cz http://www.usalzmannu.cz |
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| Opening hours: Mon - Thur 11:00 - 23:00, Fri 11:00 - 24:00, Sat 11:00 - 23:00, Sun 11:00 - 21:00 |
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| Number of draught beers: 3 | |
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| Food: Snacks, meals. | |
| Plzen´s oldest beerhall, dating from 1637. The building has
an impressive facade, with a tower at either side. The interior is in the
usual style, with panelled walls and long wooden tables. Located in the
centre of the old town, just off the main square. The pub was run in the 19th century by Martin Salzmann (hence the name), the man who in 1843 sent beer to publican Pinkas - the first Pilsner Urquell sold in Prague. |
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| Restaurace "Na Spilce" | |
| U Prazdroje 7, 304 97 Plzeň. Tel: 377 062 755, 377 062 754 Fax: 377 062 703 Email: e-mail: naspilce@naspilce.com http://www.naspilce.com/ |
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| Opening hours: Mon - Thur 11:00 - 22:00, Fri 11:00 - 23:00, Sat 11:00 - 22:00, Sun 11:00 - 21:00 |
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| Number of draught beers: 2 | |
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| Food: Snacks, meals. | |
| Brewery tap, opened in 1992 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Pilsner Urquell. | |
| Rating: | Public transport: |
| Zach´s Pub | |
| Palackého nám. 2, 301 16 Plzeň. Tel: 377 223 176 Fax: 377 223 176 Email: zachs@zachspub.cz http://www.zachspub.cz |
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| Opening hours: Mon - Thur 13:00 - 01:00, Fri 13:00 - 02:00, Sat 17:00 - 02:00, Sun 17:00 - 04:99 |
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| Number of draught beers: 5 | |
| Number of bottled beers: 9 | |
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| Food: Snacks 30-60 kr, meals 60-70 kr. Beer 10° 19 kr, 12° 32 kr for 0.5 l. | |
| Fake Irish pub in the town centre. It has a vaulted brick ceiling and a
real fire. A rare draught outlet for what used to be Czechoslovakia´s strongest beer,
Pernštejn Porter from Pardubice. |
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© Ron Pattinson 2006