U Medvidku Pub & Brewery
Old Town, Prague 1

U Medvidku dates from 1466. It operated as a brewery (and cabaret venue) for nearly 500 years, before being converted into a pub in the 20th century.

While some pubs in Prague have veered strongly towards the tourist dollar, U Medvidku has retained its traditional, down-to-earth charm. Accordingly, it remains a firm favourite with the Czech locals.

It is a straight forward pub, where thirsty punters come for a drink and a chat: its walls are plainly painted, the floor is tiled, and it is furnished with simple wooden benches, chairs and tables. There is no live music or entertainment.

It is made up of a number of rooms and alcoves, spread over several levels. The focal point in the main salon is a large metal bar with a gleaming beer pump in the centre. From it flows, more or less non-stop, the finest Budvar (Budweiser) in Prague.

U Medvidku is one of several pubs in Prague that have adopted the tank beer system: the Budvar is delivered unpasteurised from the brewery by tanker lorry and pumped into a huge vacuum sealed tank in the cellar. The first time the beer comes into contact with air is when it hits your glass, making it almost as fresh as drinking it at the brewery.

Elements of the former brewery remain: at the rear of U Medvidku, visitors can see traditional fermentation vats, wooden barrels and bottling facilities.

There is also a thriving modern microbrewery operating at the pub, which produces a variety of lagers and dark beers, including the infamous X Beer 33, 'The strongest beer in the world', and Oldgott, which is a darkish lager fermented partly in oak barrels.

U Medvidku is a unique pub in Prague in that it serves tank beer, kegged beers, its own beers brewed on site and bottled beers. Other than some questionable wine and a few hard spirits, there is very little else!

This is a real Czech beer drinking den, with a good pub atmosphere provided by the crowd every afternoon and night of the week.