Esk Krumlovs 10 Best Restaurants Local Czech Eats

Český Krumlov is one of the Czech Republic’s most visited towns, and for good reason. It’s on the UNESCO list as one of the best preserved Renaissance towns in the world, and when you get there, you’ll see why immediately. It’s perhaps no surprise, then, that a lively culinary scene has grown up to serve the thousands of people streaming through. Here are our ten favorites.

Papa’s Living Restaurant

Restaurant, Italian, European, Czech

Papa’s is far from the only restaurant where you can sit down and enjoy a table by the Vltava River, but it’s certainly one of the best. While their menu has an international flair, it is mostly focused on Italian cuisine. You can come here for a delicious pasta dish, or a tasty pizza with Spanish ham and arugula. Their specialty dish is turkey breast baked in a pastry crust, with spinach, blue cheese sauce, and mustard cream sauce. You’ll always have a good time when you come to this lively and upbeat restaurant.

Apotheka Café Bar

Bar, Cafe, Coffee, Czech

After you’ve had your meal, we recommended that you head to Apotheka Café Bar for a post-meal cocktail. They have the best cocktail list in the city hands down, and beyond that, they’re always willing to play with the ingredients to create something new for you. They take real pride in their drinks, this is the kind of place where you’ll really enjoy watching your drink get prepared. It’s designed to look like an old-fashioned pharmacy, so everything inside looks very classy and antique. All in all, you’ll love the ambiance, drinks, service, and pretty much everything else about Apotheka.

Švejk Restaurant

Restaurant, Beer, European, Czech

If you’ve spent enough time traveling in the Czech Republic, you’ve probably come across more than one Švejk Restaurant, and no, it’s not a chain; it’s just that Švejk is an important enough character in the Czech literary canon that he’s worthy of having restaurants everywhere named after him. He was a soldier in World War I, so the restaurant is decked out with old-time decorations and a beer tap that’s busier than most. You’ll find a calm, comfortable restaurant, solid Czech food, and the least pretentious atmosphere you can possibly imagine.

U Dwau Maryi

Restaurant, Czech, European

Although the restaurant U dwau Maryi only opened in 1990, the building itself dates back to the Middle Ages, something you might be able to guess if you’re familiar with Slavic historical linguistics, as the name is an old form of Czech meaning ‘at the two Marys’. Their menu features old-style Czech cuisine, with a special Old Bohemian Feast that you and your friends can all share, in both meat and vegetarian forms. Their vegetarian menu is actually the longest section on the menu, something that the herbivores among you might enjoy after a couple of days in the meat-heavy Czech Republic.

Řytířská Krčma Markéta

Restaurant, European, Beer

If you get hungry or feel like a rest in style while you’re wandering around the castle complex, you can stop at Krčma Markéta, which is located on the castle grounds. This feels like a trip back through time, as they’ve decorated it as though it was the Middle Ages. They even have a (carefully tended) open fire in the restaurant, and many of the meals are cooked right there in front of you. For drinks, they carry wines from two small, family-owned Moravian breweries and beer from the local Eggenberg brewery.

MLS Creperie

Creperie, Coffee, Dessert, European

Cesky Krumlov is heaven if you love crepes because there are five little MLS Creperie corners throughout the town, and it’s easy to stop in just for a quick crepe to go. You can also stay for a sit down breakfast or lunch, and you will love their fresh, hot crepes with a wide array of toppings both sweet and savory, plus their homemade drinks to go with it. Another thing you can get here is the trdelnik, a Transylvanian import that has recently become a hit among Czech locals and tourists alike. Not to be outdone, MLS also has pizza, gyros, and various baked desserts on the menu. You simply can’t go wrong here.

Laibon

Restaurant, European, Vegetarian, Vegan

It’s easy to find a vegetarian section of the menu these days, but it’s not so easy to find a full vegetarian restaurant, and that’s where Laibon stands out from the crowd. Although their menu offers a decent mix of cuisines and styles, the ones that come up the most frequently are Indian and Middle Eastern dishes. For a relatively local and truly delicious option, though, go for the Bryndzove halusky, a Slovak dish made up of halusky (like Slovak gnocchi) and Bryndza, a typical sheep’s cheese with a unique flavor. Tea lovers will have a second, possibly more, difficult choice in front of them when they look at the tea menu.

Restaurant Konvice

Restaurant, European, Czech

If you come to Restaurant Konvice, the restaurant at the charming Hotel Konvice, in the winter, you’ll get the best of Czech cuisine, fun live music, and helpful service. If you come in the summer, you get all of that plus a seat on the terrace, giving you a magnificent view over the gorgeous center of town. The prices are surprisingly reasonable for such a luxurious place, and the meals are always prepared from the freshest ingredients. For a treat, check out the Bohemian cuisine section of their menu, and try either duck or rabbit, both served as they have been for centuries in the region.

Krčma v Satlavské Ulici

Krčma v Satlavské Ulici is a true ‘tavern’ (which is what ‘krčma’ translates to). With stone walls, wooden tables, and an open grill pit where they’ll cook your meat fresh, this place is a real journey into the past. Your meal will come on a wooden plate, looking just as they might have cooked it a few hundred years ago. This tends to be a very popular place, though, so it’s a good idea to make a reservation in advance. This is more of a full experience than just a meal, so it’s definitely something you won’t want to miss while you’re in town.

Krcma v Satlavske Ulici, Satlavska, Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic, +420 380 713 344

landscape with balloons floating in the air

KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD?

Connect with like-minded people on our premium trips curated by local insiders and with care for the world

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.