The Prague Cocktail Bar Scene

While planning my trip to Prague, I did a search for cocktail bars, with the hopes of finding at least 2 I’d want to visit to get a feel for cocktail & nightlife options. Having no preexisting knowledge of the bar scene in Prague, I wasn’t expecting the sheer volume, quality, and variety of cocktail bars I felt I just had to visit.😊

Clearly the good people of Prague take their cocktails very seriously. I went looking for a couple of places to visit and stumbled across a cocktail scene reminiscent of New York or London. There is definitely something for everyone: you have the sophisticated, the lively, and the cigar friendly. With all the choices at my disposal, I plotted my own mini cocktail bar tour of Old Town Prague. Cos, of course I would! 😃Now, bear with me on the pictures & video–all of which were taken in low light situations with an iPhone. Hey, the camera you have is the best camera for the job!

Hemingway Bar Prague

My first stop was Hemingway Bar Prague. Of all the bars on my list, I was most excited about this one. First of all, anything named after Hemingway instantly appeals to the writer in me. Plus, Hemingway Bar Prague was mentioned as THE place to enjoy a good absithne cocktail. And while I don’t typically enjoy this particular spirit (like at all), I’m a sucker for presentation & always down to sample something new.

Right off, I simply loved this place.😍 This bar is beautiful! The vibe is vintage, relaxed, & chill–a great place to enjoy a beverage & good company. Great location–not far from the Vltava River and the Charles Bridge. The building is on a quaint, typically Prague street full of interesting & eye catching architecture. I came to find that all the Prague cocktail bars I visited took great pride in the variety & types of liquors they stock, the presentation of their bar tops, and the knowledge and creativity of their mixologists.

I had a foresight to make reservation, and turned out it’s lucky I did. Hemingway Bar Prague takes serving the best cocktails & delivering expert service seriously. And once the bar is full it’s full, no other customers are allowed in, nor are current customers rushed out. I easily passed two & a half hours (if not more) enjoying the cocktails and atmosphere. And there was a sizable line to get in when I left.

Now, on to the cocktail experience! My seat was at the end of the bar, out of the way of guest traffic and right in front of a set of open french doors. It was quite enjoyable & picturesqe sipping my cocktails and gazing out at the evening Prague hustle & bustle. And Victoria, my mixologist, really knew her stuff. Come to find out, she’s done quite well in local cocktail competitions. She creates custom, bespoke cocktails with ease to suit your palate if you feel like veering off the menu. I tasted quite a few of her custom concoctions and all were delicious.

The first up, the Fairy Tale. I was beyond pleased with both the taste and presentation of this cocktail. The Fairy Tale caught my eye because of two of its ingredients: absithne– known as the green fairy– and black pepper syrup. As I mentioned, Hemingway Bar Prague came recommended as THE place for absithne cocktails, so why not start it off on the right foot. I was super impressed with the thought and care Victoria put into making this and I LOVE the vessel in which it was served, my very own personal absithne fountain. I was pleasantly surprise by how well the anise of the absithne paired with the fresh herbs and the black pepper syrup. It’s a distinct cocktail, but delicious.

Here is a quick video I snagged of Victoria making the Fairy Tale. Warning, I’m not the best on camera personality-lol, so forgive me. I’d just landed, was quite tired, and kept saying “very” 😀

Black Angels

Next up is Black Angel’s Bar. Black Angel’s is located in the cellar of U Prince Hotel, a fact I forgot when I was looking for it. So after walking around in circles for longer than I care to admit, I finally asked one of the outdoor cafe waiters for directions only to be told. “Oh, it’s right down the stairs there.” I laughed at myself and headed down the stairs I insisted on continually walking passed. 😊

So, I finally get to bar and at first, I was a bit disappointed. It looked like a typical hotel set up with a bar front along the back wall and stools along the front. However, the second I sat down, that “typical hotel bar” feel went right out the window. My bartender came over, gave me a menu, and starting chatting with me. Right then, I knew I wasn’t in your typical bar. He was super nice, very knowledge about cocktails, and provided excellent service.

After perusing the menu, I went with Jeremy’s Swizzle Stick. Yes, the double entendre is fully intended, the drink is inspired by Ron Jeremy after all. Look at closely at the garnishment in the drink. I’ll wait…… Let me know in the comments if you spot it. 😃

I enjoyed my time here. The feel & vibe is really chill. A peaceful place to enjoy a whiskey to decompress (like one of my neighbors was doing)–or– you can pass the time with lively conversation & good company (like I did with my other neighbors).

There’s really not much to dislike about Black Angel’s Bar. The bar staff is super attentive and knowledgable, the atmosphere is cozy and chill, and it’s located smack dab in the middle of Old Town Square. Plus, the bartender was totally up for the “Just make me something” challenge. After a brief question & answer session, he came back with yumminess. All I know is there was rum in it, it had egg yolk for texture, and it was delicious. He even added an African Violet garnish. What’s not to love?

L’Fleur

Originally, L’Fleur was on my “try to make it to” list, then one of my Instagram followers (@SomethingToDrinkAbout) suggested I try a couple of her fav haunts and L’Fleur was one of them. I’m SOOOOO glad I took her advice. I loved the interior of this cocktail bar. You walk in, and you’re hit with the exposed brick, candles, Edison bulbs, and chandeliers. The place has a sort of glow to it & the lighting spotlights the real MVP in the room, the huge, curving bar! L’Fleur has a definite cool, hip vibe. It’s the perfect place to spend a few hours with friends or chill solo. I felt right at home here and the bartenders were top notch. Presentation is key here, I loved all the different glasses & mugs each drink is served. The best thing about ordering a cocktail is seeing what glass was served in.

The other thing great about L’Fleur is they serve food. Like actual food, not the snacky sorts of items most of the cocktail bars I’d visited had available (olives, popcorn, sausage plates, etc.), but true, honest to goodness filling meals. I had a delicious burger and truffle fries. But, you’re here for the drinks, so on to the cocktails!

The cocktail menu at L’Fleur is inspired by the Louvre collections, cos why not? I will say this though, the cocktails are quite inventive. Lots of creative ingredients & liquor pairings that I’d not seen, or even thought of. And L’Fleur has smoked cocktails, which is something I’ve been wanting to try for a while now. I have zero confidence in myself to produce a smoked beverage without burning myself or my house down, so I’ve been waiting for a professional 😉.

For my smoked first cocktail, I went with Follow the Freedom. Lavender is one of favorites and this beverage features both a lavender cordial and smoked lavender flowers on the side. I’ll admit, I was real nervous about the cognac & champagne mix, but one taste and I knew I was worried for nothing. It was nothing short of delicious. And paired with a good whiff of smokey lavender while sipping away is the perfect way to enjoy it.

After some conferring with my bartender, the next smoked cocktail I tried was the Pyramid. It’s a delightful blend of liquors with apple and carrot. It comes served in a pyramid with sandalwood smoke. I felt like Egyptian royalty sipping on it and I received several comments on its presentation. The scent of smoked sandalwood wafted up and down the bar, adding to the cocktail’s enjoyment. All in all, I had a great time at L’Fleur and can’t recommend it enough. In fact, I visited twice.

Here’s a snippet of both Follow the Freedom and the Pyramid being prepared for me. Special thanks to my bartenders for letting me capture it on video.

AnonymouS Bar

Last on my list of favorite Prague cocktail bars is AnonymouS Bar. I love a good theme, and the AnonymouS Bar is all about Guy Fawkes, the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, and the V for Vendetta graphic novels. The geek in my loved the ambience here. In keeping with the theme, there’s a secret cocktail menu. If you ask the bartender about it, he gives you a little black light which reveals another set of cocktails on the menu. I thought this was pretty cool. But it also doesn’t take much to entertain me. 😄

The staff here was really friendly & laid back. Very attentive and the bartenders were very charismatic and knowledgable about their craft. First up, the Red Bird! Easily one of the best cocktails I had in Prague. It contains Hibiscus tea liquor, plum brandy, hibiscus tea, egg white, lemon juice, and simple syrup. It was so refreshing & reminded me of a summer garden. And it came served in the most unusual set up I’ve seen to date. It was inspired by the Angry Birds game, so it came in a slingshot.😃

Now, my next cocktail was extra special. If you order a certain cocktail (which I think changes daily and is a secret to the guests) your bartender dawns the Guy Fawkes mask to prepare & present your cocktail. Because it looked interesting and slightly out of my comfort zone I ordered St. Marry’s Virus next. I looked away for a second, then glanced by up and, I’m embarrassed to admit this, I stifled small scream. I was NOT expecting to see my bartender in that mask, LOL. The staff got a good chuckle at this. The cocktail is full of bitters, so much so the bartender cautioned me that this particular cocktail is not for everyone. I was up for the challenge though. Among its ingredients is something called Bitter Liqueur, plus cinnamon and vanilla bitters. And its served via 2 syringes! Which I just thought put it over the top from the presentation aspect.

If I’m ever back in Prague, I will most certainly visit each of these 4 bars again, with no question. There are a few other bars I visited, but they didn’t rank among the standouts mentioned above. The cocktails were top notch, each drink I was was delicious–which is what I’d come to expect of the Prague cocktail scene. But there was just something missing for me, it could’ve just been an off night, who knows.

Other Prague Cocktail Bars Visited

Bar and Books– This placed is billed as a “civilized place to meet”, but I found it a little stuffy. I can definitely see this as a great place to meet or hang out with someone you want to hold an actual conversation with. Great drinks though, and the food is not half bad.

Bugsy’s Bar– Walking up, I was very impressed with this place. It has a sleek, sexy look and feel about it. I really loved the cocktail menu art and the drinks were superb. It’s a really posh place but I found the staff to be a bit distant. I just don’t think it was my speed the night I visited.

James Dean– Patterned after a 1950’s diner, James Dean is very energetic and popular. Maybe a bit too much as it took a while for me place my order and get a drink, My bartender didn’t have the bandwidth to be as attentive as I’d come to expect during my trip. I also thought the cocktails were a bit “mainstream” and weren’t as bespoke & unique as the other cocktail bars I’d visited.

Tretter’s– Enjoyed the atmosphere and the cocktail list. But I think I hit them between the early crowd and late crowd rush. The cocktail I had was quite good, however I found the service slightly lacking. I’d definitely gotten use to the personal attention I’d received since being in Prague, so I found it slightly off putting when the bartender was not as attentive during a slow period.

All in all, I had absolute blast trying out some of the best of Prague’s cocktail bars. I’m already looking forward to my next visit and exploring the cocktail scene even more.