Places To Go - Pivnice U Švejků, Újezd 22

U Švejků is one of a multitude of bars and restaurants in this city named after Jaroslav Hašek's comic anti-hero The Good Soldier Švejk. This particular pivnice, or beer hall, is located across the road from the Petřin funicular railway, near the Memorial to the Victims of Communism, on the far side of the river from the National Theatre.

The restaurant looks like a bit of a tourist trap with a rather garish paint scheme outside, announcing itself in English, German and Czech, and it claims to date from 1618. Inside it looks a lot more homely. There are basic wooden tables and murals depicting scenes from the illustrations to the Švejk book. The staff are very friendly and the beer is good, but the best part is the game menu. This has a selection of dishes from boar, roe deer and fallow deer. We first tried U Švejků in some desperation one lunchtime. We were hungry and most nearby places were busy. Since then we have been back several times.

We have never eaten there in the evening so we have no idea how crowded it gets then, but the menu says that they have an accordian player in the evenings from 6pm. Treat that news as an advertisement or a warning as you see fit.