České Budějovice: Where to eat and drink in this underrated gem of Czech Republic
Just like neighbouring Brno and , South Bohemia and its capital České Budějovice slips under the radar for most travellers who see the city as a quick pitstop to visit the famous Budvar brewery before hopping back on the train to the postcard pretty Český Krumlov. Which is a shame because the city has so much to offer than just Budvar beer. As you’ll discover in my guide, the city has several microbreweries dotted within a short radius of the main square and the beer honestly is much better than Budvar. ( Budvar here is also not too bad tbf) Come for the beer, stay for the food: in terms of gastronomy, there are some fantastic places to eat here which are far better than what you would find in Cesky Krumlov. České Budějovice is a perfect base to explore the region but in itself, definitely warrants at least an overnight stay if not longer. The core of the city, the stunning Přemysl Otakar II Square square is one of Europe’s finest and in several side streets you’ll discover some fabulous bars, places to eat and a true taste of true South Bohemian hospitality.
BRIO Restaurant
Address: Riegrova 1867/8, 370 01 České Budějovice 1, Czechia
Headed up by head chefs, Pavel Vostracký and Tomáš Krafl and a very enthusiastic team in keeping with their name, BRIO was our favourite restaurant in Ceske Budejovice. It might be one of our favourite places to eat in Czech Republic. The quality of the food is outstanding. Sabrina enjoyed roasted duck with mashed truffle potatoes ( in picture ) while I had enjoyed their shrimp seafood pasta. ( The restaurant orders fresh fish daily to the restaurant.)
Their daily changing lunch menu is incredible value- starters are 49 Kc ( €2) and mains start from just 149kc ( €6) I really didn’t expect such great quality food at good prices. Really good wine list too.
Esence Cafe
Address: Náměstí Přemysla Otakara II. 8/5, 370 01 České Budějovice 1, Czechia
If you’re looking for a nice place for breakfast in the morning, this cafe located in the main square, is perfect. Locals and tourists flock to the terrace to worship the morning sun with an excellent brewed coffee in hand, fresh orange juice or maybe a glass of sparkling wine. They do a mean eggs benedict on avocado toast ( or ham) plus they their pancakes with fresh fruits is equally delicious.
Restaurace Naše Farma
Address: 301, U Černé věže 300/15, 370 01 České Budějovice, Czechia
Modern Czech cuisine with an emphasis on local, high quality produce, Naše Farma is another excellent choice for eating out in town, especially if you are a meat lover. The menu changes every fortnight and the focus is on featuring seasonal produce. Similar to Brio, their lunch menu is very affordable with mains from just 149kc and starters around the 50kc mark.
Hit the beer trail
If you come to České Budějovice, everyone will tell you Budvar Brewery is the place for beer. However, if you chat to locals, you’ll soon found out that Budvar doesn’t quite enjoy the elevated status that was once conferred by the the King of Bohemia, Charles IV when he banned pubs from a 10 kilometre radius of the town back in 1352. A clutch of local microbreweries have quietly been carrying on the rich tradition of beer brewing and I’ve pulled together a few of my favourites below for you to visit
Minipivovar Krajinská 27
Address: Krajinská 27, 370 01 České Budějovice 1, Czechia
Originally one of the oldest brewers in the town dating back to 1482, the tradition of brewing at Minipivovar Krajinkska 27 was revived in 2014 after it become briefly a butchers shop. The beers are brewed here according to the old Czech formulas- first-rate raw ingredients, no chemical additions, and bottom-fermented, maturing in an open fermentation room and later in lager tanks. The beers here are not treated in any way whatsoever, or filtered or pasteurized so they have retain a natural flavour. 5 different beers are part of the permanent selection as well as seasonal specialties.
Minipivovar Knezinek
Address: Haklovy Dvory 2235 370 05
Located on outskirts of Ceske Budejovice, Kněžínek Microbrewery back in 2012, kickstarted the microbrewing trend in České Budějovice. Similar to their counterparts, they brew typical Czech beer in small batches, using only home raw ingredients and traditional production techniques, eschewing the use of any chemicals and also not filtering or pasteurizing the beer to help preserve the original character of the lager beer. You can taste all produced types of beer in the restaurant like the Pivo Kněžínek – light lager 11°; the semi-dark lager 11° and my favourite, the light honey beer 14°.
Pivovar Solnice
Address: Hroznová 34, 370 01 České Budějovice 1, Czechia
Situated in the former saltworks, one of the oldest and most famous buildings in České Budějovice, Solnice is another excellent local microbrewer that has popped up in recent years brewing a nice range of beers, ranging from New England style IPA’s to classic stouts alongside more traditional style beers. They have a fabulous restaurant too and often put on live gigs so keep following them on their Facebook page for updates. (https://www.facebook.com/solnicecb/ )
Kavarna Vlnna
Address: VLNNA Café, Floating Café on Malša. Sokolský ostrov 1, České Budějovice
If the sun is out, this cafe on a houseboat by the river Malse is a perfect spot for soaking up the sun with a coffee in hand. You can also rent pedal boats here by the hour for a leisurely cruise down the river-offers you a great perspective of the city.
Singer Pub
Address: Česká 55, 370 01 České Budějovice 1, Czechia
This popular Irish bar with the largest selection of beers on tap in town also boasts the smallest microbrewery called Beeranek. They produce a typical Czech pilsner lager, unfiltered and unpasteurized. Besides the light pilsner Beeranek 11° , they produce a stoutlike 13° beer called Diablo Negro and a 14° beer they call the Honey Bunny. They also put on live music on some nights-check on their Facebook page ahead of your trip. (https://www.facebook.com/hostelsingerpub/ )
Visit Budweiser Brewery (Budejovicky Budvar)
Address: K. Světlé 512/4370 04 České Budějovice
The Budweiser Brewery has a long, long history of brewing this unique beer. In 1265 the King of Bohemia, Ottokar II granted sole brewing rights to the city and the unique beer brewed here was called Budweiser Beer (beer from Budweis- the German name for the city). The Budweiser Budvar Brewery in Ceske Budejovice is famous for producing the special pale lager made with local ingredients like Moravian barley, Saaz hops (a special hops variety) and artesian water. The lager takes 90 days to attain maturity, which is considered to take quite a comparatively long time. The beer from the brewery is one of national pride. Beer varietals include the classic, pale draught beer, the original 90 day matured pale lager and other dark, strong or low-alcohol beers.
Visitors can participate in a 60 minute tour of the brewery in a number of languages (English, German, Russian, French, Spanish, Czech, Italian) and are priced at 190 CZK for a regular admission (90 CZK for students/children). Beer tasting is offered for persons 18 years of age and over.
Address: K. Světlé 512/4370 04 České Budějovice
Where to stay in České Budejovice
We stayed at the spacious, 4 star Residence U Černé věže where in the low season you can bag a studio apartment for as little as £35, prices in high season can double. More budget friendly options include the excellent Hotel Bohemia where you can bag a family room for £35 or the stylish Grandhotel Zvon right on the square where you can book a double room with breakfast for as little as £27 in low season going upto £60-£100 in high season.
Getting to České Budejovice and away
Getting to České Budejovice is very easy and also cheap. The train connections from Prague and Cesky Krumlov are slow so take the bus. From Prague, it is 2 hours and 20 minutes one way while from Cesky Krumlov, it takes just half an hour by bus. Both the bus and train station are about 10-15 minute walk ( €5-€7 cab ride if you have a lot of luggage ) from the main square so keep that in mind when you plan your trip. The town itself is very compact and walkable but if you want to explore the region of South Bohemia, I would highly recommend renting a rental car to give you as much freedom and flexibility as possible.
Onward connections: Munich is a 6 hour 45 minute train ride from České Budějovice while the fastest train from Vienna is just around 3 hours 18 minutes and costs €9.90 if booked in advance via OBB.
