U Zlateho Tygra Prague: Getting a Seat, Prices and History
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U Zlatého tygra (At the Golden Tiger) is Prague's legendary locals' pub at Husova 17 in the Old Town. It opens daily from 3 pm to 11 pm, pours Pilsner Urquell (73 CZK for a 0.45-litre mug) and serves no spirits at all. Tables are booked by phone only (+420 222 221 111); without a booking, arrive just before the doors open at 3 pm. The writer Bohumil Hrabal drank here for decades, and on 11 January 1994 Václav Havel brought Bill Clinton to his table. Around Prague checked the opening hours, menu and prices against the pub's website, and the history against Prague City Tourism, the Pilsner Urquell brewery and Radio Prague, on 30 October 2026.
U Zlatého tygra at a glance
| What | Details |
|---|---|
| Address | Husova 228/17, Prague 1 — Old Town (Staré Město) |
| Opening hours | daily 3 pm–11 pm |
| Reservations | by phone only, +420 222 221 111 |
| Beer | Pilsner Urquell 0.45 l — 73 CZK, Kozel dark 0.5 l — 73 CZK, Birell non-alcoholic 0.33 l — 73 CZK |
| Spirits | not served |
| Nearest metro | Staroměstská (line A) |
How to get a seat
The Golden Tiger belongs to its regulars, the štamgasti. In 2010 the Pilsner Urquell brewery put them at about 90 per cent of guests and said a newcomer could hardly find a free seat. Many tables belong to fixed groups, some on set days of the week. The pub says the table to the right of the entrance has long been kept for the Zlatá Praha club, whose president for life was Hrabal.
- Come at opening time. A queue usually forms before 3 pm and the people at the front get seats, as Good Beer Hunting and The European Bar Guide describe. Time Out also advises arriving at opening time.
- Evenings need a booking. Prague City Tourism warns that the pub is hopelessly full in the evenings. Bookings are by phone only; there is no online form.
- Share a table. Tables are communal. Ask first: "Je tu volno?" means "Is this seat free?"
- The beer just arrives. A fresh mug appears when the last one is nearly empty. To stop, put a beer mat on top of your glass.
If every seat is taken, you drink standing up. According to Radio Prague, that is what usually happens to people who simply drop in.
What to order and what it costs
The house lager is Pilsner Urquell, described by the brewery as tank beer; the brewery has honoured the pub for its careful beer handling. Mugs hold 0.45 litres, not the usual half litre. The pub was the first to get regular deliveries of pivní sýr, a marinated beer cheese that is still the classic snack here.
| Item | Portion | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Pilsner Urquell | 0.45 l | 73 CZK |
| Kozel dark beer | 0.5 l | 73 CZK |
| Birell non-alcoholic beer | 0.33 l | 73 CZK |
| White or red wine | 0.187 l | 80 CZK |
| Beer cheese with butter, mustard and onion | 90 g | 110 CZK |
| Utopenec (pickled sausage) with onion | 1 piece | 85 CZK |
| Tlačenka (head cheese) with onion and vinegar | 100 g | 85 CZK |
| Goulash | 150 g | 150 CZK |
| Pork schnitzel wrapped in a potato pancake | 100 g | 190 CZK |
Prices are from the menu on the pub's website as of 30 October 2026. Spirits are never served: that is a long-standing house rule.
Hrabal, Havel and Clinton: the pub's story
The house is Gothic, with a Gothic portal and vaulted cellars the pub still uses. It has been called At the Golden Tiger since 1786, and beer was served here by 1816 at the latest. In the 1830s it held a patriotic café with a reading room, frequented by the poet Karel Hynek Mácha, the playwright Josef Kajetán Tyl, who wrote the words of the Czech anthem, and the historian František Palacký.
Bohumil Hrabal (1914–1997), author of Closely Watched Trains and I Served the King of England, first came here in the early 1950s, according to the brewery, and kept coming almost until his death. He sat in the back room at the table by the kitchen door, and the pub appears again and again in his stories. Philosophers, historians and the director Jiří Menzel came to see him, and Václav Havel sometimes dropped in with his wife Olga.
The most famous evening came on 11 January 1994. Bill Clinton, on a visit to Prague, arrived with President Havel and Madeleine Albright, then US ambassador to the United Nations. At Hrabal's table he drank three beers and ate a schnitzel, and later that evening he played the saxophone at the Reduta jazz club.
Getting there and booking
The pub is a short walk from Karlova street and Old Town Square; the nearest metro station is Staroměstská (line A). Reservations are by phone only, on +420 222 221 111, as the pub's website states. Call well ahead for an evening, or be at the door a little before 3 pm. Current menu and hours: uzlatehotygra.cz.
Similar classic pubs nearby
- U Pinkasů, Jungmannovo náměstí 15/16 — the pub says it was the first in Prague to tap Pilsner Urquell, in 1843. Tank beer; Hrabal was among the regulars of its old taproom, the Dolní sněmovna.
- U Medvídků, Na Perštýně 7 — a beer hall tracing its history to 1466, with its own microbrewery.
- U Fleků, Křemencova 11 — brewing without a break for more than 500 years; the house beer is a 13° dark lager. See our U Fleků guide.
- Lokál Dlouhááá, Dlouhá 33 — a modern classic: the first and longest Lokál, 69.78 metres, with beer from 12 tanks. Book ahead.
More addresses: the best beer halls and pubs in Prague and Prague's best beer halls and breweries.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
What time does U Zlatého tygra open?
Every day at 3 pm; it closes at 11 pm.
Can you book a table at U Zlateho Tygra?
Yes, by phone only on +420 222 221 111. Book well ahead for an evening visit.
How much is a beer at the Golden Tiger in Prague?
A 0.45-litre Pilsner Urquell costs 73 CZK, as does a 0.5-litre Kozel dark (menu as of 30 October 2026).
Does U Zlatého tygra serve food?
Yes, a short menu of beer snacks such as beer cheese, pickled sausage and goulash, plus a few hot dishes. It is not the place for a full dinner.
Did Bill Clinton really drink at U Zlatého tygra?
Yes. On 11 January 1994 he sat here with Václav Havel and Bohumil Hrabal.
Sources: pub website: opening hours, history, Hrabal, food menu, drinks, contact; Prague City Tourism: the pub, Prague City Tourism: the house, Plzeňský Prazdroj (2010), Radio Prague (2007), VisitCzechia, RFE/RL on Hrabal, Time Out, Good Beer Hunting, The European Bar Guide, U Pinkasů, U Medvídků, U Fleků, Lokál Dlouhááá. Checked on 30 October 2026.
See also: The best beer halls and pubs in Prague, U Fleků: 500 years of brewing, U Černého vola in Hradčany, Václav Havel: biography and places in Prague.
Photo: The house sign of U Zlatého tygra on Husova street. Sarah Stierch, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.
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