U Fleků: five hundred years of brewing beer in the same house on Křemencova

There's a place in Prague where beer has been brewed almost without interruption for longer than most European states have existed within their present borders. This is U Fleků — a brewery and restaurant in Nové Město, just a couple of minutes' walk from Národní třída. People come here not so much for peace and quiet as for the sense of physically touching the depths of Prague's history: the first written mention of the establishment dates back to 1499, when the house was bought by a maltster named Vít Skřemenec, and the U Fleků brewery is one of the few in Central Europe where beer has been brewed continuously for more than 500 years.

The story of the house actually begins even earlier than the beer itself: the age of the building is confirmed by Gothic masonry in three cellars, while the beams in the brewing hall date back to the 14th century — the first written record of the house "Na Křemenci" is from 1430. The establishment got its current name much later: the name "U Fleků" only came into use in the 18th century, derived from Jakub Flek, who bought the brewery in 1762, and it has stuck ever since. The 20th century brought nationalization: although the brewery was nationalized under the communists, it was reconstructed several times, and restitution in 1991 returned the restaurant — and a year later the brewery itself — to the Brtník family, who went on to establish a brewery museum here.

The star of the menu is the house dark beer, which Praguers have been coming here for centuries to enjoy. Since 1843 the brewery has produced only unfiltered dark Bavarian-style beer made from barley malt, hops, water and yeast, with an alcohol content of 4.6%. The brewing method remains deliberately traditional: it's a bottom-fermented beer brewed the Bavarian way, using four types of malt, Žatec hops and special yeast strains. Here's a detail for connoisseurs: this beer is nearly impossible to try anywhere else — it is never exported, and can only be tasted at the brewery's own restaurants, though guests can buy it in decorative bottles that have become collector's items. When it comes to food, don't miss the classics: TasteAtlas recommends trying the legendary svíčková here — beef in a creamy sauce served with sour cream and lingonberry jam.

The atmosphere at U Fleků is a labyrinth of eight differently styled halls and an inner garden, like a set from a historical film. The décor and historic furnishings include the famous "Akademie" hall, where notable figures of Czech culture used to gather in the past century, the "Václavka" hall with colored stained glass, "Jitrnice" with its Gothic vault, and the Knights' Hall in a romantic style. The place has always been more than just a pub — it was a social hub of the city: it became a popular gathering spot for actors from the National Theatre, led by Jindřich Mošna and later Eduard Vojan, as well as other cultural figures such as Jan Neruda, Jakub Arbes, Josef Václav Myslbek and Jan Werich. The scale is impressive: across eight halls and a summer terrace, the brewery-restaurant offers a pleasant setting for around 1,100 guests.

An insider tip for anyone who wants to do more than just drink a pint and actually understand where this beer comes from: book a tour of the brewery itself. From Monday to Friday you can join a tour any time between 10:00 and 16:00, while on weekends tours are available only by prior booking and on condition of a restaurant reservation; the program includes a look around the brewery, a tasting of the dark lager, a short film, and souvenirs. Keep in mind the groups are small: tours are limited to a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 45 people, priced at 210 CZK per person. One more atmospheric detail: beneath the floors and in the brewing hall itself, the building's original structures have survived — the beer is still brewed under the original medieval beams, coated in ox blood.

Address: Křemencova 11, 110 00 Praha 1 (Nové Město)
Opening hours: daily 10:00–23:00 (closed on December 24)
Prices: brewery tour with tasting — 210 CZK per person; average bill at the restaurant — around 400 CZK

U Fleků is the place to choose if you're after not some trendy craft bar, but a genuine Prague legend with a centuries-old pedigree — perfect for history lovers, travelers, fans of dark beer with character, and anyone who wants to sit down at the same table and feel what it was like to drink beer here back when Prague was still part of the Habsburg Empire.

See also:

• Smoke, coals and a blanket on the grass: 9 places in Prague where you can legally grill and picnic
• The 9 best vegan and vegetarian restaurants in Prague: a guide to plant-based cuisine in the Czech capital