They are a coffee shop with soups and sandwiches in addition to a selection of pastries -- and they have one or beers from small Czech breweries. Today it was only one, the 12º from Malešov. Even served on the traditional ceramic coaster.
Suitably fortified, I headed over to Zapomenutý Čas for lunch and to check out their beer list.
This is really a restaurant not a pub but a good variety of beers on tap.
I really like Kamenice so I went with the unfiltered 10º
One of the lunch specials was roast beef in a cream sauce and bread dumplings. Sounded good and it was.
I wasn't sure were I wanted to go next. I was recently told about a pub in the Dejvice train station and I like station pubs, so I headed over to Dejvická Nádražka.
There is a nice garden at the front and even a terrace alongside the tracks so if you are into train watching you can enjoy a beer while you watch. The inside was cavernous and except for the TV and the WiFi router precariously punched on top of the back bar, it might not have looked any different 30-40 years ago.
Not much for beer selection...
...but look at those prices. The Staropramen is the Smíchov 10º I'm told. I am not a big fan or Staropramen but I try and have one each trip as it is the local beer. In fact, the brewery is only a few miles away so this is probably the closed to brewery I've every drunk it.
You may notice the large Smíchov 10º is priced at Kč 27.50 -- the exists a half koruna coin (actually 50 haléřů) and even smaller, down to 10 haléřů but I've never seen one, I was warned, though, not to ask for exact change. In fact, I didn't even ask for the WiFi password.
I had gambled with the weather and lost. I didn't bring my jacket and it was raining. I did have an umbrella but it is a compact travel size and doesn't provide complete protection. My next planned stop was about 800m away but luckily half way was Zasekávák, another coffee shop with a couple of taps. The last time I was there (2018) they had Kout na Šumavě 10º but as that brewery is sadly gone, I was curious as to what they did serve.
Turns out it was Kamenice 10º and 12º. Since I just had the 10º I ordered the 12º. Delicious,
Suitably fortified, I took advantage of a lull and finished my journey to Pivovar Bubeneč
I've been a big fan since my first visit in 2017, before they had even installed the brewery. And they have only gotten better, with expanded hours (daily from 11am) and a full menu. And the beer is very good.
They are a corner pub, so lots of light
Six beers one tap
I chose the 11º which I remember enjoying on my last visit, pre-pandemic. I was hoping they'd have their 8º on as some local friends had raved about it, but no luck.
It was a good as I expected. They still had some of their soup of the day -- carrot -- so I ordered a bowl.
I inquired about the Třiřmut ("Trident") and they explained as they normally do two temperature rests when mashing and for this beer they did three. Now I don't know he meant "decoctions" or just simple resets -- he was a bartender not a brewer. So I ordered it.
It was definitely a bit darker and maltier so a triple decoction wouldn't surprise me.
They brought be samples of the Brut Lager and the Zappa Lager. The Brut was extra, extra dry. So dry that I didn't think it was enjoyable, all I tasted was a harsh bitterness. The Zappa Lager was dry hopped I guess -- a nice lager that was really hop forward. I thought about staying for one but I was worried about the weather. In what looks like another lull, I made it to the tram stop and thence back to my hotel without getting to wet.
I had noticed (today being Friday) that there were larges groups of younger people wandering around Prague. As I turned into Soukenická I was overtaken by one of these groups. "Please don't let them be headed towards Hostomice" I pleaded to the sky above. A big sigh of relief when they turned into the Gulden Draak -- a Belgian pub just up the street.
When I got there, all the tables in the back room were marked "Reserved 18:00" -- it was about 5 past 6pm at that point so I figured I'd have a beer until they kicked me out. When I sat down the tapper asked if I wanted a 12º (he knows me :). ) and I said yet. I figured he wouldn't have done that if he had problem with me setting there. Anyway, the beer was lovely as ever...
When it got close to 7pm I figured I was safe. The tables on the right side slowly filled with more people -- some sort of birthday party. I figured he had marked all the tables reserved to keep out and wandering groups looking for cheap beer.
Along the way I ordered some Utopenec, sausage marinated with peppers and onions. Similar to the marinated cheese I had the other day.
After an undisclosed number of Fabian 12º I headed back to the hotel and of course it had warmed up and the rain had stopped.
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