Beer Tour III

My sister-in-law has a book entitled, “1,000 Things To Do Before You Die.” Two of those things are in the Czech Republic. One of those things is U Fleku in Prague.

The Czech Republic is full of “pivnices,” or beer halls, which usually serve a home brew along with the classic favourites of the nation. Some of them only serve their home brew, which means that patrons come just for the specialty beer and the atmosphere of the pivnice. U Fleku is one of those places.

We sat down at the long table and immediately a server brought us each a pint of dark beer. That’s right: we didn’t order them. It’s assumed that if you show up, you want beer. So they give it to you. In fact, they keep giving it to you. Have you ever wondered what those cardboard squares in bars are meant for? They’re not originally meant to put under your beer. They’re meant to put over your empty glass to tell the pivnice staff you don’t want any more beer.

The U Fleku brew is very dark but does not have the bitterness of a Newcastle or a Guinness. In fact, it’s rather sweet for a beer. Quite good.

They (several servers tend the large dining rooms squeezed together in what seems like a hot cellar) passed by to throw down two menus for the six of us. After a few moments another waiter appeared, tablet in hand, to take our order. I think he greeted us with one word before standing expectantly with pen in hand. We stumbled through our half-Czech, half-English orders. The waiter scribbled. With brusque deft strokes he snatched the menus from our grasp and disappeared.

In a few minutes we were feasting on the Czech classics of meat, potatoes, dumplings, gravy, and kraut. The sound of a two-man Oompah band echoed in from the next dining room, where a baritone and an accordion serenaded other patrons. Several languages thickened the air with conversation. And the U Fleku beer flowed. For a unique and quintessential Czech experience, it doesn’t get much better than U Fleku, although 95% of their patrons are now tourists. I guess that’s what happens when you make it onto the list of the top 1,000 things in the world.

We’ve been to U Fleku. Only 999 things left to do before we die.

~emrys