by Tyler Conrad
The location of NYU Prague’s campus is truly wonderful, allowing students to take in some of the city’s most beautiful sights on a daily basis. However, a drawback of this location is the variety of touristy restaurants—with correspondingly high prices—surrounding campus. For students seeking a meal near campus at a typical Czech price, these following spots should do the trick.
Bageterie Boulevard
This one may be the most obvious, but its affordability and tasty options still make it a worthy inclusion on this recommendation list. It has locations all over Prague, but the closest to campus is near the Church of Our Lady before Týn. Bageterie Boulevard has a rather limited menu of about six sandwiches, which can be served a la carte for around 100 Kc (5 USD) or menu style with potatoes and a drink for closer to 150 Kc (7 USD). For those who haven’t yet discovered their favorite, I would recommend the caprese sandwich menu style with an iced tea. Convenient and delicious!
Banh-mi-ba
Similar to Bageterie Boulevard, Banh-mi-ba also has a rather simple menu: four sandwich options depending on your preferred choice of meat (or tofu), in addition to a few rice and noodle bowls. Located past Old Town Square, about a seven minute walk from campus, Banh-mi-ba’s Vietnamese dishes are affordable and delicious for anyone in the mood for a sandwich or rice bowl. Also, for any vegans out there, tofu is offered for both the sandwiches and the rice bowls, for the perfect quick and easy plant-based lunch.
Forky’s
Speaking of vegans, anyone studying at NYU Prague—whether they be vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free, or none of the above—should definitely stop by Forky’s, located near the Prague City Library. Forky’s entire menu is vegan, yet still diverse in its offerings and very flavorful and affordable! Any of the vegan burgers are delicious, but I would also shout-out the hummus wrap or the “NotDog,” which really leaves you wondering how a plant-based substitute can taste so similar to a real hot dog.
Puzzle Salad
Puzzle Salad is my recommendation furthest from campus, about a 10 to 15 minute walk, but also one of the most rewarding for those willing to make the trek. The best way to describe Puzzle Salad to a student from the New York campus is the Prague version of Sweetgreen. For those unfamiliar, this means Puzzle Salad is essentially a salad bar with a variety of bases, toppings and dressings for customizing a salad just to your liking. In addition to typical salads, Puzzle Salad also has a rotating menu of speciality offerings, including my favorite: the Vietnamese Beef Bowl. For anyone with over an hour to kill between classes, Puzzle Salad is a worthy investment of your time.
The Bake Shop
While its name may mislead some into thinking The Bake Shop is only a place for coffee and pastries, this restaurant also offers a variety of convenient and cheap lunch options, including a variety of delicious sandwiches and salads. The Bake Shop also offers, in my experience, the best bagel in Prague, complete with a savory salmon spread for those of us missing their daily New York bagel. Located just past Old Town Square, the Bake Shop is my recommendation for a morning coffee and croissant, and definitely return for an Asian chicken sandwich or takeaway Caesar salad.