By Alessia Diez
The months that preceded my study abroad were, admittedly, glutinous. New York City is pregnant with vegan options, and every day there’s something new to try.
New York’s not alone in the vegan scene. I’d also heard a lot about Berlin, Los Angeles, London, and Amsterdam. What I hadn’t heard about was Prague, the city where I’d be spending my spring semester. So I spent most of the fall and winter with an eat-it-all-while-you-can mindset.
Then I arrived in Prague and realized my gluttony was for no good reason. About three months, and some pounds, later I’m happy to share all the plant-based eats and spots in Prague!
Loving Hut
There’s already a post on this blog about this place but I just have to mention it again. There are a few locations in Prague, but I frequent the one in OC Quadrio the most — it’s conveniently located at the Narodni Trida tram stop so it’s close to school and perfect for Machova kids who are on their way back home and are too lazy to cook dinner (a.k.a me and a few others who I’ll generously omit).
It’s completely vegan so you’re spared from having to ask long-winding questions about ingredients. You can self-serve from a buffet or order from their menu. My friends and I are loyal to the buffet and some agreed favorites are the kebab “meat”, the fried cauliflower, and the Thai soy curry!
Desserts-wise: get their oreo cheesecake and their coconut cake. They are basically the best desserts I’ve ever had. I get it so often that the woman who mans the counter starts serving me a slice when she sees me approaching.
Paprika
This place isn’t completely vegan but they clearly mark the vegan options. Their hummus is authentic and the best I’ve had in Prague (Tesco brand hummus is a massive letdown, avoid it at all costs). They also offer vegan shawarma, falafel, and an array of refreshing salads (think beet & onion, tabouleh, and Israeli).
There’s one near Machova and another in Prague 5. Plus it’s also on Wolt. I highly recommend this spot if Machova kids want something quick — they’re impressively fast at fulfilling Wolt orders.
BON Fresh Ramen & Soba
Not a lot has to be said about the vegan ramen here. It speaks for itself.
They have three locations, one of them being right near Machova. When I was suffering from a case of tonsillitis a few weeks ago this was the one thing that temporarily relieved my pain.
There’s not a ton to choose from, per se, but what they offer is definitely enough. There’s one vegan ramen, soba, and udon option. My order is always the vegan ramen: a smoky and umami broth topped with corn, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, tomatoes, eggplant, and green onions. You can easily add or remove anything too — I personally always ask for avocado.
Vegan Groceries
I usually do most of my groceries at Albert or Tesco. While there are plenty of vegan alternatives at both grocery stores, I do make trips to two places for a couple of specific things that I can’t find at a conventional grocery store.
Linh’s Vegan Corner, a vegan restaurant and shop right near NYU Prague’s campus, is where I go most often to find Oatly and Minor Figures oat milk. Bonus tip: they have a really good Biscoff cheesecake.
PURO shop, a vegan specialty store near Machova, is another favorite. They’re stocked up with vegan oat milk (including Oatly and Minor Figures) and a bunch of other fun vegan products (like vegan schnitzel, frozen vegan pizza, and vegan cheeses).