Mexican, smashburgers, and 'sparrow': Czechia's favorite delivery meals and restaurants revealed

Finnish food delivery platform Wolt earlier this month announced the winners of its annual Wolt Awards in the Czech Republic. The awards ceremony revealed the most popular restaurants for various international cuisines. The ceremony recognized restaurants excelling in both dine-in and delivery experiences.

Wolt's general manager for the Czech Republic and Slovakia Tomáš Beniak explained the award's focus on restaurants providing a consistent quality experience across both dine-in and delivery formats. Popularity, measured by the highest restaurant rating relative to order volume, was the key selection criterion.

While eateries in Prague dominated the awards, establishments from Brno, Ostrava, Olomouc, and Pilsen were also recognized across six different food categories. Each grouping had two winners.

Interestingly, the data revealed a shift in Czech delivery preferences, with the traditional Moravian sparrow with potato dumplings and cabbage dethroning the sirloin steak as the most popular (non-fast-food) delivery item. Chicken schnitzel with potatoes rounded out the top three.

Havelská Koruna, a popular Prague restaurant with a 9.2 Wolt rating, was among the capital’s most popular Czech cuisine restaurants on the Finnish platform. Owner František Soukup credits the company's ability to weather the pandemic and rising costs as its greatest achievement. Looking ahead, Soukup envisions expanding with a beer hall and a dance venue catering to older adults.

In the category of Mexican cuisine, Los Capolitos secured a top spot with its Ostrava branch. The chain, selling 15 percent of its meals through Wolt, highlighted the platform’s user-friendly design and focus on customer experience. Michal Kapolka, Los Capolitos co-founder and franchise manager, sees further automation and concept refinement as priorities over network expansion. 

Cà Phê District, an Olomouc-based Vietnamese restaurant with a 9.6 rating, dominated the Asian category. Praising Wolt's "simple, clear, and fast application," Minh Duc Nguyen, the restaurant's manager, credits the platform for exceeding 100 daily deliveries. The restaurant, known for its Bún bò nam bô and phở bò dishes, also participates in food festivals and recently opened a branch in Hradec Králové.

Beniak concluded that Czech companies are "increasingly adopting digital money, custom applications, payment systems, loyalty programs, and automated processes," highlighting the trend of innovation in the Czech food services industry.