From Kingdom Come to last call: Luke Dale opens medieval pub in Prague

The line stretched down a Vinohrady street. Some guests wore medieval tunics or armor; others had simply come to see whether the man behind one of Czech gaming’s best-known noblemen could also run a pub.

British actor Luke Dale, who provided the voice and likeness of Jan Ptáček in the Czech video game series Kingdom Come: Deliverance, opened Nobleman in Prague this week. The underground pub combines Czech food and beer with British specialties and restrained references to the medieval world that made its owner famous.

Despite the costumed crowds at its opening, Dale says he does not want Nobleman to survive solely as a destination for Kingdom Come fans.

“I don’t want people to come here just because Luke owns it,” he told iDNES.cz. “I want them to return because of the good food, beer and service.”

Dale purchased the former Pubble sports bar in July and spent roughly two and a half months transforming its green walls, televisions and football memorabilia into a candlelit space filled with dark wood, tapestries, armor and historical weapons.

He described the project as a love letter to Prague and a thank-you to the Czech audience that changed the direction of his career.

“Without the Czech Republic, I genuinely don’t know who I would be or where I would have ended up,” he said. “The project I was part of allowed me to make a living from streaming and gave me so many other opportunities.”

The 33-year-old Guildhall School of Music & Drama graduate has lived in Prague for around a year and now considers the city home. He has a Czech partner, Czech friends and a dog, and has begun learning the language.

After 13 years in London, Dale said Prague offered a combination he had struggled to find elsewhere: the creative possibilities of a capital alongside the character and community of the northern English city of Sheffield, where he grew up.

Running a pub also gives him something tangible after years spent working in theater, film, games and online streaming.

“As an actor, you create theater or films, but you don’t have something you can walk into, sit down in and be part of,” he said. “I always dreamed of having my own café, pub or restaurant—a place where people meet and experiences can happen.”

That physical connection is especially important to Dale because much of his recent work has taken place online. He said Nobleman partly responds to the growing sense that people spend too much time behind screens.

“If I can help bring people into the real world, connect them with each other and give them somewhere to sit and talk, that is a genuinely good thing,” he told Seznam Zprávy.

Nobleman is inspired by medieval Czech inns and feasting halls, but Dale is careful not to call it a Kingdom Come theme bar.

There are subtle Easter eggs for fans, including artwork depicting Trosky Castle, but most of the décor draws from real Czech history. A hand-painted coat of arms represents the Lords of Lipá, while a reproduction of a decree issued by Charles IV recalls the establishment of vineyards in the district now known as Vinohrady.

The text was copied by a scribe onto pigskin parchment. Its subject is particularly appropriate for the neighborhood: Charles IV offered incentives for planting vines on Prague’s hillsides while threatening penalties for anyone who damaged them.

Custom-made stained-glass panels contain references to people who helped create the pub. A mural depicts Dale as a king alongside his partner, mother, friends and collaborators.

Most of the displayed armor and weaponry was made by Hefaistos, an artistic blacksmith workshop in Prague’s Radotín district. Some pieces can also be ordered by guests.

Staff will not wear full historical costumes or speak in archaic language. Dale wants the atmosphere to remain understated enough for Nobleman to function as a regular neighborhood pub.

“It should be a relaxed pub with a slight medieval element, not a place where everyone speaks archaically and someone breathes fire,” he said.

The kitchen is led by Scottish chef Tom O’Sullivan, who has worked in Czechia for years. Its menu emphasizes familiar Czech dishes including svíčková and roast duck, alongside ribs and British additions such as sausage rolls.

Desserts provide the strongest British influence. Sticky toffee pudding is served with a caramel-like sauce and cream, while apple crumble comes with custard. Dale also plans to introduce a traditional Sunday roast on weekends.

The taps carry Pilsner beer, dark Kozel and Únulka, a nonalcoholic beer from Únětice Brewery. British producer Thatchers supplies the cider, which Dale selected as a less common option in Prague.

Prices were set with Vinohrady residents in mind, he said, rather than tourists expecting a premium gaming attraction.

Now that crossover between a fictional medieval world and modern Czech life has reached Vinohrady—although Dale insists that Nobleman must eventually stand independently of his character.

The opening nevertheless demonstrated the commercial reach of Kingdom Come. The first installment, released by Prague-based Warhorse Studios in 2018, had sold around 10 million copies by summer 2025. Its sequel became a global hit and fueled increased visits to real Czech locations represented in the game, including Kutná Hora, Trosky Castle and Malešov Fortress.

He plans to continue acting and streaming, leaving daily operations to manager Tony Williams. Visitors therefore should not expect to find “Sir Hans” behind the bar every evening.

Nobleman is located near the Perunova tram stop in Vinohrady. It is currently open daily from 4:30 p.m. to 2 a.m.; reservations and menus are available on the official Nobleman website.

Seznam Zprávy has published photos and a report from opening night. For more on the game’s impact beyond the screen, read Expats.cz’s guide to the real Czech locations behind Kingdom Come: Deliverance II.