How does Prague rank as a European foodie capital?

Prague ranks in the top half of European capitals for foodies. The Czech capital came in 14th out of 30 ranked cities, according to a new study, and was among the top 10 for brunches and for vegetarians. Surprisingly though, given Czechs' love of beer, the city did not score well for pubs.

The ranking by Uswitch.com was based on raw data from Tripadvisor, which was weighted based on various factors.

Athens was the overall winner, scoring 88.47 out of 100. “If you’re a fan of reasonably priced yet delicious food, head to Athens in Greece. There are over 1,000 eateries to choose from in the city alone, with even more on the outskirts,” Uswitch.com said in a press release, adding that it was also a good choice for people on a budget.

The second and third place picks were a bit surprising: Belgrade and Sofia, with 83.06 and 79.63 points, respectively. Belgrade was ranked number one for pubs and for vegetarian food. Sofia topped the chart in the fast-food category.

Prague had an overall score of 60.49 out of 100, an average meal price of €27.69 (or about CZK 710), and a respectable 1,228 eateries. Prague’s highest score was 8.71 out of 10 for its cafes, but that was still only good enough for 14th place. For pubs, Prague scored 8.46, tying with Rome and again in 14th place.

Prague came ninth for both brunch and vegetarian food options, though.

The winner in the brunch category was another surprise: Tirana in Albania, which came in fourth in the overall rankings.

Prague didn’t make it into the top 10 for cheapest meals. Skopje in North Macedonia led this category, with average meal prices of €14.10. Other havens for penny pinchers making it into the top five were Belgrade, Bratislava, Vilnius, and Athens.

Of the capital cities in Central Europe, only Warsaw was more expensive than Prague. Budapest and Berlin tied for sixth, and Vienna was eighth.

The top 10 cities in the overall ranking were all in Eastern Europe save for Malta and Lisbon. Many cities that are normally associated with cuisine fell into the bottom half of the list. Rome was 19th, and Paris a disappointing 24th.

The bottom two spots went to Oslo, at 29th, and Stockholm at 30th. Both were hurt by their high meal prices and low scores for pubs and fast food.

Source: Uswitch.com