Autumn on your plate: Where to taste the season in Prague

As temperatures cool, Prague restaurants are embracing the deeper, richer flavors that define this time of year. Across the city, autumn menus are built around the ingredients that thrive in the Czech countryside—hearty game, succulent wild mushrooms, sweet root vegetables, and juicy late-harvest fruits, to name a few. 

We asked the experts at Ambiente to share some of their recommendations on where to taste autumn’s signature flavors across Prague, to inspire your palate this season.   

Revered for its deep, woodsy flavor and lean tenderness, locally sourced venison meat takes center stage on seasonal menus across Prague. Kuchyň’s “venison feast” captures that wild essence in its purest form: slow-roasted cuts paired with root vegetables and rich jus, served in a setting that overlooks Prague Castle. 

Čestr, often celebrated for its steaks and other Czech classics, reimagines this autumn favorite in a funkier form. Try their langoš, topped with shredded deer meat, for a delicious blend of street-food comfort and distinguished flavor. 

At Výčep Korunní, the kitchen showcases the versatility of venison in dishes like skewers with mallard and loin, dusted with hemp crumble, demonstrating that this hearty autumn delicacy can be both rustic and elegant.

Few ingredients capture a season quite as vividly as wild Czech mushrooms, their earthy aroma seamlessly drifting from Bohemian forests to dining tables around the country. More than a side note, these succulent little morsels can be paired with just about any dish—roasted sides, folded into pasta dishes, or mixed into sauces that exemplify why Prague chefs treat them like prominent royal jewels.

At Čestr, a mix of roasted wild mushrooms arrives glistening with butter and herbs, their edges crisped and smoky, the flavor deepened by a touch of garlic and thyme. U Kalendů takes a similar approach, roasting mushrooms until they caramelize and garnishing with thyme and a bit of garlic, letting their natural richness shine. 

For something extra special, head to Alma, where the kitchen pairs silky spätzle with wild mushrooms, binding the two together with a velvety sauce that’s earthy, nutty, and faintly sweet.

From sweet carrots and parsnips to deep-red beets and smoky celeriac, these once humble kitchen staples have long anchored Prague’s cold-weather menus. Each fall, restaurants seek new ways to reinvent root vegetables and prove that plant-based dishes are worthy of standing on their own as a main course. 

To sample this seasonal experimentation, pop into Štangl, where Czech wagyu with eggplant doughnut, ponzu jelly, horseradish mayo, and lovage brings an unexpected brightness and texture to a traditional dish. Etapa’s autumn harvest menu also turns roasted roots into colorful compositions layered with ferments, grains, and herbs. 

At Kro Vršovice, the kitchen highlights its versatility in rotating seasonal dishes, pairing caramelized roots with crisp greens. For a Mediterranean twist, Sugo mixes them into autumnal pasta specials, blending Czech heartiness with Italian richness.

With local harvest flavors at their peak, the city’s bartenders and pastry chefs are busy turning plums, rosehips, and other fruits into memorable creations that carefully balance sweetness, tartness, and spice. 

At Pult, seasonal sours combine juicy plum and fragrant rosehip for a playful, tangy kick. Feel extra autumnal at the quaint and cozy Šodó, which delivers autumn dessert specials featuring caramelized apples, spiced pears, and toasted nuts. 

Over at Myšák, classic sweets are reimagined with seasonal twists, like their pumpkin cappuccino dusted with a hint of gingerbread. From inventive cocktails to indulgent desserts, these dishes and drinks usher in Prague’s seasonal spirit with every bite.

Whether you’re working through some slow-roasted venison and butter-slicked mushrooms or cutting into some modern takes on beets, parsnips, and plums, don’t let fall pass you by without tasting these popular seasonal dishes from the Czech capital’s most talented chefs.