Prague's Honest Guide taken to court after exposing restaurant tourist scam

Czech journalist and video blogger Janek Rubeš, who is one half of the Honest Guide YouTube channel that helps tourists in Prague, is facing a lawsuit from a restaurant owner near Prague Castle.

It claims that a video published on his online channel damaged her business. The owner is demanding a public apology, removal of the video, and financial compensation in the amount of hundreds of thousands of Czech crowns.

The video, created with fellow content creator Jan Mikulka, focused on viewer tips and negative reviews about the restaurant. In the footage, Rubeš and Mikulka described not receiving a menu and being ejected from the establishment during a previous visit. The video referred to the pub as a “tourist trap.”

While filming, the pair recorded waitstaff and the owner pouring beer from a plastic bottle into a pint glass. The dispute centers on whether this practice misled customers expecting draft beer. A branded tap and promotional stand from a major brewery were present at the restaurant, though it did not specify the type of beer being served.

In the video, Rubeš commented: “There’s nothing wrong with that. From my point of view, it’s non-standard, strange, from Pražák’s point of view I would say remarkable, but it doesn’t mean it violates any law.”

Following the video's release, the restaurant owner issued a pre-litigation summons, which Rubeš and Mikulka believed resolved the matter. However, the woman proceeded to file a lawsuit, alleging the video portrays her business as one that “scams and cheats tourists.”

“Yes, again – I think it’s a tourist trap," he said. "It is a place where tourists get lower quality for a higher price.” Referencing past customer bills, he noted that a pint of 12-degree beer cost CZK 330 and fries CZK 90.

Rubeš addressed the situation in a new video, stating: “I have great respect for the court and the institution of justice, and I think everyone should have the right to defend themselves.” 

He said the goal of their content is to draw attention to problematic practices in Prague’s tourist areas, not to cause personal harm. “We want to continue to share the entire process publicly because we believe it is important for people not to be afraid to point out things they think are wrong.”

Rubeš and Mikulka are behind the Honest Guide YouTube channel, producing videos that help visitors navigate Prague safely and wisely. Other tourist scams they highlight are overcharging taxis, currency-exchange tricks, and grossly unfair highway vignette sales. The pair also underline the dangers of overtourism.