The bars that time forgot: The institution of Prague’s Old-Czech ‘pajzl’

"Pajzl" is a difficult one to translate. The closest English equivalent would be "dive bar", but the Czech word also hints at the notion of "local pub".

Not just any local pub, but the sort of place that looks forbidding and intimidating from the outside, where they serve beer you've barely ever heard of, where food options are limited to peanuts, crisps, and centuries-old hermelín, and where you’re as likely to see older men and their dogs as you are young families and artsy students.

This breed of establishment is, unfortunately, slowly disappearing in favor of the new, the bright and the shiny. Nothing wrong with progress, of course, but it might be worth taking a moment to indulge in some nostalgia about what is being lost.

Below is a list of “pajzl” bars in Prague, places where time (and prices) seem to have stopped still.

We start in Prague 10, so you'll get your money's worth out of your lítačka at least. Despite the luscious vegetation that abounds, unsuspecting passersby might be forgiven for finding the exterior somewhat intimidating.

The interior, too, was not designed to dispel this initial impression, with mismatching furniture, confusing murals and yesterday's football match being repeated on the television screen. But the jokey staff, canine activity, and jovial, familial atmosphere are enough to know you’ve discovered a gem.

The beer on tap is a highly palatable Braník. If you’d like something to eat, your best bet is to go home and make dinner. Yet if you stay for more than one beer, you’ll make friends for life.

V Zátiší – not to be confused with the fine dining restaurant in Prague 1 – is a place where everyone knows each other and where no-one feels the need to exchange texts messages because they know where to find each other every evening. But if you think such a place might be a bit exclusive or shy about taking on new members, think again. The opposite is true: the crowd is a most welcoming one.

Address: Brigádníků 1967, Prague 10

A bit more central this time: Karlín. This pub is officially designated a "herna", a kind of down-market casino with fruit machines, darts and scratchcards. But the greater part of the clientele is just here for a drink and the brisk exchange of ideas.

Once again, not the sort of aesthetics that would inspire quietude on the part of the uninitiated, but the beer is a brilliant Holba. In terms of food, there is a theoretical frozen pizza on offer, and nothing else.

That doesn't mean you'll go hungry, and it’s perfectly possible that an inspired fellow customer will pop out for a moment and return with ice lollies for everyone.

It's also quite common to see gentlemen indulging in supermarket carrier-bagful of cold meats and cheeses, to be consumed amidst the general conversation taking place in the middle of the room. Congenial and informal about sums it up.

Address: Sokolovská 118-126, Prague 8

Perhaps Prague’s "nádražka" (train station) pubs deserve their own category, but the one in Dejvice is a bit different. There were plans to do away with the institution, but a local petition gathered enough signatures to keep the iconic venue alive – for the time being.

Equipped with a small garden and a separate terrace from which you can observe (closely) the passing trains, the place is packed with character. There is a kind of joy and liveliness to the evening here that feels as spontaneous as it does authentic.

Your choice of beer is Staropramen, and potential food is sparse. It really is the charm of the place that does it. There is something heartwarming about seeing the old couple in the corner having their ritual afternoon beer in the same room as passionate arts students discussing their next radically avant-garde project.

Address: Václavkova 1, Prague 6

The name of our fourth choice translates to "the Iron Maiden Restaurant", which is fairly forbidding on its own - a reference to the heavy metal band named after the Medieval torture device.

Apart from a good deal of the décor being Iron Maiden memorabilia, they also put on heavy metal concerts and punk rock festivals in the summer – so maybe not your first choice for dinner when your grandparents come for a visit.

Even though it is a restaurant, it’s perfectly fine to go only to drink beer, and many people do just that. Despite the Devil-music, this is a massively family-friendly establishment. Not only is there a play area for children, there's even a small swimming pool for them in summer.

Since you're basically halfway into the forest here, many people come with their dogs, and it makes the ideal venue for your less formal sort of wedding reception. Not only that, it is a very and genuinely friendly place.

Address: Plzeňská 279, Prague 5

We’re back in the center now, a spitting distance from the National Monument to the Heroes of the Heydrich Period. The bar is named after the owner's dog (now sadly deceased) rather than the opera, and no one is really sure how this place has managed to survive in the heart of Prague 1.

There are several dogs in residence, never mind the occasional visitor. The place is dingy in the extreme, the beer is Primátor, and the staff, whom we suspect have very likely not been sober since the early 1990s, are incredibly welcoming.

You can as easily see retired friends making an evening of it here as you can students relaxing after their final exams. And the music comes from a Jukebox, with which anyone is free to interfere, so the soundtrack lurches from Czech classics from the 1970s to modern pop music. Cheap, cash-only, cozy, intimate – nothing can go wrong.

Address: Na Zderaze 11, Prague 1

This pub is attached to some sports facilities next to the Vysočanská metro station, so it might come as a bit of a surprise that most customers' sporting days saw their twilight during the Communist regime, but it really is a fabulous place.

The beer is Březňák, and most people enjoy a glass with a shot. The food available is whatever soup they made that day. The staff are as indifferent as they are friendly, and expect Honza or Jarda to approach you at some point to explain international politics through the medium of swear words.

It is also equally likely you'll turn up on an evening when they're having one of their numerous country music concerts. On such occasions, the atmosphere is glorious. Just remember to wear your dancing shoes.

Address: Zákostelní 00, Prague 9