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I'm from Czechia, mostly I agree with you, but two things are (from my point of view) different. 1) It isn't necessary to take a reservation when you want to go to the restaurant, I or my friends don't usually do it. We just come there, choose a table we want and sit there (only check the table isn't reserved - there is no sign "reservation" on it). Only if I am going to the restaurant with a lot of people then I make a reservation to be sure. 2) When a waiter brings you bread with your dish you can freely eat it and don't pay for it. Only if you ask him to bring some then it's more than possible they wants a payment for it. The same is with the ketchup, if it's already on the table (next to salt) when you come it's free to use. Only if you ask for something they don't bring to you automatically you have to pay for it (it's something extra which doesn't belong to your order) everything else Jane said in this video is 100 % true from my experience
1) In Prague Friday,Saturday is very dfficult to get table in more known places. It's depserate sometimes to even call somewhere at 17h and get table at 20h 2) In Prague center sometimes they want to charge for that and mostly if bread is already on the table, than it is charged
@@Desperoro yeah I got the reservation. It's actually same with pubs in Brno (only on the buisiest days of year). But the bread thing is crazy to me. If it happened to anyone I know they'd be pretty rude and would even argue for an hour to not pay for the bread basket. It's usually paid for but you don't generally pay for something you haven't order. Then I know it's probably a tourist trap and Czechs don't typically eat there.
It used to be common to get a basket of bread or pastries on the table with some meals or soup, but you only paid for as many pieces as you took. Today, bread is often already included in the price of the meal with which it is served.
@@krystofk.2279 These are my thought exactly. I live in Prague my entire life and to be fair I don't think it's very common to have bread/pastries at the table. But if they are there, then you for sure don't pay. Feels like a tourist trap to me for sure.
Regarding the bread/pastries, I think Jen is talking about the appetizer (which is served separately before you'd get your meal), not the side dish (which you'd get with your order and its price is included already). TBH I've only experienced the appetizer bread once in my life in a pizzeria however I don't really go to restaurants often so I can't tell how common this actually could be.
About the side dishes. Certain meals are served with a specific side dish. For example, svíčková is always served with dumplings, so it's going to be listed on the menu with dumplings. You might have a chance to choose between bread and Carlsbad dumplings though. And then there are dishes that don't have an established side dish, a steak for example. So it's generally listed as it is and you choose the side dish yourself from the ”přílohy“ section. The variety is most usually boiled potatoes, baked potatoes (which we call American), fries, croquette or grilled vegetables.
One huge difference is Americans are pretty diligent about cleaning up poop after their dogs. Czechs not so much. Also, Americans spay and neuter their pets lot more often than Czechs.
@@jessica_fletcherovaHlavně spousta Čechů má svého čtyřnohého mazlíčka víc, než za boha. A tak odmítají dodržovat nařízení a ještě se cítí dotčení, když je na to někdo upozorní.
About payment. I think usual is following. "Katka" will come to your table to take some empty things or just to ask if you need something more. This is the best time to say "no, thanks, I want pay already". She then asks if you will pay together or for individual persons and often she will say that you should go to pay to the desk/computer (shown in video). If you have not enough time to wait for the communication with "Katka" about payment, and there is such desk/computer, it is quite usual and normal to go there and wait there. Soon somebody will come and you can pay. At the desk say from which table you are, if you want pay using card or using cash, and if you pay everything or just a part (if you are not the last one :)).
Nice video as usual, thank you. I have one small thing to add. I've seen a ton of tourists' videos from Prague. Many tourists let their "elegant" baseball caps on their heads, while sitting in the pub/restaurant. It is considered to be kinda rude, if a man lets his head covered in an inner space. (Excluding a visit in a synagogue.) Ladies are supposed to let their chic hats on, of course.
Wanted to help with what the English term is for Svařák it Is called mulled wine. I know many people translate it to “hot wine” since it seems to make sense to translate svařené víno to that, but that is the official English name for it.
I was going to say the same. Since the advent of Christmas markets, with their many German stalls, mulled wine has become even more popular here in the UK and you even hear people calling it 'Glühwein' too as that is what it's usually advertised and sold as. Nobody ever calls it 'hot wine'. It's either 'mulled wine' or 'Glühwein'.
About the free food - I am native and a lot of restaurants will give you free bread if you´re having soup or something like that, but I guess it´s not the case for "touristy" restaurants. But if you´re unsure, just ask if the thing is for free or not:).
Nothing is free! Only difference is who paying for that. Either customer directly have that on the receipt or it is included in the other food(s) price. Or maybe the owner of the bussiness include that in some tax deductible bracket or will end in red numbers.
Hi Jen. In Czech, I always gave tips in cash for the waitress separated from bill. Now I live in Australia.🇦🇺 We don't tip here, but restaurant meal is a luxury (very expensive). Even coffee costs $8.50 Thank u dear Jen for describing your life in my homeland with such passion. Love to watch every episode.🇨🇿
Yes, in some/ many restaurants and caffees they prefer tips in cash. If it's included in the electronic payment they'd need to report it and pay taxes out of it while when it's in cash...
@@rehurekj That is not the main issue with credit card payment. Bigger problem is, that owner of restaurant often keeps tips for himself and waiter gets nothing.
In Czech = v českém, nebo v Čechovi? Of course, the tip is for the waiter or cook, not the owner. When I pay by card, I tip the attendant some extra coin in cash. Importantly, tipping in a decent restaurant is not seen as an obligation. A waiter who looks offended that he received a small or no tip would be an impolite bumpkin. If the price of the food is richly commensurate with its quality, there is no reason to add a tip. Tipping is only a sign of extreme whim or satisfaction. There are many other useful services or professions where tipping is not customary at all. In restaurants with counter sales, tips are usually not given. However, there are people who tip (in the form of rounding off the price) even to the conductor on the train or the cashier at the cinema.
I do not eat out in Prague much, but around the country I really almost never have a problem substituting one side order for another even on a set meal (meníčka) unless they have actually run out of the item or it is a truely industrial-size eating establishment (aquapark...). 30 years ago it was a bit frowned on, but mostly still not a problem. Also, I have noted with satisfaction how more sit down burger places automactically put toppings on the side so you can chooose what you want.
Dalsi super dil Jen. Ohledne tech hranolek, ja jsem presvedcen, ze samotne hranolky ve vetsine pripadu vydaji. Kazdopadne pokud ne, domnivam se (a dyztak me pripadni cisnici nebo restaurateri opravte), ze duvodem neni, ze by zbyl steak bez hranolek, ale duvodem je, ze zkratka nemaji samotne hranolky zadane v POS a tedy cisnik to nema jak zauctovat ...
Vsechny podniky co znam maji 'hranolky' nebo 'domaci smazene bramburky' jako samostatnou polozku, jestli existuje podnik co to nema tak je to nejaka anomalie. \o/
@@petrpuna8958 jako nevim, mozne to je. Ale kdyz jdu s zenou na pivo a nechce si v restauraci vybrat jidlo, protoze proste je zvykla jist jina jidla nez treba ceskou kuchyni a presto by mlsla, voli variantu, prineste mi hranolky a kecup ... a jeste jsem nepotkal restauraci, kde by to odmitli. A pokud by to odmitli, ona by si stejne zadne jine jidlo nedala. Takze za moji family by si tim nijak nepomohli, naopak by mohli prodat aspon ty hranolky.
Third common way of tipping in a restaurant in addition to rounding up cash or saying a bigger price when paying with card: When waiter brings you the bill and you choose to pay with card, you'll get the bill in a booklet or on a small tray or plate. You pay the exact amount with card and afterwards you can leave a cash tip in the place where bill was brought to you. If the restaurant or pub is not crowded, you can leave after doing this, but sometimes you want to make sure the waiter takes the tray or booklet and only leave after. Enjoy your stay :)
Main recomandation...don't go into restaurant in Center of Prague if you want to safe money...Other thing is that may be in California servers are asking about things...in Virginia...not at all...They just ask if you enjoyed meal which is usual everywhere.
1) Before you order any service, dont be lazy to check on the internet what price should you expect. We are excimmunism country and stealing is sadly in someone’s core. 2) if you wanna see Czech republic - leave Prague. Just go somewhere where arent tourists. If you are in area flooded by tourists you aint in Czech :) 3) try to communicate in our language - learn few basic words in Czech - “ahoj, jedno pivo prosim” = “hi, one beer please” can make you feel like home. 4) dont blindly trust anyone who come to you and talk to you - their intention can be bad for you.
@@nonamenosurname8516 Dekuji! I am currently trying really hard to learn the language and I think Duolingo is doing a surprisingly good job at giving me the basics. I think it’s so important to learn language of a place you’ll be staying for some time. I appreciate the tips!
3) my advice is “Ahoj,…” in the bar, “Dobrý den, …” in the restaurant, beer pub, through the day. It’s more polite. I have quite a picture of some places where they will try to f*ck with you just for saying “Ahoj” even if you don’t know them. It’s too familiar greeting 🥲
As Czech guy I do not giving tips in percentage of total bill. If the food was delicious and I am glad with waiter and waiting time so my tip is: come to the restaurant again or recommended the restaurant to other people. This is in my opinion the best way how to appreciate the whole restaurant and every employee in restaurant. I am not saying that I never ever give the tip. Sometimes I give some small tip in cash and paying the bill by card. But it is not typical. Because I am used to pay by card (mean mobile phonein 99% cases) everywhere and not used to use physicall money.
I do not give a tip only when the service is bad or waiters are rude otherwise my tip ranges mostly between 10 to 25%. Only very few pubs is not able to process the tip (well technically they are but it is mostlzly just the political statement as they dont want pay taxes from that additional income - if you pay in cash they do not record it so no taxes)
I think this "nothing-is-for-free" policy is only in tourist destinations or bigger city centres. I have never experienced paying for bread to gulash (not even after asking for more). But you advice is totally valid! It is interesting to hear about the common things we Czechs simply know although nobody taught us on purpose (except that fork and knive thing, children learn this at school actually as a basic etiquette). :-)
I haven’t thought of that! But you are spot on! when it comes to US and not putting knives+forks together after finishing the meal, yes many don’t do that! :) which is a bit funny since it’s more or less compulsory to learn that in kindergarten (!) in Sweden :)
Just returned from my latest trip to Prague( first snow in the season so everything looked properly touristy there, specially in evening) and I think you should deffo include Vietnamese cuisine( its usually the northern variety in Czechia) as part of Czech traditional food options now, i think after all those years and decades and how well integrated and compatible with Czechs Vietnamese turned out to be( and how good genuine Vietnamese food is- now when they mostly stopped trying to make it look and taste more like Chinese) they deserve to be acknowledged specially when Czech ppl generally like them and consider them and Vietnamese food as one of their own( unlike e.g. trdelnik which is still 99% only tourist thing and just like originally Hungarian langos or how they treat in neighbouring Germany their doner kebab or curry wurst)
You should try Old Hanoi restaurant near metro station Anděl if you visit Prague again. I would say that most of vietnamese restaurants have more like mix of all asian cuisines.
@Pidalin yes, there's quite few Korean ones, too, Ive been just commenting that in the past, like e.g. in 90s when they started their businesses, many Vietnamese bistros and such been making kung pao or fried cheese and such, but nothing really Vietnamese as they attempted to adapt everything to what they think was Czech taste, and everything tasted off and funny IMO, it took them some time before they started cooking proper Vietnamese and it's only then when it became really popular.
The thing with substitutions or asking for some ingredients being taken out of the food you are ordering - well, I have never had a problem with that in any Czech restaurant. As long as it is food from which the thing I dont like can be taken out easily, nobody ever told me it cant be done etc. But when it comes to really customizing your food completely, thats not really a thing here.
You should also add "do not put your knife and fork together unless you are actually finished", or they will take the food away from you before you're finished. :D
I think it is pretty common to pay separately for the dishes even at your table in Czechia. The terminal serving as the "order collector" and card reader is usually able to make it possible for anyone to pay for himself/herself only. Sometimes, the waiter/waitress passes this terminal into your hands during the payment to enter the tip by yourself.
One notable exception about side dishes: Steakhouses, but they are fancy and obviously not typical Czech restaurants. In more common restaurants it may depend on the meal being not on the daily menu, but in the permanent selection like the goulash or fried cheese, which may not be prepared in advance. Then I can imagine potatoes being an almost universal alternative side-dish with large part of the Czech cuisine. Dumplings, rice, fries, lentils, croquettes, Brussels sprout or (green) beans can be replaced with potatoes. Not so the other way around. Of course it's different with meals like (Old Bohemian) Kuba, "Šumajstr", risotto, pasta or filled dumplings.
About the side dishes... waitresses usually explain they have fixed items in their register system and if you order something they only serve as part of the whole meal, they have no way to charge it.
Hi Jane, thanks for another excellent and (as always) funny post! Just a question: What is the name of the restaurant where the post was filmed, please? Thanks a lot!
Great video. I prefer to make sure that the staff member gets the tip from me and so even when I pay by card I always have some cash with me and tip in cash. I either give it to the person directly or I leave it on the table and they will pick it up afterwards.
As a Belgian I order my goulash with fries and mayo (it's a traditional Belgian dish, stoofvlees met frietjes). At first they look at me as if I'm some kind of weirdo but in the end it never is a problem... I get my goulash and fries 😂 Even my Czech girlfriend is convinced of this combo... it took her a while but once you know, you know.
Did you ever thought about something like educating yourself? Jury is not a thing endemic to the USA. In Czech lands juries were a thing before 1948. Seems that you do not have idea at all. Unfortunately we live in the world full of uneducated shallow people...
Zajímavé. Jen k těm samostatným hranolkům bych doplnil, že třeba Staroměstská restaurace na Staroměstském náměstí , má na jídelním lístku k pivu 200 je gr. hranolků za 149,- Kč.😂 Je dobré něco vyzkoušet mimo turistický střed města, nějaký typický český lokál jako je Lokál nad Stromovkou, nebo pivnici U Černého vola v Loretánské ulicí, nebo U ševce Matouše tamtéž...atd.
Most of what you said is the same in other European countries. A major thing which in time disappeared, is the use of the cloak room, or garderobe, as they call it. Before 1989 it was a strict rule to leave your coat in the cloak room or coat stand. They hated guests from West European countries who came and just put their coats on an empty chair or the back of the seat. Often a cloak room is manned by an older lady, who will shout "garderobe" at the ignorant West tourist. Or when you do sit down with your coat on the empty chair next to you, the waiter will look at you disapprovingly and point to the garderobe or coat stand at the entrance.
Another fantastic video, thank you so much! So glad I found your channel-- you're helping me plan my upcoming trip so well. One thing I can't resist adding is that I wince at the cultural observation which began around the 8:10 timestamp. Oh that sort of behaviour ought to be completely eradicated. It just would NOT work in a country like, say, Japan. You take what you order, as is. Ordering hard working, stressed chefs around like that, to cater to you (the centre of the universe at all times) is the height of idiocy and bad behaviour. Living outside of the country you were born and raised in certainly gives one powerful insights and clarity that one simply would never gain living INSIDE the culture. Your quirky, honest tips are funny and super helpful. Thank you so much.
Ještě bych dodal že ne vždy spropitne náleží servirce ( obsluze obecně ) , setkavám se s tim že si je nesmí nechat. A to i v případě kdy u terminalu na kartu maj na vyber kolik chcete dát jako dýíško. Sice to tam je ale k obsluze se to nedostane a majtel to stopí.
Sifon? V Praze že by někdo objednával moravsky? Sifón je v Praze leda tak špinavá výlevka v umyvadle. Vy jste nějaký Moravák, co v turistické restauraci na Staromáku oškubává cizince, a štve vás, když někdo málo utrácí?
I once witnessed some probably ill informed tourists order “svickova” with tartar sauce in addition to it. I still kind of question the waiter’s decision to keep quiet about the fact it’s a terrible idea, probably suggested as a prank by someone who’d know exactly what’d be nearly guaranteed to follow. :) (for those without imagination: lengthy tour-de-prague-restrooms)
Just left the Czech pub Kulatak and I asked both my husband and mother in law how to ask for another Sprite because the waiter that waited on us at the beginning avoided eye contact with me every time she passed by. We eventually grabbed another waiters attention 😆
IN most restaurants when you order only french fries you get french fries, most of them they have side dishes extra, only by menu of the day isnt most posible to change side dishes
I have usually been able to customise my order a little bit. I'm allergic to dairy and I was usually able to ask for butter to be swapped for dome other kind of oil. Many restaurants also offer sides separately :you can order schnitzel with fries, potatoes, mash, or even rice (if you're Korean). Maybe things are different in Prague, but outside of Prague you can get away with a lot. If you're not vegan😅.
Hey there, im from Czech and like your videos :D But id like to tell you somethink about paying tips with credit cards. If you pay with credit cards, then banks take taxes from it, so if you pay 50czk as tips by credit cards, waitress will never get all, because of taxes. So paying for meal by credit card is ok, but leave tips only in physical money and you can be 100% sure, that waitress will get it all ;-)
Hezké video. Věřím, že turista mimo Prahu by se divil o kolik levnější je restaurace. Typ: Šlo by udělat video o tom jak snadné je si zajet vlakem mimo Prahu na 1 denní výlet. Tohle totiž zatím moc turisté nedělají. Vlakem do Kolína, Pardubic, Plzně a Podobně.
round up is NOT tiping, its nice gesture to do math easier (that you give some extra money to waiters is just sideefect), also tiping is NOT mandatory, we actualy PAY our waiters as any normal employee, so if you dont tip, nobody give f.. and if they do, they just scam the tourist/amuricans btw if you give waiters any money extra in bill payment, these money she CANT take for herself, she put them as any paiment to cash register, and IF she get any depending on owner/ company accountant, also these money are taxed as income, so these "tips" are nothing like tips in US a
Not exactly. I pay by card and that skips any round up issues so it is a tip.
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Jako sice servírky a číšníci dostávají výplatu, ale stále jsou, aspoň teda v Praze, tipy téměř nepostradatelnou součástí výdělku personálu na plazu. A dál teda nechápu co myslíš tím Bill payment a že jsou ty peníze zdaněný? Když platíš cash a dáš tip tak se normálně na konci udělá tržba a přebytek jsou Dyska. Nevím jak to chceš zdanit. Tax this dick.😅
Nice vid. One thing I have to disagree about though - I've never had a problem getting a side dish like fries on its own - sadly, for me as a vegetarian, there are still Czech restaurants that don't serve much else (in the 21st century - imagine that!) than side dishes without meat - at least it's not really a huge problem for me (already being used to this kind of s**t) since 99 % of places WILL serve you a side dish no problem (yes, fish IS a meat too, LOL)...
It has been a while now, but my wife and I tried to order beer and 'American potatoes' right upfront before deciding what to order for our main course, and a bitch of a waitress came out swinging that that's not how it's done and no side dishes could be ordered without a main course. My wife doesn't speak Czech but she sensed something was off. I told the "hospitality industry employee" that we were going to order dinner later, but after her performance, we'd do so elsewhere. As we were leaving the place, the little darling was already at the tap bitching to the other employees that someone dared to ask for, well, what I described above. I'd say "kdo neveri at tam bezi..." but there is a different pub there now, so maybe they've changed their manners.
depends on the place, I guess. More fancy restaurants usually list complete meals (name of the meal and underneath it says what everything is included). They usually provide a small choice of sides (eg. potatoes/rice), unless it is a traditional set meal. In places where people go eat during their job lunch-break instead of a cantine, they may list meats and sides separately, and you can combine freely, to accommodate as many lunch-eaters as possible.
Back in the day when I lived in Czechia, one other method that usually worked was just to place your wallet on the corner of the table. Just to hint that you are ready to pay. Things may have changed, and perhaps they are different in busy restaurants ran for tourists. But the calm ones in the mountains and by the local roads, that usually worked. There is also something called "Mavatko" and you will find it at the end of a menu, sometimes with a price next to it. That's what you're gonna pay if you call on the server or wave at him to come over. It is rude. Some better restaurants don't like that behavior, so it is probably mentioned in the menu to discourage such behavior. Next time i go Czechia, i ll call every server "Katka". :D
Hi Jen My partner and I from New Zealand are heading to Prague late April for 5 days. I am downloading apps and could not find the Prague Local Foodies app. Could you direct me to where I could find this. I am enjoying your videos. It appears New Zealanders are a lot like Czechs
I absolutely love your videos. You make me laugh. I am a Czech girl living in London and I can tell you, even British people love to queue. I would never queue. When I see a queue, I run away. 😂 And yeah I remember queuing for bread during communism and it was horrible. Same with calling a waiter to your tablet. Eye contact is everything 😉 You're spot on and your videos are bringing a piece of home to me... So thank you 🙏
I usually tip in cash and pay the bill by credit card, that's what I do often. Also, I seldom order a side dish, but when I did, the staff never had problem with it.
@@yanoshack lol, tahle vláda za to nemůže. DPH, daň z příjmu, odvody na SaZP jsou furt bez ohledu na vládu. Jakmile to projde bankou, tak se to všechno daní.
Již tě sleduji dost dlouho s tím placením kartou to ale dělám jinak zaplatím kartou ale vždy mám nějaké drobné tak zpropitné dávám v hotovosti přijde mi to takové osobnější
Saying thank you after handing out the bills to a waitress means that she can keep the change as a tip. I love how angry tourists are getting when they don't get their change back :D Do I also think it's a stupid habit? Yes but, it's funny to watch :D
Yeah, altering your food around here is not common... Really the only place, where I ever ran into it, was a KFC, who ran out of correct BBQ sauce for the Grander, so they made me one with the sauce for Currito (sidenote, I don't understand, why that's not on the menu. It was really good). But if you have health problems with certain foods or are on a diet for health reasons, most places will try their best to comply with your needs.
Hi Jen, I just realised and wanted to ask. Do Americans really expect that waiter is interested in their day but really surprised when we honestly replay to "How do you do" questions? 🤔🤣
I live in America and I don't have conversations with the wait staff. I tell them my order and maybe ask for the bill at the end (if they didn't bring it) and that's really it.
Yes we eat with forks and knives but it looks like many tourists don't know that and put dumpling into their hands. I've seen so many vlogs and videos and don't get it why they do it.
Jen, nevěřím že když zaplatíš spropitné kartou, tak ho dostane ta servírka. Myslím že to jde podniku a chudák holka nedostane nic, pouze v hotovosti je pro ni možné získat spropitné.
většina restauračních systémů to už umí odlišit a spropitné jde na nějaký ten interní účet obsluhy. a pokud to tak v restaraci nemají, tak se většinou sami ozvou, že jako dýško cash. Ale už se mi to dlouho nestalo
Some talking points sound like 90s stereotypes :) Side dishes are not a problem, never have been for me. Customer service has been westernized massively in past 20 years and plenty of restaurants want their waiters and waitresses to be knowledgeable about what they cook and how they cook it. My experience is that if you wanna talk turkey about the food, you will get tons of information, and if you wanna do small talk, you will get the look. Some restaurants offer a basket of free condiments with the main dish and some will get you bread, olive oil and pepper as a snack while you drink wine and wait for first dish, for free ofc. Fancier restaurants usually prepare a small starter for free or even bring few things from tasting menu to the table.
Nice video, I've enjoyed every minute :) The two comments I'd like to highlit are about leaving your jacket&umbrella,cap, gloves,... at the coat rack close to the main entrance if there i one (therefore not spreading mud, water and snow all over the place) and PLEASE, take off the cap/hood or whatever thing it is on the top of your head (other than hair, obviously). Yes, there are very few exceptions (like elegant lady's hat on an evening occasion, costume party, synagogues...) but generally this is like „please, don't“. And one point from myself- I think I've seen it in one of your older videos- generally please lower your voice. In both of your excitement (the high pinched „jeeeiiii“ is tearing ears off) and loundness. Not only that Katka is not interested about your stay here, none of the other guests is! =D Is ear-tearing actually an idiom in english? I made it out as a translation to „uširvoucí“ „trhá mi to uši“...
That tipping system is quite weird even as a native, this looks quite unpolite and it looks like some aution house, best offer win. Several times I also met with QR code at the corner of the table, you can pay with your smarphone, but you need extra app for that. (Or I am not sure if it is not different now). When I was unsatisfied with the service, I simply pay exact amount without a tip. But I was uncertain if I can just walk away.
If you're in an unfamiliar place and want to tip, just ask the waitress if she receives tips from card payments. Some moronic restaurant owners keep these tips for themselves. In such cases, avoid tipping greedy owner and instead give the waitress her tip in cash. It's terrible that this still happens in some places.
People see a line, assume it must be good, and go stand in line. It's easy to get fooled into thinking a restaurant is great because there's a line. When I went to Rome, I was at a restaurant with a line but they were all tourists. 😅 If they had been locals, I would have been impressed.
@@Pidalin ale prdlajs. Prágl is not Czechia. Obviously you end in que from time to time (usually in shops) but we are not doing waiting in line as something typical
@@Gil-galad12 Don't tell me that you are from Portugal, that would be too big conicidense. 😀 There were linese everywhere, to enter bus, mega line for some time passes for public transportation, in Prague when you see such line, you just go buy it to some other place, you will never join 50m long line, Czech person would never do that. 😀
@@Pidalin no, I am Czech so I know what I am talking about Czechs and waiting in lines. As Jen said many times LA is not USA and Prague is not Czechia. They are exception and not the rule
While the video is generally on point I kept thinking surely Czech waiters are not this bad. I would say about substitutions and ordering extra sides. While certain substitutions are frowned upon at the very least. Some like mainly sides are completely ok. And I have never heard of any restaurant having precisely counter amount of fries/steaks to combine. Although that might have been a joke, since that's basically impossible/impractical. Also while this is kind of useless to non native Czech speakers. I am 90% sure Jen's opinion of Czech waiters has been sullied by people who probably didn't speak English very well and wanted to just take her order and peace out as soon as possible.
Tourist and well known expensive restaurants treat customer differently than ordinery pubs with "meníčka". Get fries added to another dish (even to Guláš - looking at you germans) is possible almost anywhere. Only sometimes is impossible to get just side dish without ordering proper meal (maybe for kids). Some restaurants offer payment with QR code. So you don´t have to talk to waiter. It is awesome. Tips: I am not fan of them. It is very strange that only this field has this "optional obligatory" to get the tip and salary can be lower because of that. I want waiters to get proper salary. I want to give my thanks with positive review and returning back. But I also tip, if: - everything was ok - price for value was as expected and I got what I expected for that price. (not 0.2l coke for 50 crowns) or not get lower portion than expected - service did something more "than regluar". Recommended good meal, good drink suitable for meal, brought something extra, reserved great table, styed over hours...
Yeah, we even have an app, OpenTable, to make reservations at restaurants. Maybe that wasn't around 11 years ago, or Jen wasn't aware of or used to it.
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I'm from Czechia, mostly I agree with you, but two things are (from my point of view) different.
1) It isn't necessary to take a reservation when you want to go to the restaurant, I or my friends don't usually do it. We just come there, choose a table we want and sit there (only check the table isn't reserved - there is no sign "reservation" on it). Only if I am going to the restaurant with a lot of people then I make a reservation to be sure.
2) When a waiter brings you bread with your dish you can freely eat it and don't pay for it. Only if you ask him to bring some then it's more than possible they wants a payment for it. The same is with the ketchup, if it's already on the table (next to salt) when you come it's free to use. Only if you ask for something they don't bring to you automatically you have to pay for it (it's something extra which doesn't belong to your order)
everything else Jane said in this video is 100 % true from my experience
1) In Prague Friday,Saturday is very dfficult to get table in more known places. It's depserate sometimes to even call somewhere at 17h and get table at 20h
2) In Prague center sometimes they want to charge for that and mostly if bread is already on the table, than it is charged
@@Desperoro yeah I got the reservation. It's actually same with pubs in Brno (only on the buisiest days of year). But the bread thing is crazy to me. If it happened to anyone I know they'd be pretty rude and would even argue for an hour to not pay for the bread basket. It's usually paid for but you don't generally pay for something you haven't order. Then I know it's probably a tourist trap and Czechs don't typically eat there.
It used to be common to get a basket of bread or pastries on the table with some meals or soup, but you only paid for as many pieces as you took. Today, bread is often already included in the price of the meal with which it is served.
@@krystofk.2279 These are my thought exactly. I live in Prague my entire life and to be fair I don't think it's very common to have bread/pastries at the table. But if they are there, then you for sure don't pay. Feels like a tourist trap to me for sure.
Regarding the bread/pastries, I think Jen is talking about the appetizer (which is served separately before you'd get your meal), not the side dish (which you'd get with your order and its price is included already). TBH I've only experienced the appetizer bread once in my life in a pizzeria however I don't really go to restaurants often so I can't tell how common this actually could be.
About the side dishes.
Certain meals are served with a specific side dish. For example, svíčková is always served with dumplings, so it's going to be listed on the menu with dumplings. You might have a chance to choose between bread and Carlsbad dumplings though.
And then there are dishes that don't have an established side dish, a steak for example. So it's generally listed as it is and you choose the side dish yourself from the ”přílohy“ section. The variety is most usually boiled potatoes, baked potatoes (which we call American), fries, croquette or grilled vegetables.
Jen, did you make a video about diferrences between dog owners in Prague/Czech republic versus Americans? I would love that! ❤
I would love that too !
yes, a great idea 🐕🤠🐕
One huge difference is Americans are pretty diligent about cleaning up poop after their dogs. Czechs not so much. Also, Americans spay and neuter their pets lot more often than Czechs.
nikoho nezajimaji podelani coklari
@@jessica_fletcherovaHlavně spousta Čechů má svého čtyřnohého mazlíčka víc, než za boha. A tak odmítají dodržovat nařízení a ještě se cítí dotčení, když je na to někdo upozorní.
About payment. I think usual is following. "Katka" will come to your table to take some empty things or just to ask if you need something more. This is the best time to say "no, thanks, I want pay already". She then asks if you will pay together or for individual persons and often she will say that you should go to pay to the desk/computer (shown in video). If you have not enough time to wait for the communication with "Katka" about payment, and there is such desk/computer, it is quite usual and normal to go there and wait there. Soon somebody will come and you can pay. At the desk say from which table you are, if you want pay using card or using cash, and if you pay everything or just a part (if you are not the last one :)).
Nice video as usual, thank you. I have one small thing to add. I've seen a ton of tourists' videos from Prague. Many tourists let their "elegant" baseball caps on their heads, while sitting in the pub/restaurant. It is considered to be kinda rude, if a man lets his head covered in an inner space. (Excluding a visit in a synagogue.) Ladies are supposed to let their chic hats on, of course.
Toto vidis casto aj u mladych "debilkov" ja ich neviem inak nazvat, sedi v restike a capicu na hlave jak by tam bolo -20.
Wanted to help with what the English term is for Svařák it
Is called mulled wine. I know many people translate it to “hot wine” since it seems to make sense to translate svařené víno to that, but that is the official English name for it.
Good addition. "Hot wine" is also imprecise because it's not just hot wine, rather spices are added to enhance the flavor and aroma of the wine.
I was going to say the same. Since the advent of Christmas markets, with their many German stalls, mulled wine has become even more popular here in the UK and you even hear people calling it 'Glühwein' too as that is what it's usually advertised and sold as. Nobody ever calls it 'hot wine'. It's either 'mulled wine' or 'Glühwein'.
About the free food - I am native and a lot of restaurants will give you free bread if you´re having soup or something like that, but I guess it´s not the case for "touristy" restaurants. But if you´re unsure, just ask if the thing is for free or not:).
Nothing is free! Only difference is who paying for that.
Either customer directly have that on the receipt or it is included in the other food(s) price. Or maybe the owner of the bussiness include that in some tax deductible bracket or will end in red numbers.
Hi Jen.
In Czech, I always gave tips in cash for the waitress separated from bill.
Now I live in Australia.🇦🇺 We don't tip here, but restaurant meal is a luxury (very expensive). Even coffee costs $8.50
Thank u dear Jen for describing your life in my homeland with such passion. Love to watch every episode.🇨🇿
Yes, in some/ many restaurants and caffees they prefer tips in cash. If it's included in the electronic payment they'd need to report it and pay taxes out of it while when it's in cash...
@@rehurekj That is not the main issue with credit card payment. Bigger problem is, that owner of restaurant often keeps tips for himself and waiter gets nothing.
@@kkkuzi thats possible, im just repeating what waiter in one caffee in Prague, rather well known one, told us when we tried to add tip to our bill.
In Czech = v českém, nebo v Čechovi?
Of course, the tip is for the waiter or cook, not the owner. When I pay by card, I tip the attendant some extra coin in cash. Importantly, tipping in a decent restaurant is not seen as an obligation. A waiter who looks offended that he received a small or no tip would be an impolite bumpkin. If the price of the food is richly commensurate with its quality, there is no reason to add a tip. Tipping is only a sign of extreme whim or satisfaction. There are many other useful services or professions where tipping is not customary at all. In restaurants with counter sales, tips are usually not given. However, there are people who tip (in the form of rounding off the price) even to the conductor on the train or the cashier at the cinema.
Breznik1197 is right. You should work on your english... Like most of Czechs.
Very very helpful for foreign tourists! What a good job, you are almost like a local.
I do not eat out in Prague much, but around the country I really almost never have a problem substituting one side order for another even on a set meal (meníčka) unless they have actually run out of the item or it is a truely industrial-size eating establishment (aquapark...). 30 years ago it was a bit frowned on, but mostly still not a problem. Also, I have noted with satisfaction how more sit down burger places automactically put toppings on the side so you can chooose what you want.
Dalsi super dil Jen. Ohledne tech hranolek, ja jsem presvedcen, ze samotne hranolky ve vetsine pripadu vydaji. Kazdopadne pokud ne, domnivam se (a dyztak me pripadni cisnici nebo restaurateri opravte), ze duvodem neni, ze by zbyl steak bez hranolek, ale duvodem je, ze zkratka nemaji samotne hranolky zadane v POS a tedy cisnik to nema jak zauctovat ...
Vsechny podniky co znam maji 'hranolky' nebo 'domaci smazene bramburky' jako samostatnou polozku, jestli existuje podnik co to nema tak je to nejaka anomalie. \o/
Ja zas ziju v tom, ze tam, kde vam samotne prilohy neprodaji, to delaji proto, ze proste chteji prodavat cela jidla za vic penez...
@@petrpuna8958 jako nevim, mozne to je. Ale kdyz jdu s zenou na pivo a nechce si v restauraci vybrat jidlo, protoze proste je zvykla jist jina jidla nez treba ceskou kuchyni a presto by mlsla, voli variantu, prineste mi hranolky a kecup ... a jeste jsem nepotkal restauraci, kde by to odmitli. A pokud by to odmitli, ona by si stejne zadne jine jidlo nedala. Takze za moji family by si tim nijak nepomohli, naopak by mohli prodat aspon ty hranolky.
Third common way of tipping in a restaurant in addition to rounding up cash or saying a bigger price when paying with card: When waiter brings you the bill and you choose to pay with card, you'll get the bill in a booklet or on a small tray or plate. You pay the exact amount with card and afterwards you can leave a cash tip in the place where bill was brought to you. If the restaurant or pub is not crowded, you can leave after doing this, but sometimes you want to make sure the waiter takes the tray or booklet and only leave after. Enjoy your stay :)
Main recomandation...don't go into restaurant in Center of Prague if you want to safe money...Other thing is that may be in California servers are asking about things...in Virginia...not at all...They just ask if you enjoyed meal which is usual everywhere.
Leaving to study abroad in Prague in January…been binging all your videos to be prepared! Thanks for making these!
Have you also checked out Honest Guide?
@@afiiik1 I have not but thank you so much for the suggestion I will check it out :)
1) Before you order any service, dont be lazy to check on the internet what price should you expect. We are excimmunism country and stealing is sadly in someone’s core.
2) if you wanna see Czech republic - leave Prague. Just go somewhere where arent tourists. If you are in area flooded by tourists you aint in Czech :)
3) try to communicate in our language - learn few basic words in Czech - “ahoj, jedno pivo prosim” = “hi, one beer please” can make you feel like home.
4) dont blindly trust anyone who come to you and talk to you - their intention can be bad for you.
@@nonamenosurname8516 Dekuji! I am currently trying really hard to learn the language and I think Duolingo is doing a surprisingly good job at giving me the basics. I think it’s so important to learn language of a place you’ll be staying for some time. I appreciate the tips!
3) my advice is
“Ahoj,…” in the bar,
“Dobrý den, …” in the restaurant, beer pub, through the day. It’s more polite.
I have quite a picture of some places where they will try to f*ck with you just for saying “Ahoj” even if you don’t know them. It’s too familiar greeting 🥲
As Czech guy I do not giving tips in percentage of total bill.
If the food was delicious and I am glad with waiter and waiting time so my tip is: come to the restaurant again or recommended the restaurant to other people.
This is in my opinion the best way how to appreciate the whole restaurant and every employee in restaurant.
I am not saying that I never ever give the tip. Sometimes I give some small tip in cash and paying the bill by card.
But it is not typical. Because I am used to pay by card (mean mobile phonein 99% cases) everywhere and not used to use physicall money.
I do not give a tip only when the service is bad or waiters are rude otherwise my tip ranges mostly between 10 to 25%. Only very few pubs is not able to process the tip (well technically they are but it is mostlzly just the political statement as they dont want pay taxes from that additional income - if you pay in cash they do not record it so no taxes)
I think this "nothing-is-for-free" policy is only in tourist destinations or bigger city centres. I have never experienced paying for bread to gulash (not even after asking for more). But you advice is totally valid! It is interesting to hear about the common things we Czechs simply know although nobody taught us on purpose (except that fork and knive thing, children learn this at school actually as a basic etiquette). :-)
8o
I haven’t thought of that! But you are spot on! when it comes to US and
not putting knives+forks together
after finishing the meal, yes many don’t do that! :) which is a bit funny since it’s more or less compulsory to learn that in kindergarten (!) in Sweden :)
1:32 Where is that? I never seen svíčková to be serverd like this, but it looks great.
Just returned from my latest trip to Prague( first snow in the season so everything looked properly touristy there, specially in evening) and I think you should deffo include Vietnamese cuisine( its usually the northern variety in Czechia) as part of Czech traditional food options now, i think after all those years and decades and how well integrated and compatible with Czechs Vietnamese turned out to be( and how good genuine Vietnamese food is- now when they mostly stopped trying to make it look and taste more like Chinese) they deserve to be acknowledged specially when Czech ppl generally like them and consider them and Vietnamese food as one of their own( unlike e.g. trdelnik which is still 99% only tourist thing and just like originally Hungarian langos or how they treat in neighbouring Germany their doner kebab or curry wurst)
You should try Old Hanoi restaurant near metro station Anděl if you visit Prague again. I would say that most of vietnamese restaurants have more like mix of all asian cuisines.
@Pidalin yes, there's quite few Korean ones, too, Ive been just commenting that in the past, like e.g. in 90s when they started their businesses, many Vietnamese bistros and such been making kung pao or fried cheese and such, but nothing really Vietnamese as they attempted to adapt everything to what they think was Czech taste, and everything tasted off and funny IMO, it took them some time before they started cooking proper Vietnamese and it's only then when it became really popular.
100% true. I'm a native Czech guy and last ten years I've been eating Vietnamese food like two times a day, as well as half of my colleagues
Yes, I agree, I love Vietnamese cuisine 😊
As a czech person living and working in prague I can tell you we go with colleagues for vietnamese meals probably 4 times a week. We love it so much
The thing with substitutions or asking for some ingredients being taken out of the food you are ordering - well, I have never had a problem with that in any Czech restaurant. As long as it is food from which the thing I dont like can be taken out easily, nobody ever told me it cant be done etc. But when it comes to really customizing your food completely, thats not really a thing here.
Of course home-made lemonade is a favourite. You can charge a lot more for it than for any soda you can find in any shop ;)
You should also add "do not put your knife and fork together unless you are actually finished", or they will take the food away from you before you're finished. :D
Well that is called table etiquete
I think it is pretty common to pay separately for the dishes even at your table in Czechia. The terminal serving as the "order collector" and card reader is usually able to make it possible for anyone to pay for himself/herself only. Sometimes, the waiter/waitress passes this terminal into your hands during the payment to enter the tip by yourself.
One notable exception about side dishes: Steakhouses, but they are fancy and obviously not typical Czech restaurants.
In more common restaurants it may depend on the meal being not on the daily menu, but in the permanent selection like the goulash or fried cheese, which may not be prepared in advance.
Then I can imagine potatoes being an almost universal alternative side-dish with large part of the Czech cuisine. Dumplings, rice, fries, lentils, croquettes, Brussels sprout or (green) beans can be replaced with potatoes. Not so the other way around. Of course it's different with meals like (Old Bohemian) Kuba, "Šumajstr", risotto, pasta or filled dumplings.
About the side dishes... waitresses usually explain they have fixed items in their register system and if you order something they only serve as part of the whole meal, they have no way to charge it.
Let's add one PRO tip regarding tips: I sometimes pay by card but give the tip in cash which is more "tax-effective" for the serving guy/lady.
yeah, that's what we did in michelin restaurant last saturday, it was that expensive that I didn't have enough cash, but I had at least cash for tip 😀
You just took care of some better moments for both Czech servers & American tourists. Good job, Jen!
Hi Jane, thanks for another excellent and (as always) funny post!
Just a question: What is the name of the restaurant where the post was filmed, please?
Thanks a lot!
Great video. I prefer to make sure that the staff member gets the tip from me and so even when I pay by card I always have some cash with me and tip in cash. I either give it to the person directly or I leave it on the table and they will pick it up afterwards.
As a Belgian I order my goulash with fries and mayo (it's a traditional Belgian dish, stoofvlees met frietjes). At first they look at me as if I'm some kind of weirdo but in the end it never is a problem... I get my goulash and fries 😂 Even my Czech girlfriend is convinced of this combo... it took her a while but once you know, you know.
You do understand there is a special place in hell for you, right? 😂😂
Could you do a video about the courts systems I still have no idea why in USA have a jury. Thanks
Did you ever thought about something like educating yourself? Jury is not a thing endemic to the USA. In Czech lands juries were a thing before 1948.
Seems that you do not have idea at all.
Unfortunately we live in the world full of uneducated shallow people...
Zajímavé. Jen k těm samostatným hranolkům bych doplnil, že třeba Staroměstská restaurace na Staroměstském náměstí , má na jídelním lístku k pivu 200 je gr. hranolků za 149,- Kč.😂
Je dobré něco vyzkoušet mimo turistický střed města, nějaký typický český lokál jako je Lokál nad Stromovkou, nebo pivnici U Černého vola v Loretánské ulicí, nebo U ševce Matouše tamtéž...atd.
That French accordion music in the background 😀 So next time, please note, I prefer cimbalovka over dechovka 😀
Most of what you said is the same in other European countries. A major thing which in time disappeared, is the use of the cloak room, or garderobe, as they call it. Before 1989 it was a strict rule to leave your coat in the cloak room or coat stand. They hated guests from West European countries who came and just put their coats on an empty chair or the back of the seat. Often a cloak room is manned by an older lady, who will shout "garderobe" at the ignorant West tourist. Or when you do sit down with your coat on the empty chair next to you, the waiter will look at you disapprovingly and point to the garderobe or coat stand at the entrance.
Another fantastic video, thank you so much! So glad I found your channel-- you're helping me plan my upcoming trip so well. One thing I can't resist adding is that I wince at the cultural observation which began around the 8:10 timestamp. Oh that sort of behaviour ought to be completely eradicated. It just would NOT work in a country like, say, Japan. You take what you order, as is. Ordering hard working, stressed chefs around like that, to cater to you (the centre of the universe at all times) is the height of idiocy and bad behaviour. Living outside of the country you were born and raised in certainly gives one powerful insights and clarity that one simply would never gain living INSIDE the culture. Your quirky, honest tips are funny and super helpful. Thank you so much.
Ještě bych dodal že ne vždy spropitne náleží servirce ( obsluze obecně ) , setkavám se s tim že si je nesmí nechat. A to i v případě kdy u terminalu na kartu maj na vyber kolik chcete dát jako dýíško. Sice to tam je ale k obsluze se to nedostane a majtel to stopí.
Czech (Prague) restaurant etiquette? "Ne! Nic! Sifon, dva!" 🤣
Sifon? V Praze že by někdo objednával moravsky? Sifón je v Praze leda tak špinavá výlevka v umyvadle. Vy jste nějaký Moravák, co v turistické restauraci na Staromáku oškubává cizince, a štve vás, když někdo málo utrácí?
"Sifon servírujeme pouze ke kávě."
@ Toš je toto možné? Daš mi kávu a kde je ten sifon ? :D
Tak dvě kávy. Nech ho doktore! Nech ho hňupa.
The lemonada is incredible❤️ I missed it after I got home 😉Can’t wait to have it again…
I once witnessed some probably ill informed tourists order “svickova” with tartar sauce in addition to it.
I still kind of question the waiter’s decision to keep quiet about the fact it’s a terrible idea, probably suggested as a prank by someone who’d know exactly what’d be nearly guaranteed to follow. :) (for those without imagination: lengthy tour-de-prague-restrooms)
Just left the Czech pub Kulatak and I asked both my husband and mother in law how to ask for another Sprite because the waiter that waited on us at the beginning avoided eye contact with me every time she passed by. We eventually grabbed another waiters attention 😆
Sorry for the longest sentence in the world. Lol
"Fronta na banány" meant a queue on anything scarce. And you could take only one or two items for each person.
or "Fronta na maso"
yeah Je úplně mimo
Similar to toilet paper during pandemic in the US🤦♀️😂🤯
IN most restaurants when you order only french fries you get french fries, most of them they have side dishes extra, only by menu of the day isnt most posible to change side dishes
I have usually been able to customise my order a little bit. I'm allergic to dairy and I was usually able to ask for butter to be swapped for dome other kind of oil. Many restaurants also offer sides separately :you can order schnitzel with fries, potatoes, mash, or even rice (if you're Korean). Maybe things are different in Prague, but outside of Prague you can get away with a lot. If you're not vegan😅.
snitzel with rice is even Slovak thing!
I was not expecting to see a Primanti’s in Czechia. Boy, they’re really expanding.
6:50 Vidlička se otáčí obráceně, než vy, hroty směrem k talíři. To je jasná zpráva pro číšníka, že jsem dojedl.
great tips! Wow did not know that about the fork and knife
As a Czech born in Prague, I can say that this is a great summary.
Skvělé video. Hezky natočené. 1:59 Tobik 🙂 Měj se fajn 👋
Vynikající domácí kečup ? A několik druhů ? A to jako kde ? Nebo že by jemná ironie?
Hey there, im from Czech and like your videos :D But id like to tell you somethink about paying tips with credit cards. If you pay with credit cards, then banks take taxes from it, so if you pay 50czk as tips by credit cards, waitress will never get all, because of taxes. So paying for meal by credit card is ok, but leave tips only in physical money and you can be 100% sure, that waitress will get it all ;-)
Hezké video. Věřím, že turista mimo Prahu by se divil o kolik levnější je restaurace.
Typ:
Šlo by udělat video o tom jak snadné je si zajet vlakem mimo Prahu na 1 denní výlet. Tohle totiž zatím moc turisté nedělají. Vlakem do Kolína, Pardubic, Plzně a Podobně.
round up is NOT tiping, its nice gesture to do math easier (that you give some extra money to waiters is just sideefect), also tiping is NOT mandatory, we actualy PAY our waiters as any normal employee, so if you dont tip, nobody give f.. and if they do, they just scam the tourist/amuricans
btw if you give waiters any money extra in bill payment, these money she CANT take for herself, she put them as any paiment to cash register, and IF she get any depending on owner/ company accountant, also these money are taxed as income, so these "tips" are nothing like tips in US a
Not exactly. I pay by card and that skips any round up issues so it is a tip.
Jako sice servírky a číšníci dostávají výplatu, ale stále jsou, aspoň teda v Praze, tipy téměř nepostradatelnou součástí výdělku personálu na plazu. A dál teda nechápu co myslíš tím Bill payment a že jsou ty peníze zdaněný? Když platíš cash a dáš tip tak se normálně na konci udělá tržba a přebytek jsou Dyska. Nevím jak to chceš zdanit. Tax this dick.😅
Nice vid. One thing I have to disagree about though - I've never had a problem getting a side dish like fries on its own - sadly, for me as a vegetarian, there are still Czech restaurants that don't serve much else (in the 21st century - imagine that!) than side dishes without meat - at least it's not really a huge problem for me (already being used to this kind of s**t) since 99 % of places WILL serve you a side dish no problem (yes, fish IS a meat too, LOL)...
It has been a while now, but my wife and I tried to order beer and 'American potatoes' right upfront before deciding what to order for our main course, and a bitch of a waitress came out swinging that that's not how it's done and no side dishes could be ordered without a main course. My wife doesn't speak Czech but she sensed something was off. I told the "hospitality industry employee" that we were going to order dinner later, but after her performance, we'd do so elsewhere. As we were leaving the place, the little darling was already at the tap bitching to the other employees that someone dared to ask for, well, what I described above. I'd say "kdo neveri at tam bezi..." but there is a different pub there now, so maybe they've changed their manners.
Are dishes ever done a la carte in the Czech Republic? Were you have a selection of mains and the sides are available for a separate charge.
depends on the place, I guess. More fancy restaurants usually list complete meals (name of the meal and underneath it says what everything is included). They usually provide a small choice of sides (eg. potatoes/rice), unless it is a traditional set meal. In places where people go eat during their job lunch-break instead of a cantine, they may list meats and sides separately, and you can combine freely, to accommodate as many lunch-eaters as possible.
Yes
Thank you. This was very informative :)
Hi, is sharing portions/food permissible? We are a family of 3 with a kid and do not always want to order an individual portion.
Back in the day when I lived in Czechia, one other method that usually worked was just to place your wallet on the corner of the table. Just to hint that you are ready to pay. Things may have changed, and perhaps they are different in busy restaurants ran for tourists. But the calm ones in the mountains and by the local roads, that usually worked.
There is also something called "Mavatko" and you will find it at the end of a menu, sometimes with a price next to it. That's what you're gonna pay if you call on the server or wave at him to come over. It is rude. Some better restaurants don't like that behavior, so it is probably mentioned in the menu to discourage such behavior.
Next time i go Czechia, i ll call every server "Katka". :D
I go to czech restaurants 40 years and have never seen the "Mavatko".
@@ZvolskyMi Haha, me neither
This is Prague
Out here in the sticks, it is somewhat different. (Credit cards??)
Hi Jen
My partner and I from New Zealand are heading to Prague late April for 5 days. I am downloading apps and could not find the Prague Local Foodies app. Could you direct me to where I could find this. I am enjoying your videos. It appears New Zealanders are a lot like Czechs
I absolutely love your videos. You make me laugh. I am a Czech girl living in London and I can tell you, even British people love to queue. I would never queue. When I see a queue, I run away. 😂 And yeah I remember queuing for bread during communism and it was horrible.
Same with calling a waiter to your tablet. Eye contact is everything 😉
You're spot on and your videos are bringing a piece of home to me... So thank you 🙏
I just love your clips.
I usually tip in cash and pay the bill by credit card, that's what I do often. Also, I seldom order a side dish, but when I did, the staff never had problem with it.
Vy máte prostě tak skvělé postřehy. Myslím, že ať už byste bydlela v kterékoli zemi, tak byste tam měla úspěch. Těším se na další videa.
There are free refills at leasing in Regal Burger
We do lines! Unfortunately, there is always a line for Popeyes at Vaclavské náměstí.
Thank's...Very good video.
I give that filming spot 15 out of 10.
I would recommend giving the tip in cash. If you pay with a card, about half of your tip goes to the government.
Tak to už přes kartu zpropitné nedávám! Chudák číšník. A tuhle vládu bych navíc raději poslal do háje a nakopal do zadku, než abych jí dal zpropitné!😀
@@yanoshack lol, tahle vláda za to nemůže. DPH, daň z příjmu, odvody na SaZP jsou furt bez ohledu na vládu. Jakmile to projde bankou, tak se to všechno daní.
Již tě sleduji dost dlouho s tím placením kartou to ale dělám jinak zaplatím kartou ale vždy mám nějaké drobné tak zpropitné dávám v hotovosti přijde mi to takové osobnější
most of these tips work for hungary and i believe for any central-eastern european country.
Great video. But most of all I am admiring your American English and your diction. They are totally incredible and amazing . Bravo!
Saying thank you after handing out the bills to a waitress means that she can keep the change as a tip. I love how angry tourists are getting when they don't get their change back :D Do I also think it's a stupid habit? Yes but, it's funny to watch :D
If you're paying by card you can also leave a little bit of cash on the table as a tip. 🙂 And in most of the restaurants you can have just fries. 🙂
Přesné a skvělé ❤
Jako vždy 🌞
Is that Kuchyn at the beginning?
Yeah, altering your food around here is not common... Really the only place, where I ever ran into it, was a KFC, who ran out of correct BBQ sauce for the Grander, so they made me one with the sauce for Currito (sidenote, I don't understand, why that's not on the menu. It was really good). But if you have health problems with certain foods or are on a diet for health reasons, most places will try their best to comply with your needs.
everything you said in the video is true, also it's very true in Slovakia, which you should come visit too :)
If your standard tip is at least 50+CKZ .. please drive outside of Prague. they will treat you like a QUEEN (princess) 😁.btw very nice video❤
we don't usually use credit card but we have debit card, it is a big difference
Hi Jen, I just realised and wanted to ask. Do Americans really expect that waiter is interested in their day but really surprised when we honestly replay to "How do you do" questions? 🤔🤣
I live in America and I don't have conversations with the wait staff. I tell them my order and maybe ask for the bill at the end (if they didn't bring it) and that's really it.
In the Czech Republic, they're not "French Fries", they are "American Potatoes".
Yes we eat with forks and knives but it looks like many tourists don't know that and put dumpling into their hands. I've seen so many vlogs and videos and don't get it why they do it.
I see that not everything has changed from the old days!
Jen, nevěřím že když zaplatíš spropitné kartou, tak ho dostane ta servírka. Myslím že to jde podniku a chudák holka nedostane nic, pouze v hotovosti je pro ni možné získat spropitné.
většina restauračních systémů to už umí odlišit a spropitné jde na nějaký ten interní účet obsluhy. a pokud to tak v restaraci nemají, tak se většinou sami ozvou, že jako dýško cash. Ale už se mi to dlouho nestalo
@@milosKL Aha, to jsem netušil, děkuji za osvětu 👍
@@romansedlacek4388 to co řekl je sice pravda, ale není to tak u všech a navíc to bude zdaněný. Hotovost je rozhodně lepší.
Záleží na hospodě. U pár vím, že to řeší co možná spravedlivě, jinde raději šoupnu obsluze něco v hotovosti, zatímco účet pípnu bezhotovostně.
dýška se rozdělujou na konci směny @@romansedlacek4388
Some talking points sound like 90s stereotypes :)
Side dishes are not a problem, never have been for me. Customer service has been westernized massively in past 20 years and plenty of restaurants want their waiters and waitresses to be knowledgeable about what they cook and how they cook it. My experience is that if you wanna talk turkey about the food, you will get tons of information, and if you wanna do small talk, you will get the look. Some restaurants offer a basket of free condiments with the main dish and some will get you bread, olive oil and pepper as a snack while you drink wine and wait for first dish, for free ofc. Fancier restaurants usually prepare a small starter for free or even bring few things from tasting menu to the table.
Nice video, I've enjoyed every minute :)
The two comments I'd like to highlit are about leaving your jacket&umbrella,cap, gloves,... at the coat rack close to the main entrance if there i one (therefore not spreading mud, water and snow all over the place) and PLEASE, take off the cap/hood or whatever thing it is on the top of your head (other than hair, obviously). Yes, there are very few exceptions (like elegant lady's hat on an evening occasion, costume party, synagogues...) but generally this is like „please, don't“.
And one point from myself- I think I've seen it in one of your older videos- generally please lower your voice. In both of your excitement (the high pinched „jeeeiiii“ is tearing ears off) and loundness. Not only that Katka is not interested about your stay here, none of the other guests is! =D
Is ear-tearing actually an idiom in english? I made it out as a translation to „uširvoucí“ „trhá mi to uši“...
That tipping system is quite weird even as a native, this looks quite unpolite and it looks like some aution house, best offer win. Several times I also met with QR code at the corner of the table, you can pay with your smarphone, but you need extra app for that. (Or I am not sure if it is not different now). When I was unsatisfied with the service, I simply pay exact amount without a tip. But I was uncertain if I can just walk away.
If you're in an unfamiliar place and want to tip, just ask the waitress if she receives tips from card payments. Some moronic restaurant owners keep these tips for themselves. In such cases, avoid tipping greedy owner and instead give the waitress her tip in cash. It's terrible that this still happens in some places.
People see a line, assume it must be good, and go stand in line. It's easy to get fooled into thinking a restaurant is great because there's a line. When I went to Rome, I was at a restaurant with a line but they were all tourists. 😅 If they had been locals, I would have been impressed.
lines for food? no thx. that belongs to school canteens and not to pubs and restaurants :D
Then don't visit Portugal, waiting in lines is their national sport. 😀
@@Pidalin ale prdlajs. Prágl is not Czechia. Obviously you end in que from time to time (usually in shops) but we are not doing waiting in line as something typical
@@Gil-galad12 Don't tell me that you are from Portugal, that would be too big conicidense. 😀 There were linese everywhere, to enter bus, mega line for some time passes for public transportation, in Prague when you see such line, you just go buy it to some other place, you will never join 50m long line, Czech person would never do that. 😀
@@Pidalin no, I am Czech so I know what I am talking about Czechs and waiting in lines. As Jen said many times LA is not USA and Prague is not Czechia. They are exception and not the rule
@@Gil-galad12 read Portugal as "Prágl" ? :D
Czech do not sip beer from a bottle as you see in USA movies, beer is after meal beverage
While the video is generally on point I kept thinking surely Czech waiters are not this bad. I would say about substitutions and ordering extra sides. While certain substitutions are frowned upon at the very least. Some like mainly sides are completely ok. And I have never heard of any restaurant having precisely counter amount of fries/steaks to combine. Although that might have been a joke, since that's basically impossible/impractical.
Also while this is kind of useless to non native Czech speakers. I am 90% sure Jen's opinion of Czech waiters has been sullied by people who probably didn't speak English very well and wanted to just take her order and peace out as soon as possible.
The fundamental purpose of a restaurant is for people to get in, order the food, eat the food, pay and get the feck out.
Actually it not true about Diana right.Coming from Harry he said it William that took the ring .
Tourist and well known expensive restaurants treat customer differently than ordinery pubs with "meníčka". Get fries added to another dish (even to Guláš - looking at you germans) is possible almost anywhere. Only sometimes is impossible to get just side dish without ordering proper meal (maybe for kids).
Some restaurants offer payment with QR code. So you don´t have to talk to waiter. It is awesome.
Tips: I am not fan of them. It is very strange that only this field has this "optional obligatory" to get the tip and salary can be lower because of that. I want waiters to get proper salary. I want to give my thanks with positive review and returning back. But I also tip, if:
- everything was ok
- price for value was as expected and I got what I expected for that price. (not 0.2l coke for 50 crowns) or not get lower portion than expected
- service did something more "than regluar". Recommended good meal, good drink suitable for meal, brought something extra, reserved great table, styed over hours...
10:40 About a tip... Or you will pay by card and give her a 50,- or more in cash
Interesting to hear it from a POV of an American....As a German...it is basically just the same as here xD
forgot to mention how to eat knedlíky!
Jen, you making it sound like Americans not making reservations for night out :)
Yeah, we even have an app, OpenTable, to make reservations at restaurants. Maybe that wasn't around 11 years ago, or Jen wasn't aware of or used to it.