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Part of the proceeds from the pub “At the Black Ox” go to help the nearby school for the blind. Watching the regulars knock back litre after litre of beer, you can see why.

The “Little Pub on the Steps” seems strategically located to relieve exhausted tourists climbing Radnické schody. Inexpensive, and popular with the locals.

An out-of-the-way, peaceful café in the castle’s Gardens on the Bastion, where you can rest over a cup of tea or coffee. Light snacks, too.

Sip an espresso on the rooftop while peering through one of the telescopes at the city below. The quiet patio has large tables where you can lunch and plan your visit to the castle next door.

“The Swan” serves Pilsner Urquell and some substantial dishes, such as wiener schnitzel and goulash, on its garden terrace overlooking the upper Stag Moat.

Adjacent to Hradčany’s former town hall, this old-fashioned pub serves a standard menu of beer, utopence (see Utopence) and goulash. The noon bells next door at St Benedict’s let you know when it’s lunchtime.

Under the southern arcade of the Toskánský Palace is a gracious pizzeria and Italian café where you can break the dumpling habit. The building is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, after all.

This pleasant and smart restaurant offers light lunches and suppers with a view of the city. The café in the courtyard is the place to end your tour of the castle.

In the narrow alleys leading into Golden Lane are a number of pavement cafés offering coffees, sandwiches, wine and spirits. Outdoor seating in good weather.

Visitors can escape the crowds at this café hidden under the Black Tower at the castle’s eastern en`. Relax with coffee and strudel, or beer and sandwiches.