Maiselova 8 · Josefov
The Golem
Czech and Jewish cooking since 1967, a few steps from the Old-New Synagogue, whose attic, as Prague tells it, still keeps the Golem.
The house on Maiselova
The restaurant opened in 1967 in the Jewish Quarter, between Old Town Square and the synagogues, and it has always cooked the way this street does, with Czech and Jewish dishes side by side. Goulash comes with dumplings, hummus with shawarma and duck with red cabbage, and they tend to end up on the same table.
Among the tables stands the Golem himself, a real statue made of clay. Guests usually notice him before the menu arrives, and more than a few take his picture between courses.
Clay from the Vltava
Of all the stories tied to the Old-New Synagogue, the best known is no children’s tale. In the days of Rudolf II, Rabbi Judah Loew, the Maharal, shaped a man from Vltava clay to keep watch over Josefov.
A slip of parchment bearing the Name was placed in his head, and with it he worked. Every Friday the rabbi took it out before the Sabbath so the Golem could rest, until one Friday he forgot, and the Golem went loose through the quarter, answering to no one.
The rabbi caught up with him and drew out the parchment, unwilling to risk that strength in anyone else’s hands. Once the Sabbath was over he hid the body in the attic of the Old-New Synagogue, and the street has kept the name ever since.
What people come for
There is no tasting menu here, only the dishes people make the walk for.
Duck leg
Slow-cooked and served with a hash brown and red cabbage, a Czech winter plate that is just as good in July.
Lamb chops
Seared, then left to rest before they reach you, with whatever vegetables the season brings.
Elixir in bread
The house beef soup, dark with beetroot, comes to the table inside a loaf. It is worth ordering ahead.
Golem mix grill
Turkey, chicken thigh, kebab, wings and merguez on one platter with rice. It feeds two, or one person who skipped lunch.
Sea bream
Grilled whole, about 350 g, with lemon and a charred green pepper.
At our tables
Families who pull up extra chairs, friends who meant to stop for a quick lunch and stayed the afternoon, and people who come back on their next trip to Prague, usually for another Elixir in its loaf.
From the magazine
Pinkas and the Old Jewish Cemetery
An hour and a half in Josefov, a few streets from the restaurant.
Finding us
We are at Maiselova 8 in Prague 1, a few steps from the Maisel and Old-New synagogues and an easy walk from Old Town Square.
- Address
- Maiselova 8, 110 00 Praha 1, Josefov
Walking directions - Hours
- Every day 11:30–22:00
- Phone
- +420 222 244 000
- gabby@dinitz.cz
Booking a table
Send us a request and we will reply by email. For anything within the next 24 hours, call +420 222 244 000, and if you cannot dial a Czech number, the hotel reception can ring for you.
The form takes requests at least 24 hours ahead. If you need a table sooner than that, please call us.