U Schnellů

U Schnellů is a historic restaurant, café, bar and hotel occupying the burgher house at Tomášská 27 on the corner of Malostranské náměstí in Prague's Malá Strana district. The building, also known as U Zlatého čápa (At the Golden Stork), has more than two centuries of history and has been a cultural monument since 1958, forming part of the Prague Monument Reserve and the UNESCO-listed Historic Centre of Prague. The name is tied to the German merchant family Schnell, who acquired part of the property in 1779 and the neighbouring building in 1788, unifying both into a single Neoclassical structure in 1811. A tavern is documented here from at least the late 18th century, and the house later became one of the oldest Pilsner beer halls in Malá Strana. Over the decades the guesthouse attracted a celebrated clientele of National Theatre singers, actors, composers, writers and artists, and in the second half of the 20th century regulars included Jan Werich and Bohumil Hrabal. Today the house operates as a hotel and restaurant offering classic Old Bohemian cuisine, comfortable accommodation in the heart of Prague below Prague Castle and just steps from Charles Bridge. The restaurant is open daily from 11:00 to 23:00, breakfast is served from 7:30 to 11:00, and takeaway is available.

The house at Tomášská 27, also known as U Zlatého čápa, is a historic burgher building with more than two hundred years of history. The family of Andreas Josef Schnell came to Prague in the mid-18th century and established a merchant business in Malá Strana. In 1779 the family bought part of the present house, then called U Obrazu Panny Marie; in 1788 they acquired the neighbouring building, U Zlatého čápa. In 1811 both structures were unified into a single Neoclassical building. Brewing may have taken place here in the past, though experts disagree. In 1860 the Schnells opened a wine bar next to their grocery; the opening of the tavern itself is not precisely dated, with some sources mentioning 1774 and others 1787. The family owned the guesthouse but leased its operation to tenants. Thanks to the nearby seat of the Chamber of Deputies, the tavern from the outset attracted a large clientele of provincial deputies. The Schnells were part of Prague's German community. On 10 May 1897 the last male descendant, former police commissioner Bedřich Schnell, died and bequeathed most of the enormous family fortune to purely Czech associations, led by Matice školská. His act caused a great sensation among patriots, who arranged a majestic funeral. Karel Václav Rais wrote a book about his life, illustrated by painter Josef Ženíšek, while sculptor Vilím Amort created a bronze plaque for Schnell's tombstone. Bedřich Schnell's legacy helped make the Malá Strana tavern famous, and over the following years it was frequented by many celebrated figures such as singers and actors Eduard Vojan, Karel Burian, Rudolf Deyl the Elder, Jiřina Šejbalová, Zdeněk Štěpánek, Růžena Nasková, writer Vilém Mrštík, poets Vítězslav Nezval and Jaroslav Seifert, painter Adolf Kašpar, caricaturist Adolf Hoffmeister, composers Rudolf Friml, Karel Weis, Karel Kovařovic, and songwriter Karel Hašler, among many others. In the second half of the 20th century, regulars included Jan Werich, Bedřich Kopecný, Jiří Winter Neprakta, Bohumil Hrabal and Vladimír Boudník. Screenwriter, director and producer Pavel Juráček also lived in the building. In the 1960s, members of the Jára Cimrman Theatre, who performed in the opposite hall of Malostranská beseda, were frequent guests. It was at U Schnellů that a guest mistook Zdeněk Svěrák for a waiter and tried to pay him for his meal; Svěrák and Ladislav Smoljak later developed this misunderstanding into the screenplay for the film Vrchní, prchni (Waiter, Scarper!), one scene of which was shot directly in the tavern. The writer Lukáš Berný described the establishment's history in his book Kde pijí múzy 4 – Z Malé Strany na Hradčany (2017). Since 1958 the building has been a cultural monument and part of the Prague Monument Reserve, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as the Historic Centre of Prague. As of 2026 the house serves as a hotel and restaurant.

• 2026

  House operates as a hotel and restaurant.

• 2017

  Lukáš Berný publishes the establishment's history in Kde pijí múzy 4.

• 1958

  Building declared a cultural monument and part of the Prague Monument Reserve.

• 1897

  Bedřich Schnell, last male descendant, dies and bequeaths most of the family fortune to Czech associations.

• 1860

  Schnells open a wine bar next to their grocery.

• 1811

  Both buildings are unified into a single Neoclassical structure.

• 1788

  Schnell family acquires the neighbouring building U Zlatého čápa.

• 1779

  Schnell family buys part of the present house, then called U Obrazu Panny Marie.

Historic Old Bohemian restaurant and hotel in the heart of Malá Strana, steps from Charles Bridge.

• Old Bohemian cuisine

• Pilsner beer

• Hotel accommodation

• Breakfast

• Takeaway food

1. 1Restaurace a Hotel | U Schnellů | Praha | Malá Stranauschnellu.cz
2. 2U Schnellů – Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3U Schnellů – Wikipedia (Czech)cs.wikipedia.org