The great thing about living in Prague is that it is quite a small city and, because we have our Harleys, we can get on one of them and be in the fresh green countryside in a matter of minutes. This means that there are a large number of country pubs and restaurants within very easy striking distance if we fancy eating out and, particularly in Summer, we often do.

The places in the countryside are very much geared towards those doing outdoor pursuits and motorcycling is very much in that bracket. One of our favourite places is only about 28 kilometres to the South-West of the city of Prague, in the small town of Hlásná Třebaň, U Máni v Třebáni (Karlštejnská 328, 267 18 Hlásná Třebaň). It is just a few kilometres before the touristy delights of Karlštejn castle which is high on the “to do” list of many visitors and is a good place to garner your strength before the walk up to the castle – or to sit and regain it after your visit.

Because we live in the city of Prague, we obviously know all the clever ways through it and I expect a good SatNav would cope well enough.

Here is the easy way to start your search by more traditional means

  1. From the Prague head south in the direction of Strakonice on Route 4

  2. Immediately after passing the racecourse at Velká Chuchle on your right hand side, take Route 115 in the direction of Radotín and Karlštejn and just keep following it. Karlštejn castle is a big tourist destination and there are regular brown signs to guide you there specifically. Keep following the 115, which, between the small towns, is a nice country road, through Radotín, Černošice and Dobřichovice until you come to Lety. It is more or less a continuous conurbation one you get into Dobřichovice and the two villages merge rather seamlessly.
    NOTE: this route is very popular with bikers and there are a lot of speed cameras in the towns !

  3. In Lety, just after the Martin Oil petrol station, there is a roundabout. The 115 goes straight ahead, but take the first exit, to the right, onto the 116 towards Karlštejn.

  4. The road goes uphill and theough some nice countryside. When you come to the small town of Hlásná Třebaň, the main road makes a very sharp left turn and the Restaurant is then about 400 metres ahead on the right. It is the SECOND restaurant that you come to and be a tiny bit careful because it is not really visible until the last minute. There is a good sized car park at the side.

The building is situated beside what is quite a busy road, particularly in Summer, but it seems well insulated from the worst of the noise. There is a courtyard with tables and umbrellas where we always try and sit on a warm day and traffic noise is never a problem. There is an outside grill where, in fine Summer weather you can get freshly grilled food, but the stuff from the kitchen is always of a good quality too. There is generally a number of young waitresses scampering around, so the service is usually swift and efficient.

The inside bar not only has a strong “biking” ethos but, more importantly, a Harley Davidson one ! Somebody is obviously keen on Route 66

The food is good, simple fare in the Czech tradition. U Máni will never get a Michelin Star, but everything is nicely prepared, well cooked and always tasty. We chose, on this visit, the Prague Ham, which was cooked outside where we could watch. The generous helping (300g) came with horseradish, mustard and a savoury dip. All three worked equally well with the meat. For the side dish, a choice of Czech bread or salty rolls came in a little basket.

Although it is quite a “Czech” place, it is near a major tourist attraction so there is a menu in English on request. The young staff have a smattering of English as well and the girl we had was really quite proficient.

There is a good variety of beers but I was driving and Lucie does not drink.
On this occasion, I opted for a non-alcoholic beer the Bernard brewery (which was on tap). It was very pleasant and, on a hot day, very refreshing as well.

Lucie opted for a glass of Kofola, which is a local type of cola that was originally produced in the days of the old regime when Coke and Pepsi were not available. It is similar, but not the same and its “uniqueness” has enabled it to retain its local popularity even though its western rivals can now be easily obtained. 

The know from previous experience that the desserts are good too – but on this occasion we were far too full to order any !

It was a very pleasant lunch in a great and welcoming location.