Detailed Gluten-Free Restaurant Card — Czech Republic

Prague surprises you — the countryside tests you

Prague has a surprisingly strong gluten-free scene, with dedicated restaurants and bakeries, and the Czech Republic brews one of the world’s best-known gluten-free lagers, Celia. Outside Prague, awareness is lower — traditional taverns may not understand cross-contact, and nearly every sauce is flour-thickened by default. I carry my card and confirm preparation everywhere.

What’s on the card

• A clear explanation of celiakie in Czech, so the kitchen treats it as medical
• What I can’t eat and where gluten hides: knedlíky and svíčková with its flour-thickened sauce, guláš that’s often thickened with flour, bramborák made with wheat flour, klobása that can contain wheat
• What’s usually workable: grilled meats without breading, and boiled or baked potatoes
• The kitchen questions — including “Is the sauce thickened with wheat flour?” and the dedicated-fryer question for hranolky

What’s in the travel companion (page 2)

• How I pick restaurants: “bezlepkové” (BL) markings on menus, the question “Máte bezlepková jídla?”, the Sdružení celiaků ČR eating-out resources — and skipping casual hospody outside major cities unless I can verify preparation
• Six dishes worth ordering (grilled trout, roasted chicken, chicken soup only after checking for noodles or flour), shopping notes (Schär, the Polish brand Bezgluten, and Celia gluten-free lager, widely distributed), and where options cluster — Prague’s Vinohrady, Brno, Český Krumlov, Karlovy Vary
• If you get glutened: the lékárna phrase “mám celiakii a snědl/snědla jsem lepek,” and 112 as the EU-wide emergency number

The honest certification picture

The Czech Republic has a patient association — Sdružení celiaků ČR — that publishes eating-out resources. On packaged foods, look for the přeškrtnutý klas (crossed-grain mark) and the EU-regulated “bez lepku” claim (max 20 ppm). None of that certifies what comes out of a tavern kitchen — the card asks the questions that matter, in Czech.

Format

Instant download: a 2-page PDF you can print or show from your phone.

This card helps communicate your dietary needs. It does not guarantee a gluten-free meal or eliminate cross-contact risk. Always use your judgment, and when in doubt, do not eat. Not medical advice.