I had visited Prague in 1991 and been sent to fill an empty jug with beer from the best brewery in Prague. 

I stumbled through the streets, found the clock that hangs over the door, and filled the jug.  I enjoyed some of the best beer I had ever tasted. 

This trip, I was hoping to take my children to the same place if it still existed.

U Fleku, established in 1499, is still there! It's a walk from the main tourist haunts but plenty have found it anyway. 

I gave a little shout when we found the clock on a back street and practically sprinted to the front door. 

We were bustled to a corner table where we could watch the servers arrive with trays loaded with mugs of foamy, dark beer.  One choice.  No ordering, no complications.  Just sit down and the mug arrives. 

Soon after, a more coy waiter arrived with a tray of golden shots.  “Medicine,” he smiled, slid us each a shot (I think he actually looked at my 12-year old to see if she wanted one too, but we squelched that idea instantly), and marked it down on the gray paper square at our table.

The menu consists of only 5 entrees – pork and sauerkraut and dumplings,  sausage and sauerkraut and dumplings, beef and dumplings … OK you get the idea … authentic food that can be prepared well, without fuss. 

It arrived quickly and all three dishes we tried were delicious (I think the real purpose of the dumplings is to mop up the alcohol in your stomach). 

There were two different wandering accordion players and the folks at the table next to us sang a half-dozen songs during the course of their meal.  As we left, a tuba arrived and we almost went back in!

Is this good for kids? 

Well, that depends on what kind of parent you are. We thought it was perfect! The smoke was a little bit of a concern. It wasn't terrible, but I wouldn't want to take my kids to U Fleku every day. 

The meal was affordable, and the desserts were super kid-friendly. 

Sure, it's a bar, but we all had a great, local experience that we could never share together at home in the USA. I (naively perhaps) hope that the college-bar-in-Europe mystique will be slightly reduced. 

And, I believe parents get to have some fun on the loose, too. 

Family travel can surely be enhanced with frothy Czech beer and bitters, in moderation. 

Maybe a visit to U Fleku will even be educational and inspire your kids to take up the accordion …

Ashley Steel is the Traveling with Kids Editor for Wandering Educators. Read more at  her website and book: www.familyontheloose.com

All photos courtesy and copyright Ashley Steel, except word photo, creative commons

Note: this article was originally published in 2012 and updated in 2018