A local’s guide to Brno, Czech Republic: ‘How do you like your pilsner poured?’

Actor Ondřej Kokorský shows us around the country’s second city, taking in traditional beer halls, up-and-coming neighbourhoods and a pink theatre that offers English subtitles

Czechia has some superb national dishes: my favourite is šulánky s mákem, a doughy, sweet dish made from potatoes sprinkled with poppy seeds, sugar and butter. Pub/restaurant Lokál U Caipla near the cathedral is the place to go fortraditional classics such as svíčková na smetaně – sliced beef in a creamy sauce with bread dumplings, whipped cream and cranberry sauce. Hearty plates like this go perfectly with a cold pilsner, and here there are three pouring styles to try: the hladinka has a thick foamy head but is mainly beer, the šnyt is predominantly dense foam with a little beer and the mlíko (milk) is almost entirely creamy foam with a tiny amount of beer. Those not into beer needn’t worry: Brno has a great coffee scene. Spolek is a minimalist place with no piped music, and Buchta C is a modern espresso bar with delicious Czech-style buchty (sweet filled buns).