Once upon a time, the address of Budečská 18 in Vinohrady was occupied by a pub of the same story-like name, (without the beer, the best part), and served lagers from Černá Hora. As of February 2018, this address is the home of a new pub, Once Upon a Beer, with 8 taps pouring Czech craft beer with friendly service and a beer nerdy love of what’s in your glass.

The tap list is well curated, and you’ll always find one tap dedicated to Raven as well Chroust. Sometimes you can also find beer from abroad; for example, on our visits Maisel’s Weisse Dunkle held one tap, as well as BrewDog’s Elvis Juice and a rare oatmeal stout from Artezan, a Polish microbrewery. There’s also a fridge with chilled bottles ready for purchase to go, and it sounds like plans are in the works to expand their bottle selection.

As you descend a staircase into a cavernous basement bar, the interior opens up, leading into two separate rooms minimally decorated with books, bottles, and simple wooden tables. With a few hidden corners and dim light, it seems like a place to hole up with a friend and/or a book, certainly a beer, and pleasantly pass the time. The decor hangs onto some of the elements of the old pub a little too much for our liking, but friendly service and good beer count for much more. It’s an honest, simple, and a straightforward space.

In case hunger comes your way, Once Upon a Beer has a simple menu of Czech pub snacks, with the extra bonus of homemade hummus and pickled tofu. If the strongest of their dark beer still proves to weak for your liking, there’s a nice selection of Scotch, whisky, and rum. They plan on re-doing some things with their snacks menu in the near future as well. Prices are fair by today’s standards.

Service is attentive, knowledgeable, and friendly. Opened by a former Bad Flash employee, ask for recommendations or any beer related question, and you’ll be happily given some advice or a professional answer. Already, a local following of beer nerds and enthusiasts often stop in for a quick pint to taste what’s new or spend a late evening catching up with friends.

Check out their Facebook page for on-tap updates and their events. They regularly hold beer tastings, as well as Scotch, whiskey and rum tastings. These events are normally held in Czech, but if you speak English, write them on Facebook and they might be able to accommodate.

Located on Budečská street, the closest tram stops are Jana Masaryka, serviced by trams 22, 13, 4, and the 135 bus, as well as Šumavská, where the 10 and 16 run. The metro station Náměstí Míru (A line) is just 2 blocks away as well.