Pivní Jistota is one of them. Located on an unassuming street between Dejvická and the neighboring Hradčanská district, Pivní Jistota serves up an ever-changing array of craft beer from small to mid-sized breweries—all of which are listed on a chalkboard by the taps. And to give you an example of how serious they are about their offerings, the Pivní Jistota Facebook page updates the chalkboard’s constant changes almost daily.

On an early Friday evening, the pub was bustling with a group from a birthday party as well as more low-key patrons: colleagues finishing the workweek, a father and his kid at the bar, a guy with a sketchpad, a girl with a novel. The mixed crowd created a very inviting atmosphere where anyone could feel welcome.

They certainly have the space for it.

Although most of the tables in the commodious main room were occupied, there was also a substantial downstairs area with more seating options. Pivní Jistota can easily accommodate a good-sized gathering. And even with all the activity, the staff was attentive and friendly. 

The space itself was clean and spare with overhead, not-so-flattering lighting. The mostly bare, white walls and a lack of music heightened this somewhat impersonal ambience. The furniture looked fairly new and the whole place seems to give a “recently renovated” vibe. Pivní Jistota is still a relatively young establishment and perhaps it will gain some lived-in charm as it continues to thrive.

One of the unique facets of Pivní Jistota is its snack menu, which specializes in pâtés. They have a wide range of quality duck and goose pâtés, as well as rillettes and vegan pâtés. It was a refreshing take on the usual Czech pub snack fare.

But Pivní Jistota’s best offering is the beer itself, which is fresh, well-served and also happens to be very reasonably priced for the upscale Dejvická neighborhood.

Although the beer menu is always in flux, two 12° lagers remain a regular fixture. One’s from Pivovar Poutník .  The other’s from Krkonošský Medvěd.  Although the Poutník is a solid utility lager, the Medvěd was much better. Vibrant and upfront but also very drinkable with a velvet mouthfeel—you can make a night out of this beer, and it seemed like many of the regulars were doing just that. 

For more exotic fare, they had a Redcurrant Sour Pilsner from Pivovar Chroust. With substantial sedimentation, it was a fun beer that didn’t skimp on the fruit—yet the end result was one-dimensional.  With that said, it may fare better in a warm weather, al fresco drinking context rather than a cold January night in Prague.

On the other end of the style spectrum was the Raven 18° Vanilla Kiss Imperial Porter: an easy-going porter with vivid toasted malt and toffee notes. It wasn’t particularly robust, but rather balanced and made for enjoyable, slow sipping.

Although they can learn a few things about creating atmosphere, the quality and variety of the beer at Pivní Jistota clearly takes precedent.  With great prices and a crowd as diverse as its beer, Pivní Jistota is one of the many places making the otherwise commercial Dejvická neighborhood stand out in Prague’s food and drink scene.