Article content
When you say pub in the 1980s, most people picture nostalgic scenes full of smoke, laughter and a distinctive atmosphere. These legendary establishments were not only meeting places but also refuges for ordinary people who wanted to take a break from everyday worries. What was on the menu and what was actually served in pubs back then?
Symbols of pub gastronomy
One of the most striking symbols of pubs at the time was undoubtedly „čtyřka“. This term referred to the classic ten-degree beer with lower alcohol content, which was affordable for the general public. Beer was omnipresent, serving not only as a social connector but also as a way to forget the oppressive reality of normalization-era Czechoslovakia.
Among the popular dishes, goulash with dumplings dominated. This hearty dish with dumplings was the ideal meal for hungry visitors who wanted a proper lunch or dinner after a hard day. Another favorite treat was gothaj with onion, a meat salami served with fresh onion and bread. This simple and tasty snack was ideal for quickly staving off hunger.
We must not forget tripe soup, which for many was a symbol of pub cuisine. This thick and spicy soup was perfect for warming up and was a popular choice for long evenings spent in the friendly atmosphere of the pub.
Food at the automat while standing
The cheapest and quickest meals were offered by automats, that is, self-service canteens. The very first automat in Czechoslovakia was Koruna on Můstek in Prague, which was already popular in the interwar period. Bufets, as the automats were called, were places where you could buy sausages, soups, lemonade, beer, open-faced sandwiches or Russian eggs, as well as lunches, often in the form of classic Czech dishes.
„Is it free?“ People usually didn’t ask this question, but if you stepped away from the counter where you had unfinished food, you risked someone else diving into it. There weren’t many homeless people, but there were poor people — the ones you weren’t supposed to talk about.
Fixed operating hours
Most pubs opened at nine or ten o’clock and closed at 10 p.m. Exceeding these hours was punished with fines. It was not unusual for SNB officers to come into a pub in the evening and check the patrons, thereby helping enforce the strict opening hours.
New items on the menus
Fried cheese with tartar sauce, as we know it today, began to appear on menus at the end of the 1970s, but it was usually served with potatoes. French fries became popular only at the end of the 1980s. Do you still remember katův šleh, also known as kaťák? This dish, which was a symbol of the „dvojek“ and „trojek“, consisted of pork cut into strips with onion, garlic and lečo. In better restaurants, stuffed rolls with horseradish were also popular.
Pubs of the 1980s thus represent not only a gastronomic experience but also a social phenomenon. They were places where different layers of society mixed, where friendships, romances and deals were born. The atmosphere of these places was unique and inimitable, full of life, humor and sometimes nostalgia for better times. Memories of pubs remain in the hearts of many as a reminder of a time when joys and shared moments could brighten life even in difficult times.
