Tuesday 8th May 2012

Bob Thompson

Should you have a bit of spare time in Prague have a desire to get out of the city centre and drink some interesting beers, then Privní Pivní Tramvay is the place for you. A liking for trams and tramways is not necessarily compulsory but this form of transport is both essential to get to this pub and is also one of its themes.

The no 11 tram runs through the city centre from its starting point in the eastern suburbs and passes the metro stations of Muzeum and I. P. Pavlova. It then heads south to its terminus at Spořilov in yet another of the massive estates of tower blocks built during the communist era that surround the city.

A point to note is that tram 11 calls at the Náměstí Bratří Synků stop in Nusle en route and that is about five minutes from the Basta brewpub.

Arriving at Spořilov you cannot miss the pub as it is just three metres from the alighting stop before the tram continues around the turning loop to await its return journey, see the photograph.

The bar confronts you the moment you enter. This is a cluttered pub, covered with beer mats, bottles, signs and all kinds of brewery ephemera.

From the bar there are two directions to go with your beer. Right takes you along a corridor past some fridges with a good selection of bottled beers to a tramcar. Of course it is just the body that remains. Unfortunately it is in a windowless room so you don't get the feeling of the real thing unless you can imagine you are in a perpetual tunnel.

I forgot to mention that there is an area in front of the bar with seats. Should you turn left you'll find a room that that has quieter decor than the rest. At some times there is food served and here would be a good place to enjoy it.

The pub specialises in unusual beers and those from microbreweries. On the occasion of our visit these were:

1) From Germany: Auer Maibock produced by the Schlossbrauerei of Au (Hallertau) in the middle of the huge hop-growing area north of Munich.

2) This beer was a bit of a mystery. It was entitled "Nakouřený Švihák Tmavý". Apart from being dark, we didn't know its provenance, although it is possible it comes from an amateur or a very small (nano-) brewery.

3) Primator Kvasnice Pšenice 12%. This is a wheat beer in the Bavarian style from Pivovar Nachod in the Northeast of the country. This major regional brewery, founded in 1872, is still owned by the town's citizens.

4) Also from this brewery was Primator 14%. They describe themselves in their advertising as "Specialists in Specialities" and must have been one of those, as it is not amongst their standard range of about twelve beers. It was very full flavoured so I assume it was unpasteurized.

Important Information:

Privní Pivní Tramvay, Na Chodovci 1a, Praha 4, 14000.

Open: Monday to Sunday 14.00 to after 24.00

Right by the terminus of No 11 tram at Spořilov.