7 taps currently serve thirsty guests in Fat Cat’s spacious interior, with plans to add new taps in the near future. One tap pours their flagship Fat Cat Ale. Brewed by Permon, it’s a floral scented, heavily hopped, and bitter IPA. Permon’s handiwork on the Fat Cat Ale make it by far their best beer or best reason to visit. However, regardless of what they deceptively advertise, Fat Cat does not brew its own beer and is not a microbrewery.

Permon developed the recipe for this hoppy beer based on their P.A.P.A American pale ale, but changed the hops. Fat Cat also often has on tap a seasonal beer, which at the time of our visit was Fat Cat Summer Ale. More refreshing, it’s a lighter bodied summer style APA, but still with a decent dose of fresh, floral hops.

The other taps serve beers from the Lobkowicz brewery; Klášter’s light lager, Démon (an amber special), Granát (a dark lager), Primator’s Weizen, and Vysoky Chlumec’s Flying Cloud IPA. Let’s get one thing straight; these beers are very far from the highly controversial term ‘craft’ beer, even if you use the term with ease. These are beers from mid-sized, industrial breweries that here in the Czech Republic are not known for being particularly good. They’re simple, mid-range beers, not outstanding for any reason; the exception being Primátor’s Hefeweizen which does deserve some respect.

These average beers are going to cost your pocket a hefty koruna. Mind you, all of the beers are served in .4 mugs. Not a proper half liter in sight. Klášter’s lager, which is the cheapest and in our opinion the worst beer on tap, costs 69 czk. Their house Fat Cat ale is 89 czk, and all of the other beers from the Lobkowicz conglomerate, are 79 czk. This is a new standard of high prices for average beer that the center has not seen for a long time.

Fat Cat serves a smallish menu of beer friendly food, specializing in huge burgers and decked out dogs. They also have soups, finger foods like quesadillas, salads, and a kids menu. Again, prices are high; burgers and dogs are close to 300 czk. Service is fast, smiley, and professional. The staff are extremely attentive and actually seem happy to be there.

The downside of these trendy places are their prices. Paying 79 czk for a .4 mug of mediocre Czech beer is ridiculous, even in Prague’s tourist packed center. For that money, one would expect a half liter mug of one of the better microbrews, and not a mid-range beer like Démon or Klášter’s watery (and absolutely horrible) lager. No Czech or educated beer drinker would pay so much for such a small glass of some of the Czech Republic’s mediocre mainstream beer. 

The best thing that Fat Cat has to offer is its’ ambiance. It’s got that good times / sports bar vibe without the sports. Fat Cat is decked out in kitchy cat nonsense, bold energetic colors, and goofy cat light sculptures. It’s just a pity that Fat Cat is banking on serving over-priced mediocre beer to people who don’t know what they can really drink for their hard earned cash.