Doors open at 17, and almost immediately a few thirsty folk stroll in, striking up friendly conversation with the barman. Even though this taproom has been open since 2017, it’s already built a solid base of neighborhood locals who appreciate the good beer, friendly service, and fair prices. Another bonus is their charming outdoor terrace, complete with greenery and a hidden view of Krymská.

Iron Maiden and 80’s hard rock play in the background of an interior that’s dark despite the large street windows. A wood motif, of course trilobites, and hoppy beer kitsch decorate the den-like room. With a friendly smile, no other than the brewer himself, Petr Buriánek, serves my beer. 

Trilobit’s taproom pours 4 beers. You’ll always find on tap their 12° pale lager, fresh with that wonderful malty body that makes Czech lagers so amazing. The other 3 taps serve a rotating list of seasonal brews, and if you’re lucky, their outstanding 14° dark lager. Trilobit brews everything from ales, experimenting with different hops, to stouts, weizenbocks, and wheats. 

In the midst of microbrewery madness, it’s very rare to try lagers so nicely done from a new microbrewery, and Pivovar Trilobit has quickly gained recognition for their handiwork. In 2017,  Pivovar Trilobit won awards for their lagers at the Spring Brewer’s Prize in Zvíkov and in 2018 their 14° dark lager won 2nd place at the prestigious Mezinárodní Pivní Festival completion in České Budějovice. 

Trilobit’s 12° pale lager is a nice example of a full Czech malt body; rich, with lots of caramel and bread crust, it’s nicely balanced by the clean spiciness of Saaz hops. Their dark lager is also one of a kind, with a richly caramelized body, but again nicely balanced with Czech herbal hop character. Their ales still retain a solid malty foundation, but nicely showcase new world style hops with their notes of citrus and fruit. The seasonal specials are also more than worth a try. 

As mentioned, this Francouzská street location is just a taproom, and the brewery itself is housed in part of an old 19th century English brewery in the industrial district of Liben, Prague.  This complex was founded as a brewery in 1872, which was bought by an English joint stock company in 1889. After WWI, it functioned only as a malt house until 1939, when all brewing and malting stopped until Trilobit rented the space in 2016.

Take trams 22 or 4, or bus 135 to the stop Krymská, and Trilobit is about 1 minute on foot below the tram stop. The Ruská stop is a bit closer, but is not serviced by the 135 bus.