Harlequin Billiard Club

"To play billiards well was a sign of an ill-spent youth."
- Herbert Spencer, English philosopher and political theorist

Bad childhood? Want to shoot some pool, have a drink, and maybe a quick bite?

One option is Harlequin Billiard Club. It has a convenient location, not too far from Wenceslas Square.

There are a lot of tables. The Harlequin website says there are 16, most of which are pocket billiard tables. My photo is pretty dark -- the website has plenty of better ones.
There are also a few carom tables (no pockets) and one snooker table. If you don't have your own cue, you can pull one of Harlequin's off the wall. Many are not in the best condition.

Most of the billiard tables cost 111 CZK per hour. The snooker table costs 120 CZK. When you want to rent one, just talk to the bartender.

On tap, there is only Krušovice 12 degree for 27 CZK (according to the website -- I lost all my receipts recently).

Unfortunately, there is not a lot of choice on the beer front. They do have Pilsner Urquell in a .33 liter bottle for 30 CZK, or Corona 70 CZK. A bottle of non-alcoholic beer is 30 CZK.

There are basic wines like Rulandské bílé and Frankovka. There is also a long list of different spirits and soft drinks. At the bar, you can buy small snacks like nuts and such.
There is a food menu. I didn't go for the food. To be honest, nothing appealed to me.

It is full of Czech standards: Pickled sausage (utopenc) for 30 CZK, pickled cheese (Nakládaný hermelín) for 55 CZK, a Greek salad for 89 CZK, and various combinations of pork, chicken, and bacon for 100-200 CZK. There are a few types of potatoes for 30 CZK.

I only saw the menu in Czech, so I don't know if it is offered in English. The menu (Jídelní lístek) in Czech is also on the internet.

Harlequin also offers games of chance -- electronic slot machine type games (herna) in the long passage from the street to the large back room with the tables. The machines might make it a little confusing when you first walk when you are looking for a pool hall.

But that's not my kind of gambling. A beer on a game of eight-ball is good enough for me. And I did play well on my last visit. I just hope my mother doesn't find out.

Harlequin Billiard Club
Vinohradská 25
Prague 2
Tel. (+420) 224 217 240