Měšťanská Beseda is a large restaurant and café complex in a 19th-century civic building a short walk from Republic Square. The building has hosted public events, concerts, and dining since 1832 — it is one of the oldest civic institutions in Plzeň — and the interior retains much of its original character: high ceilings, ornate plasterwork, dark wood panelling.
The menu is traditional Czech with some Central European touches: roast duck with red cabbage and bread dumplings, beef goulash, roasted pork with sauerkraut and potato dumplings. The svíčková (marinated sirloin with a cream sauce, cranberry, and a bread dumpling) here is reliably good. Prices are mid-range for Plzeň, which means quite cheap by Western European standards. Service is formal but not stiff. Reservations recommended on weekend evenings.