At the end of Whit Stillman's Barcelona, Continentals who earlier in the film smirked at American tastes finally sample a burger, deeply charred and hot off the grill.

It's a defining moment, a neat coda to a movie that addresses cultural misunderstandings on a transatlantic scale. Even here in Prague, people follow Stillman's script: Europeans with only the vaguest notion of American ways smugly denounce New World habits. Americans, equally clueless as to the character of their own country, cannot possibly counter the put-downs. They can, in the end, only silence critics by cooking up a real, juicy burger.

Like pizza, that other favorite confiscated and transformed by Americans, the hamburger is easy to create but difficult to perfect. To make matters worse, the obscure origins ensure countless claims of authenticity. A traditional Caesar salad must contain anchovies. But what defines a real burger?

That's why, in every city with more than one burger joint, debates rage over which serves the best.

No subjective survey like this one will meet universal agreement. The ground rules I devised for determining Prague's top burger are relatively sound, though. Making the assumption, first off, that few restaurants here would spring for a well-marbled fillet and toss it into the grinder, burgers lost points unless cooked at least to medium. (This is because cuts typically reserved for the lowly patty are also the ones most susceptible to bacterial invasions.) A crusty char deepens the flavor of the meat, especially lean meat — that's the second criterion. I also assessed seasoning, the bun, condiments, sides and my own version of "eatability."

Simply put: Juicy is good; dripping all over your hands and down your arms, with bits of buns and meat drooling from the sandwich, is bad.

Obviously, I couldn't try every burger in the city (at least, according to our finance department). Here's a rundown of the restaurants I visited, with final results in the sidebar.

Buffalo Bill's

Vodičkova 9, Prague 1–New Town

Tel. 224 948 624

The only place that bothered to ask how I wanted my burger prepared, medium or well-done. On the plus side, a sweet and bitter char lends a backyard taste. Minuses include something resembling processed cheese product on the cheeseburger.

Cowboys

Nerudova 40, Prague 1–Malá Strana

Tel. 296 826 105

With the possible exception of Mon Ami, Cowboys pats together the best quality meat of the bunch. It has a deeper, more robust and masculine flavor — the sign of good beef. But the kitchen hides it under a blast of salt that continues to burn long after.

Fraktal

Smeralova 1, Prague 7–Bubeneč

Tel. 777 794 094

Fraktal's best option comes with goat cheese and pistachios. The flavors struggle against each other, complement each other — everything all at once. Charred thoroughly enough to develop a bitter charcoal flavor, this is a very good burger stacked on a crusty Kaiser roll.

Jáma

V Jámě 7, Prague 1–New Town

Tel. 224 222 383

A straightforward, uncompromising burger, just like you'd find in diners across the States. It's lean, yet moderately juicy, with a rich backlash of pepper. Instead of fries, mine arrived with a side of potato slices. Not bad.

Mon Ami

Roháčova 20, Prague 3–Žižkov

Tel. 222 780 808

Pljeskavica is a traditional Balkan-style burger. Less artfully prepared, it involves a mix of beef and lamb. The latter adds an earthy underscore to ground beef. So, even without dressing, it's a fantastic burger. And the bun, glutenous and tacky, holds up well.

Mozaika

Nitranská 13, Prague 3– Vinohrady

Tel. 224 253 011

The kitchen can never get it quite right. Every element except one is near perfect, but it's a different glaring weakness each time. Once the burger came loaded with mayo so that everything squirted out. Another time it was a pile of raw ground beef. Great bun and sauteed onions, though.

Red, Hot & Blues

Jakubská 12, Prague 1–Old Town

Tel. 222 314 639

Supposedly spiced with cayenne and garlic, but garlic wins out in the long run, leaving a trail of bitterness in your mouth. The meat is lean — very lean, so it feels heavy and dry. The potato bun adds a touch of contrasting sweetness, but was also dry.

Ultramarin

Ostrovní 32, Prague 1–New Town

Tel. 224 932 249