Prague Cafés, Tearooms, and Restaurants

I like good tea and coffee; simple, wholesome and reasonably priced lunches; small privately owned venues; locally grown and organic stuff. I don’t like cigarette smoke and incompetent personnel. I eat meat occasionally.

I try to keep this up-to-date and add new entries every once in a while. Most of the places are located in either Vinohrady or Staré Město and Malá Strana. If you understand Czech, you may also want to read my reviews at Scuk.cz or follow the Scuk () links below, you can often book a table using the venue’s Scuk page. All addresses link to Google Maps (☛). I will also try add more details over time.

15 September 2014: Everything should be up-to-date as of now, possibly except opening hours, where present. Too many good places missing; too little time.

16–23 September 2014: Finally got round to add more places, especially to cafés. Yay!

Places I like

Cafés and coffee shops (all non-smoking):

• Original Coffee, free Wi-Fi, open Mo–Fr 8–19, Sa–Su 10–19.

  The best coffee shop in the Old Town. A mama-coffee spin off. Calm place where you can work or study while drinking great coffee prepared using almost any imaginable method. If hungry, try the excellent hummus or the daily soup.

  Betlémská 12, Praha 1-Staré Město.

• Mezi zrnky, free Wi-Fi, open Mo–Fr 7:30–18:30, Sa 9:30–15:30.

  A really small coffee shop with great coffee (espresso-based and aeropress) and home-made desserts. Also offers breakfasts, soups and snacks (usually not vegetarian). Usually has 2–3 coffees from Doubleshot and various European roasteries.

  Sázavská 19, Praha 2-Vinohrady, near náměstí Míru, reservations: 775 210 966.

• Bio Zahrada, free Wi-Fi, lunch menus, open except Sunday.

  Great coffee, variety of other beverages and food, combined with an organic shop. Serves filtered coffee (clever dripper) and espresso from Doubleshot. Home-made lemonades and great variety of other beverages. Very versatile without compromising on quality, you might stop there for a coffee, for a glass of wine, for a lunch, or to do a little shopping. Somewhat busy during the day (partly due to the shop). The lunch menus are usually vegetarian, and there’s always a vegetarian quiche or hummus.

  Belgická 33, Praha 2-Vinohrady, near náměstí Míru, reservations: 222 518 698.

• Kavárna Pražírna, free Wi-Fi, open till 10 p.m. except Sunday.

  Great coffee, very good desserts, OK beer, alas no food except panini, pickled cheese and the like. Serves filtered coffee.

  Lublaňská 50, Praha 2-Vinohrady, at metro I. P. Pavlova, reservations: 720 385 622.

• Al Cafetero, free Wi-Fi, open except weekends.

  Top-notch coffee, top-notch service. One of the few cafés in Prague that offers coffee made in a vacuum pot (used to be the only one). Also serves french press filtered coffee and espresso. If you order a croissant or a strudel, they will bake it for you, which takes a little time but makes a big difference (they certainly do have it frozen ready-to-bake, but that’s alright).

  Blanická 24, Praha 2-Vinohrady, near náměstí Míru, reservations: 777 061 161.

• Káva Růžová, open Mo–Fr 8–19.

  You can buy coffee from the CoffeeSource roastery here, or get a coffee to go, or sit at a single table or at the bar. The usual espresso-based stuff or french press. That’s it. Part of my usual morning routine.

  Růžová 7, Praha 1-Nové Město, close to metro/train Hlavní nádraží, metro Můstek.

• EMA Espresso Bar, open Mo–Fr 8–20, Sa 9-20, Su closed.

  Single room, usually full, but people turn around quickly. Noisy but it definitely has its charm. Espresso, drip, aeropress. Coffee from various European roasters. The choice is yours. (Customer cards shared with Café Lounge, every seventh coffee for free.) No Wi-Fi, but you can catch eduroam.

  Na Florenci 3, Praha 1-Nové Město (metro/train Masarykovo Nádraží, not far from Florenc or Náměstí Republiky).

• Cafedu, open Mo–Fr 7:30–22 Su–Sa 10-22.

  Café with a study room. Great espresso for a reasonable price.

  Škrétova 12, Praha 2-Vinohrady (metro/tram Muzeum, across the street behind the museum building).

• Můj šálek kávy, open Mo–Sa 9–22, Su 10-20.

  Espresso + one “alternative” method (they rotate drip, aeropress, etc.). Doubleshot coffee, good desserts, reasonable lunches. The place to go for coffee-lovers in Karlín.

  Křižíkova 105, Praha 8-Karlín (metro Křižíkova).

• Café Lounge, reservations via Scuk .

  Chances are that you will need a reservation. Top-notch coffee, chic. (Customer cards shared with EMA Espresso Bar, every seventh coffee for free.)

  Plaská 8, Praha 5-Malá Strana.

• Bella Vida Café, free Wi-Fi, open daily 8:30–21.

  Usually calmer and much less crowded than Lounge (which is just a few steps away) with an old-fashioned atmosphere and great view of Kampa. Totally worth going there for a coffee and also a great place for a simple lunch, not really cheap, but still okay for the location. Note early closing time.

  Malostranské nábřeží 3, Praha 1-Malá Strana.

• Monolok cafe, free Wi-Fi, open Mo–Fr 8–22, Sa-Su 1O-19.

  Good coffee (espresso, filter) from various roasteries, desserts not bad, various snacks/small meals. Plenty of space.

  Moravská 18, 120 00 Praha 2-Vinohrady.

• Café Kafíčko, no Wi-Fi, poor cell phone reception, the “first non-smoking café” (in Prague).

  A calm and simple place, homey, with great service. They have several freshly roasted single-origin coffees. Their espresso is really good (no french press). I’ve also had a teapot of Darjeeling and other teas (unknown origin and harvest), which were alright (this is not a tearoom): generous volume, candle to keep warm, and a small biscuit. Bottled beer and other more or less interesting beverages are available too. I especially recommend their cakes (strudel is usually alright, but nothing special). The coffees they have are most likely from Mamacoffee and Ebel.

  Míšeňská 10, Praha 1-Malá Strana, not far from metro Malostranská or from Malostranské náměstí.

• Leica Gallery Prague, free Wi-Fi.

  Good espresso, usually good desserts, OK tea, variety of other beverages and snacks. A stylish place if a little impersonal.

  Školská 28, Praha 1, a few steps from Vodičkova, metro Můstek.

• Mamacoffee

  A coffee shop and a café. A wide selection of organic and fair trade coffees of relatively good but varying quality. Serves espresso and filtered coffee (french press). Single-origin and one or two blends. Hot chocolate is outstanding. Both Londýnská and Vodičkova are great places, each a bit different. Londýnská is my favourite, although it’s become a bit shabby over time, it’s smaller of the two and often full. Service often so-so.

  Londýnská 49, Praha 2-Vinohrady, reservations: 773 263 333.

  Vodičkova 6, Praha 1-Nové město, separate web site, reservations: email.

  (Also at various other places.)

Tearooms (all non-smoking of course):

• Jedna Báseň, open Mo–Tu 10:10–22:22, Sa–Su 13:13–22:22.

  This tearoom has grown on me. I feel really good there, whether alone or with friends. Teas ranging from exceptionally good (these are the same ones as offered by Bílý Jeřáb) to OK for the price, great soups-of-the-day. Cannot recommend coffee (espresso) and some other drinks, though. Desserts vary, but are very good most of the time.

  Pod Zvonařkou 14, Praha 2-Vinohrady (tram Nuselské schody), reservations: 608 764 530.

• Bílý Jeřáb, has vegetarian lunch menus(!), open Mo–Sa 11–22.

  Exceptionally good tea, a modest offer of other kinds of drinks. Good vegetarian cuisine (small portions), tea sweets. Very stylish if somewhat austere compared to most Czech tearooms. Also has two Japanese-style rooms with tatami.

  Štefánikova 51, Praha 5 (tram Švandovo divadlo), reservations: 257 215 934.

• Čajovna ve věži

  Not as interesting tea-wise as the two above (as far as I can tell, been there just a couple of times), but a fascinating place. It’s located in an old water tower. Cozy.

  Korunovační / Na Výšinách 1, Praha 7.

Restaurants (non-smoking):

• Miyabi, Japanese cuisine.

  Navrátilova 10, Praha 1, reservations on their web site. Obento menus 300–400 CZK, not cheap, but you pay a fair price for what you get.

• Estrella. So tasty! (and also vegetarian), lunch menus from 11:30, open except Sunday.

  This is a restaurant I would recommend for a perfect dinner regardless your meat-eating preferences. Of course, daily lunch menus are also available. Mostly Asian or Mediterranean-style meals. Good choice of wine, coffee alright.

  Opatovická 17, Praha 1 (between Národní/Můstek and Karlovo náměstí).

• Lehká hlava, vegetarian, eclectic, lunch menu from 11:30 (but menus not as good as other dishes).

  Boršov 2, Praha 1, reservations: 222 220 665.

• Maitrea, vegetarian, eclectic, lunch menu from 11:30 (but menus not as good as other dishes).

  Týnská ulička 6, Praha 1, reservations: 221 711 631.

• Dhaba Beas, Indian vegetarian cafeteria-style restaurant, non-smoking.

  There are several Beas restaurants in Prague and each is a bit different. The one in Týnská is my favourite place for lunches.

  Týnská 19, Praha 1 (near Staroměstské náměstí or náměstí Republiky).

  Na Poříčí 26, Praha 1 (metro Florenc), in a courtyard (you can also get there from the other side (from the Masarykovo nádraží train/metro station, entry next to EMA espresso bar).

  Sokolovská 93, Praha 8 (metro Křižíkova).

  Vladislavova 24, Praha 1 (metro Národní/Můstek).

  Bělehradská 90, Praha 2, serves only pre-composed menus (metro I. P. Pavlova/Nám. Míru).

• Mlsná kavka, a vegetarian restaurant that hires disadvantaged people, lunch menus.

  Great place for a reasonably priced vegetarian lunch or a great dinner. (Coffee and desserts not that great, but there are plenty other options around.)

  Sokolovská 29, Praha 8-Karlín (metro Florenc).

Pubs:

• Nota Bene, non-smoking “restaurant & beerpoint” (opened 2012).

  Excellent selection of beers from small breweries. They call themselves a restaurant, but for me this is what pubs should be like. More pubs like this! Meals seem slightly more expensive but good quality, have yet to try eating there. Note: Restaurant is great, but avoid the basement-located beer pub.

  Mikovcova 4, Praha 2-Vinohrady, near I. P. Pavlova.

• U Bohouše, non-smoking restaurant with a range of Lobkowicz group beers.

  Good cuisine. You can also grab a beer and go to the park on the other side of the street.

  Polská 34, Praha 2-Vinohrady, on the SW edge of Riergrovy sady.

• The Tavern, bar & burger restaurant, open Tue 17–22, Wed–Sun 11:30–22.

  Great vegetarian burgers (and of course the meat ones). Ježek beer. Often full of people, but there’s always place in the park.

  Chopinova 26, Praha 2, on the NW edge of Riergrovy sady.

• U Zavěšenýho kafe‎, Úvoz 6, Praha 5-Hradčany.

• U Vejdů, Budečská 28, Praha 2-Vinohrady, open except Sunday.

Places I like too

Cafés (some of these are more like bars/pubs):

• Dobrá trafika, has a non-smoking area.

  Coffee (espresso-based) quality varies. Variety of other beverages including Primátor beer on tap, snacks. Low prices, cozy. Cannot recommend them for tea.

  Újezd 37, Praha 1 (tram Hellichova), reservations: 732 852 364.

  Korunní 42, Praha 2, reservations: 737 907 635.

• Starbucks at Malá Strana, non-smoking, free Wi-Fi. Every fifth beverage for free (plain paper card).

  They’re just next to the Faculty of Mathemetics and Physics building. Their daily drip brew coffee is a great offering for the price, especially if you bring your own mug. Passable but pricey desserts. The place at Malostranské náměstí is also quite nice for a Starbucks.

  Malostranské náměstí 28, Praha 1. (Now all over Prague, but this was the first one opened.)

• Týnská literární kavárna.

  Nice place, but you’ll be disappointed by the coffee, has Bernard on tap. Low prices.

  Týnská 6, Praha 1.

• Ebel Coffee (after a Flash “intro”: Czech, English), free Wi-Fi.

  A coffee shop and a café, focus on African coffees, not organic or fair trade oriented. Serves only espresso. The coffee

  Kaprová 11, Praha 1: really small, just two tables, usually full.

  Templová 7 (“Vzpomínky na Afriku”), Praha 1: slightly bigger, not that busy.

  (Also in Řetězová 9, Praha 1: smoking, lacks good ventilation. I recommend the two above Kaprová. Alas, the café at Templová is no longer there.)

• Krásný ztráty, has a non-smoking area, free Wi-Fi.

  Náprstkova 10, Praha 1, reservations: 775 755 143.

• V Sedmém nebi, has a non-smoking area IIRC, serves Lavazza espresso, but I like the place anyway, also has Pilsen on tap.

  Zborovská 68, Praha 5, doesn’t accept reservations.

Tearooms:

• Na cestě, a tearoom with wateripe.

  Waterpipe smokers are in a separate room, but you can smell it nevertheless. The tea is good, and the waterpipe – for those who like it – too (good quality charcoal and tobacco).

  Kateřinská 4, Praha 2.

Restaurants (non-smoking):

• Country Life, vegetarian (maybe vegan) cafeteria-style, non-smoking.

  The food is usually a bit bland for my taste, but definitely not bad and definitely healthy. The Country Life organic shop next to it is much more interesting.

  Melantrichova 15, Praha 1.

• Home Kitchen, a kind of gourmet bistro, choice from a few meals varied daily.

  Great service and simple food from high-quality ingredients. Crowded, busy, but for a good reason. The normal serving of soup a tad too large, the main course/entreés a tad too pricey. Offers tasty meat-less food, but not really with vegetarians (or people who eat meat only occasionally) in mind. Let’s see where it gets over time. The segment of gourmet bistros definitely needs more competition.

  Jungmannova 8, Praha 1, reservations: 604777363.

• NineStarKi Studio.

  Organic vegan lunch menus following the principles of the five elements (macrobiotic) and malt-extract based desserts. Surprisingly yummy.

  Sarajevská 25, Praha 2-Vinohrady.

• Macrobios, small macrobiotic cafeteria, open Mo–Fr 11:30–15:00.

  Reasonably priced macrobiotic (vegan) cuisine. Generous portions, simple, but tasty.

  Sázavská 14, Praha 2-Vinohrady.

• Malý Buddha, restaurant and tearoom, many vegetarian options.

  A time-proven classic with great atmosphere. Food isn’t outstanding, but still enjoyable and reasonably priced.

  Úvoz 46, Praha 1-Hradčany, reservations: 220513894.

Pubs:

• Zahrádka u Kristiána, outdoor pub/grill at Vltava river bank.

  What’s great about this is the location. But the service and beer seems alright if somewhat pricey. Staropramen 12° on tap.

  Smetanovo nábřeží, Praha 1. (Facing Vltava, right to Most Legií.)

Places ranging from OK to tolerable

Cafés:

• Le Court, free Wi-Fi (does not reach into the farther corners of the café).

  The waitress was nice, the home-made lemonade super sour. She apologized. Might be worth revisiting.

  Haštalská 1, Praha 1.

• Kaaba, free Wi-Fi.

  Hot chocolate: substandard, cofee: varies, couscous: bearable, desserts: vary. Also has Staropramen and Hoegaarden on tap. This place is a bit of everything, and still I think there’s something it lacks. Atmosphere among other things.

  Mánesova 20, Praha 2, Vinohrady.

• Coffee Heaven at Můstek, free Wi-Fi.

  Another Starbucks-style coffee shop chain. Seems to serve coffee only in disposable cups, duh. Why am I listing it: the Coffee Heaven at Provaznická has a great historical wooden ceiling in the first floor. That’s it.

  Provaznická 1, Praha 1 (metro Můstek).

Pubs:

• Mlsnej Kocour, has tank Pilsen on tap, two pubs next to each other, one non-smoking.

  Náměstí Míru / Belgická 42, Praha 2-Vinohrady.

Restaurants:

• Loving Hut, good vegan Asian-style cuisine, more expensive than Beas. Not bad, except for the creepy Supreme Master thing.

  Londýnská 35, Praha 2-Vinohrady.

  Truhlářská 20, Praha 1.

• Pizza Einstein, 2 for the price of 1 student promotion (ISIC, selected meals), pizzas tolerable, pasta bad, Krušovice on tap.

  Štefánikova 2, Praha 5-Smíchov (tram Švandovo divadlo). (Also other places.)

• Himalaya, Indian (not only vegetarian). Not particularly bad, not exceptionally good, I’d say too expensive for what they have to offer.

  Soukenická 2, Praha 1.

• Gopál, vegetarian, not too bad if you don’t mind a little Hare Krishna chants and all that stuff.

  Nerudova 32, Praha 1-Malá Strana.

• Culinaria, gourmet shop and restaurant, non-smoking.

  There’s a choice for each component of the menu. The food is agreeable, but a bit pricey for what you get (99 CZK for the menu, a rather small serving, water not served automatically). I haven’t seen toilets anywhere. A bit cramped, high chairs, but worth a try if you happen to be nearby and hungry. Lot of info on their web site. See Home Kitchen above for a better, if more pricey take, on a gourmet bistro.

  Skořepka 9, Praha 1.

Other places I have been to, some of which I like, but have not added them to the list yet

Still quite a lot of them.

Places I have been to long ago

• Kavárna Velryba, Opatovická 24, Praha 1.

Some places I have not been to

I’d like to visit these some time:

• Jiná krajina, restaurant, lunch menus look nice, opens 11:00, Svijany on tap.

  Řeznická 4, Praha.

• Binh Minh, Asian fast food.

  Dukelských hrdinů 27, Praha 7.

• U Chlupatýho ducha, restaurant and café.

  Konviktská 6, Praha 1-Staré Město.

• Café Archa

  Lunch menus look nice. It’s actually another Mamacoffee café (see above).

  Na Poříčí 26, Praha 1.

• Kari Bazar, Malé Náměstí 13, lunch menu 11:30-14:30.

• Manni restaurant, Seifertova 11, Praha 3-Žižkov. Lunch menu 11:00-15:00.

• MoKKa Café, Vodičkova 16, Praha 1.

• Marmeláda, Roháčova 113, Žižkov.

• U zeleného čaje, Nerudova 19, Praha 5.

• Café Fantazie, Ladova 1, Praha 2.

• Kavárna Pod Lipami, Čechova 1, Praha, tram Letenské náměstí.

• Tlustá Myš, Všehrdova 19, Praha 1-Malá Strana.

• U Bansethů, non-smoking brewery, restaurant, bakery, Táborská 389/49, Praha 4-Nusle.