The design shop within the DOX Centre for Contemporary Art in Prague 7 stocks stunning glassware, porcelain, jewelry, lighting, furniture and other work by a number of leading contemporary Czech designers.
This bright white, airy, almost clinical space is a refreshing change to some of the more traditional Czech gift stores in central Prague and is still a great place to pick up a souvenir. How about a stylish Czech made mechanical pencil by Versatil or a Merkur construction set?
There’s a lovely café with outside seating, where you can admire your purchases afterwards. Oh yes, and a world class museum of contemporary art is downstairs. Just in case.

www.dox.cz/en/
DOX, Centre for Contemporary Art
Poupětova 1, Praha 7, 170 000
+420 774 145 434
Nearest tram: Ortenovo náměstí (trams 5, 10, 12, 15, 54)
Nearest metro: Nádraží Holešovice
Google map: bit.ly/zcl7y7

* Helen is our Been there local for Prague. Her page is here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/prague-local-helen-ford.jsp and she has her own blog here: czechingin.wordpress.com/

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A guesthouse and restaurant housed in an 18th century farmhouse, this is the most impressive restaurant I've been to in the Czech countryside. A stone's throw from Prague (less than a 30 minute drive from the centre), Penzion V Polich is set in the pretty village of Malé Čičovice, a mile from historical site of Okor.
Penzion V Polich is a wonderful place to finish a romp in the countryside with some hearty food in comfortable surroundings. The menu has a heavy Czech influence and offers a lot of game, but the tastes are more refined and adventurous than you will see on a typical Czech tourist menu. On my recent visit options included smoked duck breast, foie gras, pork belly, goose, fallow dear and rabbit, all cooked exceptionally well.
The staff speak relatively little English by Prague standards but are incredibly accommodating of non-Czech visitors and patient in translating as much as they can. The penzion is warm and cosy on a winter's afternoon, but also offers outside dining space for the summer months. Prices are very reasonable: three courses and two beers set us back around 600 czk per person, for some of the best food I have eaten in the Czech Republic. Be sure to book ahead.
A real treat.

www.penzionvpolich.cz
Malé Čičovice 26, 252 68 Malé Číčovice, Czech Republic
+420 733 680 728
Google map: bit.ly/vqjEFP

* Helen is our Been there local for Prague. Her page is here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/prague-local-helen-ford.jsp and she has her own blog here: czechingin.wordpress.com/

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Part café, part shop, part postcard museum. Choco Café is definitely one for all chocoholics.
Set in the Old Town, Choco Café offers the widest variety of chocolate and chocolate drinks I have ever seen. Its offerings include chocolate with quinoa or pineapple and hot chocolate served with ginger or chili.
Be prepared, the hot chocolate is pretty much just melted chocolate – rich, smooth and thick enough to stand a spoon in. 55 CZK for the standard. Whipped cream and other ingredients such as chili, fruit, and alcohol are extra.
Choco Café accommodates non-chocolate fanatics as well, offering a small non-chocolate menu including teas, and some food. A good central lunch stop.
Café Chocolate also operates as a postcard museum and shop and a chocolate shop. It sells some of the most beautifully presented chocolate bars you’ll ever see – mainly by Italian chocolate company Stainer. Each wrapper is a work of art in itself, and the chocolate is delicious.
Cosy and snug in the winter. The back opens onto a small garden for fresh air in the summer.

www.choco-cafe.cz/
Liliová 4/250, Praha 1, 110 00
+420222222519
Mon – Sat 10:00 – 22:00, Sun 10:00 – 20:00
Nearest metro: Staroměstská or Mustek
Google map: bit.ly/tTlXuf

* Helen is our Been there local for Prague. Her page is here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/prague-local-helen-ford.jsp and she has her own blog here: czechingin.wordpress.com/

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For a break from the more obvious tourist souvenirs, or if you have underestimated the brutality of the Prague winter, pay a trip to Model Praha Klobouky off Wenceslas Square and buy yourself a hat.
This delightful shop, tucked away on an arcade leading off Wenceslas Square, seems to hark back to a time where nice young ladies donned hats and gloves each day before leaving the house. Perhaps this is due to its impressive stock of TONAK hats – world renowned felt hats of the highest quality. TONAK is a Czech manufacturer with a legacy stretching back to the mid-19th century, which is borne out in all of its creations.
Model Praha stocks top hats, fedoras, ladies headwear (suitable for weddings and the races) and a small selection of fur.
The ladies who work here are charmingly patient, and speak enough English for everyone to get by without too much difficulty.
A great place to invest in a little piece of Czech fashion history, starting at a very reasonable 450 czk.

www.modelpraha.cz/eng/
Václavské náměstí 28, Praha 1
Nearest metro: Mustek or Muzeum
Mon-Fri 09.00-19.00, Sat & Sun 10.00-17.00
Google map: bit.ly/vto0Vg

* Helen is our Been there local for Prague. Her page is here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/prague-local-helen-ford.jsp and she has her own blog here: czechingin.wordpress.com/

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The name Čajovna Ve Věži (the tearoom in the tower) gives you a fairly big clue as to what to expect. A tea room right at the top of the remarkable tower at the edge of Letna park. The whole way up, you will be wondering if you have come to the right place. Don’t worry, you have. Just keep going right to the top.
As well as a special location, Čajovna Ve Věži's boasts a lovely herbal smell throughout and a cosy ambience - decor includes mismatched chairs and tables, Persian rugs, a large Buddha and several small oriental wall hangings. Like a favourite teddy bear, everything looks a little tired but well loved.
The menu is only available in Czech, although as most teas have Japanese or Chinese names, this is not too tricky. Staff speak some English but a phrase book might be useful.
Čajovna Ve Věži offers over 80 teas (from 40 to 115 CZK) from India, China, Japan, Turkey, Nepal, Vietnam and Tibet, as well as some fruit teas and non-caffeinated teas. A small selection of soft drinks is also available, as well as wine.
Light snacks are also offered – nuts (from 30 CZK), sandwiches (35 CZK), corn on the cob (44 CZK) and sushi (85 CZK).
Slightly slow service is more than compensated for by the location, atmosphere, and the excellent teas.

www.dojo.cz/cajovna/rozvrh/index_eng.html
Na výšinách 1/Korunovační, Prague 7
+420 724 593 215
Nearest tram: Sparta (trams 1, 5, 8, 25 or 26).
Open 16:00 - 22:00 in winter and 17:00 - 23:00 in the summer.
Google map: bit.ly/vbodTC

* Helen is our Been there local for Prague. Her page is here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/prague-local-helen-ford.jsp and she has her own blog here: czechingin.wordpress.com/

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Don't let the fact that Dobrá Čajovna is located on tourist-heavy Wenceslas Square dissuade you. Credited with being the lynchpin of the 1990s revival of Czech tea houses, Dobrá Čajovna is a refreshing change from some of the other international or tourist-priced options in the area. Tucked away off Wenceslas Square, it is hidden from view in a little courtyard, the entrance to which is marked by a discreet sign. It is a quiet, still haven, not drowned out by the hustle and bustle of Prague’s main street.
The menu (available in English and Czech) is fantastically informative and includes over eighty loose-leaf teas. With a three or four line description of each tea, the menu reads more like a novel and includes “a good tea to drink whilst reminiscing” (The Calling for Nepal), tea that is “suitable for drinking when returning from a walk in the park at twilight”, (Silver Monkey’s Paw), and tea “for a quiet meeting with close friends” (Sencha Kyoto). Dobrá Čajovna also has a small food menu offering snacks such as nuts and Japanese rice crackers. Savoury dishes including couscous and hummus are also available. Soft drinks are offered and are, happily, limited to exotic sounding chilled fruit juices – no crowd-pleasing Coca-Cola!
Dobrá Čajovna has inside seating as well as an outside area with bamboo sun umbrellas, low tables and stools, and is non-smoking throughout. Excellent service - attentive and very well informed.
Dobrá Čajovna also has a shop selling leaf teas, teapots and cups.

www.tea.cz/cajovna/
Václavské Náměstí 14, 11100 Prague 1
Open Mon-Fri 10:00 to 21:30, Sat-Sun 14:00 to 21:30
Nearest metro: Mustek
Google map: bit.ly/uKditw

* Helen is our Been there local for Prague. Her page is here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/prague-local-helen-ford.jsp and she has her own blog here: czechingin.wordpress.com/

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MamaCoffee is a great example of the growing interest in Fair Trade in the Czech Republic. With five branches in Prague, MamaCoffee was the first Fair Trade coffee roaster in Central Europe and it is fair to say, remains one of the most popular.
Its largest café on Vodičkova off Wenceslas Square is always busy, its two stories frequented by locals, expats and tourists alike. Table service is offered by helpful staff who are will offer advice on their range of Ethiopian, Honduran and other coffee beans and Fair Trade Teas, which are all also available to buy. They are also happy to leave you to relax, or work on your laptop (offering free Wi-Fi upstairs).
MamaCoffee offers good quality snacks – cakes, brownies and sandwiches. I had the best spinach quiche of my life here, which was an unexpected perk.
Floor to ceiling windows and a non-smoking policy make this a lovely, bright place to relax or work, and offers high quality Fair Trade coffee at reasonable prices.

www.mamacoffee.cz/
Vodickova 6, Prague 1
Nearest metro: Mustek
Nearest Tram 3, 9, 14, 24 or 91 (to Vodickova)
Mon - Fri: 8:00 - 22:00, Sat - Sun: 10:00 - 22:00
Google map: bit.ly/vgIibU


* Helen is our Been there local for Prague. Her page is here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/prague-local-helen-ford.jsp and she has her own blog here: czechingin.wordpress.com/

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For national Czech history don't go to the National Museum at the top of Wenceslas Square. The building is beautiful but the collection has just been shut for at least four years for extensive and long-overdue updating.
Instead, go to the National Museum site at the Vitkov Memorial in Zizkov. This site is home to one of the biggest equestrian statues in the world and a very interesting exhibition about 20th century Czech history.
A steep climb to the top is rewarded by a great view over the city, from the roof-top viewing platform or the very good café.

www.nm.cz/
U Památníku 1900, 130 00 Praha 3
+420 222 781 676

November 2011 untill March 2012:
Monday–Wednesday: CLOSED
Thursday–Sunday: 10 AM–6 PM
Google map: bit.ly/vukUJR

* Helen is our Been there local for Prague. Her page is here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/prague-local-helen-ford.jsp and she has her own blog here: czechingin.wordpress.com/

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This cute café in Prague 2 has a range of attractions: newsagents (“trafika”), shop and tobacconists up front, with café behind, piano in the corner, occasional music events and small vinoteka.
Like a much-loved teddy bear, local favourite Dobra Trafika is a little worn around the edges, which makes local residents love it even more.
The menu includes several pages of teas and coffees, cakes and delicious stuffed pitta breads, at cheap-as-chips prices.
Delightfully scruffy, living-room-cosy and great value.

www.dobratrafika.cz
Korunní 42, 120 00 Praha 2
+420 737907635
Nearest metro: Jiriho z Podebrad
Cafe open Mon-Fri from 7.30, Sat from 8.00, Sun from 9.00, until 23.00 each day.
Google map: bit.ly/qG6G2d

* Helen is our Been there local for Prague. Her page is here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/prague-local-helen-ford.jsp and she has her own blog here: czechingin.wordpress.com/

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One of my favourite restaurants in Prague and multiple gastronomic prize winner, Aromi will not disappoint. Although it boasts an impressive all round Italian menu, Aromi’s main draw is the outstanding selection of fresh fish available daily (no mean feat in a country that is landlocked). Their utterly charming, and incredibly knowledgeable staff bring huge platters of fish to each table (look away if you’re squeamish) and entice you with promises of grilled sea bass, plumptious snapper, huge turbot and fresh lobster.
An excellent wine selection and the best limoncello I’ve had outside Italy complete a fantastic meal.
Not a cheap option, but great for a splurge.
Book ahead – Aromi is deservedly popular throughout the week.

www.aromi.cz/en/home/
Mánesova 78, Praha 2
+420 222713222
Google map: bit.ly/mSmnKs
Nearest metro: Jiriho z Podebrad
Open Mon-Sat 12.00-23.00, Sun 12.00-22.00

* Helen is our Been there local for Prague. Her page is here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/prague-local-helen-ford.jsp and she has her own blog here: czechingin.wordpress.com/

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Upon entering Sudička, a subterranean restaurant in Prague 2, you’ll be glad you knew to come in and didn’t pass straight by. This warmly glowing, inviting gem of a place is almost entirely hidden from pavement level – some small windows around ankle level are all that give it away.
Sudička offers an intimate, cosy space for drinks or dinner, lit by candles and low lighting.
The menu is creative, with a range of excellent salads (my favourite is smoked salmon with strawberries), cheese specialties including raclette and fondue and heartier dishes to warm your cockles throughout winter. Sudička boasts an impressive wine list (including several by the glass) as well as a particularly wide range of teas.
Lovely staff and very reasonable prices complete the experience.

www.sudicka.cz/
Nitranská 1355/7, 130 00 Praha 3
+420 222 511 609

Opening houses described as Monday - Saturday from 3:33 pm to 11:33 pm (mostly even longer) , which seems to cover most bases for evening dining!
Sunday closed
Nearest Metro:
Nearest Tram: 10 or 16 (Vinohradska vodarna) or 11 (Jiriho z Podebrad)
Google map: bit.ly/qIEtxs

* Helen is our Been there local for Prague. Her page is here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/prague-local-helen-ford.jsp and she has her own blog here: czechingin.wordpress.com/

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Czech tea houses are a relatively recent development. Local legend claims that a good cuppa was unheard of in the Czech capital until 1848 when Russian anarchist Mikhail Bakunin requested tea in a Prague café and was met with blank faces.
Fast forward 150 years and the tea drinking, which took off at the end of the 19th century but subsided under the communist regime, has flourished once more. Prague boasts innumerate independent čajovny as well as one small tea chain, each with distinct character and appeal but all offering a wonderfully relaxed environment in which to while away a few hours.
Čajovny serve čaj in abundance – fresh loose teas from across the globe. Most offer extensive menus (around 60-80 tea varieties is a standard) and some offer hookah with flavored tobacco.
Čajovny are casual, hippified places, popular with Czech students, offering a relaxed, chilled-out vibe. A great antidote to an afternoon of sightseeing!

My favourites include:
Dobra Čajovny on Wenceslas Square – www.tea.cz/cajovna/
Nearest metro: Mustek or Muzeum

Tea in the Tower
www.dojo.cz/cajovna/rozvrh/index_eng.html
Na výšinách 1 / Korunovační Prague 7
Nearest Tram: Sparta (1,5,8, 25 or 26)

* Helen is our Been there local for Prague. Her page is here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/prague-local-helen-ford.jsp and she has her own blog here: czechingin.wordpress.com/

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Fans of Vietnamese food may want to try Pho Vietnam in Prague 2. Located a stone’s throw from Jiriho z Podebrad metro station, this tiny restaurant offers a small outside seating area but mainly offers takeaway meals. Their menu includes some delicious pho (Vietnamese noodle soup, usually served with beef (pho bo) or chicken (pho ga)), which is absolutely packed with fresh spring onions and corrainder, for around 80 CZK.
Pho Vietnam also offers Vietnamese curry dishes with rice, and some sushi.
A basic restaurant but a great quick and healthy option for food in a hurry.

Slavikova 1, 120 00 Prague 2
+420 774 167 786
Nearest Metro: Jiřího z Poděbrad
Nearest Tram: Jiřího z Poděbrad (11), Vinohradska Vodarna (10 and 16)
Google map: bit.ly/oatzRk

* Helen is our Been there local for Prague. Her page is here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/prague-local-helen-ford.jsp and she has her own blog here: czechingin.wordpress.com/

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When you step into Café Louvre on Národní, it is as if you step back in time. Opened in 1902, Louvre has always ranked highly in Czech kavarna culture. For a time it was the meeting ground of philosophy groups whose members included Franz Kafka and Max Brod. Many key players in the European literary scene of the early twentieth century spent time here, including Czech the Čapek brothers and Otto Pick.
Although the café closed for several years under the communists, its interior underwent considerable reconstruction in the 1990s. Today visitors will still get a feel of the grandiose café scene that existed at the beginning of the last century, as they walk up the wide staircase with marble walls and an iron handrail. The main room of the café, overlooking Národní below, boasts high ceilings, large windows and huge mirrors, which makes this one of the most splendid locations to drink caj or kava in the whole of Prague.
Louvre does offer full savoury meals, including soups, salads and pancakes. However, the best reason for a visit is the magnificent coffee and cake menu. Their homemade cakes, strudels and waffles will satisfy even the sweetest tooth – the blueberry cake on linz dough with vanilla ice-cream (65 CZK) keeps me coming back again and again.
An impressive drinks menu makes Louvre a winter time favourite – hot chocolate with rum and whipped cream (59 CZK) will keep you warm when it’s cold outside.
For good quality coffee and dessert set in historic opulence, look no further.

www.cafelouvre.cz/
Národní 22, Praha 1, 110 00
+420 224 930 949
Nearest metro: Narodni Trida or Mustek
Nearest tram: Narodni Trida (6, 9, 18, 21, 22 or 91)
Mon-Friday: 08.00 to 23.30
Sat-Sun: 0900 to 23.30
Google map: bit.ly/mQerhN


* Helen is our Been there local for Prague. Her page is here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/prague-local-helen-ford.jsp and she has her own blog here: czechingin.wordpress.com/

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Riegrovy Sady in Prague 2, is an excellent place to while away a sunny afternoon. Its gentle grassy slopes offer excellent views northwards over the city towards Petrin Hill. It definitely has a touch of Primrose Hill cool about it and is popular among Czech and expat couples and friends.
The park is well served by drinking establishments. Mlíkárna is my favourite beer garden. It’s open from early April until late October and, while it can be crowded on a sunny weekend day, offers a takeaway (“sebo” in Czech) option so you can enjoy your beer in a quieter spot.
At the weekends Mlíkárna also has an outdoor barbeque offering sausages (klobasa) and other snacks.

Riegrovy Sady, 120 00 Praha 2, Vinohrady
Nearest metro: Jiřího z Poděbrad or Namesti Miru (walk down Mánesova and turn onto Třebízského)
Nearest tram: Vinohradská tržnice (11)
Monday – Sunday 10.00 to 22.00
Google map: bit.ly/oQi0st

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It sometimes seems that there is not a bar in the world that Hemingway did not frequent. However, Hemingway Bar in central Prague takes inspiration from the watering holes of Hemingway’s era rather than staking an actual
claim on the author’s custom.
The bar, which occupies two cosy rooms, has a classic American bar feel: walls lined with bottles of spirits, lots of dark wood, leather furniture and soft lighting. Hemingway’s boasts an impressive and modern cocktail menu,
presented by very knowledgeable staff. The bar is particularly proud of its rum selection – it offers over 100 bottles – and its absinthe offerings.
The menu, like the bar itself, manages to be simultaneously comfortably familiar and strikingly modern. My personal favourite is the Jasmine Tea Cup – gin infused with jasmine tea, with lime cordial and fresh lime served,
brilliantly, in a china tea cup.
Lovely for an after dinner drink a la deux, or tres cool for drinks with the girls. Subtle glamour in the heart of Prague.

www.hemingwaybar.cz/bar-praha/
Karolíny Světlé 279/26, 110 00 Prague 1, Czech Republic
+42(0)773 974 764
Google map: bit.ly/qTiUPU

* Helen is our Been there local for Prague. Her page is here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/prague-local-helen-ford.jsp and she has her own blog here: czechingin.wordpress.com/

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Prague is full of places claiming to have been frequented by Kafka, Max Brod and the like,
but in Café Montmartre you really believe it.
Walking through the door is like stepping back in time (aside from the laptops set out by the
modern crowd who now sit where Kafka used to) to the beginning of the twentieth century,
when the café regularly held literary events, debates and dances. Founded in 1911, the café
was closed in 1937 and only reopened fairly recently. Great care has been taken to recreate
the kavarna’s original character, with kitch, mismatched chairs, threadbare sofas and faded
photographs of the original clientele.
Good coffees and cakes and a well-stocked bar, for reasonable prices in the city centre. This
cosy gem will appeal to those looking for something authentic and not too sterile.

Řetězová 7, Prague 1
+42(0)222 221 244
Google map: bit.ly/qEjxTb

* Helen is our Been there local for Prague. Her page is here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/prague-local-helen-ford.jsp and she has her own blog here: czechingin.wordpress.com/

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Beas-Dhaba at Vladislavova offers great quality, freshly cooked vegetarian curry daily. Offering a north Indian menu, this brightly coloured restaurant is a weekday favourite for locals working nearby. The self-service style and metal trays give it a definite school cafeteria feel - if only school dinners had tasted this good! Beas-Dhaba offers two vegetable curries, two dhals, two types of rice, salads and a dessert each day, as well as samosas and pakoras, and Indian sweets. Soft drinks are available - their freshly made fruit and vegetable juices are highly recommended.
Food is priced by weight - lunch will set you back around 160 CZK/ £6.

Lovely warming food in winter. A cool oasis (with garden) in the summer. Beas-Dhaba does get busy but offers a very quick turn around time - great for lunch in a hurry!

Beas-Dhaba has four restaurnat in Prague. See the website for more details.

www.beas-dhaba.cz/
Vladislavova 24, Prague 1
+420 773 380 371
Google map: bit.ly/pY6dqL
Nearest metro: Narodni Trida

Mon-Fri: 11.00-21.00
Sat: 12.00 - 20.00
Sun: 12-18.00

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This is a fantastic place that serves 30 Czech beers on tap and offers flights of five or 10 beers. It's the best place in Prague for sampling a great range of Czech beers. Make sure you don't miss it!

www.praguebeermuseum.com/
+(420) 732 330 912
Dlouha 46, Praha 1
Google map: bit.ly/rpyZcX

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If you fancy brunch with the girls a la Sex and the City, Café Amandine might be right up your street. Not the cheapest but not eye wateringly expensive and certainly one of the loveliest.
The purple and green boutique interior is lovely, and the pastries excellent. Service could be quicker, but you’re here to linger so it doesn’t really matter.
Breakfast and brunch set menus are available every day, including “Parisienne” (croissant and coffee) or “Bonne Santé” (Greek yoghurt and muesli), as well as an a la carte menu offering a good variety of eggs – scrambled, poached and boiled. Café Armandiene also offers a weekend brunch special – a glass of something fizzy, coffee or tea, juice, and mini viennoiseries, eggs and breads for 295 CZK.
Quiche, tartines, sandwiches, hot dishes, salads, pancakes and blinis are also available throughout the day.

www.cafeamandine.cz‎
Na Moráni 1689/17, 120 00 Praha 2 - Nové Město, Czech Republic
+420222524305
Google map: bit.ly/q8Z7wW

Helen is our Been there local for Prague. Her page is here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/prague-local-helen-ford.jsp and she has her own blog here: czechingin.wordpress.com/

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