Czech Republic
Is it a restaurant? Is it a club? Is it a record shop? No one is quite sure but either way Radost FX near Namesti Miru is very cool.
Street level houses a quirky veggie café and a music/video/wine shop. Downstairs is a lounge/restaurant area with the same menu, and a club.
During the daytime enjoy the Radost FX cafe. Set behind large windows facing the street, the cafe has some pretty eclectic decor. Tuck into breakfast from 8-11, or later on enjoy the wide vegetarian menu later in the day. Radost Fx has a truly global menu, boasting dishes from countries including Greece, Italy, India and Thailand as well as some of the best veggie burgers and 'slaw ever. Food is available all day.
The same menu is available in the longue area downstairs, which is complimented by a great bar and live music at the weekends - well into the small hours.
I especially love the shop area on street level next to the cafe. As well as videos, DVDs and wine, this cosy shop offers an ever changing selection of vintage and contemporary music on vinyl.
There’s something for everyone here, at any time of day.
www.radostfx.cz/
Bělehradská 22, 120 00, Prague 2
+420 603 193 711
Nearest metro - Namesti Miru or IP Pavlova
Google map: bit.ly/zgnAMf
* 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/
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/
Located minutes from Old Town Square, I found this gem after a morning of wandering the Jewish Quarter. Tired and needing a quick energy fix, the coffee here was a perfect pick-me-up. Bakeshop Praha soon became my every day stop for a cup of consistently good coffee and the opportunity to rest in a non-smoking zone, something that is very difficult to find in Prague.
Everything in the shop is baked daily, including their famous sourdough bread, with varieties such as walnut, potato dill, rosemary olive oil, and black olive.
Their display cases showcase loaf cakes, savory pies, canapés, quiches, sandwiches and even wedding cakes.
Kozí 1, 110 00, Praha 1
+420 222 316 823
www.bakeshop.cz
Google map: bit.ly/mxanfL
The hot chocolate at Choco Café is seriously the best I’ve ever had. It is pure alchemy: 100 grams of decadent, delicious chocolate so thick you can eat it with a spoon.
This is a nice quiet place to get away from the hordes of tourists in the Old Town. The cosy café has tables and couches set in a relaxed atmosphere. You are encouraged to sit, relax and pass the time away. The long list of hot chocolate varieties include: spiced ginger, sea salt, chili, rum or fresh fruits. My favourite is the hot chocolate with chili. I love how the bittersweetness of the chocolate blends nicely with the hot chili kick - very nice. Try it!
Liliová 4/250, Praha 1, 110 00
+420222222519
www.choco-cafe.cz
Google map: bit.ly/irmI0Y
Fantastic little cafe/restaurant/bar with great food at a reasonable price in a lovely part of the city. The staff are friendly (often a rarity in Prague) and and the beer is good. They have a select lunch menu deal as they are usually quite packed during the lunch rush. One of my favourite places when I lived in the city.
www.bilavrana.com
Jagellonska 10, Praha 3, Vinohrady
5 minute saunter from metro Jiriho z Podebrad
This café is steeped in history and is one of the best coffee houses in Prague. There is a huge breakfast selection and the restaurant serves superb traditional Czech food. The summer terrace is also a really great way to imagine you’re in the company of Kafka, Capek and Einstein who all frequented here. We were staying at the hostel downtown, so it was the perfect place to meet up with friends for a drink as the café is open every evening until 11:30 pm.
Národní 22, Praha 1, 110 00,
tel: +420 224 930 949
A little slice of Cuba in the heart of Prague’s Old Town. This cigar bar has a vibrant, chatty atmosphere and an easy-going charm, epitomised by the customer graffiti that covers the interior. The writing is on the wall at the Bodeguita.
Address: Kaprova 5, 110 00 Prague 1 (short walk from Old Town Square).
Telephone: (420) 224813922.
Website: www.bodeguita.cz.
The Palffy Palace is a real hidden gem. Nestled in a faded 18th century Baroque building below Prague Castle, the restaurant serves excellent modern European food. It's especially romantic in winter.
Valdstejnska 14, Mala Strana, Prague 1
Malostranska (line A)
Tram stop: Malostranske Namesti (trams: 12,22,23)
Beautiful, stylish and the best hangover curing breakfast I've ever had... that could be because it included Buck's fizz in the buffet.
It's walking distance to the centre of the city but secluded enough within its diplomatic quarter to be quiet.
This is the best Argentinean steak house I've ever been to! The food was unbelievable and the atmosphere amazing. Salsa dancers appeared mid-meal and a band entertained us in the bar afterwards. Mojitos all round!
A chic and, in terms of British prices, good value restaurant on the banks of the Vltava where you can watch the passing tourist boats and the crowds on Charles Bridge. There are plenty of river-view tables. Specialises in fish but also has other dishes and limited vegetarian menu. Approx £50 for 3 course meal with drinks.
200m from the Manesuv Most bridge on the Kampa side.
A bit of a hidden gem, the grim street-level entrance belies the splendid interior, and an atmosphere which is reminiscent of the belle epoch.
The service is quite superb, which really stands out after a couple of days of Czech service, which can be surly. Have the Czech breakfast, which includes delicious apple cake. The English breakfast - toast and marmalade, baked beans and chopped up frankfurters, is only worth ordering for its comedy value.
As to Prague, being careful crossing the roads cannot be stressed enough. The drivers only stop on red lights (in theory) or if a pedestrian's corpse jams their wheels. Beware the trams, which are quiet and easily missed above the hubbub.
Try to get off the main streets at night, as the pimps, drug dealers, strip club and bar advertisers are utterly persistent and will follow you for long distances. Unless, of course, you are there for "sucky sucky" or the half price attentions of a lesbian midget.
One more thing: Large numbers of British stag groups are absolutely running riot there, and you can feel the resentment, even hatred, of many of the locals. If you are Prague-bound, start practising your Canadian accent now.
Narodni Trida 20, in the New Town.
I was in Prague with my wife for ten days in early April 2007. Went to Aromi on the recommendation of some colleagues. We loved it!
I must say that the food and service were fantastic! The location is great, away from all the tourists, but conveniently located just a few Metro stops from Old Town.
We liked it so much, we went back three days later after the opera.
The restaurant is usually packed, so make a reservation.
Mánesova 78/442
tel: +420 222 713 222
fax: +420 222 713 444
www.aromi.cz
Just went over last weekend and it was one of the best short breaks I have had in a long time! The walk through the cobbled streets, over Charles Bridge, through the festive markets eating trodl, a hollow barrell-like delicacy made from caramel and almonds, a must to try with some warm grog!
The best thing for me was going to Cafe Slavia (opposite the National Theatre) and Cafe Louvre (Narodni 20). Try to get a table by the window and enjoy their great coffees, hot chocolate (the real deal) looking over Charles Bridge and taking in the atmosphere.
Whether you are travelling alone or with someone, it will definitely relax you and might even give you some inspiration. Cafe Louvre, though without a great view, has this unexplainable charm and has entertained the likes of Franz Kafka and Albert Einstein. A city where the pace is slow but still with a vibrancy that touches your soul.
Beautiful setting, under one of the arches of the Karluv Most. Most romantic restaurant in Prague.
Limited menu, but good wine and excellent hosts.
Cross the Charles Bridge from the Old Town, walk down the steps to your left down to Kampa Island, go under the bridge and it's round to your left.
As the name suggests, it is a club, but also has a bar and meal facilities. The main thing is the 15th century vault where there are concerts on a tiny stage. I heard Lubos Andrst Blues Band in April, and it was simply divine. It is right in the centre of Prague, right behind the Old Town Square. Brilliant night out with good Czech beer and brilliant music.
Tyn 2, Tynska Ulicka, Praha 1; ungelt@jazzblues.cz; www.jazzblues.cz
Situated very close to the Charles Bridge this pub has a warm, inviting atmosphere. Wooden chairs, tables and half-timbered walls, decorated above with prints of 19th/early 20th Century fashions, give an old fashioned feel to the place, however, the atmosphere is more that of a pub/wine bar than a traditional beer hall. The menu has traditional Czech dishes, both substantial main courses - leg of pork, meat stews, dumplings etc.. and smaller snack style dishes i.e. sausages, cheese plate, potato pancakes. Good wholesome well - cooked food. They also serve delicious dark Velkopopovicky Kozel Beer
15 Na Kampe, Kampa Island Walk down the steps leading from Charles Bridge to Kampa island. The pub is on the left hand side. + 420 257 531 430 www.archibald,cz
An ace restaurant serving traditional Czech grub, U Seturu has a lovely cosy cellar feel about it with some brilliant black and white photographs of the city on the walls. The Goulash in particular is some of the est you'll find anywhere, and the best thing about it is the price: around 200 K per person for a slap up nosh and a glass of beer. They also have an even cheaper (and no less delicious) lunch menu.
Address: Palackeho 2, a little road running between the main streets of Jungmannova and Vodickova in the New Town (Nove Mesto). It is next door to a hotel. There is a tram stop where these two roads meet. Nearest station is Mustek.
Situated very near to Malastranke Namesti, this is a great place to stop and have lunch, or maybe a couple of beers, while exploring the Mala Strana area.
The atmosphere is friendly and inviting; a largish room decorated with frescos/paintings of Prague. At lunch-time it was very busy with a mixture of visitors and locals, all sharing the wooden tables. The general feel is of a good old-fashioned pub/beer hall.
The food is traditional Czech (Fried fillet of fish with tartare sauce
Pork fillet with cheese, Dumplings
Boiled potatoes,Red beet salad)
with a range of main course and smaller dishes. Service was slow with only one – very friendly and charming – waiter/barman serving everyone in the place. However, while you are waiting you can enjoy the dark and light Staropramen beer.
The food, when it arrived, was good quality and at a very reasonable cost. I’d recommend it.
Karmelitska 25, Mala Strana
Very near Malostranske namesti and St. Nicholas Church
This small, cosy and eclectic coffeeshop near Wenceslas Square is a great pace to sit, read, chat and savour the aroma and taste of fine coffee. They serve all kinds of coffee and tea plus beer and just the best Spicy Hot Wine. There is also an internet cafe downstairs if you want to e-mail all your friends back home to tell them just what a great time you're having. Don't forget to sign the visitors book. Open 7.00am-10.00pm Mon-Fri 9.00am-10.00pm Sat & Sun
Narodni 37 (The cafe is in a small courtyard off Narodni. Look for a sign by the opening to the courtyard) 02 2422 8862
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