We tend to write about specialty coffee in Prague every year or so, and it’s about time we revisit our piece on Prague coffee scene again because while most things have stayed the same, some might never stay the same after 2020. For comparison, check this very same post for 2020.

Again this year, we’d like to split our coffee guide to Prague into two posts: the first that explains the local coffee culture and will help you navigate the lay of the land when it comes to coffee in Prague. You know, a post we would like to read before we travel anywhere.

The second post will list our favorite coffee shops in Prague. Okay? Let’s get right to it.

Prague Coffee Scene

When not affected by, let’s say, a global friggin’ pandemic, Prague coffee scene is vibrant and very much alive. It includes tiny espresso bars with baristas that are passionate about their craft (how else can you explain the coffee-related tattoos on their visible body parts?), grand cafés with a rich and vibrant history… and mediocre coffee and lukewarm service at best. And it includes neighborhood spots that can feel more like restaurants during the lunch hour. The people of Prague like their coffee, and they like to socialize over it, which is, to many here, the main point of visiting a coffee shop in the first place. (That is, until everybody gets their pair of AirPods and escapes into their own alternative reality fueled by a cheap data plan and a Netflix subscription. Oh well.)

Before we get into this, one disclaimer: this post will describe the specialty coffee scene in Prague. For historical, traditional cafés, please look elsewhere. These coffee shops, while undoubtedly beautiful and packed with history, do not serve specialty coffee (which is a nice way of saying we don’t like the coffee) and will not be covered in these posts. There is just one exception at the moment: Café Savoy, which is the only café that would pass as „traditional“ and serves specialty coffee, and one of the very few restaurants in Prague that serves specialty coffee (the other one probably being Eska).

So what are the peculiarities of Prague coffee scene? Any specific drinks? Customs? How about the tipping? Read on.

Should I stay or should I go

The last time around, we wrote that “Prague had virtually no take away culture”. A year of lockdowns and shutdowns later, take away culture IS the coffee culture, as indoor dining was an option for mere 15 our off the last 120 days or so as of the writing of this.

People in Prague have embraced this sudden and abrupt change… because what other option did they really have? Standing in line at a social distance while chatting to the others in that line has become the new defining feature of a neighbourhood coffee shop. And having your own reusable cup has become a must for those who dislike all the waste generated by the take out culture that has come to dominate Prague coffee and food scene.

But if and when the pandemic goes away for good and indoor dining becomes an option again, it will be interesting to see if take out coffee will still be the dominant form of taking your coffee, or if coffee drinkers of Prague will go back to their old ways, meaning drinking coffee from a regular cup or glass inside a coffee shop. You see, just like most cities of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire, Prague had virtually no take away culture before the pandemic. Getting coffee in a to go cup is a fairly recent phenomenon. As a result, it is a good idea to make a reservation in a popular coffee shop during rush hours, if they allow it online. Some specialty coffee shops do not take reservations during weekends or at all, so please check. In any case, since most people sit down to drink coffee with friends or family, reservation is a good idea.

Now, before you get nice and cosy on a couch, you should know that Czech coffee shops (and Czechs in general) do implicitly require a certain tempo when it comes to drinking coffee, and the service will eventually start stopping by and asking if you want anything else. If you don’t, it’s time to move on. Sitting for three hours while sipping a single cup of filter coffee endlessly is a general source of frustration and annoyance. (Yup, we’re looking at you, study abroad students.)

Another consequence of no take-away culture is the fact that most coffee shops don’t actually sell that many cups of coffee and depend on additional sales to make a living. So expect nearly every coffee shop and espresso bar to serve some baked goods, teas, juices, sodas, and very often alcohol (beer and wine) and some small snacks along with the coffee. It is absolutely possible to have a light lunch in many coffee shops, although not many coffee shops offer cooking on par with the better restaurants in town. Another thing: coffee shops in Prague tend to have fairly long opening hours. Most of them will open anywhere between 8am and 10am, and while some may close around 6pm, many stay open until 8pm or even 10pm. Beat that, Melbourne!

If you do insist on takeaway coffee and don’t carry your own cup, look out for the many coffee shops that participate in the „otoč kelímek“ project. Basically, you pay additional 2 EUR for a durable plastic cup that you can later return at any other participating coffee shop for a full refund or a fresh new cup when you get a new cup of coffee. Most often, locals will pay the deposit on the first cup and then keep returning and getting new cups whenever they get another cup of coffee to go. An elegant and beautiful solution.

While there are many small espresso bars in town, many coffee shops will shock you with how generous they can be with the space, especially if you come from high-rent/small-space environments like the NYC or Tokyo. Airy and spacious coffee shops are a Prague specialty, ideally with great views.

Tipping in coffee shops with service is similar to tipping in restaurants: 10% if you’re happy. Just round it up to something. If you’re not tipping at all, you are either (1) unhappy with either the product or service, or both, (2) really cheap, (3) our moms. Prices of coffee are very reasonable: you should expect to pay somewhere in the area of EUR 2 - 2.5 for espresso and batch filter coffee, to roughly 3EUR for cappuccinos, flat whites and hand brews.

One last thing: while the baristas and the service in specialty coffee shops will look very, very young (in line with the general food service industry in Prague), most baristas see their work as a viable career at least for some years to come. Which means they will care more about their craft that the bored college kid who’s just there for the summer job before he or she gets their big break and moves into something better. The result? In our experience better coffee and service.

What to get

Please note that most coffee shops in Prague pull split (single) shots, so your cappuccino may be weaker than what you might be used to home. (Especially if your home is the USA or the UK.) Ask for an extra shot if you need it.

The terminology is plain and simple. Want filter coffee? Ask for a batch brew for a regular cup of joe, or a hand brew if you want choice of beans. Espresso is an espresso, single or double. If you want milk with your coffee, the names are (ranked from smallest to biggest): espresso macchiato, cortado (ask for it even if it’s not on the menu), cappuccino, flat white, latte. There have been debates about the use of the word „piccolo“. If a coffee shop uses the term (most specialty coffee spots don’t, with a passion) it just means a plain espresso.

Lactose-intolerant? No worries. Most good coffee shops offer non-dairy alternatives (traditionally soy, oat or almond), mostly at a small additional cost. The really good coffee shops will have a drink that mixes coffee and alcohol. There’s nothing like getting a bit caffeinated and a bit buzzed in the winter. Trust us on that one.

Any special Czech coffee drinks? Only two. „Alžírská kava“ („Algerian coffee“) is a classic drink of grandmas in pastry shops: basically filter coffee or espresso with whipped cream and eggnog. (Not sure what any of this has to do with Algeria, but whatever. For a non-alcoholic version, ask for „vídeňská kava“ or “Viennese coffee“) If you want a modern, specialty coffee version of this, head over to the Myšák pastry shop in the New Town. Another Czech classic is „turecká káva“, or „Turkish coffee“, basically unfiltered coffee, but unlike real Turkish coffee, the grind is fairly large and sets at the bottom of the glass. If you’ve ever participated in a coffee cupping, you’ll know what we’re talking about here. This is the classic coffee Czechs are mostly forced to drink when they visit grandma and grandpa in the countryside. (It’s the classic “Turkish or Nescafé” dilemma.)

Things to buy

Have a nerdy barista friend or relative and want to bring them something memorable from Prague:? So nice of you, really. Here’s our tips.

First and foremost, Prague is home to a few good coffee roasting operations. The first logical choice would be Doubleshot. As one of the oldest specialty coffee roasters, they are reliable, have access to good beans, and are fairly inexpensive (they have larger packaging than most). Their limited editions are worth the splurge in our book. You can buy their beans in the coffee shops they own (Můj šálek kávy, Místo or Alza coffee) and in the Sklizeno organic shops.

Our other favorite is Candycane Coffee by the people behind onesip coffee, one of our favorite espresso bars in town. The Made Mama Proud limited series are great, but their regular roasts are good too. They have been making leaps ahead recently and if you’ll drink coffee in any of the more recent coffee shops, the odds are you will be tasting their roasts. Yup, these guys know pretty much everyone on the coffee scene here.

Another very interesting operation is the Naughty Dog, started fairly recently by the coffee power duo Gwilym Davies (you can listen to our English podcast with Gwilym here) and Petra Veselá. These two should have a statue somewhere on a big square here, as they have, in a way, set the high standards of the Prague coffee scene by training pretty much all the very first fantastic Prague baristas in their little training facility outside of Prague in Jílové. Gwilym is a former World Barista Champion and now a WBC judge, and Petra has written the scene defining books for baristas.

BTW, that would be another great gift if you have the money - a barista course with Gwilym and Petra, who happen to prepare top contenders from all around the world for the World Barista Championships. For great one-day coffee courses and lessons held in English, you should also look at Doubleshot. Their training centre in the Karlin district is great and Terezka, the lecturer, was a Czech Barista Champion, so she’s the real thing.

Other specialty coffee roasting operations worth looking at include La Bohéme Café, Coffee Source, Dos Mundos, Alf&Bet, Mamacoffee, Nordbeans, Father’s, Beansmith’s, Rusty Nails, and I am sure I am missing a few. You should not go wrong with any of these.

The Czech Republic is also home to Simax, the biggest manufacturer of laboratory glass in the world. Several good coffee shops in the country and abroad have been using their heat-resistant, high-quality yet affordable lab glass as decanters for hand brews. Click here to see where you can buy them. If you want the same material and quality but in a modern design that is functional and striking, check out Lukáš Novák’s V60 in Wonderland coffee set. It’s the set we are using at home daily, and it still isn’t boring months later.

One might say that the beautiful glass by our fave Rückl might be overkill for coffee, but if you want to dazzle with your brew, why not? Czechia is know for its glass, and we honestly think Rückl gives you the best bang for your buck. (Disclaimer: Rückl is an advertiser in our Prague Foodie Map, but that does not change the fact we love them and would write about them even if they weren’t.)

Czechia also has a long tradition in ceramics, so let’s have two traditional and three modern ceramics recommendations.

The Bohemia Cobalt series by Architect Pelcl brings the classic Blue Onion Design into the 21th Century. You can buy their sets in the factory store at Perlová street in the New Town. If you want to go full throttle on the Blue Onion design, we won’t stop you. And the Moravská keramika z dílny Kaňovských makes hand-made, Kallita-compatible brewers, ceramic to go cups and regular coffee mugs and cups adorned with classic Moravian patters. Cute? You bet. You can buy them here (consider the nice walk to the Musaion a healthy bonus).

We stole this pic of Kallita-compatiblee brewer by Moravská keramika from here.

For something more modern, have a look at the Mindset cups. They are handmade and beautifully finished ad would be a treasure in any cool and trendy coffee shop around the world. To buy them, you have to go to the actual workshop in the Letná district, which is actually fun. For similar styles, have a look at Bisqit and their beautiful modern cups. Again, you have to visit their studio, this time in the wonderful Vinohrady district. And finally, our friends over at In August Company make beautiful cups that we drink our daily home brews from. Their aprons are also pretty cool, but for proper barista aprons, look at Apronista. The website lets you customize your own and have it delivered to Prague. So easy.