A few weeks ago, we posted about our favorite bakeries in Prague specifically for bread. This time around, we will have a look at our favorite bakeries or coffee shops for something sweet.
And boy do we know a thing or two about „something sweet“. If you’ve been following us, you surely know we’re on a never-ending #kolachehunt, and we rarely say no to something sweet along with our coffee. So while our bodies suffer, why can’t you get something out of our… ahem… research?
Three notes about the list: there will be some overlap with the bread list - some bakeries just make delicious bread AND great sweet stuff. Also, please note that we will not be including pastry shops in here - let’s leave that for another post. Finally, we will not be including coffee shops that resell baked stuff from other producers. Everything mentioned in this list is made in house. Enjoy!
Laforme
Confession: we live a few blocks away from this tiny coffee shop/bakery. And let us tell you: Laforme makes the best croissants in the city. There, we said it. People really dig (there’s a line now) their filled croissants, especially the almond one, but we’re really partial to their plain croissant: it is just the right size - not the tasteless gargantuan croissant sold in many coffee shops, including some we otherwise like - does not smell of yeast, is buttery and has just the right amount of flakiness. A winner. The fact that it wasn’t always so only shows that with determination and hard work, you can do just about anything.
Kus koláče
Just how good is Kus koláče? Go there any time of the day, and the queue in front is your answer: you’d think this was a Tuzex in 1986 and they just brought in Sony TV sets. (You have to be Czech of a certain age to get that reference.) No, really, there can be long lines, although Nika Vavro, the owner, is adamant that they are not that bad and they are trying their hardest to tackle the problem: they put the times of their next baking batches on the social media, for instance.
But the mere fact that they have to do that just goes to show how good they are: they opened into the shutdowns and lockdowns, and still became a hugely successful sensation. And once you try anything they sell, you’ll quickly understand why - their kolache are awesome (the blueberry one has become the iconic one), their buns and moist and delicious, the bundt cake, the Pražský koláč… if they sell it, it’s going to be great. So check their social media, time your visit well and definitely give them a try. (Oh, and they also make full cakes if you preorder them.)
Letec Espresso Bar
When asked what stood out for her in Prague, our Polish friend, food writer, cookbook author and food personality Minta did not mention her dinners at La Degustation or Field. She mentioned Letec: „I love yeast dough, and I thought it would be burnt when I saw it, but it was absolutely moist and fluffy and delicious. Yum!“
We feel you, Minta. Letec may be an espresso bar, but what’s remarkable about it is not the coffee, which is perfectly fine, but the baking, which is outstanding. The young baker simply bakes like an angel. Here kolaches are so good they made the cut for our pandemic Prague’s Finest box of food. Her buns may look scorched, but they are exactly as Minta described them. And the banana bread, the brownies… it’s all good, people. Letec is worth a separate trip.
Prokop Croissant
Henry Ford used to say that you can have the Model T painted any color you like, as long as it’s black. Well, over at Prokop Croissant, you can have any pastry you like, as long as it’s a croissant. While in Asia these shops that focus on one thing and do it well are very common, here in Prague this feels like a bold step. But it’s a good step - specialty coffee ands croissants, plain or filled - what more do you really need? And they’re all made by hand - no machinery involved, which is saying something when it comes to croissants. This is a great stop if you’re in the New Town. Yum.
Oh Deer! Bakery
Duh. It’s not like we’re revealing any secrets here: Oh Deer! is probably the guilty pleasure of anyone who’s ever been to Oh Deer! Bakery. Those cronuts are just amazing. They’re not the same as those trademarked Dominique Anselm’s creations: these are… ehh… sturdier and with more filling. But boy oh boy.
Jan is a big fan of all things nasty, but there’s a tipping point where the knowledge that you are causing serious damage to your health is simply louder than the pleasure of eating whatever nasty you happen to be eating. Oh Deer’s cronuts are dancing around that tipping point, but never quite get there. So it’s all good. Zuzi usually opts for the fruity flavours, while Jan goes full throttle and arteries with the likes of Nutella or salted caramel. If you’ve never been, watch out.
Tvoje máma
When we asked about the best buchta buns on our Instagram, Tvoje máma (which means „Your mom“ in English, leading to a lot of confusion when you actually talk about that place) has gotten the most votes. And rightfully so: this Vršovice staple bakes some good buchtas, along with some other great stuff and nice specialty coffee. The poppy seed strudel we had there a few weeks ago was probably the best we’ve ever had - we did not plan on buying it when we got there, but it looked nice on the counter and we literally just swallowed it in the car. So good!
Café Jen
We’ve known Chez Lucie, the baking blogger-turned-proper baker, ever since Taste of Prague started, or even before, as part of the original cast of what used to be the scuk.cz website. Now, years and several employers later, Lucie is now baking at Vršovice Kafe Jen, one of our absolutely favourite neighborhood breakfast-and-coffee shops with an all-female ownership and staff.
Lucie bakes anything from laskonka, kremrole, Pražský koláč cake, to donuts and waffles, and her creations embellish the take out breakfast and snack boxes Café Jen has been putting together recently. Good stuff from a place that just radiates good vibes.
Defidu
Defidu is a tiny bakery without any proper seating area in a part of Žižkov where you wouldn’t expect to find anything (and we’re sorry but we have never found the mythical Šusta strudel to be worth of a separate trip, or any trip for that matter) that has recently witnessed a surge in popularity, as they began to supply to some of our favorite coffee shops (cough, Traffik Coffee). We have been just once and while we were not particularly impressed by the croissant, the cream-filled brioche bun was just awesome. We’ve just been once, granted, but this place has potential.
Etapa
Read our lips: Etapa, the wildly popular Karlín district bistro by our friends Gabi and Petr serve the best loupák rolls in town. So much so that you have to preorder them whenever they are available. (We’re not entirely sure why they don’t just make them all the time.) But their other baking creations are sold as well: their carrot cake is one of our favourites for sure, as is their zucchini bread. And their cardamom twists? Don’t get us started on those. Also, great seasonal Christmas and Easter breads. There’s always an effort to present a healthier version of these baked sweets, but they have to be tasty first, and healthy second. Which is a good set of priorities if you ask us.
Praktika
Now, the sweet baking of Praktika, probably our favorite bread makers in Prague, will polarise the public, because they are using the same stone-milled, nutritious and delicious flour they use for their breads. Which can be either meh, or wow, depending on where you stand on the issue. (We are part of the wow crowd.) Zuzi really enjoys their plain croissants (again, the flour is different, so be mindful of that), we both love their canelé or the apple tarts. And when they have the Swedish semlor, you buy their Swedish semlor: they’re a bit different than the rest of them, but omg, they are amazing (and sold out almost immediately).
Kro Bakery
The Kro family has been on a roll ever since they opened not even two years ago, and Kro Bakery is both a valuable member of the family and a hit bakery on their own. Their croissants (plain and almond) are super solid, their pain au chocolat are one of the best ever when fresh, and the Danishes, bolle and caramel buns? really satisfying and delicious. And they are not afraid to try new exciting things or put new spins on their all-time favorites. The best place to try these is in Kro Coffee on Jiřího z Poděbrad, along with great specialty coffee and small snacks.
(Full disclosure: we do have a business relationship with Kro Coffee, which, however, puts us under no obligation to write about them or promote them in these posts.)
Artic BH
Two words, people: love balls. Artic Bakehouse, owned and operated by an Icelandic baker who ended up in Prague for whatever reason, sells a very wide assortment of sweet baking products, apart from the sourdough breads, but our heart and arteries belong to their love balls - small balls of sweet dough with raisins and cardamom that are just deep fried and utterly delicious. We really like their almond croissants, too: the plain ones and a tad too yeasty for us though. But then again, love balls.
Eska
Eska, the post-industrial Karlín districts powerhouse, can be in Prague’s top ten for many categories - definitely restaurants, bread makers for sure, the coffee is solid as well, but their sweet baking should not be ignored, either. We have always enjoyed their buchta buns, made from a „breadier“ flour: they are substantial, have the a touch of that sourdough acidity, and are filled to the brink with wither poppy seeds, farmer’s cheese or plum jam, and - and that’s fairly unique by Prague standards - nuts. We also like their Linzer cakes, cakes with streusel and seasonal stuff for Christmas and Easter. Eska really does satisfy many needs - just grab some coffee and a buchta, and you’re good to go.
Alf&Bet
For the longest time, Alf&Bet has made us drive to the otherwise fairly ugly area of Palmovka just to get our lips around a kolache or a buchta bun, along with some specialty coffee from beans roasted on site. Now perhaps we’re going to Alf&Bet a bit less, but that’s due to the fact that other options have been as satisfying and closer to where we normally navigate. But as indoor dining resumes, we will definitely take the trip to Libeň again: their buns, croissants and seasonal breads are just worth it.
Super Tramp Coffee
We mean, you can’t really argue with the location of Super Tramp Coffee: the courtyard of an old printing house far from the crowds outside and hidden from 99% of the people in the area gives you an instant feeling of being an insider in the know when you’re there. The coffee is super solid, and while they don’t bake a huge assortment of things, what they do is really good. We like their plain and simple „rum cloud“ or their soaking moist and zesty ginger bread. And our little JJ loves the canelé, and we’re not blaming him. Great stuff.
