SUMMER GARDENS AND OTHER EXCEPTIONAL TIPS FOR FOOD AND COFFEE FROM LOCALS IN THE IMMEDIATE SURROUNDINGS OF VÁCLAVSKÉ NÁMĚSTÍ

What Trafalgar Square is to Londoners, Broadway or Fifth Avenue to New Yorkers, or Red Square to Russians, Wenceslas Square is to the people of Prague and all Czechs. Wenceslas Square has been a symbol of the capital and the whole country for more than 200 years. The natural commercial and entertainment centre of Prague became famous at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. Whenever the history of this country has passed through Prague, it has always touched Wenceslas Square at least in part. And not only history. Many meetings take place under the tail of St. Wenceslas’ horse. The fact that there is plenty of places to go for a culinary experience is evidenced by the number of restaurants and cafés. If not the most in one square in Europe, there are certainly a lot of them. The most delicious Italian espresso is undoubtedly offered to visitors to Wenceslas Square by the Italian Speciality shop in Opletalova Street just a short walk from the square, while the best Pilsner beer from the tank is poured by Bredovský dvůr in Politických vězňů Street. Lovers of exotic cuisine will be delighted by the Vietnamese bistro in the Jalta arcade or the Turkish Istanbul kebab in Opletalov Street. The Světozor refreshes with its numerous types of delicious ice cream, which can be enjoyed in the Franciscan Garden, where there is also a children’s playground with a fountain. The garden U Pinkasů offers a gothic climate by the monastery wall and the hotel Adria offers molecular cuisine. For those who don’t want to be disturbed, there are the Prague Chairs on Jungmann Square, where it is a good idea to visit, for example, with a baguette from the Gran Moravia gourmet shop on the corner of Wenceslas Square and Ve Smečkách Street. Authentic Vietnamese coffee can be tasted at Tonkinkafé, and home-made dishes are on the lunch menu at the Husinec restaurant in Mezibranská, which also has a large garden. Well hidden in the arcade of the Phoenix Palace is the theatre café Studio DVA. A little further down in Štěpánská Street at the end of the Štěpánská arcade is a recently opened amazing space called Swim. Wenceslas Square offers a blast of possibilities and interesting places, you just need to know where to go.

“Summer is here. And since our association likes to point out often that Wenceslas Square is not only worth a visit, but also worth a little time to spend here, we come up with tips from us locals on where to go for a great lunch, coffee, ice cream or shopping for cheese and specialties. The Gran Moravia shop, for example, offers a wide variety of Czech cheeses and dairy products from its own cheese factory in Litovel. Pop in for a coffee at Oliver’s Coffee Cup in the House of Fashion and watch the world from the floor above; if you’re lucky, you might catch a glimpse of a real scarecrow in the garden at Styl a Interiér, just down the road from Světozor, or take the kids for ice cream at Světozor in Vodičkova and then take them to the playground in the Franciscan Garden. Just walk through the arcade. From there it’s actually over the wall to the restaurant U Pinkasů to their garden. The seating here is really first-class on a hot summer’s day. As they say themselves, they boast a summer garden with gothic air conditioning, as the garden is literally squeezed between two gothic houses, one of which is the Church of Our Lady of the Snows. The most delicious Italian espresso is undoubtedly offered to visitors to Wenceslas Square by the Italian Speciality shop in Opletalova Street, just a short walk from the square; you can have it standing up in the shop, but you won’t regret it, and you can buy some of the specialties right away, such as the excellent pickled artichokes. Right across the street at Tonkinkafé you can have a fantastic fragrant and strong Vietnamese coffee and sit outside on the storefront watching it sizzle, now in the heat we recommend its chilled version with ice and milk instead of sweetened Salk. In our opinion, one of the best tank Pilsners is brewed at Bredovsky dvor on Politických vězňů Street. Lovers of exotic cuisine will be delighted by the Vietnamese bistro with homemade food at the end of the Jalta arcade, where you can eat quickly and cheaply. Another gem of the area loved by the locals is the Turkish Istanbul kebab in Opletalova Street with its famous authentic Turkish cuisine, which has never encountered other than guaranteed fresh ingredients and the only flavourings in the whole process of making the food are fresh spices, herbs, salt and pepper, just completely without artificial preparations, their kebab or chicken leg roasted on potatoes with tomatoes is simply irresistible. You can also find great home-cooked meals on the lunch menu at the Husinec restaurant in Mezibranská, and they have a large garden. Well hidden in the arcade of the Phoenix Palace is the fabulous theatre café Studio DVA, their food offer which includes a daily lunch menu is completely gluten free, everything is home cooked with love, we recommend their sweet desserts also gluten free and breakfast pancakes. As a secret tip, you can meet quite a number of very famous actors on a daily basis, especially during theatre rehearsals, sometimes even in costume. They also support the Turning Cup Project here, returnable coffee cups for a deposit. A little further down the street at the end of the Stepanska arcade is a recently opened amazing space called Swim, they cook fantastically, serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, drinks, coffee and they have a music club that looks like a swimming pool, hence the name Swim.  In the Saint Tropez patisserie, which has a tradition since the 1930s and can be found in the U Nováků arcade, as you walk through Lucerne towards the Jáma street, you can enjoy their famous cakes and desserts, not only French ones, but also classic Czech ones, like the wreath (věneček) or the windbreaker (větrník). If you buy one or two pieces to take home, they will wrap them in a beautiful pyramid on a hand strap,” says Monika Vlková, project manager of the Association of the New Town of Prague.

The Association of the New Town of Prague tries to be present at important decisions of politicians and officials at the town hall so that the fate of one of the most important squares in Bohemia is continuous. And that this place is not only associated with political demonstrations. On the contrary, it should be associated with a purposeful visit. Whether it be for the National Museum, the many theatres and shops, or just for the experience of good food.