Attention all coffee lovers! Czechia has some great cafés

Coffee is more than just a drink. It's an experience that in recent years has almost become a coffee fever here in Czechia. What started as a passion of a few coffee lovers, who took pride in carefully selecting and roasting their beans to make the perfect cup, has evolved into a vibrant coffee culture. From an intense espresso, to a creamy flat white, to the pure taste of Aeropress coffee, there's a great café in every town. To mark International Coffee Day, which falls on 1 October, we invite you to join us with a delicious cup of coffee.

Prague cafés you cannot miss

The concentration of cafés is probably the highest in Prague. Although, Brno is treading on its toes, but more about that later. Prague can boast of its historical cafés where famous people, such as Albert Einstein or Franz Kafka, used to go. One such café is Café Louvre at Národní třída near the National Theatre. It opened in 1902 and has been in the same place ever since. Forget baristas in plaid trousers; here you will only find waiters and waitresses in pressed shirts and black bow ties. This place breathers a beautiful, old-world atmosphere! Another old café is the Grand Café Orient near the Municipal House. It is the only original Cubist café in the world!

However, if you prefer the coffee itself and seek gourmet coffee from small roasting shops or directly from specific plantations, there are many options in Prague. You can try the Místo café in Dejvice. They serve coffee from Doubleshot, a small coffee-roasting shop in Prague. Or do you just want to take the coffee with you? Kafemat, once again in Dejvice, makes – allegedly – the best cappuccino near and far!

You can enjoy a peaceful atmosphere and top-quality coffee in the showroom and main café of the well-known roasting shop La Bohème Café at Vinohrady. And what about the atmosphere? If you are looking for authenticity and cosiness, you must not miss the Nový svět café in the Nový svět district at Hradčany. A small space, a family-owned business and excellent coffee with a little something, home-made, to eat. Cukrárna Alchymista is a place with the most beautiful green garden in whole of Prague, exceptional tranquillity, gourmet coffee and home-made treats. If you go there, stop by at the neighbouring Coffee Museum dedicated to the history of coffee not only in the Czech context.

For luxury lovers, we recommend to check out Café Savoy in Prague, within sight of Kampa, the Vltava River and Petřín Lookout Tower, and while hipsters are sure to love Vnitroblock in Holešovice, fans of the cute and colourful design of the golden 1960s must visit Kaaba Café in Mánesova ulice; or, for an unusual experience, try the legendary Fanta's Cafe right at the main railway station. Prague also has Bitcoin Coffee, IF Café in the Werich Villa with its first-class patisserie and café Pražírna (Roastery), where, besides savouring their own selection of roasted coffee, you can also buy a pack to take home to enjoy with friends or family.

...and what about Brno?

The Brno coffee scene is treading on Prague’s toes. There are even arguments about which city has better cafés whether the capital city, or the second largest city, South Bohemian Brno. We will leave you to decide... So, here is a list of the best cafés. Oh, and they are all in the city centre within a walking distance from one another. If you are sufficiently resilient to caffeine, you can try them all. Or at least some of them. Coffee Bar Mymika is at the Moravské Square.

On the other hand, SKØG Urban Hub at the Dominikánské Square has been one of the top cafés in Moravia for many years, known for its Scandinavian style. Kafec Brněnský is a business that has built a name of an excellent place for morning waffles! And the Monogram Espresso Bar at the Kapucínské Square is the smallest café in the city; you will only find one table there. But their espresso is perfect. Kavárna Punkt. – a full stop for the great Brno joints. Vegans are welcomed. You can choose from dozens of other original cafés. Just pick one from the countless joints.

Another great place to enjoy a divine breakfast and maybe even spend the night is Café Placzek.

Coffee everywhere

The Lékárna café in the centre of the West Bohemian spa of Karlovy Vary is a place that not only the locals seek. Coffee from the City Roasters, a roastery in Karlovy Vary, great people and a DJ table. An interesting combination, but above all – excellent coffee prepared the way it should be.

Litomyšl is a small town in East Bohemia, however, it offers full-fledged architecture and quality gastronomy. Visit Kafemysl at the Smetanovo Square, or the nearby Chocco Café. You can expect a pleasant environment, gourmet café and treats in both.

Znojmo in South Moravia is known as a centre of viticulture. However, other noble beverages are also welcome there. You can get excellent coffee at Káva na Knopp in the city centre. The owner of the café changed his profession: from a barman to a barista, and he also serves home-made treats with the coffee.

The coffee fever did not miss West Bohemian Plzeň. The Walter café prepares coffee roasted by Five Elephant in Berlin. Would you like espresso or filtered coffee? They have both. And also great food – from caramel crepes to eggs Benedict.

And that’s not all:

Our gourmet coffee tour continues to the spa centre in Karlovy Vary, where in the romantic Grandhotel Pupp you can sip coffee and nibble at delicacies in the same armchairs where Hollywood stars sit during the Karlovy Vary Film Festival. In the heart of Kutná Hora, a town listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, enjoy a coffee with some contemporary art in the GASK gallery, while in the Luhačovice spa you can take a look inside the Luhačovice Roastery.

They have their own types of coffee and roasting methods. They’ll explain everything, help you choose and recommend coffee beans exactly to suit your palate. Not far from Luhačovice is a town connected with Baťa and the history of shoemaking. Zlín is also a student city, where new establishments are constantly being opened. One of them is a café in the middle of the former Baťa factory, full of green plants and with its own bakery. It has a beautifully artistic name: Jedním tahem (In One Stroke).

Another typical student city is Olomouc, which is easily accessible by train from Prague, Brno, Vienna and Ostrava. You won't really find a bad café in Olomouc, but one towers well above them all because of its location: Café Konvikt is located in the middle of a 17th-century Baroque Jesuit convict, derived from the Latin word convicere, which means “to live in a community”.

And finally, one more tip that literally does tower above all the rest in Czechia! Bolt Café in Ostrava is said to be the café with the most beautiful view in the world. The Café in the Clouds is part of the Dolní Vítkovice complex and from a height of 80 metres offers unique views not only of the industrial beauty of Ostrava, but also of the nearby Beskid Mountains.