Beyond the Coffee

April 17, PRAGUE—There are a plethora of cafés in Prague where you can find professionals and students glued to their laptops typing away, or cafés full of hasty tourists fueling their energy before returning to their journey.

The key to finding the right café to unwind and focus on your work should be places that avoid those hasty tourists. You will stumble upon many (decent or just bad) cafés on your hunt to find the perfect one that suits you, so let’s give you some help.

There are many cafes that focus on the quality of the coffee, which attracts coffee enthusiasts. However, the great thing about the new café trend in Prague is the lack of attitude and pretentiousness. The only thing you need to know about coffee is the fact that you need it to survive.

La Bohème Café (Sázavská 32)

When you first walk into La Bohéme, the first thing you will notice is the how spacious the café is. The theme for their interior is an earthy modern design. The various types of hanging green plants and the wooden cabinets and floor coincides with the design’s earthy characteristics. What you will notice while you are getting into the zone to work is that the high ceilings, cloud wallpaper, and a bookcase wallpaper is intended to get your mind going. Lower ceilings can make you feel like you are suffocating when you are trying to be creative.

This café is focused on the quality of their coffee and teas. They serve a variety of teas, such as the Tokyo tea (which is a must try), from Harney & Sons Tea. They don’t serve their tea in regular tea bags, but in tea strainers using quality tea leaves and a timer to know when the water is cooled enough to drink. Their website provides a lot of information describing how the coffee was produced and the process. What is admirable about this café is the owner’s commitment to the process of presenting the coffee- from the coffee farm to the barista’s hand.  

The high ceilings and earthy design will surely allow students and professionals to work in a quiet atmosphere while sipping on quality coffee or tea. With good internet and English-friendly servers, this café is a great spot for fellow university students.  

Double B Coffee & Tea (Anglická 15)

In this year’s Barista of the Year competition, Jan Škeřík from Double B Coffee & Tea café was the competition’s winner. They serve a variety of teas and concoctions of espressos that are to take worthy notice of. The simple cappuccino holds a thick velvety pillow of foam which accentuates the sweetness in the espresso. Their menu offers a fine selection of drinks, which represents their commitment to the quality of their coffee and tea. The prices in this café reflect the quality of their coffee: high. So if you are on a budget, this place might not be ideal.

The café’s space is spacious with round tables and high ceilings. This spot is convenient for sharing ideas with colleagues or simply trying to get some work done. There is an adorable dachshund that is there sometimes between noon and 15:00, which isn’t ideal when you are trying to focus because, who can ignore a cute dog?. The bright space holds a lot of natural light during the day that can feed your energy along with your cravings. There are minimal decorations in the café, for those who easily get distracted by things, which is a good thing.

The Wi-Fi is not reliable, which makes it troublesome to do research for a research paper. However, the bad Wi-Fi might be a tactic to engage interaction between visitors.

Paralelní Polis (Dělnická 43)

If you are a tech-savvy person, this is the café for you. Paralelní Polis is the only café in Prague that accepts only bitcoins as a form of payment.

What are bitcoins? They are a type of digital currency which operates independently from a central bank. They use encryption techniques to regulate the generation of units of currency and to verify the transfer of funds.

There is a bitcoin ATM in the café where you can exchange cash for bitcoins. So, get your cash ready because the ATM only accepts cash payments.

Paralelní Polis is arguably one of the best places to share ideas and get work done. The minimalistic and simple bar is in the middle of the café which brings unity to the whole cafe. There are two large tables that can easily occupy six people. The concrete walls, steel pillars, high ceilings, and the island bar and bookshelves made of recycled cardboard add to the minimalistic warehouse feel.

You can easily focus on your work here with reliable Wi-Fi and extremely comfortable cushioned chairs. Everyone around you is working or having conversations about their work, which is inspiring.

OTHER CAFÉS WORTH MENTIONING

Café Neustadt (Karlovo Náměstí 23)

Hidden in the Charles Square (not really because there is a huge sign) is this secluded café. There are English-friendly servers that can make a mean cocktail. The café serves daily menus from Monday through Friday, but they serve snacks all day such as mouthwatering hummus and pita bread. The chefs are Czech and Iranian, so expect a diverse menu. The interiors reflect a cubism design, which is a significant part of Czech architecture. The outdoor seating is spacious and great for the spring season. Pay them a visit if you want to have a delicious and affordable lunch, or to hang out with some friends.

Café Letka (Letohradská 44)

This small café near Letna park is packed with design students, studying or drinking beer. This café is usually busy but if you are lucky to find a spot in the central work table, it is a great space where you can focus. The concrete pastel walls create an industrial, but homey, atmosphere. You can take your coffee to go and head to Letna Park, or stay for a few hours.