Louvre

Café Louvre is the kind of place that makes you feel like you've stepped into a Prague that no longer exists—in the best way possible. Opened in 1902 on the first floor of the Louvre Palace on Národní třída, it was the intellectual salon of its day: Kafka, Karel Čapek, and Albert Einstein were all regulars. The café was nationalized in 1948, stripped of its furniture and decor, and at one point reduced to a plumbing supply shop before being restored to its former glory in the 1990s. Today, the Art Nouveau interior is genuinely stunning—high ceilings, elegant columns, and that particular hush of a grand European café.

The food is solid rather than spectacular, but that's not really the point. Breakfast is the move here: scrambled eggs with bread rolls are simple and done right, and the homemade pancakes with raspberry sauce are rightly famous. Service is professional and efficient, though it can feel a bit rushed during peak hours. You're paying for the history and atmosphere as much as the food, and prices reflect that—this is not a budget meal. It's also noticeably more touristy than it was a decade ago, so don't expect a hidden local secret.

Go for breakfast on a weekday morning when you can actually hear yourself think and appreciate the room. Lunch gets crowded, and the evening crowd is a mix of tourists and Prague locals who still treat it as their neighborhood café. If you want a taste of old Prague—the Prague of coffeehouse intellectuals and grand café culture—this is still the place.