My Perfect Night Out: Mayor Tomáš Hudeček

Elected in 2013, Prague Mayor Tomáš Hudeček is one of the city’s youngest, some would say coolest, mayors to date. What does pan Mayor do in his rare moments of free time, when he’s not brushing elbows with Tim Burton and Madeleine Albright or fighting for transparency in government? “Amidst all those glamorous events, which I am supposed to attend, I am more than happy when I can actually stay at home and relax accompanied by the closest friends or all by myself with a good book.” But when he’s not in for the evening…

18:00Around that time, I am usually still at work. At least we have a very good canteen there so I cannot really complain.

19:00 Before I go out, I prefer to pause for a while in the Residence of the Mayor of Prague that is located just around the corner from my office. Even though I do not live there, I sometimes drop by in order to practice playing piano or my brand new saxophone. It can totally recharge my inner batteries at the end of a really hard day.

Residence of the Mayor of Prague

20:30 It is time to have a proper dinner. I recently discovered a very nice and cozy restaurant not far from my place. It is called U Emy Destinnové (in fact it is named after a famous Czech operatic soprano from the beginning of 20th century).

22:00-23:00 How about a stop at the legendary jazz club Reduta? It is a perfect place to go in Prague. I personally think that it is one of the most charming places of its kind. Even the former US president Bill Clinton performed there once. Oh, and, by the way, he also played saxophone.

Dinner at U Emy Destinnové

23:00-0:00 Apart from that, there are several traditional Prague cafés that I love to visit now and then. One of them is Coffee Lovers where I regularly have my English as well as my Spanish language lessons. Moreover, I kind of like the original atmosphere of the one and only Café Slavia on the corner of Národní Street. I think that our former president Václav Havel met his first wife Olga right there. And when I want to discuss something with the chairman of our political party Mr. Schwarzenberg, I can meet up with him either at Café Savoy or at Café by the Mill within the quite magical environment of Kampa.

Café Savoy’s legendary ceiling

01:00 Before I finally call it a day, I like to walk home along the riverbank. I like the fact that people freely tend to spend their leisure time there. There are lots of small shops, lovely restaurants, and occasionally even a traditional flea market. I like to stop for a beer or something small to eat at Bajkayzl. In the case of an emergency, you can fix your bike there, too. That place is how I imagine a true public space in its best possible meaning.

Beer at Bajkazyl on the riverbank

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Tell us about your favorite night out in Prague.