New Karel Gott-themed café opens in Prague's city center

A new café dedicated to legendary Czech singer Karel Gott is now open in Prague's busy Old Town district. Café Karel was unveiled to the public on Thursday evening in the Czech capital's upscale Dlouhá Gourmet Passage.

Karel Gott released more than 200 albums in his career, and won an incredible 42 Český slavík (formerly Zlatý slavík) awards, an annual prize presented to the country's most popular musical artist, throughout his career.

Alongside the Czech Republic and Slovakia, he also enjoyed success in neighboring Germany, recording songs in German and even representing the country in the Eurovision contest. The legendary singer passed away in 2019 at the age of 80.

Gott's lifelong friend Felix Slováček presented the new Café Karel to the public on Thursday evening alongside the cafe's owners, producer Miroslav Kolodziej and journalist Luboš Procházka, who worked closely with the singer in his later years.

"The idea was born after the Master's departure," Procházka told journalists during the opening of the café on Thursday. "To create a place where fans from the Czech Republic and abroad can meet. And it succeeded."

Café Karel is filled with Gott memorabilia including vinyl records, photos, and other items from the singer's career. Music from the velvet-voiced crooner plays on the café's speakers throughout the day. Gott's favorite food and drink items appear throughout the menu.

"There will be more photos, books, and other items," adds Kolodziej. "We serve his favorite coffee and beer. And also cakes and tarts that Karel loved. Even the Master's favorite cheese plate."

Prague's Dlouhá Gourmet Passage is one of the city's culinary hotspots, with ever-popular butcher Naše maso and open-faced sandwich (chlebíček) specialists Sisters Bistro welcoming patrons from busy Dlouhá street.

Other venues inside the passage include Vietnamese sandwich joint Banh Mi Makers, Middle Eastern fast food Falafelova Bistro and Korean sushi venue Yami Bistro, an expats.cz favorite. MyRaw Café, which previously occupied the space Café Karel now inhabits, has relocated to the other side of Old Town by the National Theatre.