Prague’s baking boom—new bakeries bring French flair and artisan bread to the capital

Prague’s appetite for high-quality bread and pastries is more voracious than ever, with two new bakeries bringing artisanal loaves and buttery treats to a neighborhood near you. As demand for superbly crafted carbs continues to rise—much like a well-fed sourdough starter—these new openings offer a delicious slice of the action.

A new French bakery, Bread Society, has opened in Prague’s Košíře. Offering croissants, choux pastries, sourdough bread, and baguettes, the bakery is the passion project of Lucie Caïs Steblová, a former architectural project manager turned baker.

Lucie’s love of baking started in childhood with her grandmother’s guidance and later flourished in her mother’s restaurant. She honed her craft through courses with Helena Fléglová, Vlado Ryasnyy, and Juliana Fischerová (Maškrtnica) before training in France at Paris’s Ferrandi School and the École Internationale de Boulangerie in Aix-en-Provence. After returning to Czechia, she began baking to order.

Lucie’s husband, David, an architect, designed the bakery’s interior with his studio, Orange Machine. Inspired by the building’s industrial past, the space combines warm wood accents with Spanish and French tiles.

Bread Society’s heart is its slow-fermented sourdough and baguettes, made over several days. Classic French viennoiseries—croissants, pain au chocolat, choux, and macarons—share the counter with Danish pastries, Scandinavian semla, cardamom knots, and Czech koláče. Savory options include ham-and-cheese rolls, croissant hot dogs, and sandwiches.

The bakery also stocks delicacies from local farmers, such as charcuterie, pâtés, cheeses, and homemade jams, making it a one-stop shop for gourmet essentials.

“Bread Society isn’t just about baking—it’s about the joy of creating and sharing good food,” says Lucie. “Quality ingredients, craftsmanship, and great presentation are what we offer. Seeing customers return is the best reward.”

Ambiente’s popular Eska bakery has opened a second location in Letná, bringing its signature wood-fired bread and high-quality ingredients to a new neighborhood. Situated at the corner of Malířská and Veletržní streets, the smaller outpost focuses on takeaway bread, pastries, and a curated selection of farm-sourced products.

Securing the right space was challenging, as Eska’s wood-fired oven requires a high ceiling to accommodate its chimney. “We spent five years searching, and each time we got close, there was a setback—usually related to the chimney,” says head baker Jaroslav Kozdělka.

The location, discovered by Ambiente founder Tomáš Karpíšek, took two years to complete. Artur Cibulka, one of Ambiente’s most experienced bakers, is helming the new location.

Eska Letná serves its signature Chleba 33, with Chleba 66 available on Fridays. The bakery’s sweet selection includes loupáky, koláče, buchty, and kremrole baked in the bread oven, alongside the Karlín favorite pastel de nata; plans are in place to introduce a Letná-exclusive pastry.

Unlike its Karlín counterpart, which has a full restaurant, Eska Letná operates primarily as a bakery with a limited menu of simple breakfasts and light snacks built around its bread—paired with butter, cheese, ham, and eggs. A notable addition is soft-serve ice cream inspired by Eska’s tvarohová buchta.

Eska Letná also houses the largest retail space within the Ambiente group, stocking Eska’s granola, jams, and cookies, along with meats from Naše maso, sauces from Lokál and Kalendů, and sweets from Myšák.