The 13 Most Tranquil Café Retreats In Prague

With the explosion of the local specialty coffee scene in Prague in recent years, many cafés have been transformed from spaces of quiet contemplation into bustling scenes of where to be seen. 

If there’s a more tranquil district of Prague we have yet to find it. Despite being mentioned in every ”secret” guide to the Czech capital, the neighborhood, and this family run café, always seems strangely devoid of tourists. An oasis of calm with just a handful of tables, enjoy doubleshot coffee, 2AD ice cream, vegetarian bites, and board games.

The cocoon-like wicker chairs in the corners of this popular garden require good timing (or some stealthy stalking) but are worth it to score the perfect outdoor reading nook.

We’re suckers for a shabby chic café with a chilled atmosphere and a pleasing view. TriCafe ticks all these boxes, despite only being a stone’s throw from the tourist trap hell that is Charles Bridge. Arrive around 9am on a weekday and you’ll have this cozy location to yourself with no pressure to sip up your cappuccino and ship out. 

With calming blue walls and cushioned seats, the minimalist design and friendly staff at this Vršovice newcomer will encourage you to stay and finish one more chapter of your novel.

Tuck yourself into a quiet table under a brick arch surrounded by leafy trees and get ready to tune out the world around you.

The popular café at the National Gallery, powered by Prague’s fair trade emporium Mamacoffee, can draw families and chatty friends, but the more secluded tables among the sprawling space and floor-to-ceiling windows of this large hall next to the main atrium of Veletržní palác can help you separate yourself from the crowd. For the peckish: pitta bread and hummous, tabboleh, soups, or homemade cakes.

Between the split-level downstairs lined with dark wood bookshelves, small bar tables upstairs, and a quiet sidewalk patio, you’ve got options for tuning out at this Letna favorite. 

Smetana Q, one of Prague’s newest contemporary art galleries, has more on offer than just eye-popping canvases and provocative installations. Its ground floor houses a café with a sleek interior and gorgeous views over the river Vltava. If you need a calm nook sacrifice the fairytale vistas and head for one of the back rooms where hushed silence reigns. Check out the latest exhibition upstairs: it’s worth it just to get a glimpse of the breathtaking staircase and entrance is free.

Original Coffee is the perfect venue for those who know the difference between their V60 and their Chemex – wannabe baristas and serious coffee nerds. Tucked away down a side street just off picturesque Betlémské náměstí, this place is surprisingly quiet given its location in the heart of the Old Town. On a weekday afternoon, you may find you have your pick of the tables. Be warned though: the surreal giant cartoon murals may prove distracting.

The plush armchair seating and light, airy design of this second-floor café on Wenceslas Square feels miles away from the hustle and bustle of the crowds below.

One way to ensure peace and quiet is to make it a requirement. The quiet study room of this student café is designed for people looking for silence. CafeDu is a café with a difference: skip up its striking spiral staircase to the first floor and you’ll find a studovna — a silent study area which you pay a monthly fee to access.