Café Louvre

Location: Narodni 116 same street as the national theatre and Cafe Slavia
Getting there: Metro line B station Narodni Trida, tram lines 9, 22, 23 and many others also stop at "Národní třída". Otherwise - Café Louvre is a ten minute walk from Wenceslas Square.


Finally a place that has some class! So far I've mostly taken you to places a little dirty, roots and a little underground - I have to admit it.If you come to Prague with your girlfriend and you have inflicted her Ujezd and Parukarka you can't try to make it up with an invitation to the Café Louvre.

After having a fresh shave and armed with an well ironed shirt - maybe this pretty pinstriped shirt that Mommy bought a few years ago for oral exams - you are ready for the  "Louvre". But before and  in order to impress your girlfriend as well as to show her that you too have come to Prague for the culture - read the section below and try to recall a few highlights.


Café Louvre is all glamour  - established on the first floor of a "city palace" overlooking the very busy Narodni Street, the cafe has been opened in 1902. The list of important people that have been the cafe's guest since is quite impressive : Franz Joseph, Masaryk, Heydrich, Einstein, Gottwald, Dubcek and Vaclav Havel.

The servers impeccably stylish - providing an efficient service - while you can relax on one of the many black leather benches - informing your interlocutor negligently that Franz Kafka and his friend Max Brod (Kafka's sponsor) used to come to this place - as it was very popular among intellectuals of the time.

If you want to see authentic decor you will need to go to the "Cafe Slavia" - The Louvre has been entirely rebuilt, probably in the 90s. It's probably more comfortable but less picturesque. 


The specialties of the establishment are the Lavazza espresso or cappuccino Segafreddo - but dont worry we are in the Czech Republic, they 'll serve you a beer if you really want one. My girlfriends swears by the pancakes with fresh berries & cream ... but hurry - around 11h30 the menue changes to "Czech lunch style".


So, what can I say? Café Louvre is good place to pause in while taking a stroll through the city. But if the atmosphere is nothing special, some white-collar for lunch or after work and a lot of tourists.


If you like playing billiard however this might be your spot. Five big billiard tables  nicely  aligned in a nice calm area near the end of the main room at the right - beautiful tables from what I can tell. 


So tonight so you can drop the shirt - go to the "El Dorado" - after having committed half a day  to Prague's Café ritual.