Where to shop in Prague

Prague neighbourhood guide: Bubenec

Prague neighbourhood guide: Bubenec

Bubeneč is a very quiet, green, residential neighbourhood known for embassies occupying large villas, and Stromovka, the biggest park in Prague. This is the district where people settle to start families - it is full of parks, playgrounds and kindergartens, with very few bars or any night life to talk of. It is now na affluent neighbourhood that ticks a lot of boxes - it is near the city centre, but not in it, and while it offers the leaf cover of some fancy districts like Hanspaulka, it does not feel as far away and has everything you’d need.

Now, before we start, we use the term „Bubeneč“ very liberally and do not stick to its precise, administrative borders. So no angry letters please - the are we cover here will inevitably, at times, spill over into Dejvice.


Explore Prague's Wenceslas Square and New Town

Explore Prague's Wenceslas Square and New Town

When we started our Prague Foodie Tours at the top of the Wenceslas Square in Prague’s New Town, showing its historical importance was easy: we’d just whip out our iPad and show photos of people celebrating Czechoslovakia’s independence in 1918, the Nazi troops parading on the square in 1938, the Soviet tanks in 1968, and the Velvet Revolution that ended Communism in late 1989.

Yes, Wenceslas Square, one of Prague’s natural crossroads and a place when the locals meet to venture into the historical centre, where they work and shop (but rarely live) is a place where history was repeatedly made. It has been losing its splendour in the past decades as it lost some high-profile retail shops to Old Town’s Pařížská street and as it became the nearest Prague had to a red light district at night. Think Champs-Élysées, but in Prague.

So the locals may be a bit grumpy about the current state of the square, and look forward to plans of its revitalisation, which - after years of empty promises - seem to be finally picking up speed.

The Wenceslas Square is not just a photo opportunity to capture the monumental National Museum towering at the top of the avenue (year, the „square“ is not really a square), but a great place to spend a day, or a half of it, breathe in the history, have a meal and a drink, and wonder through the webs of walkthroughs that connect the buildings around it. So if you’ve done the Old Town and the Castle District during your Prague trip, the Wenceslas Square is a great place to explore, especially on a rainy day in Prague.


Covid Situation and Restrictions in the Czech Republic, F/W 2021 edition

Covid Situation and Restrictions in the Czech Republic, F/W 2021 edition

So here we go again. When we posted our last post about the covid situation and restrictions in late June, we may have honestly thought it would be the last one: after a slower rollout, vaccines were widely available to anyone who wanted them, our infection numbers were low, and the future was bright.

Well, some five months and one general election later, we entered a pretty brutal fifth wave in November 2021: the number of infections were breaking all previous records, and our hospitals started to fill up with mostly unvaccinated patients.

Right now it seems the peak of this wave is behind us, and the numbers of infections, hospitalisations and Covid-related deaths have been steadily falling, and some of the restrictions have been lifted.

So let’s look at what the situation and restrictions are, how did we get here, and what may be our way forward.


Breaking News: Our Christmas Vouchers are out!

Breaking News: Our Christmas Vouchers are out!

So your partner has everything he or she may want, and you have nothing to buy them for Christmas? Wrong! They don’t have our amazing Christmas vouchers yet, do they?

Our vouchers are a gift that keeps on giving - first, it’s a beautiful letter with a personalised thank you note that glorifies both the giftee and the giver. Second, it gives your loved one(s) access to a tour or an experience they will absolutely friggin’ love some time later on.

Also, giving a Taste of Prague experience makes you 40% more attractive, as conclusively proven in a recent survey conducted by the prestigious University of Our Moms.

So how can you become Mr and/or Ms Perfect this Christmas and turn your Christmas experience to eleven? Read on.


Taste of Prague’s Local Christmas Buying Guide 2021

Taste of Prague’s Local Christmas Buying Guide 2021

So Christmas is around the corner and let’s be honest here: if you want to buy online but haven’t got around to it, and Christmas is three/two/one week(s) away from now, don’t fool yourself: that gift ain’t never arriving on time for Christmas. (Thank you, broken global delivery chains and Covid!)

So it’s a good idea to shop local. And that’s where we step in: we have recently recorded a podcast about Czech-made gift ideas, but it’s in Czech only, and if you don’t listen to our podcast (why not? We mean, honestly…), we figure we will also write a blog post about it. These also serve are great souvenirs from Prague, of course, regardless of season. So enough chit chat, here we go.


Specialty Coffee in Prague: the 2021 edition

Specialty Coffee in Prague: the 2021 edition

We tend to write about specialty coffee in Prague every year or so, and it’s about time we revisit our piece on Prague coffee scene again because while most things have stayed the same, some might never stay the same after 2020. For comparison, check this very same post for 2020.

Again this year, we’d like to split our coffee guide to Prague into two posts: the first that explains the local coffee culture and will help you navigate the lay of the land when it comes to coffee in Prague. You know, a post we would like to read before we travel anywhere.

The second post will list our favorite coffee shops in Prague. Okay? Let’s get right to it.


Taste of Prague's 2020 Prague Christmas Shopping Guide

Taste of Prague's 2020 Prague Christmas Shopping Guide

It’s that time of the year and the wind is high for some serious Christmas shopping, and it’s been a tradition of ours to publish a Prague Christmas Shopping Guide - just like Goop, but mostly Czech, and you won’t have to stuff anything anywhere. Instead, what you’ll find below are some tried ands tested tips for high quality products made in the Czech Republic and elsewhere. Let’s get to it!


Product Review: V60 in Wonderland by Lukáš Novák

Product Review: V60 in Wonderland by Lukáš Novák

We thought we’d start a series of reviews that we think you might find interesting. And we’ll start big: with the coffee brewing set by young Czech designer Lukáš Novák. We’ve been using it for over a week now, and we’re ready to give you a thumbs up or a thumbs down on it. So what’s it going to be? Does it work well? Is it a good gift? Read on.


Specialty Coffee in Prague: the 2020 edition

Specialty Coffee in Prague: the 2020 edition

So it’s been nearly three years since we wrote about specialty coffee shops in Prague. And it’s high time to revisit Prague coffee again - just last year, Prague saw the opening of nearly 10 coffee shops that serve specialty coffee - which is astonishing, if you realize that we didn’t even have 10 coffee shops that served specialty coffee some eight, nine years ago.

This time, we’d like to split our coffee guide to Prague into two posts: the first that explains the local coffee culture and will help you navigate the lay of the land when it comes to coffee in Prague. You know, a post we would like to read before we travel anywhere. The second post will list our favorite coffee shops in Prague. Okay? Let’s get right to it.


Taste of Prague Holiday Gift Tips 2019

Taste of Prague Holiday Gift Tips 2019

Peace and calm, silent night, Christmas is all about family, friendship, the birth of the Savior, crazy sweaters and kisses under the mistletoe. Yeah, right. Let’s cut the crap. Christmas is all about the presents. Don’t agree? Let’s put it to a test: try not giving one to your loved ones this Christmas. Not so tough now, big man, huh? Exactly.

Anyway, we’ve done this nearly every year, and we’re doing it again: the people of Taste of Prague give their top picks for the best Christmas gifts to buy in Prague. And because we like things to be practical, this time we’re putting down the what, but not forgetting the where’s and the why’s. Also, please scroll down for a handy map of your Prague Christmas shopping spree.

Bonus: most of these gifts have actually nothing to do with Christmas, so they’re great for Hanukkah and Kwanzaa too.

Happy holidays everyone!