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.
Getting in and out
You will gravitate towards the Hradčanská and Dejvická subway and tram stops. They are both on the green line of the subway that connects you to the historical centre. But you can use the trams, too: the 18 gets you there from Old Town, 20 from Lesser Town, and 8 and 26 from New Town (via the cool district of Letná). Weather permitting, you can also walk to Bubeneč via the beautiful Letná park, or through the Royal Garden if you’re at the Prague Castle.
Staying there
Residential districts of Prague don’t always offer hotels targeting tourism, but bizarrely, Bubeneč does have at least three that come to mind. The Hotel International is an absolute icon, and a beacon of 1950s Communist Social Realism. This is luxury living the way Communists imagined it… and it is… interesting in the best sense of the word. The Diplomat hotel is just off the border of Bubeneč in Dejvice, and it’s a comfortable business hotel with everything you’d ever need. You’ll be at the airport in 15 min, and you’re 15 min from the city centre by subway or tram that stop right in front of the hotel. And finally, Hotel Schwaiger is a small boutique hotel right at the edge of the Stromovka park and right across the street from the ironing Na Slamníku pub. This is a great option if you like your accommodation in a calmer area.
Coffee
Where Bubeneč punches way above its weight is specialty coffee: we literally don’t have to travel outside of the district to get plenty caffeinated… and stay that way all week.
It is no secret that we have our daily morning coffee at Kafemat. Not only does everybody know our name there, but we strongly believe it is one of the top coffee shops in the whole of Prague, with seasoned professionals making delicious cups of coffee even during the morning rush hour. This is a neighbourhood spot that every neighbourhood deserves.
But Kafemat is a small espresso bar with basically no food except some re-sold baked stuff, so if you want to eat with your coffee, or sit with a bigger group, your best bet in the district is Místo, one of coffee shops run b Doubleshot, the OG of specialty coffee roasters in Prague. This place is very popular and for good reason: it serves great coffee and solid food, wine and beer, and can keep you happy from the morning till early evening. Plus they sell their own roasted beans, which are a Great souvenir from Prague.
Within a stone’s throw from Místo you’ll find La forme, which combines specialty coffee with great baking - Laforme may serve our favorite croissants in town, ideally eaten on the small bench or a few tables on the leafy street outside. (There’s virtually no place to sit inside.) Mazelab coffee a few blocks further away, which belongs to the coffee empire of Jackie Tran, serves great coffee in a former garage-turned-designer coffee shop. Think Apple Store simplicity and great coffee to create a zen-like experience. And Café Borzoi a bit further north is a small espresso bar that serves coffee by The Naughty Dog, another local roaster. Finally, Kiosek Kafe is a small stand at the Dejvická bus stop that may be technically in Dejvice, but it is worth mentioning here.
Sweet stuff
Bubeneč is also quite nice if you’re not on a diet. We guess that with all these parks and playgrounds, you need to refuel with carbs.
We have already mentioned La forme, one of the best bakeries in town if you like croissants - plain or filled - or pain au chocolat and the like. Just three blocks away is location of another Prague staple, Oh Deer Bakery, thank sells wonderful cronuts, pastries and now even bread. Speaking of best in town, a special mention must go to Kristyjan Chocolatiers. Founded by a Kristyna and Jan (the former worked in the food industry previously and the latter was a concierge at the Four Seasons), they have successfully turned their passion for pralines and chocolate into what we feel is the best chocolatiers in town. Their pralines and chocolates are delicious and the wrapping is luxurious - the best gift from Prague?
Bubeneč is also great if you crave ice-cream, with both Angelato and Crème de la Crème, the two staples from the city, represented. And you know what? Our little JJ likes the strawberry at Ovocný Světozor, and who are we to argue? Finally, Elvíra is a surprisingly good pastry shop in the lower part of Bubeneč, just across the street from Café Borzoi (they make a great combo together) - their pavlova, for instance, is delicious. And just across the corner is Bakery 60, a Korean bakery serving treats unlike any other in town.
Pubs
There are beers to be drunk in Bubeneč with at least three pubs that can easily claim to be iconic. First, the U Veverky pub is the Czech pub everybody in the neighbourhood likes, with all the staples of a Czech pub - good Pilsner, comfort food, Czech beer hygge in the form of wooden cladding in small rooms, and slightly annoyed staff. What more do you want? Then there’s Nádražka, the absolutely iconic pub at the Praha-Dejvice railway station. To a newbie, this is a puzzling, confusing experience: the beer is incredibly cheap, there is absolutely no table service ever, and the whole thing is a bizarre shrine of Mr Frýba, a late TV announcer from the 70s. But hey, if you’ve ever a teenager with an attitude in Prague, the odds are you loved this place. Finally, the Na Slamníku pub is a classic destination pub with a small hall for concerts and events, and a beautiful tiled oven in the main room. This is a Czech pub the way they looked and operated a hundred years ago. Great outdoor seating in the summer, too.
Fancy craft beers? Not a problem. Automat Matuška may have opened less than a month ago, but it’s already becoming a destination for those who love craft beers and good BBQ. This is a large space at the right spot that serves the entire portfolio what probably is the most popular Czech craft brewery today. Pivovar Bubeneč just a few blocks down Bubenečská is a quieter, neighbourly corner pub that has cute outdoor seating for the summer. And Krkonošská hospůdka is a joy to have a beer at - the place is a simple, friendly craft beer pub with a small but well curated list of beers. And those brave enough will try Basecamp, a craft beer shop, just across the street - there are some beers to be had there, too.
Restaurants
For the longest time, Bubeneč was a desert when it came to good restaurants, but recently things have been changing for the better.
Bizarrely, Bubeneč has one Bib Gourmand-awared restaurant (there’s only a handful of these in the Michelin guide for Prague), Dejvická 34. It is a classic Italian bistro with very skilled chefs that serve lunch specials and fine dining dinners, paired with nice Italian wines. This is a place that will appeal to you if you prefer comfort over adventure. Another popular Italian restaurant is Little Italy/Da Emanuel, formerly run by a famous Italian TV chef, Emanuele Ridi. It is a cosy trattoria that attracts some of the rich and famous here, and has a really nice outdoor seating in the summer. If you still crave more Italian, you can have something nice - or buy something nice - at the Italians Wine Food bistro, or just get a slice or a whole pie of pizza at the no-nonsense Fresh Point across the street.
Besides the pubs mentioned above, there’s not many Czech restaurants in the area, and the slightly cosmopolitan atmosphere (remember, embassies!) lends itself to foreign cuisine. So you can have a nice dumpling lunch at the Ukraininan Váleček bistro, a cool brunch or a bowl of pho or bibimbap at the An bistro that combines modern Vietnamese fast food with specialty coffee and craft beers, have something French at A Table in Mařákova, something Lebanese at U Cedru, Greek fast food at Fresh Greek or a longer Greek meal at Kavala, or a Japanese dinner or sushi at either Katsura in the Diplomat hotel, or Mash Hana just behind the Hradčanská subway stop. The Puškinovo náměstí is a twofer, with Na břehu Rhony offering French wines and food, and Na Urale pub serving fresh Pilsners and Czech pub fare to refuel as you watch your kids go nuts at the playground just across the road.
Shopping
So besides the Kristyjan pralines, if you want to get a souvenir from Bubeneč, it’s easy: you have to go the In August Company, founded by our friends Karolína and Teo, to get beautiful ceramics, a tote bag, tea cups or stationery famous among the locals. This is a gift that will fill you with happy memories for years to come. Pokojovky sells beautiful home plants for your home (in case you’re moving in)… and that’s about it we’re afraid.
What to do
Obviously, the parks genuinely call for a nice walk: the Stromovka is the biggest park in Prague with wonderful lakes, paths, jogging routes and playgrounds. You can use it to cross the river north and continue to Císařský ostrov island with equestrian centres, or take the pedestrian bridge further to reach Troja with the ZOO, the botanical garden and vineyards.
The newly opened Museum of Literature is a great destination to finish your walk through the villas of Bubeneč (check out especially the Slavíčkova street for that) or start your walk through lower Bubeneč towards the International Hotel. If you plan a walk from there to the National Technical Library in Dejvice, you’re in for a quiet, interesting stroll.
Finally, there’s the playgrounds. Prague does playgrounds well, and Bubeneč is at the forefront. Virtually every square will have something, from the shielded sand box and playground at Puškinovo náměstí, to the leafy playground at Lotyšská, or the trampoline at Náměstí Interbrigády, the bronze horses and splashy pools at Šabachův park, or the secluded park at the end of Václavkova. Follow that with ice-cream (see above), and you’re in for some quality family time.