Café Savoy

jewel of Prague, est. 1893

By Lauren di Matteo

WRITTEN BY NICOLE BRAVO

Luxurious.

This is the word that illuminates my mind as I recall stepping out from under the gray, stormy skies and into Prague’s renowned Café Savoy.

The beloved Czech institution, located on a corner near the famed Vtlava River has served as a café dating back as far as 1893, though understandably going through many changes since that time. Despite its somewhat recent makeover a little over a decade ago, the space once served as a recruiting office for the Communist police. Its ornate ceilings suppressed beneath the drab plaster laid by the regime which sought to suffocate every last ounce of creativity.

While Communism brought widespread poverty to the country, relegating Czech cuisine to a few simple dishes designed for survival over savor, Café Savoy stands in direct contrast as a beacon of resurrected hope and pride, serving up familiar Czech dishes and pastries with a flair, as well as classic French cuisine.

Its current glory is found not in covering up what once was but in the restorative work of putting it on display again with renewed vision. My friends and I had the privilege of spending a morning here in the hustle and bustle of a weekday crowd, staring wide-eyed at the intricately adorned ceilings and gazing out the elongated windows at the city streets. The food was delicious and the beauty of the restaurant space unparalleled throughout our time in Prague.