As we like to say, research is the hardest part of our job. We have to visit new places when they open to see if we can recommend them or whether they are so good that we can actually steer our Prague food tours in an entirely new direction. Yes, we know, a truly horrible plight, but somebody has to do it. Now, to give you the fruit of our pain and suffering, we will - from time to time - post short notes on the places we have visited recently. These will be our opinions based on only one or two visits of fairly recently opened venues so they cannot be seen as full-fledged reviews. That said, let's start with three today.
Puro Gelato
Puro Gelato opened literally just a few days ago underneath the Vysehrad fortress. The gelato shop occupies a great little corner shop very near the Vyton tram stop. They offer about a dozen flavors a day and have been replacing them daily since their opening. The three Slovak girls behind the corner are friendly and very helpful and the decor of the place is cute but modern.
We tried a few flavors and really liked the banana and the poppyseed. The ricotta with figs was okay. We would skip the salted caramel the next time we’re there, and we were not really persuaded by the carrot gelato either. Puro looks promising but is it better than Angelato, seen as the best gelato place in Prague by many, we hear you ask? Probably not at the moment but then again, they’ve just started, and let's be honest here: Angelato is still far from the ideal gelato place we often dream of having in Prague. Let’s give them a few months and see what happens. Still, a great stop on your Saturday route to the Naplavka farmers’ market nearby and definitely worthy an addition to our list of the best ice-cream in Prague.
Cash Only
Finally, Prague gets a new good bar. About time! The Cash Only Bar was opened just a few days ago by none other than Hemingway Bar, and the strategy is genius: “Sorry, we’re fully booked here at Hemingway Bar, but why don’t you try our new bar just three minutes by walk from here? Here’s a small map that shows the directions!” (They do actually have this map printed, even with the nearest ATMs marked in: as the name suggests, they don’t accept credit cards.)
But Cash Only is not Hemingway Bar’s Mini Me: they have their own decor (they call their basement floor “American kitchen”) and concept: a menu of only about a dozen drinks on the board that will change on a monthly basis or so. Popcorn and hot dogs should be on the menu today. Three main rules: no credit cards, no reservations (!) and no smoking (!!!). Hooray!
We tried the Dark and Stormy and a variation on the Gin Fizz on our visit and we liked both. Definitely good enough to make our list of the best cocktail bars in Prague. We stayed on the basement floor and liked the simple, bare design and the intimate setting. And the upstairs floor seems fun too. We predict a bright future for this dimly lit establishment. If we were Choco Cafe (located just across the street), we would open a kids’ corner and hire a babysitter for the kids of the thirsty patrons drinking across the street. Sounds like a great business plan. Just don’t call the social services.
yes kafe / studio
Letna, the district that the guests staying in our rental apartment call temporary home, has always been in dire need of a place for good coffee. Sure, there are a few places that do offer decent coffee but it seems that it always plays second fiddle, or the decor or atmosphere are somewhat flawed. Yes kafe / studio, opened by some of the people behind Bitcoin Coffee, which has made our list of the best cafes in Prague, is a bit different.
The stage and center is an old, refurbished espresso machine in a see-through enclosure. Of course, it’s no La Marzocco Strada or Synesso, but we actually liked our coffee made from beans roasted by the Berlin-based Bonanza Coffee Roasters. The room is really bare with only a few things in the way of decoration but it is very well lit and has a nice atmosphere despite being unfinished (they did put it together in five days). They plan to serve some gluten-free snacks and have some DJs and parties there going forward.
Is Ye’s Cafe worth a separate trip? We probably would not travel across the city to have coffee at Ye’s Cafe but if we’re in the area, we'll definitely stop by. And we'll be recommending the cafe to all the guests staying in our rental apartment. It's a small, fun place with potential and great location.
Where are we going to eat or drink next? Stay tuned!