I promised to take you on a "cafe tour" and today seems like a great day for it! There are so many cafes in Prague to visit, but I'm going to take you to my favorite ones. Are you ready?
I think we should start at Cafe Imperial for a few reasons...it's a great place to start the day with coffee & a doughnut, and there's a fun story associated with this cafe too. I'll give you a hint... it has to do with aforementioned doughnut.
Don't let the exterior of the building fool you (yeah I know, I see it too... it's old and dirty from trams and cars going by) but that just adds to its faded glory. Once inside, it's simply gorgeous!
Cafe Imperial opened in 1914 and has always been thought of as one of the most beautiful cafes in Prague. For many years, the cafe and hotel was famous and bustling with guests...until World War II. Once the German soldiers declared it their own, Czechs stopped coming. Understandably. After the war, the hotel and cafe regained popularity, but operations ceased in the 1980s. Then in 2005 through much of 2007, reconstruction took place to restore the cafe to its original beauty.
Cafe Imperial brings back the grandeur of the turn of the century. One has said that "to sit in the Cafe Imperial is to sit with the ghosts of the past", and that is why I am drawn to old establishments such as this one. The interior is truly magnificent with millions of ceramic tiles covering the walls, pillars, and ceiling.
And what do I always say to make sure to do in Prague?? "Always look up!"
You may recognize the interior from the movie "The Illusionist" with Edward Norton as Eisenheim, the Illusionist. The movie was "supposedly" set in Vienna, but was entirely filmed in the Czech Republic. The movie was shot before the cafe was renovated though, so it may not be too familiar to you.
Are you ready to find out my little secret about this cafe? Have you ever wanted to throw a doughnut, or a plate of doughnuts? Yes, I said throw a doughnut. At anyone. In the entire cafe. The waiter walking by? Sure. That businessman in the corner reading his newspaper? Definitely. Grandma sipping her tea? Yes, but be gentle. That kid having a childish screaming fit? Hand me a doughnut won't you!
I'm not sure what the cost is now, but for 2,000 crowns ($60 American) you get the entire plate of stale doughnuts and can throw them at anyone you wish. The idea is based on a Czech novel, Saturnin, and the theory of a Czech humorist - there are three categories of people:
1. those who would look at a bowl of doughnuts and think nothing;
2. those who dream of throwing them, and;
3. those who would actually do it
Which category do you fall into?
Cafe Imperial: Na Poříčí 15, 110 00 Prague 1
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