Another great cafe in Prague is Café Montmartre. I stumbled upon it by accident, stayed for a while enjoying coffee, and found it so charming that I've been back over and over again. It's not fancy by any means...actually quite the opposite, in fact. Just a few chairs and tables strewn throughout, and old piano with fresh flowers atop, threadbare settees and an antique chandelier, but something about the cafe's aura filled me with delight. You could feel the past here, and imagine what it was like years, years ago...
Café Montmartre was founded in 1911 and is situated on a quiet street in a building called U třech divých (House at the Three Savages)...not far from the bustle of Charles Bridge. It was once a gathering place for writers, such as Jaroslav Hašek, František Langer, the Longens, Eduard Bass, Franz Kafka, Franz Werfel, Max Brod, Johannes Urzidil, and Gustav Meyrink. Artists were also amongst it's guests, and the frescos adorning the dancing room were painted by V. H. Brunner who chose the theme of the seven deadly sins. There's a room in the back of the cafe which is now great for quiet conversations or small gatherings, but it's said that it once housed an altar used for secret black masses.
A piece of history that I found to be interesting is that shortly after the café was founded, "the Prague bohemian crowd, which was fond of nicknames and diminutives, promptly changed its name to “Montík”, which can be interpreted as the “Monty”. During the First World War, when France had become an enemy for the Czech lands, it was referred to as the Montwaltner, because of the name of its owner, Josef Waltner, who would fulfill the roles of landlord, owner, excellent dancer and lecturer."
Like most other establishments in Prague during the days of communism, Café Montmartre, too, was closed. When it finally reopened after a hiatus of more than 70 years, it was restored to reflect its past. Old photos of the cafe hang on the walls and an original mural covers the entire arched ceiling. Like I always say..."always look up!"
Retezova 7, Prague 1 (Old Town)
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