Katerina Kaftanova (1982)

Králík v rádiu (literally “the rabbit in the radio, I will explain later) is a quiet new kid on the block when it comes down to family oriented cafés in Prague. 

The space is divided into two main areas – café and playroom. The café has a retro look and design. You can sit there and have a coffee and something sweet (try the carrot cake) or something from the daily menu (usually 2-4 meals) which changes every day. There is also a generous space to park the prams. And a live small rabbit, which is either in his cage or in a gutted old radio device :-).

The generous playroom has custom made furniture from pallets. There is a bunch of interesting toys for all ages, from metal cars and huge plush toys to a cute wooden house. Most times there is also a nanny so you can have (or you can at least try) your coffee whilst your kids are playing. There is often also some organized activities for kids like drawing, singing etc. You have to pay a fee for the playroom, which is 50 CZK (no time or amount of kids limit).

One tip – Králík v rádiu is few minutes away from Havlíčkovy Sady park (check the Havlíčkovy sad article), so you can go with your family for a nice walk in the park and then have a coffee.

The area of Prague castle’s neighbourhood (called Hradčany) is quite crowded (mostly by tourists of course). But there is a street there – called Nový Svět (New World) which is a surprisingly quiet place where you can easily get ‘lost’. Nový Svět used to be a poor, but picturesque quarter of Hradčany which always attracted artists – many of them lived or are still living there.

There are a lot of things not to be missed at Nový Svět – check out the door handles – there are a couple of really interesting ones. If you have kids or just would like to get back to your childhood, there is a playground discreetly hidden behind the wall lining the alley.  

Last but not least – recently a pleasant small café was opened in one of the houses. Check it out – the coffee is good and the prices are very friendly!

If you love light foamy desserts and French sweets in general, IF café is the right place for you.

The initials “IF” in the name belong to Iveta Fabešová – a young pastry-chef, who first became known as a participant of a TV culinary competition a couple of years ago. She did not win it, but since that time she has written a few cookbooks and realized her dream – opening her own patisserie.

From the desserts I strongly recommend you try any of the mousse ones (the pistachio one is quite popular). You can also find typical sweets like macarons, madeleines etc there. My personal favourite is the lemon tart.

If you don’t have the time to enjoy your dessert (and some coffee with it) inside the café, you can for sure take both away with you.

The royal park aka Stromovka (strom means tree) is a large English style park with a long history. It was probably founded around 1268 by the king Přemysl Otakar II. When it was opened to the public a few centuries later, it became a popular spot for Prague citizens.

Nowadays Stromovka is one of the most popular parks in Prague. In this case, size really matters – although many people go there, you will not have the feeling that the park is overcrowded. Depending on the season, people are walking dogs and kids, cycling, rollerblading, having picnics, playing frisbee etc. You can also meet horse riders (there is a riding-hall nearby).

For me, a stay in the park is not complete without some refreshments. Try the place called Vozovna where you can get something to eat or drink or the new branch of Lokál located just few steps from Stromovka.

I’m not a big fan of fast food. Nevertheless, when I’m in a hurry looking for a quick bite, it’s a suitable option.

Since my studies, I have had a thing for hot dogs. It has always been cheap plus I had the feeling that I wasn’t supporting international corporations :-).

In Czech republic we actually have our version of hot dog called “párek v rohlíku” – the sausage is not placed in a lengthwise cut bun, but in a hole made in this bun. You can find quite a lot of hot dog stalls all around Prague. I like the one which is at Náměstí Míru (called Mírák), situated strategically near the subway entrance. You can have your hot dog with different types of mustards and ketchup. There’s also an economic value meal, with a hot dog, a wafer and a cold drink.

I recommend you take your hot dog and then eat it on the steps of the nearby church – eating fast food does not mean, that we can not slow down a little bit at the same time, right?