Shopping – All our local tips

Art, design, science, history, psychology, travel, religion, mythology or fiction? I like it all. That’s why I enjoy coming to a lovely bookshop close to Old Town Square. According to Anagram’s website “words create worlds”. YES, they do! These words are also all in English so if you’re a bookstores fanatic and go to at least one in every city you visit (like I do), I’m sure you will find something interesting in this one as well. I don’t even have to buy anything. Looking at the different covers and smelling various types of paper is just as exciting as buying a certain book.

If you’re staying in Prague for a longer period of time and are upset with the book supply in local bookstores, Anagram can also order books for you. Even those that are rare of out of print.

It is actually not just books that makes me coming back. It’s also the music that they play which makes me want to dance between the shelves. And from there, it is just a few steps to my dearest Maitrea restaurant (check the Maitrea restaurant article)…

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Anagram Books | Art & culture, Shopping
Tyn 4 | Praha 1
Mon – Sat 10:00 – 20:00, Sun 10:00 – 19:00

There is couple of hubs in Prague and Anděl (means Angel) belongs to the most interesting ones. It is relatively off the main tourist track (even though near are hotels – like Mövenpick and big office houses, as well as some sites), but day and night busy and crowded.

Here lot of tram lines meet, it is also underground line B station and very close there is a bus station serving passengers heading south and south-west of Prague. There are also two multiplex cinemas, many pubs, restaurants (featured on Spotted: check the Hombre del Mundo article), clubs or cafés. A huge shopping mall Nový Smíchov is also here – with large Tesco opened till midnight, Marks & Spencer or many other shops.

The area looked very different yet in early 90’s, and if you want to find our more on the very special genius loci it once hosted, you can read an excerpt from the book Anděl by Jáchym Topol – published in Post Road Magazine. It used to be a dirty, gray factory area. Now the only big “industrial” company remained is the Smíchov brewery (as of now part of Anheuser Busch-Inbev, the biggest world beer producer). Instead of machinery factories (which were the reason of boom of Smíchov by the end of 19th century), Anděl is a place where media houses, pharmaceutical and cosmetics companies resides, as well as Seznam, Czech rival of Google.

But the best part is watching the crowds of all kinds of Prague residents how they hasten somewhere. Also check out the Plzeňský restaurant Anděl – one part is 24/7 with best Pilsner all around, so the last beer that night might be the best one.

(The photo shows tough winter 2010 – and the grey building in the middle is … a synagogue!)

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Anděl | Bars, Cinemas, Shopping, Snacks, Restaurants (intern.)
Anděl | Praha 5
24 hours daily

Like every woman, I love to receive flowers, especially, when there is no special occasion. I like to decorate my flat with fresh cut flowers to make it more cosy (which works perfectly until my cat tries to be a gardener). But as most men still do not understand the importance of giving flowers to women, I have to buy them by myself

My favourite spot where I buy flowers is called Belles Fleurs. The shop is situated just a few steps from the famous Radost FX. I like Belles Fleurs because hey have a variety of already prepared bouquets (both one kind and mixed flowers) which are reasonably priced. You can of course let the florist to assemble a bouquet by picking up single flowers.

At the conclusion, a little recommendation for men: if you would like to have a romantic dinner in Prague with your partner or date, flowers would be definitely a nice thing on top. So don’t hesitate – now you know, where you can find them

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Belles Fleurs | Shopping | Flowers CZK 99
Bělehradská 124 | Praha 2 | +420222512486
07:30 – 20:30 daily

I love photography and I try to reserve some of my time for it even now when school consumes practically all of it. Whenever I need anything related to this hobby, I can be sure to find it here.

FotoŠkoda is a unique place not only because of the building it is located in but mostly because of its conception – five floors full of photography – a huge store selling both new and used equipment and all kinds of material, repair service, studio, printing department and more services including photography courses and exhibitions. All of this under one roof and situated in the very centre of Prague – right by Wenceslas square.

Even though buying stuff online and having it shipped to our homes is a normal thing to do I still like to go into such stores where I can see the goods in real, try them out or ask the seller in person. The staff here is professional and really helpful, they were always nice to me even when I annoyed them with my questions for a half-hour and ended up not buying the product

If you run out of film, need a passport photo, your camera gets broken or you just want to buy some photography books, this is the place I recommend.

Langhans gallery is also located in the area of the Langhans palace (check the Langhans palace article).

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Centrum FotoŠkoda | Shopping | FUJI Velvia RVP 100F/135-36 CZK 215
Vodičkova 37 | Praha 1 | +420222929029
Mon – Fri 08:30 – 20:00, Sat 09:00 – 18:00

“Sentimental, maudlin, melodramatic, corny”, that’s what Urban dictionary says about the word “cheesy”.

The truth is that after having some cheese from this place I do feel maudlin and sentimental. Sentimental when there is not a single crystal left from the super-old Gouda I love. Maudlin is that phase when there is only one last bite left. Melodramatic fits when I offer a mature goat cheese around my office. Corny are the comments of those who refuse.

Cheesy is a franchise, with shops open all over the Czech Republic, and with couple in Prague. You can find all shops in map on their website.

List of those in Prague:
Prague 1 Old Town – V Kolkovně 4
Prague 2 Vinohrady – Jugoslávská 23 (where picture is taken)
Prague 2 Žižkov – Slavíkova 3
Prague 4 Podolí – Podolská 3
Prague 5 Smíchov – Štefánikova 18/25
Prague 6 Břevnov – Bělohorská 117
Prague 7 Letná – Letenské náměstí 6
Prague 8 Karlín – Sokolovská 49

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Cheesy | Shopping, Snacks
Jugoslávská 23 | Praha 2
Depends on location, see website

Hard de Core is an ideal place for interesting “souvenirs” from Prague, and heaven for those like me – who enjoy a salt shaker in the shape of a zeppelin or earrings that look more like light bulbs. I go there on regular basis – once or twice a month. Just to look, check-out, see what`s new, what`s up. Get my senses delighted. Have fun

Anyway, go in and have a look yourself. This shop is small in size but has some great things on offer. It is an art workshop, design studio and a boutique. Hard-de-Core also offers weekend art classes for adults and classes for kids from the age of 2.

Step inside – into the world of original Czech design in the form of fashion, accessories, ceramics, interior decorations, notebooks and jewelry. You find pieces by well-known names like Maxim Velčovský and there is also plenty of stuff from newly established designers and artists.

What they share is an unusual idea, originality, and cleverness in the final design. No matter what is it made of – porcelain, glass, metal, plastic or textile – you choose and your taste is the arbiter. Have a look at their gallery. But better is to go in yourselves.

Hard-de-Core is also good place for original hand-made Czech fashion. And if the size does not fit perfectly it is possible to have it adjusted, according  to your wishes.

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Hard-de-Core | Art & culture, Shopping | Free
Senovážné náměstí 10 | Praha 1 | +420777094421
Mon – Fri 11:00 – 19:00, Sat 11:00 – 17:00

Do you also regret that your mom has thrown away all the cool clothes that she once used to wear and you could be wearing these days? I do sometimes. On those days I go to the Laly vintage shop.

If you have a bit of a fashion-designer inside of you and you are lucky to find something that can fit your wardrobe, you will not have to spend too much money here on it either. Laly vintage shop offers everything from coats, skirts, sweaters, jackets, pants to crazy hats, strange shoes, funny scarves and hootchy-kootchy night-suits.

Honestly, I do not usually buy anything in Laly, but it is more of an event for me to go to explore what was worn in the past. If you want to just check this place out or even plan on doing vintage shopping here you should not miss the Anagream bookstore (check the Anagram article) right next door which is just as cool.

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Laly Vintage | Shopping | Dress CZK 300
Štupartská 3 | Praha 1 | +420234767779
Mon – Sat 11:00 – 20:00, Sun 11:00 – 19:00

As (almost) every woman I like to go shopping for clothes. I try to combine the visits in classical fashion chains with the ones at young Czech fashion designers shops – with clothes from them, you have quite a chance that you won´t meet half of Prague in the same outfit. I took in affection the brand Leeda. Every time I go there, I buy something new (and that is also the reason why I should not go there too often).

Leeda is an original Czech brand, created by a duo of designers Lucie Kutalkova and Lucie Trnkova. Their collections are thematically tuned and you can always find some extravagant models as well as normally wearable to the office and for leisure time.I find interesting that Leeda is also cooperating with people from other creative areas (art, architecture, graphical design etc) – eg. the world-known architect Jan Kaplicky was concerned in one of the collections named Leeda Kaplicky.

From time to time Leeda throws fashion parties to sell out old collections. It’s always a small event with a nice atmosphere – the small shop and its surrounding is full of people, chatting over a glass of wine and some chips.

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Leeda | Shopping | Top CZK 1290
Bartolomějská 1 | Praha 1 | +420224234056
Mon – Sat 11:00 – 19:00

I like receiving presents, but giving them even a little bit more. If I have a problem with gift selection or am only looking for some inspiration, I go to Naoko. I always stay there for a while – the shop is packed with many interesting things to see and buy, hence I have to watch my wallet carefully. If you like things with idea and uncommon design, you will definitely like Naoko.

Naoko is situated in Revoluční street (near the shopping centre Palladium) and has two shops side-by-side. The first is Eat & Drink, where you can find various things designated to cooking, eating and drinking. The second one, Home & Fun, is full of household and garden accessories, stuff for amusement and sport and last but not least funny „personal” accessories (if as a kid you were craving for a bath duck and never got it, you have a chance to compensate this with style

Naoko has a nicely done website, which works as an e-shop as well. The website is in Czech only, but you can check it to see the range of goods and also the prices.

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Naoko | Shopping | Bath duck CZK 280.00
Revoluční 24 | Praha 1 | +420222312567
Mon – Fri 10:00 – 19:00, Sat 10:00 – 17:00

I have never been to Greece (yet), but I really like Greek products – especially the savoury olive oils, big olives, yoghurt and so on. That is why I often go to Olympia – a shop specialized in Greek delicatessen and wines, which is situated near the Palác Flóra Mall.

Olympia has a really broad assortment of goods – basically all you need for Greek cuisine. Besides Greek products, they have also eg. French and Italian articles.I especially like the counter with a nice selection of fresh products – cheese, olives, dolmades, grilled vegetables, pickled seafood, traditional salads and „spreads” (I really love their melitzana) and other delicacies (try for example peppers stuffed with feta cheese).

During the season they also sell kitchen herbs in pots – especially the basil is really nice (and great for caprese salad, but Italian cuisine is another story:-)

If you are in a mood for a small Greek snack and you are looking for some ingredients, Olympia might be a good place where you can pick some… add a bottle of good wine and enjoy!

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Olympia | Shopping | Melitzana (100 g) CZK 39.00
Radhošťská 3 | Praha 3 | +420244910341
Mon – Fri 09:30 – 19:00, Sat 09:00 – 14:00

I would love to go to Vietnam. But before I would go there and strike off another destination from my travel to-do list, I can always go to a closer place – the so-called little Hanoi aka Sapa, in Prague.

TTTM Sapa, located in the south surround of Prague called Písnice, is a wholesale market where you can buy a lot of stuff (the majority of the items sold comes from Asia of course). Actually it’s like a town in a town with different amenities for the Vietnamese community: restaurants, beauty salons, a school, a temple etc.

I´m a big fan of Sapa especially because of the food. I like the Vietnamese groceries, where you can buy different ingredients for Asian cuisine that you can not buy anywhere else (or they are way to expensive) – various vegetables and fruits, herbs, sauces, frozen prawns, alive crabs, strange looking meat, tea, rice, tofu and much more…

Besides checking the shops you should definitely eat there. The criteria of a good place to eat is simple: eat where local people eat. Places which are oriented in one type of food are usually the strike home. My favourite place is a tiny place named Hai Há – the have the best bún chả- it is rich and savoury.

If you would like to have an extraordinary experience and don’t mind traveling a bit from the town center, Sapa is definitely worth a visit.

P.S. Check out the Anthony Bourdain´s No Reservations episode from Czech republic, he´s been to Sapa as well

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Sapa | Shopping, Snacks, Restaurants (Vietnamese) | bún chả CZK 80.00
Libušská 319/126 | Praha 4
09:00 – 20:00 daily

English books, relaxing atmosphere, and Harney & Sons Tea. What else do you need when the clouds in Prague are rainy and the feet tired? If you are an American and feel homesick, the Globe is the perfect place to go. And if you do not find yourself in any of the conditions mentioned above, you should still give this place a try.

I personally find The Globe ideal because a café and a bookstore combined is exactly what I look for when I am traveling.

If you are more into Czech beer than natural tea or watching TV more than reading books, there are still options for you in The Globe. You can buy Pilsner on tap for a pretty good price during their happy hours and watch the big screen with the side of hot wings.

I like the appearance of the place because of the high ceilings. So even though the café part of The Globe is smoking, it does not usually bother me.

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The Globe | Coffee & tea, Relaxing, Shopping | Hot Chocolate CZK 50
Pštrossova 6 | Praha 1
Sun – Wed 09:30 – 00:00, Thu – Sat 09:30 – 01:00

You will not only find bars and cafés at Újezd. On the corner, there is also a shop you might not have seen before. In Czech, this kind of shop is called „vetešnictví” (literally „junk-shop”) and they were quite popular some hundred year ago. There are not many left these days and that makes this one even more special (I bet it has been there for at least a century)

In this shop you can get just about anything. Old postcards, sewing machines, musical instruments, books, maps, dishes, coffee pots, beer bottles – to start with. Everyone will probably find their sort of thing and won’t leave bare-handed. The prices are naturally very low, although perhaps if you start speaking some other language than Czech, you might get a mark-up.

When you come in, it feels like another world. Most of all in winter, when it is freezing outside, it is a great place to vait for a tram to come… The room is very dark and crowded with all kinds of stuff. I would recommend visiting on a cold winter day, it is particularly nice to go and see this warm and dark place, then. Oh, and if you are really broke, you can sell some stuff too…

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Vetešnictví na Újezdě | Shopping
Vítězná 12 | Praha 1
Mon – Fri 10:00 – 17:00, Sat 10:00 – 12:00