5 new bakery-cafés that are redefining Prague’s pastry scene

Forget the old divide between bakeries, cafés, and restaurants. Prague’s newest openings are blurring every line. A Vietnamese-French bakery, a fine-dining chef turning brunch into art, a Brno donut shop giving the humble pastry a glow-up, and a pop-up reinventing Czech confectionery.

Across Prague, a new generation of bakers and chefs is rethinking tradition. Can congee be comfort food? Does “free-from” mean flavorless? These new cafés reflect Prague’s growing appetite for flavors that are inventive, cross-cultural, and deliciously unpretentious.

ARTISANAL After years of running dinner-focused Vietnamese restaurants, brothers Khanh and Giang Ta finally turned their attention to something they’ve always loved: baking. Inspired by Khanh’s stint at Copenhagen’s cult-favorite Hart Bakery, their new spot Paté blends French technique with Vietnamese flair.

Expect banh mi baguettes, shokupan shortbread, classic croissants, and brioche buns, plus congee rice porridge for breakfast and kombucha or matcha to sip all day. Khanh’s favorite? The shokupan, Japan’s soft milk bread. “You can eat it plain with butter, use it for a sandwich, or make French toast,” he says. “It’s simple, yet perfect.”

ALL-DAY COMFORT Fine-dining chef Jan Horák opened Reason earlier this year, then quickly added ASK4, a bistro with no time limits. Breakfast, lunch, coffee, cocktails,it’s all fair game.

Set inside the sleek new Masaryčka building, ASK4 offers truffled Croque Madames, tapioca bowls, and creative twists on classic comfort food. Saturdays mean brunch; evenings bring a bar that stays lively long after your last espresso.

SWEET & SEASONAL Straight from Brno and now happily settled in Vršovice, Kobliha is the donut shop that autumn dreams are made of. Behind the pastel-pink counter: apple fritters glazed in vanilla, pumpkin spice cheesecake donuts, and Black Forest beauties stuffed with cherry jam. This season’s lineup leans rich: think caramel, chocolate, and pumpkin cream.

MINDFUL INDULGENCE Hidden in Vinohrady, Mūza Café proves that dietary limits don’t mean giving up on pleasure. Founders Dominik and Ulrika, both dealing with allergies and intolerances, built the place they wished existed: inclusive, cozy, and delicious.

Here, everything’s organic and adaptable; vegan, gluten-free, lactose-free, even pescatarian. Expect bright brunch plates, creamy vegan lattes, and pastries that don’t compromise. They also cater events, proving “free-from” can still mean full of flavor.

NOSTALGIC POP-UP Every Thursday and Sunday until December, Furiant takes over the old Café Parnas on Smetanovo nábřeží with a pop-up pastry menu that reimagines Czech childhood favorites.

Pastry chef Jiří Matějka serves plum dumplings, kremeš (a vanilla custard slice), and semolina porridge that feel both familiar and new. It’s a love letter to Czech sweets, nostalgic, but with a modern wink.