Café Review: Café Modi

Onto the drinks. Visit number one takes place on a hot day so I start off with a coffee for my daily caffeine fix which is proffered by a smiling waitress and comes with a complimentary tumbler of tap water. The cappucino (45 CZK) is above average—not too bitter or full of artificial looking froth. So far, so good. Next I opt for a domácí citronáda (49 CZK for 500ml) to cool down. I become more positively disposed to Café Modi as soon as it arrives. This homemade beverage is bursting with bits of lemon, lime, and orange. It looks like a work of art that even Modigliani might appreciate and tastes pretty good too.

The selection of sugary treats seems rather limited—there’s raspberry tart, apple pie, and some muffins—so I go for the most interesting option: profiterole cake (58 CZK). It has a spongey base covered in custardy stuff, then topped off with a layer of those spherical cream-filled pastries sprinkled with chocolate flakes. It was edible but a bit underwhelming. Perhaps the motto here should be, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Profiteroles are pretty damn tasty the way they are, so why interfere with them?

If it’s an alcoholic tipple you’re after, the choice is much broader: there were more than half a dozen wines available and the bar seems well stocked with spirits. Given this fact, and its central location, perhaps Café Modi is more the kind of place you could meet a friend for an after work drink rather than to pig out on desserts. If you’re in the neighbourhood earlier in the day and in need of a sit-down, you could do a lot worse. The huge windows are good for staring out of and daydreaming or people-watching, mood dependent. However, for a café with real character and a Fairtrade beverage, I’d head around the corner to Mama Coffee.