Prague’s secret garden cafés: 7 spots for a quiet spring coffee

Spring is around the corner, meaning it's only a matter of weeks before the city's outdoor cafe tables and terraces are drenched in sunshine – and filled with crowds. For those looking for a quieter cup, the serene spaces of gardens and monasteries offer pockets of stillness and serenity. From a new café nestled in a monastery to an old favorite in a rose garden, here’s our list of the six most peaceful places in Prague to savor a cuppa.

Named for the original monastery garden founded by Charles IV, the Monastery of the Minorities of St. James carries that spirit: the proceeds support the monastery's ongoing restoration, Czech producers, and protected workshops. 

Before or after your coffee (dreamy drinks like Rose Dream, garnished with a dried rose bud or Golden Latté are menu favorites) explore the church, founded by Wenceslas I in 1232, which has some of the most interesting Gothic and Baroque monuments of Prague. Herbs grown inside the Angel Garden correspond to the healing properties to the known health problems of Charles IV.

Open for just under a year, God’s Café is tucked within the tranquil grounds of the Benedictine nuns’ compound on Bílá Hora. Set in a quiet garden beside the entrance to the Church of Our Lady of Victory, it offers a peaceful retreat away from the bustle of the city

Alongside freshly roasted coffee – or a sneaky Aperol Sprtiz – guests can enjoy a selection of hefty brownies and tarts, savory bites, and classic Czech pastries. But the café’s most distinctive feature is its setting: a former air raid shelter that has been thoughtfully transformed into an intimate café space.

For another monastery setting, Anežka sits inside the Convent of St. Agnes of Bohemia, a Gothic complex near the Old Town Square that is also home to the National Gallery's collection of medieval Bohemian art. The café's interior was designed to respond to the space itself, with the bar drawing on a sculptural work by Czech artist František Skála. 

On weekends the brunch menu is worth the trip alone, with scrambled eggs, sweet spelt pancakes, and the house mimosa, but it's equally good for a quieter weekday coffee alongside a slice of bread pudding cake or traditional Czech kolache.

Just off Wenceslas Square, though you'd never guess it, lies the Franciscan Garden, a Baroque enclosure of clipped hedges and rose bushes that most visitors stride past without noticing.

Tucked inside is Café Truhlárna, a small, unhurried coffee spot. The quiche is a reliable order, the lemonade is homemade, and the whole place is shaded by flowering bushes.

The garden has been here since 1347; the café is a considerably more recent addition. Inside the gardens are a number of benches besides arches covered in roses as summer approaches, and plant beds harken back to the Carmelites and Franciscans.

Heading northwest towards Letná, Ubuntu Pod Lipami – the name means "under the linden trees" – delivers exactly on that promise. The café sits on leafy Čechova street with a sidewalk garden that stays quiet despite a busy road running past. 

Fairtrade and direct-trade beans from Mamacoffee and Original Roasters are the backbone of the coffee menu, with cakes, cookies, and doughnuts that’ll hit the spot. You can also find great beer on tap if you’re looking for a little buzz. The café is flanked by Stromovka Park and Letná Park just a short walk away on either side for post-coffee strolls.

Vyšehrad is already one of Prague's better escapes, a rocky promontory above the Vltava with basilicas, cemeteries, and city views. Bystro Café occupies a spot right in the heart of the fortress complex, with a herb garden terrace for outdoor seating and a straightforward menu: homemade soups, quiche, quality coffee, and a cheesecake with a devoted following. 

Arrive on foot to the towering Vyšehrad ramparts and follow up your coffee with a walk to the promontory that overlooks the Vltava river, the Church of St. Peter and Paul, and one of the most beautiful cemeteries in the city where famous Czech writers, scientists, poets, artists, composers, and politicians lay to rest.

This quaint little set-up in Vršovice is hidden in the courtyard of a flower and gardening shop on Moskevská street. A vintage truck serves espresso and matcha lattes amidst seasonal blooms, hanging plants, and twinkling lights as dusk rolls in. 

The owners are behind Mazelab Coffee and Café Fin, so the coffee itself is serious, but the enterprise feels more like stumbling into someone’s beautiful garden than visiting a business. Remember to bring cash along with you for this outing.