Grand Orient Café

The Grand Orient Café is especially notable for being probably the only Cubist café in the world and certainly the only authentic Cubist café! Cubism, an early 20th century art movement that jolted and roiled the fine art world at the dawn of World War I, is the most prominent art movement that originated in Prague. Housed in Czech architect Josef Gocar’s House of the Black Madonna, the Grand Orient Café opened in the early 1910s, but shut down after only a decade of operation, as Cubism had fallen out of favour. Elegantly restored to its former glory in 2005 using old photographs, café-goers can enjoy the unusual furniture and chandeliers, accented by green. Even some of the fonts the café uses is quirky and notable, though whether they’re particularly Cubist is another matter. The menu here is relatively down-to-earth, with simple dishes and straightforward drinks like baguettes, sandwiches, breakfast items, salads, crepes, and desserts. The vanilla crème croissant I had hit the spot, with just the right amount of cream and sweetness, and the Turkish coffee satisfied as well, though not served with a Turkish coffeepot one sees in other cafes. One upside is that though this café is smack in the middle of the old city, just blocks away from the Old Town Square, the prices here are fairly reasonable, making it a perfect stop for weary travellers.