We landed in Prague after a short 1.5 hours journey from Kosice and got ourselves a local data sim from Vodafone at the arrival hall cos our wifi router screwed up (it’s a longg story). Then we were playing hide and seek with our taxi driver who was supposed to pick us up cos we couldn’t find him/her and vice versa. Accommodation for the next few nights was at King Wenceslas Apartment which was cozy and nice. The location is pretty central and we walked practically everywhere. The only complain was the intermittent wifi which goes on and off as it wishes
We head out to do some exploring and I must say Prague is really gorgeous in its own ways. Topped with the evening glow, the pictures looked even more endearing. We saw several photographers running around with their big professional cameras with multiple lens in hand doing some serious photography but the amateur us decided to just walk along Charles bridge after snapping a few shots. Lol
So preets!
Also known as Fred & Ginger, the house represents a female and male dancing. It took us some time to figure the structure and when we finally saw it, we were like ohhh! so cute! lol. I wanted to do some dancing poses, but was too paiseh with so many cars passing by. ha
Catching sunset along the bridge
We finally managed a shot of the bridge with less people. There were like 101 tourists on the bridge. I was telling the friend out of 10 people, probably 9 are tourists and the last one being a beggar or a pickpocket
Headed for dinner at The Spider Tavern/U Pavouka, a historical fantasy show where you also get to enjoy a medieval feast consisting of 5 courses: Starter, Soup, Appetiser, Main and Desserts and free flow drinks like beer, white wine and soft drinks (Kč 1190/pax). I was quite surprised the place was crowded since it was not that marketed. So we got comfortably seated once doors opened at 7.30pm and started eating cos we were so famished. The friend and I practically skipped lunch for this 5-course dinner
The wine glass was so huge I went O.O
Turkey and Ham with Beet
Potato Soup
Old Czech pancakes and kuba- homemade barley with mushroom and garlic
Pork Knuckles with Mashed Potatoes
Homemade Cake
I have to say the food was actually decent and we were so full after that I dabao-ed the dessert back. Well, I had low expectations for the food since you know performances and quality of food don’t usually go well together. The show started promptly at 8pm and it was a night of happy, joyful music, belly dancers, pirates and there was even a tarot reader going around
The show was dominated mainly with belly dancing but the dancers also performed with fire towards the end. I think this is something different and if you would like to experience dining in medieval times, then it is definitely something visitors to Prague can get to enjoy if you are looking for something unique to do
The Spider Tavern
Celetná 597/17 110 00 Prague 1 – Old Town, Czechia
The first morning in Prague started with breakfast at Cafe Savoy which I must say was a pretty popular place. People come here to dine, have meetings or to chill. I would advise you to make reservations cos we saw some being turned away. Well, I was glad we were just earlier by 30 minutes and managed to snag the seats. Dining here reminded me of Paris – the ambience and the food set-up, just that maybe it’s more elaborate here
I had the French Breakfast (Kč 385) which consisted of vegetable tart, grilled pork sausages, potatoes, Prague hams, hard boiled eggs, French toast with seasonal fruit and maple syrup, croissant, homemade pastries, farmers’ butter, freshly squeeze orange juice and cafe-au-lait. The friend had the English Breakfast (Kč 325) which came with bread, fried egg, bacon, potatoes, Frankfurter, pork sausages, tomato, mushrooms, beans in tomato sauce, homemade pastries, farmers’ butter, freshly squeezed orange juice and tea with milk. Wow, that’s a really long description
I was surprised the cafe-au-lait was pretty decent. I had many cafe-au-lait that were disappointing to the point I stopped ordering them
The French toast was unfortunately too dry
This was a really delicious plate of breakfast. I can have it again
English!
Honestly, breakfast here feels like a grand affair. There is just so much food. Still, I thought the food was good and very filling such that it lasted us all the way till dinner. I can now understand why this place is recommended as the place to go for brunches in Prague
Cafe Savoy
Vítězná 124/5, 150 00 Praha 5-Malá Strana, Czechia
With our stomach full and happy, we went to visit John Lennon wall which was crowded with many tourists. And then we started googling the significance of it cos we obviously don’t know why is this so popular
Spotting this creature along the way
So anyways this wall (taken from wiki), is a John Lennon-inspired graffiti and filled with lyrics from The Beatles. In the past, young Czechs will write their grievances on the wall which led to a clash between students and police. The wall has continuously underwent changes (and fresh paint) so what you see now might not be what it was in the past nor will it be in the future. Today, the wall symbolizes love, peace and imagination.
Well, it’s quite cool. And I think this place makes a perfect ootd shot ;D
We walked towards Malá Strana and while wandering, we decided to get an icecream to share cos the friend spotted this cute flower icecream on their shopfront
Got ourselves this Easter edition flower icecream (Kč 170) from Amorino. So cute right. The flavours tasted legit, much better than Kosice’s
We slowly walked to Prague castle and make a trek uphill where we got a view of the city and bumped into sooo many students at the castle as well. We were like, are these kids having an excursion or something?
The grounds of the castle was huge. It felt like a town within the castle. We went for the Circuit B tour which takes us to all the important/must-see on the castle grounds that took us about 4.5 hours. But if you worry that you would not able to complete everything, the ticket is valid for 2 days so you can come back another time (and go through the many steps uphill again)
Circuit B: Old Royal Palace, St George’s Basilica, Golden Lane, St Vitus Cathedral (Kč 250/pax)
St Vitus Cathedral was really big and we heard collective gasps from tour groups around. It was like oh wow wow wow….
Inside the cathedral
This was the only cathedral we could openly snap a photo of its interior while the rest that we visited were not allowed. The alters were closed in preparation for Easter so when they finally opened on Easter Sunday, you can sense the significance of it (that’s what our Slovakia guide told us)
And since there was an Easter market, we stopped to check it out
Craftman at work, which attracted quite a crowd
Trying the popular chimmey cake or otherwise also known as Trdelník (Kč 75)
Unfortunately to say, it tasted kind of different from the one we tried before. This version we tried was much drier, a little harder and hmm not very satisfying. So we didn’t manage to finish it
We wanted a drink so we ordered a homemade punch from this stall thinking it will be similar to our version of fruit punch. It turns out, it’s a hot alcoholic punch which tasted like red sangria. Ha so we threw away half the cup cos we were not really in the mood for hot red wine
The other exhibits include Old Royal Palace, St George’s Basilica and Golden Lane
Old Royal Palace located next to the cathedral, which unfortunately was quite boring
St George’s Basilica was so small compared to the cathedral
Visting Golden Lane
Golden Lane will probably be something I’ll recommend to see as it portrays the lives of the residents who were living there in those days. Well, it was interesting to me and seriously I don’t think I will want to see another church/cathedral. But.. we made one last stop and visited church of our Lady Victorious to see infant Jesus before dinner calls
We walked past Charles Bridge again and got attracted to this group of young artistes whom were very good!! So they had a big crowd standing there and listening to them play and we were contemplating when to make our way for dinner finally. lol
Dinner was at Lokál (sounds like Local), a bar grub which locals recommended to dine at. I would highly recommended for reservations to be made cos when we went at 5.45pm, all the tables were already taken up and we managed to take the last table. Heng ah! And if you wanna try scoring a table by walking-in, you can just note the reservation timing stated on the slip of paper and just get out before the party arrives
Beer with Raspberry Soda / Homemade Raspberry Soda
The beer literally tasted like beer with raspberry flavour while the soda just tasted like soda
Frankfurter Soup Kč 39
I felt like these Czech soups use the same soup base, just different toppings and different levels of acidity. This soup was very comforting, not too sour and well, tasted like hot dogs =/
Fresh Carp Fillet in Cumin Butter Kč 235
I had to say, this plate looked very sad and the dish looked really underwhelming. But honestly it tasted so much better than it looked and it was so cheap! The skin was crisp, fish cooked perfectly with the sweetness and the buttery fragrance of the butter
Caramel Glazed Profiterole with Caramel and Vanilla Icecream Kč 69
We ordered one to share cos the friend was still hungry from her sad-looking fish. The profiterole wasn’t what we expected. We thought it would come in small mini profiteroles so when this huge thing landed on our table, we had the hmmm expression. Lol. I find the glaze too sweet but I like the vanilla cream. It was smooth, sweet and had the right density
We were focused on our mission, more so cos of the hunger and the overwhelming cigarette smoke that filled up the entire space. It was like let’s hurry up eat and go. So when we finally stepped onto the streets, we felt like the air has never been cleaner 😂 I won’t mind dining here and I could see why this place is so popular. The food here is pretty decent. Nothing fantastic, yet filling and at damn reasonable prices. It was by no surprise this place is a hit with locals and there’s a queue out of the door even when we left
Lokál Dlouhááá
Dlouhá 33, 110 00 Praha 1-Staré Město, Czechia
The next morning started with breakfast at Pastacaffe, which was 5 minutes walk away from our apartment. Wanted somewhere simple for breakfast cos we gonna had lunch at Field but somehow the breakfast turned out to be rather filling as well. =/ #planfailed
Latte with Chocolate
Well, tasted like mocha
Eggs Sunny Side Up with Ham & Cheese, 3 pcs Kč 135
I thought 2 eggs were challenging enough. 3 eggs?!
Waffle Benedict with Hollandaise Sauce, Poached Eggs, Homemade Pastrami Kč 135
This cafe chain serves food with a decent selection from croissants, eggs, porridge to waffles at pretty reasonable prices. A place to check out if you are looking for simple selection. Well they do just serve toasts if you are wondering..
Pastacaffe
Vodičkova 676/8, 110 00 Praha 1-Nové Město, Czechia
We spent the next 3-4 hours covering the Jewish town with a break for lunch in between at Field’s. And again we saw so many students venturing the same grounds as us, at all ages. This must be one of those must-visit curriculum for Spring
Past by the Sigmund Freud on the way which looks like a guy committing suicide. Quite amused by the hanging statue
Bought tickets at the ticket office which is near the Pinkas Synagogue. We got a shock when we saw a super long and snaking queue with kids at the gate so we went to ask the security if we have to queue as well. Hey, it turns out we didn’t have to! So check before you queue. Ha
We got tour 1 (Kč 500) which basically covers everything. I thought the whole tour was informative and you get to learn about the history of the Jews and some parts were pretty interesting like the different artefacts that were put on display but there were so many synagogues after awhile I was like how is this synagogue different from that?? But on the bright side, that was what of those that were left. They used to have even more. It was quite amazing how big the Jewish population was
1.The Jewish cemetery; we overheard how each stone was different and how they buried people in the past, just by stacking on each available space
2. List of names at the Pinkas Synagogue. Ohmygosh, the number of lines in there… gave me an eye-ache
3. Artefacts displayed at The Ceremonial Hall; from the things they used to the lives they lived
4. Old New Synagogue; don’t really know how to appreciate this building unfortunately. All I could remember was I had difficulty breathing in there cos it was so stuffy
5. The Spanish Synagogue; a beautiful building inspired by Arabic period of Spanish history. It was quite amazing to see how the walls were so beautifully painted
6. Jerusalem Synagogue; I was probably most interested in these binoculars thing located at the Jubilee Synagogue cos you literally see the past
7. Interior of the Jerusalem Synagogue; we took some time to finally locate the building and it was probably the nicest Synagogue that we visited. It costs an additional Kč 80 to enter as it is not part of the tour package
So we took a break in between from the crowd to have lunch at Field and grab some cookies from Perničkuv Sen, a place known for their gingerbread cookies! This shop is probably one of the most popular gingerbread cookie place that I read from so many websites. The aroma of the cookies when we stepped in was very inviting and since it was Easter, their collections were adorable. And the cookies tasted delicious too!
We headed to Old Town Square for the Easter market which we had been walking past the previous days. The market was probably one of the biggest we had visited and you can find vendors selling food and various crafts there, even though much are repeated. But first, we went to check out the Old Town Hall tower which was located just next to the Astronomical clock
The tower costs Kč 220/pax to go up and you can stay up there as long as you like!
The view from the tower was pretty spectacular. You can even spot the market below
The friend wanted to catch the changing colors of the sky at sunset so we stayed there for quite awhile. But hunger got the better of me so my patience was running thin and we decided to go down and grab food eventually
Such pretty colours still
So after walking around we decided dinner to be in the form of hotdog, grilled cheese and crepe!
The staffs at the stall were very funny. They kept asking anyone who bought if they wanted a beer and they will sound very sad if you say no. (lol seriously) Then they asked me how do we say thank you in Singapore? I was like uh, thank you?! It’s English! And everyone just laughed. The guy who asked was very paiseh. Ha
Hotdog Kč 60
Well, I was kinda expecting hotdog in a bun. So we ate the hot dog and left the bread untouched
Grilled Cheese Kč 65
This looked like a pretty popular snack so we got one to try. Well, it tasted like.. cheese
I know this doesn’t look any pleasing at all..
Chocolate and Almonds Kč 85
But I think the crepes here tasted exceptionally good. It was like crisp with a smooth sweetness, topped with chocolatey Nutella, sprinkled with almonds. Every bite you take is just.. bliss
We wanted tea somewhere cos the weather started to turn cold but after wandering around we couldn’t find any so we decided to call it a night
Breakfast was at Cafe Lounge the next morning cos we wanted to visit the Petrin tower next. The cafe is located near cafe Savoy so it is easily located. We had to wait a little while cos we didn’t have reservations and all the tables were taken up. Waiting time was supposed to be 20 minutes, we ended up being seated in 5 minutes =/ The selection of breakfast here was quite disappointing in my opinion, or perhaps we have seen so many breakfast places that offered us so much we were already spoilt
Flat White
Matcha Latte
Omelette with Prague Ham & Gouda Cheese, Bread and Small Salad Kč 125
Both of us took the omelette which I thought it was rather normal and service seemed to be a little slow. The surprising thing was there was a line at the door when we left which makes we wonder what was so special about this place *scratches head*
Cafe Lounge
Plaská 615/8, 150 00 Praha 5 – Malá Strana, Czechia
It was a rather gloomy day with the weather forecasted to rain so we made haste to Petrin tower only to be greeted that the funicular railway wasn’t working. So we ended up climbing the hill which was dotted with so many flowers in bloom that made such a pretty sight. And then, it started to rain. Wah sian. I really don’t enjoy taking photos in rainy weather so all I want is to hide at the tower
Spring in bloom!
Petrin Tower
Entrance at Kč 120/pax. There is an extra charge of Kč 60 if you choose to take the lift up which we paid cos we figured we have worked out too much this holiday
The view from the top was pretty nice but I thought it would have been better if it was a sunny day
We stayed up there for awhile before making our way to Strahov Monastery that was a walkable distance away but we realised the ticket office was closed for lunch time break when we reached. So we decided to walk around the area and come back later at 1pm. And so the random walking brought us to this shop along Pohořelec road. The friend was attracted by the dog while I just wanted to hide from the rain. Ha. Anyway Aurosa Czech Design shop sells local designer stuffs and the pretty owner invited us to try the first beer for ladies
Presentation also so pretty. lol
And to be surprised, I really liked it. The beer was light and it wasn’t too gassy. Well considering it coming from a person who doesn’t take beer.. So I bought a bottle back (Kč 100). Plus it is so cheap seriously. I regretted not buy buying two since the beer does not ship internationally. If you happened to be in Prague, do give this a try!
Aurosa Czech Design Shop
Pohořelec 141/14, 118 00 Praha 1-Hradčany, Czechia
And so we head back to Strahov to continue our sightseeing. Entrance costs Kč 120/pax and if you would like to take photos of the exhibit inside, it costs an additional Kč 50 for that one sticker. Well, I think it’s worth it. At first we were considering whether to share the sticker, then we thought nvm, lets just get one each. lol
The exhibits were located on the second floor and you will first be greeted with.. The cabinet of curiosity which is essentially preserved bodies of sea creatures (can’t find a nicer way of putting it across), which looked too real and creepy in my opinion. And then the door to the Philosophical Hall that is barred to the public. Moving on to the hallway, there are various collections of Old Egypt objects, artefacts, bibles etc before finally reaching the Theological Hall
Our first reaction was eeeekkkk…
It somehow reminded me of Beauty & The Beast library
We walked back towards our apartment to grab some warmth at this dessert place cos it started raining pretty heavily. Patisserie St Tropez is a brightly lit shop located in a corner inside this shopping mall. We took some time to figure out the place since directions were not very clear but glad we managed to find it!
The place sells a variety of cakes, chocolates and baked goods
Earl Grey Tea
Kampai Kč 139
Cheesecake Kč 99
Love the Kampai cake which was a combination of vanilla, hazelnut and dash of yuzu, dotted with mini macarons. The cheesecake tasted a little strange to me, perhaps the cheese a little on the heavy side. But generally, I thought this place makes a pretty good place to chill over a cup of tea and some cakes
Patisserie St Tropez
Štěpánská 629/59, 110 00 Praha 1-Nové Město, Czechia
We wandered around the streets after it finally stopped raining and headed to check out the other Easter market near our apartment. It turned out to be so much smaller, like 1/5 in size and it pretty much sells the same stuffs. So we decided to proceed for dinner at Sushi Maru. Yeps, something Asian for our last dinner in Prague
Everyone being entertained by the bubbles
The smaller Easter Market
Hot Sake
Which tasted like shit. The friend thought it was nice. I think I had drank better, but I managed to finish most of it. I’m impressed with myself
Miso Soup
The miso soup tasted quite legit, well, like miso soup
Deluxe Sushi Kč 420
The nigiri were normal, though I don’t know since when Japanese eat sushi with green chilli. =/ The maki fared better maybe cos it’s all mixed up you can’t taste the disparity in quality
Can’t remember what the friend ordered but this seemingly looked like pork katsu topped with sweet sauce served with a hell lot of rice and a mountain-full of vegetables
Mochi Icecream Parfait Kč 120
Pizookie with Green Tea Icecream Kč 120
I think you can definitely find better ones back home. But honestly, the food here didn’t taste quite as bad, though I might not particularly want to return again. To locate the restaurant, you walk through the line of shops and take the escalator up to the second floor
Sushi Maru
Václavské nám. 846/1, 110 00 Praha 1-Můstek, Czechia
Last day in Prague. The itinerary was simple since we pretty much cleared most of it. The day was spent at Náplavka farmers’ market. We were supposed to reach at 9am to beat the crowds but clearly we failed. By the time we reached, it was 10am and the crowd was woahh. Tents filled the entire stretch along the river selling many different produces. We wandered and absorbed and grabbed our breakfast there while bustling with the crowd to see what’s the daily catch of the day
It’s like pasar malam, atas style
We passed by this dim sum stall and we just stood there to watch. I told the friend they must be pretty amused to watch us watching them like we never see dim sum before. The friend said, no I’m amused cos I never see angmoh making dim sum before. lol. Anyways I won’t advise you to try. Cos you know, expectations and reality..
Flat White for mee
Which tasted not bad, a little on the bitter side but has a smooth finish to it
Breakfast in the form of crepe with ham and sun-dried tomatoes
And then we decided to cross the river cos we spotted another row of tents along the river so we thought it might be another farmers’ market. It turned out it was the Náplavka Street Food that was happening that weekend. Entrance cost Kč 50/pax
So yups, it’s just collectively more food
We took a stroll at Střelecký Island cos it felt like it was a good ootd spot and it was also a good place to chill and relax. There was a certain serenity about it and enjoying the Spring breeze was a nice touch to it. We went back to old town next cos we wanted to try the famous Czech honey cake before we left. The first place we visited, they sold out their honey cakes so we ended up at Grand Cafe Orient cos I didn’t want to give up
Honey Cake Kč 75
I’m so glad I persevered! This honey cake tasted absolutely amazing. So light and fluffy, filled with roasted walnut and taste of honey, each layer was happiness. The cake had the right density without being too sweet, so it was really a cake to enjoy. And cos greediness calls for it, we decided to get another cake..
Truffle Cake Kč 90
The truffle cake, on the other hand, was nothing amazing..
But still, if you must, just order the honey cake and give it a try. I wonder how different will it be from Aussie’s version, and I can’t wait to find out
Grand Cafe Orient
Ovocný trh 569/19, 110 00 Praha 1-Staré Město, Czechia
And then it was finally time to say goodbye. We hired a driver to take us to the airport, or rather, the accommodation’s staffer helped us to arrange for it at Kč 600/car. We had the new aircraft with us equipped with usb charger and latest entertainment screen from our flight from Prague to Istanbul so I was happily shortlisting the movies I will be watching from Istanbul to Singapore, only to find out the later leg used an older aircraft with not so advanced screen and movie selection so my emotions went from all-time high to all-time low
Love how in frame this shot was
You know you are definitely going back home when you see PANDAN CAKE on the menu
Dinner; Braised Chicken in Tomato and Basil
This tasted really bad. The chicken was so dry and the bread here was harder. Let’s not even talk about the appetisers
Breakfast was supposed to be waffles but this looks more like toasts, eggs and tomatoes
In any case, HELLO SINGAPORE, you are missed! I can’t wait to go home to eat my cup noodles
Prague, is undeniably gorgeous. Certain parts remind me of Paris, but I felt like it has its own charm and beauty. It’s a place I definitely don’t mind going back though I may not have anything else to see when I revisit. And of course, the almost perfect weather gives me another reason to be happy about. When travelling, it’s all about the weather
This marks the end of my entire journey and thank you all who had persevered to stay till the end of the post! Whoo!
For all other entries, you can click on the following links below:
Travelogue: A Peek into Czech Republic; Karlovy Vary & Cesky Krumlov
Easily satisfied, Hard to please 