Grand Cafe Orient: The Only Cubist Style Café in the World
There is no exaggeration that Prague has the only one café in the world built in the cubist style. Cubism used to be a popular style of painting at the beginning of the 20th Century, but in Prague, it finds its popularity also in architecture. Once you enter the cubistic House of the Black Madonna, see the stairs in the shape of the light bulb and enter the unique Grand Café Orient on the first floor.
Cubist Interior of Grand Café Orient
Grand Café Orient is just a unique place for an ordinary as well as special moments of our life. I celebrated my graduation here together with my family, and it is also my favorite café where I like to invite my foreign friends when they are visiting Prague. Sometimes I love to come for my favorite Marocchino (chocolate, coffee, milk and whipping cream), relax with a book and have a small talk with local waiters, that are friendly and super professional. Don’t be shy and exchange a few words with them, because it will make you smile for the rest of the day.
What is unique about this place is the interior. As I already mentioned, Grand Café Orient is the only café designed in cubism. You might find numerous cafés in similar styles such as Art Deco and Art Nouveau, but the cubist style café is the only one. In 1912, young architect Josef Gočár designed the whole building together with light bulb stairs and café on the first floor. Because of the small sculpture in the corner, it is well known as the House of the Black Madonna.
Unfortunately, the café was open only for several years and then closed because the cubism was not modern anymore. The café reopened in 2005 after extensive renovations according to the original photographs of interiors, so the cubist style is still visible from the door handle, furniture, and lightning to the hangers on the wall. It is not a coincidence that Grand Café Orient was selected between seven the most beautiful cafés of Europe by magazine Focus.
The Menu of Grand Café Orient
Cubism and the spirit of the history are not visible only in design but also in the menu itself. One of the most famous desserts in the Czech Republic is called “věneček” and has a round shape. However, in a proper cubist café it gained a square form. Choice of the cakes is just tempting, especially if you know that all of them are produced as homemade. You can choose from a variety of typical Czech cakes such as honey cake (medový dort) or fruitcakes to Viennese Sacher cake, apple strudel and many more. The local specialties are Grand Café Orient cake with chocolate and mint or chocolate fondant in marzipan, served with dry prunes marinated in Port vine. If you are not up to the desserts, there is also an excellent choice of sweet and salty dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Unique Cubist House
Take an opportunity being in the only cubist house in the world and visit the Cubist museum. You will find a permanent exhibition of Czech cubism as well as temporary exhibitions spread around four different floors. Enjoy the spirit of the one hundred years old history, because you won’t find a similar one anywhere else in the world.
How to get to Grand Café Orient
Take a metro to Náměstí Republiky (yellow line) where you will find this Municipal House (click here). Walk just under the medieval tower and after a few minutes, you will see this orange square building. The café is located on the first floor.
Address: Ovocný trh 19, Prague 1
Map: click here
Website: https://www.grandcafeorient.cz/en/
