Cukrárna Myšák on Vodičkova: over a century of Prague's sweet life

On Vodičkova, just a few steps from Václavské náměstí, an unassuming façade hides a place whose name means to a Czech roughly what "Pushkin" means to a Muscovite — only applied to the confectionery trade. Ambiente has built on the First Republic tradition of the Myšák cukrárna on Vodičkova in Prague, and for more than a hundred years its name has been synonymous with fine pastries, first-class service and the atmosphere of old Prague. This is no mere café with a pretty sign — it's a place that history itself has walked through.

The story begins in 1911, when pastry chef František Myšák opened his shop here. He welcomed his first guests that same year, and people would queue out onto the street for his orange pastries. Myšák was not only a master of his craft but a true perfectionist: he thought through every last detail, insisted on top-quality ingredients, hired the best architects, and looked after his staff well. Little wonder the establishment quickly became a magnet for the cream of First Republic Prague society — its pastries were sampled by Oldřich Nový and Ema Destinová, and the confectioner himself personally baked a cake for President T. G. Masaryk's eightieth birthday. After the communists took power, the shop met a fate typical of the era: the Myšák family ran it until 1949, when it was leased to the state enterprise Odkolek, and nationalised outright a year later.

The building itself deserves its own story. Originally a neo-Renaissance structure built in 1883 by architect Otto Ehlen, it took on an entirely new face in 1922, when the historic "House at the Myšák's," with its eponymous cukrárna, was rebuilt in the Rondocubist style according to a design by builder Josef Čapek — its striking façade reportedly developed in consultation with Josef Gočár himself. Rondocubism, sometimes called Czech Art Deco, is a uniquely national style marked by rounded forms — arches, circles and ovals — layered onto a Cubist foundation; the building's façade is adorned with characteristic arches, cylinders and triangles, unified by a decorated cornice, a pair of bay windows and a tall order of pilasters. Sadly, in 2007 a large part of the building collapsed during restoration work, leaving only the façade and the ground-floor café intact — the upper floors had to be rebuilt from scratch.

Today's Myšák is no longer a state enterprise but a project of the Ambiente restaurant group, which set out in 2017 to restore the shop's pre-war glory. Myšák is now a small chain of cukrárnas carrying on the tradition of the original Prague establishment dating back to 1911; under head pastry chef Lukáš Pól, it turns out classic desserts, cakes and breakfasts. The ground floor houses a cosy café serving breakfast and desserts from early morning, while the upper floor is given over entirely to the pastry chefs and their workshop. It's well worth trying the Czech classics here: filled croissant pastries, the Myšák cocktail, or the Myšák "větrníček" with salted caramel, along with traditional cocktails served in hand-cut Czech crystal glasses.

The atmosphere alone is worth the visit. The interior, reconstructed by architect Tereza Fronková, deliberately transports visitors back to the 1920s, respecting the era's historic look and featuring stylised glass chandeliers. The place really is easy to walk past if you don't know it's there — from the outside it blends modestly into the surrounding buildings on Vodičkova, which is part of its charm: stepping inside feels almost like finding a secret door into pre-war Prague, where the mirrored display cases still smell of fresh baking rather than tourist souvenirs.

Insider tip: come for breakfast on a weekday, close to opening time, before the tour groups from nearby hotels descend — that way you can claim a table by the window looking out on Vodičkova and watch morning Prague wake up behind the glass while sipping coffee with a větrníček. And if you want a literal peek into the kitchen, head upstairs, where you can watch fresh croissants being made.

Address: Vodičkova 710/31, 110 00 Praha 1 – Nové Město
Opening hours: weekdays 7:30 a.m.–7:00 p.m. (some sources say until 8:00 p.m.), Saturday and Sunday 9:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m.
Prices: classic Czech pastries average from 45 CZK apiece; the average bill runs up to 250 CZK per person

This place is worth a visit for anyone who wants to taste not some abstract "Czech dessert," but a genuine slice of history — with a name, a date, and the face of the man who once dreamed up these recipes. For lovers of Rondocubist architecture, fans of sweets with a story, and anyone simply looking for a quiet morning café steps from Wenceslas Square without the tourist bustle — Vodičkova 31 is well worth the detour.

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Source: aroundprague.cz

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