Grand Café Evropa True Gem on Wenceslas Square

Grand Café Evropa, which used to be part of the Sroubek Hotel, was a symbol of luxury during the First Republic (1919-1938). It still exudes luxury, but not to the extent of yesteryear. It seems rather forced to do justice to the five stars.
The Grand Cafe is now part of the W-Prague Hotel. Grand Cafe Evropa has been featured in a number of films including Mission: Impossible, Kafka and the dining room in the film Titanic, due to its atmospheric setting. After renovation, the cafe looks almost identical to the one seen in the films.

The Reception

Upon entering, you are welcomed by a constantly smiling hostess who emerges from behind her desk. She takes you to a table that she neatly cleans for you.

A waiter dressed in a white jacket brings the drinks menu. At the back of the room, all kinds of pastries are in a display case.
The coffee is excellent, but the cups are very small.

The limited number of tables at the side and by the window are reserved for drinking coffee only. The tables in the middle are set ready for lunch or dinner.

Damask Napkins

And then the manoeuvres at the table begin with damask napkins, which the waiter solemnly places on the table from a tray with tongs. He then puts a spoon on the napkin, the size of a soup spoon. It seems that the intention is to eat the pastry, Danish pasty or croissant with a soup spoon. Another waiter arrives with the coffee.

Polite Staff

The staff is extremely polite and it seems as if they do not speak Czech as everyone who enters is addressed in English. When you ask where the toilets are, the waiter leads you out of the room and via the hotel reception to a corridor. He almost goes with you to the door of the toilets.

Completely Renovated

During the last renovation that lasted eleven years, old drawings and photos were used to bring the café back to the original Art Nouveau style.
With mother-of-pearl inlaid wall coverings, brass chandeliers and lamps with opal glass, stained glass windows, decorative balustrades and built-in furniture, the café looks (almost) as it did in the past.

Pop Music

Where the bar is now, there used to be a piano, on which the pianist played classical bar music or hits from the First Republic all evening long. No reproduced pop like now. Instead of the pseudo-Thonet chairs that did not fit into the Art Nouveau interior, there were chairs with velvet upholstery.

This is how it used to be

In 1951, during the communist era, the hotel was nationalized but continued to operate under the name Grand Hotel Evropa. In the eighties and nineties, it was an inviting place where you could chat with friends for a few hours and have a few glasses of wine.

It was the meeting place for artists and writers and was associated with personalities such as Franz Kafka, Jan Kotěra, Sir Nicholas Winton or, more recently, Jan Kaplický.

There was a friendly atmosphere, where you could dream about the past and the future in peace, where you could discuss the present and where you could still feel a hint of the decadence of the First Republic.

There was no ‘five-star competition’ and it was a place where the waiters still spoke Czech.

A Brief History of a Legendary Hotel

After a decade-long renovation, the iconic Art Nouveau Hotel Evropa on Prague’s Wenceslas Square, now renamed “W Prague”, reopened in 2024 as part of the Marriott group.

The hotel’s history dates back to 1872, when it was originally built in the Neo-Renaissance style. In the early 20th century, it was remodeled in the Art Nouveau style under the direction of restaurateur Karel Šroubek, and was famous for its refined cuisine and first-class service.

The cafe on the ground floor of Hotel Šroubek became a meeting place for Prague’s high society. In 1912, Franz Kafka gave his only public lecture here. Just before World War II, Nicholas Winton stayed at the hotel while organizing the transport of Jewish children to safety in England.

In 1951, the hotel was nationalized by the communist regime and renamed Grand Hotel Evropa. It retained some of its former prestige, but gradually fell into disrepair. After the fall of communism in 1989, it came back into private ownership and changed hands several times over the years.

Adres: Grand Cafe Evropa, Wenceslasplein 25, Nove Mesto, Praag

Related
Sir Nicolas Winton
Hotel Evropa

Traditional Coffee Houses
Cafe Imperial
Cafe Louvre
Kavarna Slavia
Cafe Savoy
Grand Cafe Orient
Kavarna Obecni Dum
Kavarna Fantova

Photos: Marianne Crone