Vegan and vegetarian restaurant where homeless women cook and serve
A very special vegan / vegetarian restaurant in Prague is Jídelna kuchařek bez domova (canteen: cooks without a home). It is a charity project that supports homeless women who work in the restaurants as cooks or waitresses and all have experienced homelessness or are still homeless. It’s also the perfect place to try out your (poor) Czech, as the women love to chat. The lunch menu consists of soup and a fixed-priced main course, vegetarian and vegan, using seasonal vegetables.
PERMANENTLY CLOSED
What’s on the menu?
Healthy vegetarian and vegan meals: garlic soup, potato gnocchi, vegetables, but also pizzas, quiches and strudel are on the menu. To keep costs down, the restaurant uses so-called ugly vegetables, misshapen (but otherwise fine) that aren’t sold in supermarkets because of their appearance. Everything used in the restaurant is second-hand, from the plates and cutlery to the furniture, everything perfectly ‘upcycled.’
How it started
In 2013, Jako Doma, an organization that focuses on the homeless, set up the ‘kuchařek bez domova’ project. A project where homeless women showed their cooking talents at pop-up food stalls during festivals and markets in various locations in Prague and the Czech Republic. This was so successful that the women now run their ‘own’ restaurant and can still be found at markets and festivals. The aim is for the women to show their culinary talent, but also to narrow the gap between people who do have a house, a job, etc. and the homeless.
Location and address
The restaurant is not in the centre but in the Smichov district. The pop-up food stalls are at events and festivals.
Address: Jídelna kuchařek bez domova, Brožíkova 5, in Smichov district
Open: 11.30 am – 6.00 pm Closed on Friday, Saturday and Sunday
Photo Facebook bez domov