Unfortunately Prague and coffee don’t go hand in hand like Prague and beer. Czech Republic is a country where, until not too long ago, the standard coffee served was in Turkish style; if you ever fancy trying it while you’re visiting, even just to register the odd looks they’ll give you, just ask for turecká káva (pronounced turezka kava).

However if you, like me, are a coffee addict, after a couple of days of being served watery, dusty espresso you’ll be desperate for a good one or for a frothy cappuccino; and then, like for me, Dum Kavy will become your hero. In over four years in Prague this is the only place I’ve been that can deliver a good espresso and that makes a cappuccino that can rival the best ones served in Italy.  This doesn’t come by chance: the bar regularly participates at national barman competitions placing itself among the very first. The locals that come in keeping it moderately busy seem to guard aliens such as me with suspect as if you just cracked a jealously guarded secret. But Dum Kavy doubles its points by also serving some delicious pastries (locally known as kolac) that taste far better than the ones you can have at the bakeries around town; and to top it all, in real Italian fashion, you can consume undisturbed your coffee by the bar.

Twenty years ago there was a long running commercial in Italy interpreted by Nino Manfredi; its tag line was “coffee is a pleasure, if it’s not good what kind of pleasure is that?!”. Dum Kavy is a little coffee temple where coffee is treated with religious respect and not like something to be assembled on a line: I’m pretty sure it would have pleased Nino Manfredi too.

Dum Kavy, Jirečkova 9, 170 00 Praha 7. To reach it take tram 26 from Namesti Republiky and get off at Letenske namesti, then walk towards Letna park and turn the first right.