A truly civilised start to the day

It had been a long journey, to be sure. Almost 24 hours by train from Lviv (or El Bob, as it became known), and that was after another day and night trek there from Odessa. My deodorant was working hard for its reputation and mine. I’d had to bribe the carriage attendant just to sleep in a couchette that was already paid for, and we’d discovered a whole new meaning to the term ‘stopping train’ after we were shunted into a siding in Krakow mid journey for SEVEN HOURS. So when Gordon, the intrepid cyclist I’d shared the compartment with offered to buy breakfast if I could recommend a good place in Prague – well: it had to be Café Savoy.

Situated just before Legii Most (the bridge) on the Ujezd side, even a first glance makes it clear that you’ve found civilisation. Beautiful classical facades, and a warm glow from inside, which, upon closer inspection, with humble nose pressed to their glass, reveals that the beautiful classicism extends throughout. Voila!

I’m expecting Gordon to be shuffling uneasily by this point. This is no cheap gaff. But no, he’s clearly as keen to shake the dust off his boots from the Wild East as I am. So we step inside, and despite our unshowered countenance and more-than-usually-hursuite visage the clean, pressed uniforms of the staff bustle us to a table. So let’s cut to the chase. Breakfast at the Savoy. Why? Because it looks like this.

Yes. Precisely. Because there are mornings when that’s absolutely what you want. And it’s horrifically expensive, right? Well, no, not really. That’s the beauty of it. It really is affordable. Sure, if you’re strapped for cash, there are cheaper alternatives – Trafika II just around the corner for instance. But for an affordable 2 hour extravaganza, Savoy is the place. I reckon this lot (and more) came to about £6 a head. We really were there about 2 hours, and we still couldn’t finish it all. No café is perfect for everything, because individual character is what makes each one worth going to, but Savoy is everything you could want from this type of establishment. The staff are courteous, efficient and seemingly unflappable. The décor is opulent, but not overly grandiose or gauche (though it has to be said, the ceiling is breathtaking). The food is… well, you can see for yourself.

And there’s just the right amount of hauter – a step back from arrogance into the domain of comfortable self-worth. On an early visit here I spoke with the maitre d’ on my way out. “I’ve visited many cafes here in Prague” I said “and Savoy makes the best Cappuccino in the city.” “We know.” He replied. So, only snobs and tourists here, then? Pas du tout, mes amis. Whenever I’ve stopped by, the majority of the patrons seem to be local business people, one or two middle class families… the emphasis seems to be on quality without fuss. Definitely somewhere for a business brunch or afternoon strategy meeting.

And business does tend to be brisk. Café Savoy: the benchmark for both cappuccino and breakfast. Well, there you are. Enough said. If a man who had cycled betwixt the pill-boxes of Albania, the pot-holes of Moldova and endured 48hours of trains to emerge into the civilised sunshine of Prague asked you where he should go for breakfast – where else would you take him?

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