Café
Café Louvre
A first-floor grand café on Národní třída open since 1902, with Viennese-style coffee, Czech classics, homemade cakes and a historic billiard hall.
Eska Karlín
A bakery, café and shop in Karlín known for fire-baked sourdough bread, sweet pastries and breakfasts served until late afternoon, with the Štangl restaurant upstairs.
At a glance
- Type
- Bakery and brunch café
- Area
- Karlín, Prague, Czech Republic
- Price
- $$ · Mid-range
- Opening
- Open daily
- Official site
- eska.karlin.ambi.cz
Good to know
- Bakery shop
- Breakfast until late afternoon
- No reservations
Why we recommend it
Eska opened in Karlín in 2015 and quickly became one of the reasons people travel out to this former industrial district east of the centre. It is run by the Ambiente group and was renovated in 2023. The concept combines old techniques, such as baking with fire and fermentation, with modern cooking, and today the ground floor is a bakery, café and shop, while the first floor houses Štangl, the group's tasting-menu restaurant named after chef Martin Štangl.
Downstairs, the bakery is the main draw. Bread is taken seriously here, from the house loaves to sourdough and poppy seed rolls, and there is a special bread sold on Fridays until it runs out. Sweet pastries and pies fill the counter, and you can buy bread and pastries to take away or eat in. Breakfast is served until late afternoon, which makes Eska an easy brunch spot at any time of day: think sourdough toast with scrambled eggs, smoked salmon and dill, alongside seasonal dishes made with local ingredients at lunchtime. Coffee is served all day to go with the pastries.
Eska does not take reservations for the bakery, so at weekend mornings you may have to wait for a table. Arriving soon after opening, at 08:00 on weekdays and 09:00 at weekends, gives you the best choice of pastries and the calmest room. The café closes at 18:00 every day. It suits couples, families, solo travellers and anyone who loves good bread, and it makes a good base for exploring Karlín.
Karlín itself is worth the trip. Rebuilt after the 2002 floods, it is now one of Prague's most liveable neighbourhoods, with wide streets, restored apartment blocks, offices in converted factories and plenty of cafés and restaurants. Karlínské náměstí, with the Church of Sts Cyril and Methodius, is a short walk away, and the Vítkov hill with the National Monument rises to the south.
Eska is on Pernerova Street, a few minutes' walk from Křižíkova metro station on line B. Several tram lines also stop nearby. From the Old Town, the metro ride takes only a few minutes, or you can walk from náměstí Republiky in around 25 minutes.
Eska Karlín FAQs
What are Eska's opening hours?
Monday to Friday 08:00 to 18:00, and Saturday and Sunday 09:00 to 18:00.
Does Eska take reservations?
No. The bakery and café do not take reservations.
Does Eska serve breakfast?
Yes. Breakfast is served until late afternoon.
What should I try at Eska?
The house breads and sourdough, sweet pastries and pies, and a brunch dish such as sourdough toast with scrambled eggs.
What is Štangl?
The tasting-menu restaurant on the first floor of the Eska building, named after chef Martin Štangl.
Can I buy bread to take home?
Yes. Eska is also a bakery shop, and a special bread is sold on Fridays until it runs out.
How do I get to Eska Karlín?
Take metro line B to Křižíkova and walk a few minutes to Pernerova Street.
When is Eska least busy?
Soon after opening on weekdays. Weekend mornings are the busiest.