Tags: cafe | Czech | European

Most of us basically dismiss Cafe Slavia as a relic of the past, prostituting its former glory for tourist dollars.

I never go the place, and the few times that I went, I always left feeling I could have spent my money wiser. After hearing consistently positive reports from recent dinners there, I decided to give it another shot.

On a beautiful Saturday, I walked into the three quarters full cafe and was immediately greeted and seated by a passing, obviously very busy, server. She was bounding all over the restaurant, hustling, smiling, and taking care of her customers. Very professional.

With ceiling to floor windows throughout the restaurant, Cafe Slavia makes the most of its location on the corner of Narodni and the Vltava. Perfect views of Charles Bridge and the castle.

Being skint and still a bit wobbly from the previous night's follies, I knew it was going to be a light meal. Aside from the fresh water fish pudding with onion and lemon, not much on the menu surprised me. Lots of sandwiches and appetising toasts, nothing more than 100 czk.

I opted for brunch ordering the scrambled eggs with onion and chives plus an open faced ham and cheese sandwich with coffee.

The eggs were freshly scrambled, and honestly, the most enjoyable I have had in a restaurant in recent memory. Just plain fresh and good. The ham and cheese sandwich was what you would expect, a perfect compliment to my eggs though. During the meal my server glided by a few times to check on me and was prompt when I asked for the bill.

On the bill I noticed the management had changed the name of the place slightly, perhaps to accentuate the recent improvements they had been working on. Anyway, I gratefully pulled out 60 czk from my wallet, told her to keep the change, and congratulated myself on my utility.

Recommended for a light meal, as the menu offers limited fare, relying heavily on fish dishes (Yikes!!) or for a pleasurable, supercheap breakfast on a sunny day.