Best bakeries in Prague: how to choose one and what to order

At seven in the morning the queue in a Prague bakery is the most honest ranking in the city. Nobody is there for the atmosphere. They are there for a bag of rolls, a loaf still warm and perhaps a pastry for the tram.

This guide names no bakeries, because we cannot verify a ranking and shops change owners and recipes. It teaches you to read a counter, order in Czech without embarrassment and judge a bakery by what is on the shelf.

Bakery or confectioner?

A pekárna is a bakery, and a cukrárna is a confectioner's. The bakery sells bread, rolls and savoury or sweet baked goods. The cukrárna sells cakes, cream pastries and ice cream, and often coffee. Many shops do some of each, and a kavárna (café) may sell both. If you want a loaf, look for the first. If you want a cake and a seat, the second.

What to point at

Rohlík is the classic Czech roll, a crescent shape that appears at almost every breakfast table. Houska is a round roll scored on top. Chléb is bread, and caraway-flavoured rye is common; kváskový means sourdough. Veka is a longer white loaf. Pletýnka is a plaited roll, often seeded.

For sweet baking, koláč is a round yeast pastry topped with curd cheese (tvaroh), poppy seed (mák) or plum jam (povidla). Buchty are filled yeast buns. Větrník is a choux pastry with cream filling and a glaze, and kremrole is a cream horn. Laskonka is a cream-filled meringue-like biscuit. Vánočka is a braided sweet bread that appears around Christmas. Our guides to Czech sweets and pastries and Czech Christmas food explain more.

Ordering

Say Dobrý den and point. Ask for a quantity with jeden (one), dva (two), tři (three). For bread, ask whether it is whole or sliced: celý is whole and nakrájený is sliced, and many bakeries will slice a loaf for you. Prosím means please, and děkuji means thank you; see our guide to saying hello and thank you in Czech.

Pay at the till, usually by card or cash. Many small shops accept cards, but some take cash only, so carry some coins. The mobile payments guide explains what is accepted where.

How to tell a good bakery

You cannot judge a loaf from the window, but you can read signs. A short list of products made well beats a long list. A rack of bread with a firm crust and an uneven shape suggests hand work. A crowd before nine is a fair sign. A bakery that sells out by lunchtime is, if anything, doing it right.

Ask what is made on the premises. Staff in a good shop will tell you plainly. If sourdough matters to you, ask how long the dough is fermented, and notice whether they know. Check labels for allergens; in the EU, packaged food lists fourteen major allergens, and our guide to food allergies in Prague restaurants can help you ask.

Reading the counter like a regular

Regulars do three things. They go at the same time every day, so the staff know their order. They buy small amounts, often for one day only. And they ask what has just come out of the oven, which the staff are happy to say. Do the same and you will eat better than most visitors.

Carry warm bread in the paper bag it comes in rather than sealing it in plastic, which softens the crust.

For a picnic, buy a loaf, a koláč for afterwards and something to spread. Prague's parks are made for it; our guide to Prague's parks suggests where.

When to go

Bakeries open early, often from six or seven, and many close in the afternoon or sell out. Weekends differ from weekdays. Because opening hours are shop-specific and change, check each shop's own page or door. As a rule, arrive in the morning for bread and pastry, and expect fewer choices later.

On the day before a public holiday, queues lengthen, since people stock up. Our guide to Czech public holidays shows when shops close.

What locals know

Buy bread for the day and eat it that day; fresh bread is at its best within a day. Freeze a sliced loaf for the week. A rohlík with butter is the baseline breakfast, and for lunch a chlebíček (open sandwich) is a fixture; see Czech open sandwiches.

Supermarkets bake too, and their in-store bakeries can be good. For something more local, a morning visit to a market adds producers' bread to the choice; our guide to Prague's farmers' markets shows how.

Gluten, vegan and other needs

Wheat is everywhere. If you avoid gluten, ask the staff; do not assume. Our gluten-free guide lists the terms. Vegan options exist, but many pastries use butter, eggs and cream. Read the labels, and ask: Je to bez vajec? (Is it egg-free?)

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between pekárna and cukrárna?

A pekárna is a bakery selling bread and rolls. A cukrárna is a confectioner's selling cakes and cream pastries.

What is a koláč?

A round yeast pastry with a sweet topping such as curd cheese, poppy seed or plum jam.

Can I pay by card in a bakery?

Often, but not always. Carry some cash for small shops.

When should I go?

Early. The best bread and pastries sell out, and some shops close in the afternoon.

Tomorrow, set the alarm, walk to the nearest bakery and ask for two rohlíky and a koláč. You will understand Czech breakfast by eight.