A specialty cafe in Smichov, set inside a former carpentry workshop, where Czech-roaster coffee shares the floor with a gallery and a working artist's atelier.
Kavarna co hleda jmeno, which translates as "the cafe that is looking for its name," sits at Stroupeznickeho 10 in Prague 5, the Smichov district on the left bank south of the centre. Prague City Tourism describes the project as the work of urban revivalists Lukas Zdarsky and Jakub Zajic, who took an old carpentry workshop and turned it into a cafe that filled almost from the day it opened. The name itself is the joke and the brand, printed on the cups and the door, and it has become one of the better-known specialty addresses on this side of the river.
The coffee is the reason to come. European Coffee Trip, which covers the specialty scene across the continent, lists the cafe among Prague's notable spots and points to its premium-quality coffee from Czech roasters. The counter pours espresso and filter, and the kitchen backs it with homemade sweets, soups, and light plates rather than a full menu. Prices land in the mid range for Prague, above a corner pub but fair for the quality in the cup, and the focus stays on the drink rather than a sprawling food list. Regulars tend to settle in with a single well-made cup rather than treating the counter as a quick stop, and the baristas are happy to talk through what is on the brew bar that day.
Space is the second draw. The old workshop layout leaves room for a gallery and an artist's atelier alongside the seating, so the cafe doubles as a small cultural address. Kudy z nudy, the Czech tourism portal, frames it as a Smichov phenomenon and an escape from routine, which captures how regulars treat the place: somewhere to read, work, or look at whatever is hanging that month rather than simply grab a takeaway cup. The rotating art keeps the room from feeling fixed, and the high ceilings left over from the workshop give it more air than most cafes of its size.
The crowd is a mix of Smichov locals, students, and visitors who have made the short tram trip from the centre. Mornings draw the laptop and reading crowd, while afternoons fill with people lingering over cake. Because the room is popular and not large, a weekend midday arrival can mean a short wait for a table, which is the trade-off for a cafe that has stayed busy since opening. Service runs at an unhurried pace that suits staying rather than rushing, so the cafe rewards a visit with time to spare.
Kavarna co hleda jmeno suits a coffee drinker who wants a serious cup away from the tourist crush of Old Town, a traveller curious about the art-and-coffee crossover the founders built, or anyone spending time in Smichov near the Andel transport hub a few minutes' walk away. It is not the place for a late cocktail or a loud night out, since it keeps cafe hours and a cafe mood, and the appeal is the calm and the coffee rather than a buzzing bar scene.
For visitors, the location pairs well with a walk along the Vltava embankment or a stop at the Smichov riverside before heading back toward the centre. The cafe keeps standard daytime hours, opening in the morning and closing in the early evening, which makes it a better fit for a mid-morning coffee or an afternoon break than a late stop. Anyone exploring Smichov can fold it into a route that takes in the riverside and the nearby galleries without straying far from the tram line.
Sources: Prague City Tourism, European Coffee Trip, Kudy z nudy
Nearby in Prague: Cafe Louvre, Cafe Imperial, and Kavarna Liberal. See the full Prague bars and cafes guide.