Just off the bustling Mostecká street that merges into Prague’s Lesser Town, a jewel of a Café has emerged. Don’t stop reading yet! This place is – despite what the location might have you think – an oasis of quiet- and calmness. We visited Rainbow’s End Café and were rewarded with an excellent afternoon far away from – yet close to – what must be the busiest street in Prague.

Photo: V. Gautschi

Charles Bridge counts thousands of visitors every day. Chances of an expat wanting to go anywhere near it are – unless you are showing around family or friends – zero. This café – opened in March 2018 – however, is a good reason to throw yourself into Prague’s tourist zone. Over a puppet shop towers a colorful, yet small sign. “Rainbow’s End” it reads, pointing into an alley near Charles Bridge. As fairy lights guide you through the tunnel, you quite literally follow the rainbow to its end.

What lies behind the tunnel is a beautiful and quiet courtyard, lovingly decorated with benches, chairs and cute tables. The unicorn nestled on the fountain centerpiece welcomes you to a whole new world. The air is filled with the sweet scent of fresh hops – coming from the house next to you, where beer is being brewed. Beautiful folding doors made from wood and glass catch your eye. And Rainbow’s End has more to offer, than just a nice outside seating area.

Photo: V. Gautschi

Indoor Beach – Relax & Meditate

The room that immediately took our attention was Rainbow’s End’s Indoor Beach. This is exactly what it sounds like: Sand everywhere you step, a cozy interior and warm lighting. It’s almost as if you were lying somewhere in the Bahamas!

Whether it is to chill, paint or meditate; the indoor beach fits many purposes. You can, for example, join meditation events and center yourself after a long day at work. Surrounded by pieces that the artistic mastermind of Rainbow’s End – and other guests of the cozy café – create, the indoor beach is bound to relax every muscle in your body.

Photo: V. Gautschi

Art Gallery

It is not only meditation and relaxation, the Café offers. Several times a month you can join interactive ‘Pop-Up Paint Nite’ with Alexa. Whether you are a pro that wants to learn more or a total beginner, everybody is welcome to join Rainbow’s End’s Art Classes. During the evening long spectacle, you draw, mingle, learn and meet others and get to produce a stunning piece of art to take home or maybe – if a Picasso slumbers in you – to hang on their walls.

Next to the Art Classes, the Café inhabits an “Art Grotto”, which is the creative space of the talented Katerina. Marvelous paintings behind the glass patiently wait to be finished by the artist and invite guests to peak through the windows.

Besides art pieces by Katerina, the magical place in Malá Strana also showcases rare Glass art by Bořek Šípek – a personal friend of Václav Havel. The pieces are stunning to look at – and for sale, if you are looking for an original gift.

Photo: V. Gautschi

Live Music

If you thought that was the end of the Café’s offer, you got another thing coming. Especially in summer, the courtyard invites guests to sit, enjoy the weather and some live music and jams in the evening times. What could be better than relaxing in between banana trees, butterflies and chill beats in the summer heat? Truly, a place somewhere over the rainbow.

Food & Drinks

Because at some point, your tummy might start to rumble after all the art classes, meditations and live music, Rainbow’s End offers various food – and of course drinks.

If you want to go for the American approach, try one of their toasted bagels with side salad, wonderfully presented and yummy! For everyone whose heart beats for anything Mexican, their quesadillas are the right choice.

Of course, let’s not forget about the sweet tooth. Delicious carrot, rich walnut caramel and a fudgy chocolate cake will have your taste buds jumping with joy. And if you are about to head over to the indoor beach – aka short holiday – don’t forget to take a Rainbow’s End Smoothie with you; refreshing and a hundred percent bound to bring you to the beach.

Photo: V. Gautschi

Even though smoothies, coffee & co. are delicious, some of us just need a cool, draft beer after a hard day. Of course, Rainbow’s End has the perfect thing for you, too! Fresh beer from the tap will do you well in the summer heat. The hoppy fluid that is draft at the Café supports people with special needs – so you are drinking for a good cause!

Photo: V. Gautschi

What the Future might bring

Even though Rainbow’s End offers a wide variety of things to do, try and taste – the team is motivated to expand their plate. So they are hoping to be able to create a vegetable garden in order for you to pick your salad or contents of your quesadilla yourself! A hundred percent fresh – and definitely packaging free. Speaking of quesadillas: Rainbow’s End’s menu should expand in the future and hopefully will soon also incorporate tortillas, burritos and anything yummy, soon.

Last but not least: Kombucha. This was Sophie’s former idea, before the Cafè came into her life. Or really, how the café came to be. At first, there was an idea to start making Kombucha. In order to do so, she was on the lookout for a place to brew and stew. That was, when the co-owner of Rainbow’s End was looking for someone, who was up for the challenge of using the premises in Mostecká in a creative and useful way.

Of course, Sophie immediately was on board and together, they built up this beautiful place we now get to enjoy. The Kombucha project is far from dead though. “We are hoping to make our own Kombucha in the future”, says Sophie with a smile. And that is what we hope, too – so we can enjoy beautifully fermented Kombucha on ice in the magical garden of Malá Strana.

Photo: V. Gautschi

The creative concept of the lovely people behind Rainbow’s End combines a café, art gallery, studio and an unique meditation area with an indoor beach in the best kind of way. Enjoying delicious cake & good coffee in between banana plants and live music, is an afternoon – or evening – well spent. 

Collaborating with the café ‘A Maze in Tchaivona’ – which is about to move places – they decided to raise some money for its new location and therefore will be doing a Penguin Plunch from the Vltava river bank on February 28th, 2019. All about the event, how to donate and who’s going to face the icy cold Vltava water right here.

Photo: V. Gautschi

Lounging in a Historical Courtyard

The courtyard, where Rainbow’s End Café is nestled, also holds historical significance. Royal lounging, indeed! Ordered by the powerful bishop Prince Jindřich Břetislav, a court was built as a bishop’s seat. Successors and bishops extended and rebuilt the courtyard in the coming decades.

The fall of the court came in 1419, when it was plundered and burnt down. The Prague burgeoisie took it under its wing and constructed houses to enjoy the quietness the place holds, while being close to the king. Today, we look at what used to be “The Bishop’s House”, and get to lounge where once archbishops, his court and the wealthy people of Prague used to live.

Rainbow’s End is a paradise on Earth and if you have not visited it already, you should definitely plan to do so on your next Saturday afternoon. If you want to stay up to date with all of their events, news and more, make sure you follow their Facebook Page.

Have you already visited Rainbow’s End? Tell us about your experience in the comments!

Photo: V. Gautschi

Honest Tips For Your Prague Stay

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Vanessa has been living in Prague for the better part of a decade. Always on the lookout for another hike, district, nook, or cranny – she’s made it her mission to explore the hidden corners of the Republic. Among Vanessa’s favorite Bohemian based activities are nature walks, venturing off the beaten path, and writing about it all from one of the city's many thriving Cafés. And the best spot to stop and take it all in? Alf & Bet, a coffee house and bakery, tucked just around the corner from Castle Libeň. You might just see the author there sipping a coffee herself.

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