Until what time are café zahrádky open in Prague?

A Prague terrace that stays open after 22:00 has to be named in the city’s market regulation, Nařízení č. 21/2021 Sb. In Prague 1 the district judges each terrace by whether it sits in a residential zone and whether the operator keeps the night quiet. In 2020 Prague 1 proposed cutting the terraces open past 22:00 from 278 to 211, with none after midnight.

What is the difference between a zahrádka and a předzahrádka in Prague?

A zahrádka, literally “little garden”, is any outdoor seating at a café or restaurant. A předzahrádka, “front garden”, is the terrace on the sidewalk in front of it. On public land in Prague the space is leased from the city through TSK, the road administration, and in 2024 a square meter in the center cost 60 Kč a day.

Which Prague parks have cafés with outdoor seating?

Pavilon Grébovka in Havlíčkovy sady opens daily 10:00–22:00, and Kafárna Na kus řeči in sady Bratří Čapků stays open until 01:00. Petřínská kavárna and Café V Parku are on Petřín, Hanavský pavilon is in Letenské sady, Café Citadela is inside Vyšehrad, and KKAFE has tables on Střelecký ostrov, an island in the Vltava.

Zahrádky in Prague: Café Terraces, Park Cafés and Hours

A zahrádka (literally “little garden”) is a café’s outdoor seating; the version on the sidewalk is a předzahrádka (“front garden”). On public land the city leases the space: new terraces are approved by contract with TSK, the city’s road administration, after the district agrees, and operators pay both the city and the district.¹ In 2017 district fees ran from 10 to 60 Kč per square meter a day, depending on how attractive the spot was.¹

In central Prague a square meter of terrace cost 60 Kč a day in 2024, under a 2022 city concept that sets where space may be leased and where a free passage must stay open.² Vinohrady has the most cafés with outdoor tables, ahead of Malá Strana & Hradčany and Nové Město. Several of them sit in park pavilions rather than on a sidewalk.

Local tip: Plan outdoor drinks for before 22:00: a Prague terrace may stay open later only if the city’s market regulation names it.³

Where these cafés are: Vinohrady (28), Malá Strana & Hradčany (24), Nové Město (21), Staré Město & Josefov (16), Holešovice & Letná (14), Žižkov (11), Smíchov (8), Dejvice & Bubeneč (8), Nusle & Vyšehrad (7), Karlín (6), Libeň & Vysočany (6), Břevnov & Střešovice (4), Vršovice (4), Strašnice & Záběhlice (3).

At a glance

160Cafés listed

128With opening hours

00:00Earliest opening

01:00Latest closing

Opens earliest: Kafárna Na kus řeči, from 00:00 (Daily 00:00–01:00, 13:00–00:00).

Closes latest: Kavárna V sedmém nebi, until 01:00 (Mon–Fri 10:00–01:00 · Sat–Sun 14:00–01:00).

Most common features: indoor seating (43%), wi-fi (31%), open late (28%).

The 22:00 line

A terrace that stays open after 22:00 counts as a market place and has to be named in the city’s market regulation, Nařízení č. 21/2021 Sb., which only the Prague city council can amend. In Prague 1 the request goes through the district’s transport department.³

Prague 1 decides case by case. In 2020 its commission weighed whether a terrace sits in a residential zone and whether the operator can keep the night quiet.⁴ That summer the district proposed cutting the terraces allowed past 22:00 from 278 to 211, with none open after midnight.⁵

The 2020 proposal held Karlova, Mostecká, Újezd, Na Kampě and U Lužického semináře to 22:00, while Václavské náměstí, most of Staroměstské náměstí, the space in front of Malostranská beseda and Maltézské náměstí could run to midnight.⁵ Malostranská beseda serves daily until 22:00, and Mondieu on Maltézské náměstí until 21:00 on Fridays and Saturdays.

Heritage rules in the center

Most of central Prague lies in a heritage reservation that covers all of Prague 1, most of Prague 2 and parts of districts 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 10. Terraces inside it may not stand on a platform or floor, may not be fenced in or roofed, and may not use plastic furniture, ČT24 reported in 2017.¹

Enforcement reaches the busiest square. In 2024 an operator on Staroměstské náměstí was found using about 420 m² of terrace on a lease for 244 m², two years after the city had ended the contract, and the city prepared to have the unpermitted tables removed.²

Park pavilions and island tables

Havlíčkovy sady, the 11-hectare park also called Grébovka, was laid out in 1871–1888 around industrialist Moritz Gröbe’s villa and keeps about 1.7 hectares of vineyard; its Pavilon now serves as a café.⁶ Pavilon Grébovka opens daily 10:00–22:00. Kafárna Na kus řeči in sady Bratří Čapků, also in Vinohrady, stays open until 01:00.

Across the river, Petřínská kavárna in the Petřín gardens opens daily 10:00–20:00, and Café V Parku on the Smíchov side of the hill Tuesday to Sunday 10:00–18:00. Hanavský pavilon sits in Letenské sady, Café Citadela inside Vyšehrad closes at 17:00, and KKAFE has tables on Střelecký ostrov, an island in the Vltava.

On Kampa, Bohemian Bistro on Na Kampě opens Wednesday to Sunday 09:00–18:00, and Nad Čertovkou on Nosticova serves daily until 22:00.

Zahrádky: café terraces in Prague

At a glance

55 Bakery

Alfredo Caffe

Antonínovo pekařství

Artisan Cafe

Bakery Cafe

bbred.

Bellčafe

Bistro Monk

Bistro Santinka

Bitcoin Bar

BOHO cafe & store

Botanica Coffee Truck

Cacao

Café Citadela

Café Club Míšeňská

Café Comenius

Café Element

Café Emauzy

Café Kafíčko

Café MARTIN

Café Neustadt

Café Platýz

Café Šesták

Café Sladkovský

Cafe SODA

Cafe Tone

Café u Kajetána

Café V Parku

Cafefin

Caffè Bar Positivo

CAMP Café

Čas

coffee corner bakery

CP1 Café

Cukrárna Na nádvoří

Decada

The 22:00 line

Heritage rules in the center

Park pavilions and island tables

Sources

Other ways to browse Prague

Specialty coffee

Cukrárny & bakeries

Wi-Fi

Breakfast & brunch

Open late

Outdoor seating in Prague: questions

Until what time are café zahrádky open in Prague?

What is the difference between a zahrádka and a předzahrádka in Prague?

Which Prague parks have cafés with outdoor seating?

Your café deserves better than a pin someone else dropped