Thursday, February 20, 2014

IF Cafe

It's a tiny cafe opened not long ago

What I like about it is not only coffee and pastry but the atmosphere - it is a small quiet place without even background music. Very cozy and comfortable.



Old sewing machines turned into tables (not a new idea, but a very cute one), a long sofa under the wall with a bookshelf with several dozens of books you immediately want to delve into, table lamps made of samovars and big coffee cups and teapots wall lamps and decorations that seem to be adopted from the latest trends we see on Pinterest.



I know that the photos are awful, I do :)




One more thing that really excites me:


A nice place to hide from everybody and have some quiet time or when I need to wait but have no intention to go somewhere noisy.
Not suitable for young kids and toddlers - no kids' corner. But perhaps it's better this way.

IF cafe was opened by Iveta Fabešová, (self pro-?) claimed to be one of the most prominent Czech confectioneresses (yes, there is such a word, I've checked it:). 


the picture is taken here with demonstrative purpose only. I do not own any rights.

As written in the article, Iveta had always been fascinated with cooking and baking and experimenting in the kitchen, but she chose a safe profession of an office manager.  But her hobby gradually became her main occupation: being in Paris with her friends Iveta would rather buy kitchenware than fancy clothes, her dinner parties prepared and served for her numerous friends were a real blast, and it didn't take her long to become Prague premier hotels' pastry caterer.
In her interview the cofectioneress is speaking about the Czechs:
"Czech Republic is probably the only country of the European Union where a piece of cake would cost you less than  a cup of coffee(...) High-quality pastry requires good products and is time-consuming. The Czechs always prefer to buy only cheap things and then they complain that "the taste is not as it used to be in old good times" I have only one answer to this: good pastry simply cannot cost 17 crowns.
But yet the same people would easily pay 60 crowns for a tiramisu made from a prepack in a pizzeria.
Iveta Fabešová aims to teach the Czechs enjoy high-quality pastry, that is why she uses only the finest ingredients.
Iveta Fabesova's Facebook page (I really like the pics of all the wonderful things there!), youtube channel and website. And one more article about her.
My personal recommendation - her macaroons are definitely worth tasting!





Tuesday, February 11, 2014

What I love about Prague

This is my first post in this blog, and what can be better than to write about things I like in this city.
Not that there aren't ones I don't like. But the ones that excite me, make me wonder and sometimes put me into a prolonged WOW state really and truly outnumber many things negative.

1. Theaters
2. Bookstores
3. Visual art
4. City-space involvement into everyday life
5. Farmers' Markets
6. Flea markets
6. Architecture and especially decorations
7.Parks
8. The simplicity of living
9. Art Deco and Art Nouveau
10. The zoo
11. Ice-cream cafes and "cukrarnas" in general
12. Dingy old districts
13. Cafes
14. The river, the riverside, especially in winter
15. Safety
16. Museums