Čajovna Assamica

Assamica is the newest of the four teahouses in Olomouc. Its entrance is a little hard to see as you approach but it is there at Kateřinska 15, between St Catherine's church and the outdoor market, next door to U Morousů and almost opposite the entrance to the Olomoucká Krčma.

Just inside the entrance is a staircase leading down through the wafting scent of fruit tobacco to the first of the teahouse's three rooms. Beside and beneath the stairs is a seating area with sofas arranged around two or three small tables. The second and largest room is furnished with cane armchairs around glass-topped tables and the third is filled with a large podium divided into five seating areas with low tables, floor mats as thick as mattresses and large cushions so plump you could almost play ball games with them.

One of the teahouse owners is from Morocco, the other from Egypt; all three rooms are decorated with suggestions of the Middle East and North Africa. Hanging from the exposed brick ceilings are perforated metal light fittings with coloured glass panels, much of the furniture features the oriental dome shape from the teahouse's logo, and the richly ornamented upholstery, patterned carpets and cushions worthy of a sultan's harem suggest that when you leave you might need to face the billowing sands of the Sahara rather than the cold grey cobblestones of central Europe.

The hommus, baba ganouche and couscous snacks are outstanding and there's a full range of shisha pipes and flavoured tobacco. Despite the north African theme, all the usual teas from all the major tea-producing regions of the world are available. So far we've tried the Vietnamese green tea, the Yogi spice and the Rooibos caramel, which can be sweetened with honey and milk on request. Most of the teas suitable for repeated brewing offer the choice between a teapot or gaiwan cup.

One of the best things about Teahouse Assamica is that it's open seven days a week until midnight, which is at least an hour longer than most other places and just the right amount of time to enjoy a leisurely brew in the evening after dinner. With those opening hours, the comfort, friendly staff, location and quality of the tea and snacks it's bound to become the favourite teahouse for a lot of people in Olomouc.

Čajovna Assamica
Kateřinska 15
604 441729

Cafe Sant' Angelo

Stretching back behind the blackboard menus and sunny cushion-lined front window of its wooden storefront, Cafe Sant' Angelo is Olomouc's smartest new cafe.

Open from 7am weekdays and 8.30 on weekends, Sant Angelo has a good breakfast menu (with English translations) including scrambled eggs, ham and eggs or omelettes for 55-65Kč, or a full cooked fry-up of sausages, beans, bacon, eggs and toast for 85Kč. There are also pancakes, waffles, oatmeal and homemade muesli from 45-65Kč.

At any time of day though, the coffee is good, comes in all the usual permutations and is accompanied by a square of chocolate and a small glass of water. A good range of quiche, fresh and toasted sandwiches and panini are on offer and the highlights of the cake cabinet are the chocolate crumble slice and the banana cake with caramel.

Look for the dark wooden storefront with stripey cushions inside the window on busy Denisová Ul, the street with the tramlines that connects the two halves of the Olomouc's old town. Immediately inside the entrance are the counter, menu boards and display cases, and behind that is the main seating area of the cafe with enough leather-lined booths and seats for about 25 people.

The entire space is non-smoking and the colour scheme is warm and welcoming. Another big thumbs up is the music selection (something that lets down several otherwise excellent cafes in Olomouc).

Cafe Sant' Angelo
Denisova 11,
Olomouc

Himalaya

Himalaya is a Nepalese restaurant that shares space in the old water barracks with the Irish bar 'The Crack'. If you've been in Olomouc a few days and are looking for a change from the excellent but heavy traditional local food, Himalaya is the place.

At lunchtime, everything except the entrance foyer is a smoke-free zone, and that's good for non-smoking travellers on a budget, because lunchtime is the best time to go.

Every week day between 11am and 2pm the Nepali chefs serve up a buffet of meat and vegetarian curries, dhal, naan, and home made chutnies to transport your tastebuds to another continent. All you can eat for 100Kč!

The buffet table is in the first main dining room and the usual procedure is to help yourself to a metal tray and cutlery, load up as much as you like and find a seat. It's possible to return to the buffet for more helpings, so there's no need to overload your plate on the first visit. Unfortunately some people confuse all you can eat with all you can waste, so please don't embarrass yourself by joining that club.

There's also an especially good range of drinks, including the renowned Lobkowicz beer from North Moravia, bottled Guinness, Svatovaclavský wheat beer from the microbrewery across town, and an outstanding non-alcoholic Jamaican Ginger beer that's likely to dampen the brows of all but the fieriest spice lovers.

Nepal Himalaya
Mlýnská 4
Tel: 585 208 428

Dobra Čajovna

Not all nightlife revolves around alcohol and the Dobra Čajovna/Good Teahouse is proof of that.

The entire teahouse displays an oriental influence. The carpets are all in the Turkish or Persian style, the furniture is of wicker, bamboo or solid unvarnished wood, there are a couple of large raised platforms with cushions and the lighting is dimmed by the Moroccan shades. The music is kept in the background, and most of it is also from countries to the east.

A favourite brew is the “Tea, Tea, Teas”, which is apparently an approximation of the everyday Chai served from pushcarts on the streets of Indian cities. Tea-drinkers with more refined palates might prefer one of the green teas or a dark tea. Also on the menu are several vegetarian snacks; the baba ganouche and hommous are 68Kc each and the pita breads range from 30Kc for the cinnamon to 48Kc for the Arabian pita with white cheese and olives.

The Dobra Čajovna is open from 1pm to 10pm Monday through Thursday, 1pm ‘til 11pm on Friday, 2pm until 11pm on Saturday and 2pm until 10pm on Sunday.

Dobrá Čajovna
Havelkova 7
Tel: 777 561 317

Moritz Microbrewery

Moritz was Olomouc's original non-smoking microbrewery, and remains a highlight of the pub scene in the city.

The bare wooden floorboards, coloured glass windows, ceramic coasters and checkered tablecloths give Moritz the feel of a classic old school beer-hall.

At one end of the L-shaped space, plate glass windows offer a peek into the brewing room where Moritz's three beers slowly ferment in their open-topped vats. There are no organised tours of the microbrewery but if you're there during the daytime and the brewmaster overhears you speaking English and showing a genuine interest, you might be lucky.

Moritz attracts patrons of all ages, which is a refreshing change from some of Olomouc's student venues where a thirty-year-old can be the oldest person in the pub by about eight years.

The main beers are the 10° Moritz, the 11° Maisel half-dark and the stronger Moritz 12°. Start with the 10° and work your way up. The CAMRA 'Good Beer Guide to the Czech Republic' rates them all either 4.5 or 5 stars.

The menu is of similar quality. Dishes range from the 42Kč spicy sausage snack up to 210Kč for the monster pork knee or 230Kč for the 200g prime beef steak in mushroom sauce. Try the pork with plum sauce for a real taste of the local region.

In summer there's a large outdoor seating area (smoking permitted) and Moritz is the favourite pub of many an Olomouc local. The only negatives are connected with its popularity; it's sometimes hard to get a seat and the wait staff can be brief when they're under pressure.

One of the best pubs and the best beer for miles around might just be worth the wait though.

Moritz microbrewery
Nešverova 2
Tel: 585205560

Piccolo

Oh Piccolo. Great service, awesome coffee, delicious sweet things with soft serve ice cream, and right in front of the best ‘leaving town’ tram stop so that you can conveniently grab a hot raspberries and ice cream before you say goodbye. What more could a person ask for in a cafe? To be open everyday would be about the only thing.

Even if Piccolo isn’t open 7 days a week, it does more than its fair share of business during the hours it is open. This really is a stellar example of doing what you do well. Service is quick, everything is fresh and well made and everybody knows it has the best coffee in town.

For that reason, it's the one place that you're most likely not to find an empty seat, and even to see people lining up and waiting for someone else to leave. It's worth the wait.

Espresso coffee with milk is 30Kc. Honeycake (medovnik) 35Kc. Gelato coffee (delicious iced coffee)40Kc. Freshly squeezed orange juice is 30Kc and the best hot raspberries and ice cream in town will set you back a mere 45Kc (for the small glass, which is what you should start with unless you've been in training).

Cafe Piccolo
8. května 24
Tel: 585535134

St Wenceslas Microbrewery

The old St Wenceslas Microbrewery (Svatovaclavsky Pivovar) was one of Olomouc's best places to try a good locally brewed unpasteurized pivo, until it suddenly stopped serving its own brew and removed many of the seats and tables to make space for electronic gambling machines.

Apparently the owners of the original microbrewery decided it wasn't worth continuing when their landlord radically raised the rent and started searching for a new location.

'St Wenceslas Microbrewery' (Svatováclavský pivovar) was never trademarked so now there are two very different businesses bearing the same name. The new brewery at Mariánská 4 run by the original founders is the one you want.

All the old beers are back. The 10º Vašek (25Kč) is the understudy to the stronger and more flavourful 12º St Wenceslas, 'Mr Brun's 13º dark beer', the wheat beer, cherry beer and flavoured beer (all 31-32Kč a pot) and 'Mr Jošt's half and half' (řezané) which goes for 28Kč.

St Wenceslas' new space has a real old-school beerhall ambience. The double copper boilers watch over the beerhall like a ship's bridge and for sunny days and cigarette smokers there's a big outdoor seating area on the poop deck.

Beneath the brewery is an old cold war nuclear fallout shelter which has been converted into a 'beer spa'. Spa-goers bathe in a large oak tub filled with dark beer and a special mix of herbs, and complimentary light beer is served. The two hour 990Kč spa package also includes a massage and a classic sauna.