Hidden away in the unappealing backstreet of Bartolomĕjská ulice, where the much-hated Statní bezpečnost (StB) secret police once held their court and the police still have their offices (hence the off-putting name), is this pleasant little café/bar that while at first looks like a traditional Czech pivnice, on closer examination reveals a strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde complex.

During the day it is known as Café Konvikt, as it is a quiet and airy place well away from the tourist traps of the old town, where you can sit back and enjoy a cup of coffee and a good book or tuck into one of their delicious meals at fairly reasonable prices by Prague standards, from 80-150Kč for a main course that could range from traditional Czech fare of Klobasy, Gulaš, etc., to the slightly more exotic kangaroo (some sort of reference to the Stalinist kangaroo courts that were once convened nearby perhaps?), all washed down with a sample from the bars extensive range of beers.

At night the place transforms itself into the ultra-hip Konvikt Pub, where the young and trendy theatre crowd from the nearby Národní divaldo (National Theatre) hang about between performances to imbibe from the bar’s foreign and domestic draft beers on tap for around 21Kč a glass. The place can get a little crowded and very smoky at night, and the bench seating adds to the communal feel, as you soon find yourself literally rubbing shoulders with your fellow patrons, but they are a friendly bunch eager to meet and greet visitors, and there is always the small private dinning area out back if you want to enjoy your kangaroo and knedliký in peace.

Whenever you visit, you will receive a warm welcome, excellent service, and a pleasant interlude from the tourist travails that await you on the outside once your sentence here is complete.