Finally, an indie coffeeshop

Friends Coffee House had friends before it even opened March 31. The new café and sandwich shop built a fan base on the social networking site Facebook, giving a shout-out for photo portrait submissions to feature on the coffeeshop's walls and posting updates of the construction's progress. The labor of love by owners Mirek Šebesta and Tomáš Knapek is as apparent as their marketing savvy. They envisioned an American-style coffeeshop in Prague with a community of patrons and a calendar of cultural events.

Their approach is hands-on: Both take turns manning the bar and checking on customers, with genuine smiles and an earnest manner. The rest of the staff, likewise, are cheery and helpful, albeit with a few minor hiccups in service - the wrong sandwich was brought on one recent occasion, though apologies were made and a replacement offered. That can easily be attributed to the café's newness on the scene.  

The renovated space on Palackého in New Town is easy to miss from the street, save for the bright-yellow sign and balloons outside. Immediately inside are the bar, where all orders are taken, and glass-fronted cabinets displaying the wines on offer as well as various American novelties for sale, such as Dr. Pepper, A&W Root Beer, Pop-Tarts, Kraft Macaroni & Cheese and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

A prettily conceptualized winter garden featuring wrought-iron chairs, hanging plants and a Greco Roman-style fountain opens into two further rooms, where modern couches are arranged sociably around low tables and a candle-stuffed fireplace. The "Faces" collection of customer portraits adorns the wine-red walls, and a children's play area in the back promises parents a welcome breather in which to peruse the daily periodicals available.

FCH, as the owners call the café for short, has a house blend of coffee that is roasted onsite. A monthly special coffee is also house-roasted; on a recent visit, the featured fair-trade joe was Bleu Pine Forest from Haiti. Coffees come in all the usual varieties, with specialties like caramel-vanilla lattes and frappes, and are available to go.

Food options represent a choice selection. For breakfast, there are toasted sandwiches, bagels and cream cheese, fruit salads and muesli, and various pastries and muffins. Most seem reasonably priced, although muffins are 39 Kč, which seems a bit steep, and the fruit salad in particular is quite small. There are also light bites, like chips and salsa (a meager portion for the price), a cheese plate and smoked salmon with bread.

Normally, it's amazingly difficult to find decent sandwiches in Prague, especially on the go. FCH fills this void nicely. The preparation takes a few minutes, but it's worth it: fresh baguettes toasted lightly, quality basic ingredients, generous stuffing, creamy and peppery mayonnaise, all with a side of nacho chips. The BLT, in particular, shines in its simplicity; finally, real bacon. The ham and cheese pairs thick, meaty ham slices with slightly melted gouda, tart arugula and mayo. Other possibilities include cheese and vegetable, smoked salmon (which replaces the gouda with fresh basil, red onions and cream cheese) and chicken breast, all served on your choice of a bagel, white baguette or "cereal" baguette (the latter of which, on a recent visit, was out of stock).

As the perfect complement to a steaming mug of coffee, cakes and pastries are plentiful. The carrot cake is dense and moist and infused with cinnamon and nutmeg, with real cream cheese icing. Cheese cake - a popular option from the looks of it - had the right tartness about it, and came served with a dollop of warm strawberry compote.

The food options, like the coffee, can be prepared for takeaway at no extra charge. But eating in has its perks: With any bagel or sandwich order, the house-made ice tea or lemonade is only 17 Kč. And, after 6 p.m., a glass of wine is free with any sandwich, offering a good transition from the caffeine to the cultural evenings FCH has planned. Events so far have included a talk by photographer Benjamin Arthur and a concert by singer Markéta Lišková. The female a cappella group Prague Intunition will perform June 6. All events are free, but reserving a seat in advance is recommended. FCH has also hosted a co-working Jelly event, and rents out a meeting room.

Šebesta and Knapek have created the sort of feel-good café where you can lounge around for hours chatting over cappuccinos, or order a sandwich at lunch while working on your laptop - all in a pretty, smoke-free environment created by friends, for friends. And, best of all, it isn't part of a global chain.

Fiona Gaze can be reached at
fgaze@praguepost.com