Cukrárna Myšák | Tereza Froňková

Myšák has made pastries for actors, singers and even presidents. After all, the pastry shop located near Wenceslaus Square was among the best Prague had to offer in the first half of the twentieth century. The restaurant group Ambiente has rediscovered the genius loci of this special place and reopened the famous pastry shop in September 2017. The owners have wagered on the very best in menu offerings and on Czech creatives and brands.

The architect Tereza Froňková honoured the original atmosphere of the pastry shop in her design of the new interior. “The ground level was reconstructed in collaboration with conservationists and the upper level had to be completely rebuilt in places, as unfortunately it had been destroyed during a collapse,” explained Tereza Froňková. “The initial idea to create a simple functionalist café was eventually abandoned in favour of working with the original interior and focusing on decor,” added the architect.

Decor in the new Myšák is centred around lighting and a striking wall hanging on the upper level. “The chandeliers featuring stylised glass fruit, mushrooms and animals were created in collaboration with the designers Michal Froňka and Jan Němeček from Studio OlgojChorchoj and the glass manufacturer Preciosa,” elaborated Froňková. The wall hanging – the decorative focal point of the upper level of the café – was inspired by Asian art. “We used a technique of printing on velvet which presents as gold print against a blue-green backdrop. At first glance the decorative elements appear to be those of a Persian rug, but on closer inspection amusing details emerge on the theme of tourism in Asia,” explained Michal Bačák, the illustrator and creator of the stunning wall piece.

Another interesting story unfolds with the hand-cut glassware used for ice cream sundaes and whipped cream treats, for which the original Myšák was renowned. The Lada collection featured at the new Myšák comes from old archives of the family-owned glass manufacturer Rückl, more specifically from their 1930s catalogue. The early twentieth century atmosphere is completed with TON’s manually bent café chairs no.14, which at some tables are complemented with the Alba chair, this year’s prize-winning design by Alexander Gufler. The colour scheme of the seating, staff uniforms and the overall visual style recalls the basic ingredients for making desserts: chocolate, vanilla and whipped cream. How sweet!