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The bar next to the Church of St James has lost some, but not all, of the seediness that characterized its previous incarnation, where the motto was “the customer is always wrong”. Backpackers still chat to each other up over absinthe, however, and men in the street will offer you hashish on your way in. It may sound unappealing, but it’s a true Prague experience.

With its threadbare furniture and oil lamps on every table, this café is made for rainy nights. In chilly weather, try their excellent mulled wine.

Places like this smoky student hang-out, where they serve Turkish coffee in glasses, are increasingly hard to find. With cheap food and drink, it’s a great place to meet young locals.

You won’t find a better cup of coffee in the city. A stone’s throw from Old Town Square in the Ungelt courtyard, Ebel is a great spot to address your postcards and plot your mid-afternoon movements.

If you like your drinks tall and fruity, your bartenders chatty and your disco music loud, this is the cocktail bar for you. Escape is popular with a bold and beautiful crowd, all of whom seem to know each other. Bring a local celebrity magazine with you and the likelihood is you’ll be able to identify some of them.

Students at the Institut Français and other Francophones gather here for coffee, quiche and a read of the French newspapers. The garden is a peaceful spot on sunny days.

The name fits. Prague’s best gay cocktail bar has a steady following among expat and local men who are less interested in cruising than in just having a drink with like-minded folks. The owner Michael will tell you what’s what.

Working-class Žižkov might not be the first place you’d look for daiquiris, martinis and gin fizzes, but sink into a sofa and enjoy. Warning: the room is tiny and fills up fast.

This refined pub takes its name from Bohumil Hrabal’s novel Too Loud a Solitude (see Bohumil Hrabal). Neither loud nor solitary, guests come for the excellent beer and food.