Can't speak to their regular food though can recommend for their desserts!…read more
Stopped by on a weekday evening in October quite late around 10:30pm and the cafe was pretty empty, only a few other tables with customers seated. Really I'd meant to just walk by to admire the architecture and the historic gates nearby, though the vibrant hues of their petit gateau cakes grabbed my attention. I snapped some pics and walked past then halfway down the next block did a double back to enter the premises and ask the staff for a seat, which they swiftly obliged.
Inside the cafe seats about 40, in various configurations of tables. Art Deco details flow from floor to ceiling. Being located within the Český kubismus / Dům U Černé Matky Boží (the House at the Black Madonna which also serves as a museum for Czech Cubism) building, the entire structure inside and out is a feast for the eyes of design and architecture buffs. Speaking of the interior only, icosahedron (20-sided three-dimensional shapes) brass and glass pendant and chandelier lights provide a glow to the room, while the floor tile, wall trim, tables, mirrors and windows all tie together with various geometric shapes and colors. The curvature of the cafe chair backs offset the plethora of strong angles.
Getting back to the food, their petit gateaus oozed exquisiteness. They carry a variety of cakes made to look like mini versions of fruit or other items (mango, apple, coconut, rose, hazelnut, "virus") as well as those with more traditional appearances (chocolate hazelnut, blueberry mousse, pavlova, caramel tartlet). Agog to try everything, I settled on the raspberry mousse, with chocolate raspberry filling and a shell of dark chocolate and crushed cacao beans. Mmmmm...the texture of the mousse and filling were so creamy and smooth, the chocolate was bittersweet in a good way, the red swirl portion on top was like a soft, spongy and lightly sweet raspberry meringue. I sat a while and really savored this!
Staff was overall good, quick to serve the cake, didn't judge me for only ordering a single dessert, or rush me to finish even when the cafe was clearing out towards the end.
Prices were reasonable compared to NYC, though probably on the pricier side compared to some other cities. The raspberry mousse I got was 199 CZK (~$8.65 USD at the time).
I would surely return to try some more of these desserts!
For more info:
cernamadona.com
Dessert menu:
https://menu.cernamadona.com/api/public/menu/open/?filename=EHxNuWB-SWaerHT-SOLVMkk.pdf&name=Dezerty1.pdf