Jaffa Restaurant

Jaffa sticks to the real deal. Forget the pork-heavy Czech standards. They import the essentials like sesame tahini and tart sumac. All meat is Halal and sourced from local specialists. Check the jaffa restaurant menu for the full list. Their hummus is smooth and heavy on the tahini. Try the Hummus mšawaše topped with spiced meat. If you want vegetables, go for the smoky Babaganush. The Manssaf and Musakhan aren't just dishes. They're pieces of history. And they taste incredible.

The Černá Růže (Black Rose) passage is a standout piece of architecture. It started in the 1840s but changed forever in the late 1920s. Architect Oldřich Tyl handled the redesign. He was a Functionalist master. He swapped the old decor for concrete and clean lines. It’s a protected monument today. You’re eating under a massive, geometric glass roof. The courtyard garden feels lush against the stark 1930s design. It’s where Middle Eastern hospitality meets Czech history. A strange, perfect mix.

Jaffa is more than a kitchen. It’s a community anchor. Owner Husein Qasum moved here in the 90s after the Velvet Revolution. He noticed Prague lacked high-quality Halal spots. So he opened one. Operating a Halal kitchen in the Czech Republic has its hurdles. There is no state-run certification here. Qasum relies on personal trust with his suppliers. This network keeps the standards high. Now it’s a gathering place for students and expats. It’s a slice of the Levant in a secular city.

You’re sitting in the center of the Golden Cross. This is the city's main shopping district. The entrance on Na Příkopě follows a medieval moat. Today, the street is packed with luxury stores and old palaces. Jaffa is a great base for a day of exploring. You can walk to the Lucerna Passage or the Alfa Palace. Wenceslas Square is just steps away. That’s where the 1989 revolution went down. Grab some middle-eastern food prague style, then dive back into the streets.