Lajka žije

Coffee from DAK and a bowl of matcha are the two things to order at Lajka žije, a daytime espresso bar in central Ostrava that calls itself your favourite spot for coffee and breakfast. It sits by the river near the Sýkora bridge, and it sells vintage clothing alongside the drinks.

Matcha next to the espresso

Matcha is one of the clearest signals here, running beside the coffee rather than replacing it. The house pairs specialty coffee and matcha in the same breath, and the matcha side is the one that gets the most play, including a strawberry iced matcha that has become a recognisable house drink.

On the coffee side, the roaster is DAK: the bar brews its specialty coffee, and it brews it precisely. So the core order is simple. DAK coffee for the espresso-bar half, matcha for the other half, and the strawberry iced matcha when the weather calls for something cold.

An Ostrava room with a vintage rail

Location matters to how the bar reads. Being in the centre by the river gives it a specific local identity rather than a generic shopping-street one, and the tone is informal: animals and cyclists are welcome, which tells you most of what you need to know about the crowd.

The vintage element is not decoration. The bar keeps a rail of vintage pieces, clothes to wear and objects to put on a shelf, and browsing it is part of a visit. That mix of coffee, matcha, wine and secondhand clothing is what gives the room its own character among Czech specialty bars. The name is a joke worth knowing: Lajka is the dog sent into orbit, and the sign insists she is still alive.

Breakfast, and what to order with it

Food is narrower than the drinks list but clear enough. Breakfast is the anchor, made with seasonal ingredients and served at weekends, with a weekday breakfast service too, so the kitchen changes with what is available rather than working from a fixed card. Wine is on the list too, which stretches the day past coffee hours without turning the bar into a restaurant.

A sensible first order is straightforward: DAK coffee for the specialty thread, matcha for the drink the bar puts forward most often, and whatever breakfast is running that week. Lajka žije was recognised in the European Coffee Trip Awards for 2025.