Aux Merveilleux de Fred — Restaurant in Prague

How do you go to France without going to France? You step into Aux Mervellieux in Prague.

As I write this I think of all the croissants I have eaten in about a month since I discovered this place and wonder if some of my chromosomes might have started to mutate in a pretty croissant shape.

Croissants at Aux Mervellieux are really flaky and get made in front of you, in small batches, multiple times per day so, if you’re lucky to walk-in when they have just been baked, you’ll be rewarded with their soft, warm, and delicately crunchy outside layer. The pastry oozes butter through it’s every, almost transparent, layer.

But croissants aren’t the only thing that is good in Aux Mervellieux, the rest of their offering includes the classic pain au chocolat and something that looks like an Italian panettone.

But their signature product is a meringue and cream based dessert that gets topped with different things such as white chocolate, dark chocolate, nuts and more.

The shop staff is also very friendly and hospitable: if you’re looking for an ego-boost walk-in to be greeted with a bonjour monsieur or bonjour madame; it might just make your day.

Wanting to avoid any trans fats, on my first visit, I casually inquired on what type of fats they used in their croissants, which they assured me to be pure French butter in a quantity just shy of the very limit that the flour is able to absorb. In further conversations I understood that all their ingredients come straight from France.

In fact if you ask any competent French pastry chef if they use real butter in their pastries they’ll lift their eyebrows as to imply: what else would you want to put in a croissant? Fact is that just on the other side of the Alps, in sunny Italy, very few pasticcerie, as rare as pandas, use real butter for Italian pastries; the standard excuse is that the climate might just be too warm for butter, which tends to degrade quickly with heat. But knowing my fellow Italians I see it as just an excuse to save a few bucks and deprive people of an authentic French croissants experience. And maybe therein lies the issue: that Italians don’t want to admit that anything French might be better than something Italian. But I digress...

They say that expertise in any endeavor is achieved with 10.000 hours of practice, by the same token you might consider me an expert croissant eater and I can guarantee you that, in Czech Republic or, for that matter, in Central Europe, there is no better croissant than the one you can eat at Aux Mervellieux. In fact it might as well be the best croissant this side of...

What??? Is it possible not everyone knows what a Cramic is? My wife, kids, and I were completely in the dark about it, which just goes to show how travel can open your eyes (and taste buds) to new wonders. Lucky for us, we stumbled upon Aux Merveilleux de Fred on Revoluční Street in Prague, and they quickly satisfied our curiosity—not once, but twice!

The service here was as impeccable as the food, with the staff going above and beyond to introduce us to the Cramic—a unique and indulgent bread, soft with a wonderfully rich flavor. Every bite was a perfect way to start our morning, especially when enjoyed alongside an expertly made espresso.

Our first visit was such a success that we came back for more, and the experience only got better. Aux Merveilleux de Fred is a true gem in Prague, offering not just exceptional food but a warm and inviting atmosphere that makes every moment memorable. If you’re in the city, do yourself a favour and stop by—it's an adventure in flavour you won’t...

My absolute go to place for French pastry and a good cup of coffee. A wide selection of sandwiches, cakes and puff pastry. You can take away or stay in the very fancy seating area. While not specialized, this place also offers hot and cold coffee options.

I absolutely recommend the cramic pastry filled with Nutella. The croissants are one of the best I've ever tasted.

The staff is super friendly, quick to prepare your food and truly caring about the service. I wanted to give special commendation to Clement, who made sure I was comfortable and happy with my food! I will definitely be coming back

Edit: After my 8th visit, I finally took a picture of the nutella cramic instead of instantly devouring it...