Even though someone may still be taken aback by the grey, concrete exterior, once you step into the passageway it all takes on a bit brighter tone and you are welcomed by a lovely ‘cukrárna’ (a kind of cake shop) and coffee house named Chaplin café.
Chaplin café was, together with other shops, restaurants and services, opened after the reconstruction of the place had been carried out. The restaurant Kamera (Camera) was converted from a former discotheque. Both establishments echo the close proximity of the film studios which is also reflected in the interiors of both establishments.
While the restaurants exude the ambiance of a film set (period furniture, clock in the shape of a camera by the entrance to the restaurant, pictures documenting shooting of old Czech movies, wild colours, abundance of decoration and “Hollywood” stars of fame with names of Czech favourite characters such as Krteček and Rumcajs), ‘cukrárna’s’ (cake shop) appeal stems from its simple design and its modern combination of a cream white and chocolate colour scheme; it holds a strikingly sepia film look. The look is vividly enhanced by stylish modern plastic chairs in yellow with metal legs. The whole impression is rounded off with a dark red column and a wall that matches with the red and white exterior of the building. The only reservation concerns the ceiling which is covered by panels. Classic plastering would certainly be more appropriate to the general ambience of the space. However, it is possible that such a solution wasn’t permitted by building regulations.
The famous tramp Charlie Chaplin keeps an eye on the whole space. His image is not only in every corner of the room, sanded in glass, but also is on menus and in a shop-window that leads to an adjacent garden which is also a part of the establishment.
The cakes were not named after film characters but still, they taste good even though some of them are much too sweet.
The building renovation of the whole complex involved, amongst other jobs, repairing the roof, insulating of the façade and converting of storage rooms into spaces for shops. Thanks to all this and together with the lively richness of colour, this dull building became a place which is now certainly worth a visit.