Great service, even better location.
Čajna Hiša is similar to Cafe Tozd, in that it’s another location that has two personalties depending upon the season.In the winter, the inside is warm and the huge variety of tea makes it a perfect spot to get out of the cold. In the summer, the outside tables with their huge umbrellas are the perfect place to cool down and rest with an iced tea or salad. In either case, Čajna Hiša is perhaps my favourite choice for a healthy lunch in the city.
This Chinese tea shop has around eight tables on the cobbled streets of the old town and ample space indoors for when they’re full or the weather is cold. The menu has an entire page of tea and just a few simple choices for salads and sandwiches but everything I’ve tried is excellent.
For breakfast, the omelettes are great value but fried eggs with cheese and ham feels like a much more authentic choice most days. It’s all served with warm bread and makes the perfect start. Then at lunchtime, you can come back for the daily home made soup that costs just a few Euros. You can get a full bowl or opt for a smaller portion which you can pair with a filling sandwich and an earl grey tea for less that €10. My more regular choice however is the giant chicken Caesar salad which again is served with bread and makes a more substantial lunch that you’d ever imagine.
Mostly though, sitting outside in the shade with a cold fruit tea is a perfect way to spend half an hour. The entire city seems to walk past this natural pinch-point in the old town but the tables are neatly tucked away so it feels both bustling and relaxing. And the service is fantastic too. Don’t miss it.