Meals

A canteen is a place you are certain to visit quite early after commencing your studies. Students in our Faculty can use all Charles University canteens, but you can also open another account for other universities’ canteens (for example, the Horská facility in a street of the same name, managed by the CTU). A list of all CU canteens is available at https://kam.cuni.cz/KAMEN-70.html.


The Albertov and Budeč canteens are the closest to our Faculty. Their opening hours are from 10:45 am to 2:30 pm (Mondays to Thursdays) and from 10:45 am to 2:00 pm (Fridays). The other canteens have different opening hours – check kam.cuni.cz/KAM-89.html (Czech only) for an overview of their opening hours. A special account is used to pay for canteen meals (as well as at dorm reception desks and other places), with the student card functioning as a payment card. During your first visit to a canteen, you open your account by depositing cash in it. You will be assigned a number and a password for a meal order system and can buy a meal straight away. The meal usually consists of a main course and tea. For an extra charge, you can buy soup, salad, ice cream, a sandwich, lemonade, or sweet pastry. The prices of meals vary, but the usual range (for students) is CZK 60 to CZK 90.


You can usually choose from five meals that you can order in advance after logging in online (kamweb.ruk.cuni.cz/webkredit/) or by using canteen terminals. If you do not order a meal in advance, rest easy – you can choose on the spot. If you order a meal but do not take it, the amount is forfeited. You can, however, offer it to someone else in advance in a “meal exchange” as part of the meal order website. You can also ask for a different side with your meal, or have your meal boxed for takeaway. You can buy several meals at a lower, subsidised price in one day.


A diet canteen for CU students operates in the Prague Municipal Policlinic building at Spálená 12, Praha 1 (prahamp.cz/index.php?nid=7262&lid=cs&oid=1262528; Czech only).


Aside from canteens, you can have lunch in the Mrtvá ryba (Dead Fish) student club in the Botanical Garden, or in the various restaurants in the Faculty’s vicinity. There are also several fast food outlets available in the Faculty buildings: the Golda bistro in the Chemistry Section building (Hlavova 8, basement) offers usual snacks at student-friendly prices. There is also a snack bar at Albertov 6, currently known as the Živina bistro, and a First Medical School snack bar at U Nemocnice 4 in the backyard.


Your final option is to bring meals from home. A word of warning, though – most tea kitchens are intended exclusively for the employees of Departments and Institutes! Public microwave ovens and fast-boiling kettles reserved for students are located as follows:

  • Albertov – 2nd floor, next to the lift

  • Benátská (a boiling kettle only) – tea kitchen close to B12, 1st mezzanine

  • Hlavova – the Chladič student club, ground floor

  • Viničná 7 – Biology Library, 1st floor + public kitchenettes, room nos. 237, 250, 318 and 336


Information about canteens: kam.cuni.cz/KAM-4.html