Berlin’s getting warmer each day and the park season is in full bloom. Urban parks are more than just stretches of green amidst buildings and traffic. Entering a good park can change your whole sense of place, leaving you feeling like you just went away without leaving the city. We’ve compiled a list of 10 of our favorite parks, which run the gamut in size and features. Sprawled across the city, these urban oases all have something unique to offer, whether you’re in the mood for a picnic, a bike ride, a party or simply an afternoon stroll. Click on to start planning your next urban escape.

Alt-Stralau

Alt-Stralau is a peninsula on the river Spree between the districts of Rummelsburg and Treptow. If you go all the way to the end of it it’s like standing on the tip of the tounge. You have some great views over to some smaller islands (such as the so called Island of Love) as well as to the old abandoned amusement park called Spreepark. The green tongue is perfect for a picknick or a stroll along the water front. There is also a little boat rental where you can rent paddel boats – maybe for a little cruise over to the Island of Love?

Uferweg, 10245 Berlin-Friedrichshain

Körnerpark

The Körnerpark in Neukölln might not be one of the most famous ones, but it certainly is one of the most picturesque ones. When you walk around the slightly urban neighborhood you would never expect the Victorian style garden with a waterfall, fountain, rhododendron bushes and a little gallery with arches and staircases along with some little angel statues. It really is one of the most romantic looking spots in the city. The gallery also hosts a little cafe and there are also some music events taking place there every now and then.

Schierker Straße 8, Berlin-Neukölln

Tempelhofer Feld

Closed in 2008, this gigantic airport now hosts concerts and exhibitions. The surrounding area was rearranged into the Tempelhof Entertainment Venue. The remarkable fact is that despite €60 million of state budget allocated for Tempelhof, it is a perfect example of Berliners’ independence in choosing leisure activities. Cyclists, skaters, bikers, kitesurfers, skateboarders, frisbee fans, runners, football players, kite flyers and soap bubble blowers coexist in harmony on the landing field. You can even join the community of truck-farmers, who plant small vegetable gardens to grow fresh vegetables. They even scheduled Gardeners and Truck Farmers Festival at Tempelhof for 2017, and strive to turn the enormous roof of the airport building into a planting area.

Tempelhof, 12099 Berlin-Tempelhof

Erholungspark Marzahn (Gärten der Welt)

Use a chance to escape the noise of the city at the Gardens of the World (Gärten der Welt), a recreational park in the heart of Berlin district Marzahn consisting of nine exotic garden worlds designed and built by architects from the respective countries, including Japan, South Korea, China, Bali, Marocco and others. The park is the perfect location for relaxing on a warm and sunny day and pretend you are not in one of the world’s great cities. Get lost in the maze of the beautiful gardens, relax by the lakes, or enjoy a picking in the shade of a leafy tree and let yourself be transported to different cultures and time periods.

Eisenacher Straße 99, 12685 Berlin-Mahrzahn

Photo: Tamio Honma

Tiergarten

Tiergarten (a German word for ‘Animal Garden’) is a park stretched for 210 hectares in the very heart of Berlin. You can go boating down the Spree River which runs through the park. A 500-year-old Tiergarten looks like an enchanted forest – wild and a bit scruffy. There are wilds and sunlit meadows, flower beds and vines, stubs and moss. The park is adjoined by the famous Berlin Zoo.

Straße des 17. Juni 31, Berlin-Tiergarten

Photo: Vitor Cervi

Viktoriapark

The park is set on Kreuzberg Mount, which gave the district its name. The top of the mountain is crowned by the monument commemorating the victory over Napoleon with a magnificent view over Berlin. In summer you can relax by an artificial waterfall there.

Kreuzbergstr. 70, 10965 Berlin-Kreuzberg

Photo: Ben Garrett

Humboldthain / Rosengarten

Humboldthain is one of the biggest and most beautiful parks in the district of Wedding. There are a lot of opportunities for fun activities — there is a public pool, playgrounds for kids, climbing centre on the facade of on old bunker, wine gardens and more. There is a lot to do and to explore in this huge green oasis. The Rose Garden at Humboldthain Park is probably one of the most precious gardens of the city and due to its secluded location on the side of the park surroundend by thick forest and with only one gated entrance it’s pretty much a hidden gem that a lot of people in Berlin don’t even know about. Only accessible in the summer time the garden hosts a wide range of different roses arranged in beautiful Victorian garden structures with as many romantic scenarios you can dream of. There are also other types of flowers on a little hill facing the Flak Tower.

Brunnenstraße 108A, 13355 Berlin-Wedding

Wasserturm Prenzlauer Berg

Embedded between the Belforter and Knaackstraße this little stretch of green is one of the most picturesque places of the district Prenzlauer Berg. The water tower is located on a little hill that is surrounded by green gardens, a sports field and playground. On top of the hill there i a little park with some smaller towers and a view to the big water tower that is occupied by luxurious apartments now, and in the distance you can also see the TV tower. It’s such a beautiful little place, perfect for a picnic or just to take a little break from the surrounding streets.

Knaackstraße 23, 10405 Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg

Hasenheide

The Hasenheide is the biggest recreational park of the district Neukölln. All the hip young Berliners will stroll down the street of the same name from Hermannplatz and stretch out on the green grass for picnics and some beer. If you go deeper into the park you will also find a little lake and a cute zoo.

Hasenheide 19, 10967 Berlin-Neukölln

photo: Andreas Lehner

Görlitzer Park

Once an old railway station and home to anarchist art communes, this park has since transformed into a local hangout. With its graffiti embellished walls sitting on wide open stretches of greenery, this run-down urban escape is a Berliner’s dream. The cafés, swimming pool, gardens and children’s petting zoo attracts a mixed crowd to the park, and its location makes it the perfect place to unwind after a long day in the city.

Görlitzer Str., 10997 Berlin-Kreuzberg

Do have a favorite park that’s not on our list? Let us know in the comments below

photo: Haubentaucher

The season of skulking through the dark nightclubs and dirty bars of Berlin is over, guys! It’s time to go outside and enjoy the sun. Well, we might not have a very long and intense summer here in Berlin (sadly). But those golden days that we get, we like to use as much as we can. And where do we like to go? Every where we can have a drink without a roof over a head. Preferably something with a view, or inside the green, or at the water. Well, luckily we have plenty of places in Berlin that fulfill these criteria and we’ve selected 10 of our favorite ones including some old classics and some brand new hotspots. Enjoy our list of awesome outdoor locations!

Klunkerkranich

If you like to enjoy the sun in Berlin with a great view over the entire city than the Klunkerkranich is your kind of place. Located on the rooftop park deck of the Neukölln Arcaden the place is an alternative project combining gastronomy with urban farming and party life. You can have a coffee or snacks in the afternoon, a beer in the evening of even dance in the night, always being surrounded with the skyline of Berlin. There are also special events such as open air screenings and seasonal markets. To enter you have to take the elevator near the post office into the 5th floor and walk up the remaining park decks until your reach the top.

Neukölln Arcaden, Karl-Marx-Str. 66, 12043 Berlin-Neukölln

Open Fri 17-01:30, Sat-Sun 12-01:30h

photo: Klunkerkranich

Neue Heimat

The Neue Heimat is a beautiful venue that combines nightlife with street food and market culture. Several street food booths and specialty bars offer a lot to do in between their live music acts and DJs that play Thursday to Sunday night. On Sunday there is a big street food market happening and every once in a while they also host a design market bringing together local fashion, art and product design.

Revaler Str. 99 / Dirschauer Str., 10245 Berlin-Friedrichshain

Open Thu-Sat 18-04h, Sun 12-02h

photo: iHeartBerlin

Holzmarkt / Pampa

If you prefer the river over the view of the city we recommend you the Holzmarkt Pampa. Holzmarkt is a project for alternative lifestyle and pretty much a big contrast to the otherwise very commercial developments of the area around the spree commonly referred to as the Mediaspree. Here you find several different institutions such as a restaurant called Fame, a nightclub called Kater Blau, a gallery called Silber & Salz, a theater called Ding-Dong-Dom, an urban farming garden called Mörchenpark and so on. There is a big communal space called Pampa that has a couple of bars and food stalls that is great to hang out on and enjoy the sunset. They even have open air yoga sessions on a ship that’s parked in front of it every Tuesday and Thursday morning from 9-10 a.m. The same space was formerly the legendary Bar25 one of the most talked about open air nightclubs in the recent history of Berlin. The Holzmarkt is a project by some of the previous founders of the Bar25.

Holzmarktstr. 25, 10243 Berlin-Friedrichshain

Open Fri-Sun 14-22h

photo: iHeartBerlin

Haubentaucher

The Haubentaucher is a brand new space with a big outdoor pool on the RAW grounds in Friedrichshain at Revaler Straße. It’s in a good neighborhood being surrounded by so many other awesome places such as the Urban Spree gallery, the Astra concert house, the Neue Heimat, and several other bars and nightclubs. The obvious benefit of this place is the huge pool, but even if you are not a fan of swimming you can still enjoy the loungy atmosphere (or the party if there happens to be one) around the pool. Every Thursday morning at 8 a.m. they have an open air yoga session at the pool. Nice!

Revaler Str. 99 / Warschauer Str., 10245 Berlin-Friedrichshain

Open Mon-Thu 10-01h, Fri-Sun 10-03h

photo: Haubentaucher

Vabali

If you want a space that totally makes you forget that you are in Berlin or in any other big city for that matter the Balinese spa and sauna Vabali is definitely worth looking into. The space is really amazing looking and has a huge outdoor area with a beautiful pool and several different saunas. The gardens outside full of bamboo trees really create the illusion that you are somewhere far away on an island. They also have a nice Asian restaurant and offer several spa treatments. Be warned though, I know especially foreigners are not used to this, but the place is a no-textile spa, so no bikinis or swim trunks, in the saunas and pools it’s nudy time

Seydlitzstraße 6, 10557 Berlin-Moabit

Open daily 10-24h

photo: Vabali

Badeschiff

The Badeschiff, an old containership transformed into a pool that’s swimming at the shore of the Spree, is an old but good classic perfect to get a splash of water on a hot day. It might get a little busy on really warm and sunny days, but the more the merrier you could say. In the evenings they also have music playing and the occasional parties happening there.

Eichenstr. 4, 12435 Berlin-Treprow

Open daily from 8-24h

photo: Badeschiff

Wilder Hase

Wilder Hase is a pretty new beer garden that’s located right next to Berghain. The gardens around the old storage building (called the dark tower) are decorated a little bit like Hobbit land which makes this a pretty big contrast to the triste outdoor area of Berghain right next door. The special thing about this new beer garden is that it’s completely vegan. They offer a vegan Döner and a lot of vegan cakes and bakery goods. Their opening in May was mistaken for a Sunday after hour and overrun by party folks, but soon it become a place for tranquility as it set out to be.

Am Wriezener Bahnhof (to the right of Berghain), 10243 Berlin-Friedrichshain

photo: Wilder Hase

Cafe am Neuen See

If you are looking for a lovely outdoor location further in the old West of Berlin we recommend the Cafe am Neuen See. It’s a slightly traditional but lovely beer garden and restaurant right in the middle of the green oasis that is the Tiergarten. It’s located directly at a little lake where you can rent boats. Charming!

Lichtensteinallee 2, 10787 Berlin-Tiergarten

Open daily 9-23h

photo: Cafe am neuen See

Prinzessinnengarten

Embedded between all the old and new buildings surrounding Moritzplatz in Kreuzberg you will find one green oasis that is the urban farming space and beer garden Prinzessinnengarten. It’s a lovely and peaceful place bringing together people from different ages, cultural backgrounds and districts who grow their herbs and vegetables here. In the middle of a small green forrest there is the cafe and beer garden. Sometimes they host special events, concerts, markets and workshops about urban farming.

Moritzplatz, Prinzesinnenstrasse 15, 10999 Berlin-Kreuzberg

Open daily 10-20h (the cafe opens at 12h)

photo: iHeartBerlin

Hafenküche

The Hafenküche is lovely cafe and restaurant a bit outside of the center of Berlin at the Spree. You have a great view of the river over to Spreepark and Treptower Park and you can even rent little boats with picknick baskets to have a little tour on the water. They offer all meals including breakfast, lunch and dinner and their kitchen is a mix of popular international dishes and typical German style cooking with a lot of meat.

Zur Alten Flussbadeanstalt 5, 10317 Berlin-Lichtenberg

photo: Hafenküche

Do you know any other great outdoor locations, restaurants, cafes and bars that we should know about? Please use the comments below to add them to out list!

Every day should start with a good breakfast and luckily Berlin is a city so versatile in terms of breakfast that every tastebud should find some satisfaction here. For our latest big city guide feature we have compiled a list of 12 places in 5 districts of Berlin with a variety of breakfast and brunch options that will leave you craving for more. Enjoy your meal!

Mitte

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House of Small Wonders

The House of Small Wonders is a new favorite of us thanks to its unique interior and atmosphere. It’s a lunch and breakfast place that serves lovely things such as Croque Madame, French Toast, Granola with yogurt, soups and a variety of sandwiches. What’s interesting here is the combination of Japanese dishes for lunch and French dishes for brunch.

House of Small Wonders, Johannisstr. 20, 10117 Berlin-Mitte

Open Mon-Fri 9-17h, Sat-Sun 10-17h

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Distrikt Coffee

Distrikt Coffee is a pretty new place in the heart of Mitte for breakfast and lunch. Their small but smart menu includes banana bread, toast with avocado, scrambled eggs, granola and buttermilk pancakes. Yum!

Distrikt Coffee, Bergstraße 68, 10115 Berlin-Mitte

Open Mon-Fri 8:30-18h, Sat-Sun 9:30-18h

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The Future Breakfast

The Future Breakfast is a cute little food truck specialized in yummy breakfast. You find them in front of Acud in Mitte during the week and at various food markets such as Markthalle 9, Bite Club, and several other events. They are specialized in poached egg dishes and avocado.

The Future Breakfast Food Truck, Veteranenstr. 21, 10119 Berlin

Open Mon-Fri 9-16h. At various food markets and events, check their FB page for infos.

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Fleury

This French-style cafe is an absolute classic in town and you can’t get a better breakfast platter (for this price) than their mixed breakfast full of specialty products from France and the Alpes. I also recommend the Croque Monsieur and the Chevre Chaude salad. The Rhubarb tarte is also quite delicious.

Fleury, Weinbergsweg 20, 10119 Berlin-Mitte

Open Mon-Fri 8-22h, Sat & Sun 9:30-20h

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Kreuzberg

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Papi Crunch

If you are looking for more original and refined breakfast dishes than the usual than Papi Crunch is a good option. They are one of the few places who offer a Mexican breakfast. Note that this is a weekly special at the Restaurant Parker Bowles that only happens on Sundays.

Papi Crunch at Parker Bowles, Prinzenstr. 85D, 10969 Berlin-Kreuzberg

Open Sun 11-17h

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3 Schwestern

If you love international variety you are gonna find a lot of options at the 3 Schwestern restaurant and beer garden at Kunstquartiet Bethanien. It’s a lovely summer location and a really laid-back atmosphere. No fuzz here. Choose between French, Italian, Bavarian, Austrian, Mexican and English breakfast (and a few more).

3 Schwestern, Bethanien, Mariannenplatz 2, 10997 Berlin-Kreuzberg

Open Mon-Sat 11-23h, Sun 10-23h (breakfast Sat & Sun 11-16h)

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Neukölln

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Ungeheuer

This cafe and restaurant in the South of Neukölln is a really cozy place and the owners put a lot of love to the detail into their dishes which you can see in the heartbreakingly sweetly arranged breakfast platter. We also recommend their cakes because they are to-die-for. They also serve lunch and dinner here by the way.

Ungeheuer, Emser Str. 23, 12051 Berlin-Neukölln

Open Sun-Thu 10-24h, Fri & Sat 10-02h

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Melbourne Cantine

This is pretty much a classic in Neukölln. The Melbourne Cantine is the place for you if you like Eggs Benedict and Eggs Florentine. Also delicious are the corn fritters. They also have a dinner menu in the evening.

Melbourne Cantine, Pannierstraße 57, 12047 Berlin-Neukölln

Open Mon-Thu 10-23h, Fri-Sun 10-01h (breakfast daily 10-16h)

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Friedrichshain

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Silo

Silo is a new cafe in Friedrichshain that has made quite the splash in the neighborhood. They are really creative dishes with poached eggs, mushrooms and avocados on their menu that include a lot of vegan and gluten free options as well. Coffee lovers will be delighted to get the coffee from The Barn here.

Silo Cafe, Gabriel-Max-Str. 4, 10245 Berlin-Friedrichshain

Open Mon-Fri 8:30-19h, Sat 9:30-19h, Sun 10-19h

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Proviant

Proviant is a great option if your love your cheese and fancy sausages. The breakfast platter is full of delights from the Alpes, France and Italy and their bread is amazing as well. You can also buy all the ingredients in the shop and have your breakfast at home here as this is mainly a deli.

Proviant, Wühlischstr. 39a, 10245 Berlin-Friedrichshain

Open Mon-Fri 9-20h, Sat 10-18h, Sun 11-17h

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Prenzlauer Berg

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Betty ‘n Caty

This charming cafe in the heart of Prenzlauer Berg will seduce you with their yummy avocado sandwhiches and the delicious porridge variations. They also have an amazing strawberry-rhubard-crumble that you need to try!

Betty’n Caty, Knaackstr. 8, 10405 Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg

Open Mon-Fri 8-18h, Sat 9-18h, Sun 10-18h

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Spreegold

Spreegold is still one of my most recommended places, mainly because it has so many different options that it is hard to be disappointed here. Love the pancakes, all the different egg dishes, the porridge, the cakes and the different paleo dishes on the menu. They have 3 different cafes, but the one at Stargarder is by far my favorite.

Spreegold, Stargarder Straße 82, 10437 Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg

Open daily 8-24h

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Which places do you like for breakfast? We certainly only covered a small part of all of Berlin. Feel free to recommend additional places in the comments below.

A.D.Deertz, photo: Fergus Padel

Even though the fashion world is currently trying to rush this trend out of the door as fast as they can, you can’t deny that the reality is quite a different one: Beards are still going strong! With the rise of the bearded hipster and the “Lumbersexual” the beard has become the subject of trends in the past decade, and of course trends come and go. But to be honest, beards have been there before these trends, not just in the hip metropolises of the world, but also in many other cities and cultures. And I think they will survive the passing of trends and will hopefully remain in many men’s faces!

In Berlin apparently 53% of men are wearing some kind of beard. 33,5% are sporting a full beard which is my personal favorite, not only for my own face, but also for other men. In fact I believe that every man looks better with a beard, only few men actually look good without one. The grooming brand Braun has now released the results of a survey they conveyed in major cities of Europe. They show similarly high numbers for beards in London, Milan, and Barcelona. With 63% beards Istanbul is actually the most beardy city and with 48% beards Paris makes the end of the ranking.

So, Berlin is not the winner of the beard race, as I would have guessed, but we are still a big player in the field. Of course a beard alone is not enough for a good style. While nicely groomed and trimmed facial hair is a good start we also need some clothes, design and other items that go along with it. To celebrate a little bit the ongoing appreciation of beards in Berlin we selected some of the nicest shops and places that we think somehow relate to the lifestyle of bearded men. Dive in and enjoy our Bearded Gentleman Guide for Berlin after the jump.

left: Paris, right: London

left: Istanbul, right: Berlin

Before we dive into our guide let’s have a look at these 4 charming bearded gentlemen. They are some of the guys that Braun interviewed for their survey in different European cities. In Berlin they spoke with 1000 men about their beards and came up with a detailed ranking of all the different beard styles that guys seem to have here. I was a bit surprised about the variety and some of these names I have never heard of! Let’s have a look at the top 5 beard styles of Berlin: 1. Full Beard (33,5%), 2. Balbo (17,6%), 3. Goatee with Moustache (12,1%), 4. Long Goatee (9,4%), and finally 5. Chin Puff with Moustache (7,6%). While it’s not surprising that the full beard is in the first position I’m a little surprised not to find the simple Moustache anywhere in the list, even though I feel like you see that one so much in Berlin lately. Well, now enough about beard style, not let’s have a look at our new guide!

Superconscious

This bright and friendly boutique is one of my favorites for menswear in town. Here the sporty men get dressed with a really good selection of young Scandinavian and British brands. For the bearded guys they also have a couple of amazing grooming and beauty products, for example the Organic Argan Oil Products from Mühle Shaving and the complete Windsor line of Dr Harris & CO.

Weinbergsweg 22, 10119 Berlin-Mitte

Soto

Soto is pretty much a classic for menswear in Berlin. The double store at Torstraße carries a wide range of menswear from established international brands and designers and all the accessories and shoes that go with it.

Torstrasse 72, 10119 Berlin-Mitte

A.D.Deertz

Berlin-based menswear label A.D.Deertz and their little boutique at Rosenthaler Platz is a treasure trove for the bearded man with lots of amazing shirts and jackets that match every beard. We especially like the cool hats from Berlin-based label NCA that they also have in the store.

Torstr. 106, Berlin-Mitte

Trüffelschwein

The casual gentleman dresses at Trüffelschwein. The store at Rosa-Luxemburg-Straße is another one of the Berlin classics in terms of menswear and their selection of international labels never disappoints.

Rosa-Luxemburg-Str 21, 10178 Berlin-Mitte

Wheadon

Of course the sophisticated man of today needs a little bit of beauty from time to time. And his beard too of course! Wheadon has all you need in terms of products and equipment with a focus on fair trade products with natural ingredients. They also offer grooming, hair cuts and beauty treatments in the salon in the basement.

Steinstr. 17, 10119 Berlin-Mitte

Standert

What would a bearded man be without a cool bicycle? Standert has all you need for the perfect customized bike. And as bikes match so well with coffee the place is also a cafe. In the summer they also have delicious popsicles.

Invalidenstraße 157, 10115 Berlin-Mitte

The Barn Roastery

What could be more charming than some milk foam in the moustache? One of the best coffee shops in town is The Barn on Auguststraße and the bigger Barn Coffee Roasters on Schönhauser Allee. They have their own roast of coffee here that is quite the feast for coffee lovers. Mind you, they have quite special rules how they serve their coffee, no exceptions made.

Schönhauser Allee 8, 10119 Berlin-Mitte

Soda

One of the best selections of style magazines for men you can find at the newly opened Soda Books store at Rosenthaler Platz. They have a mix of books and magazines ranging from art, lifestyle, fashion, architecture, design, travel, cooking and so much more.

Weinbergsweg 1, 10119 Berlin-Mitte

Vintage Galore

Of course a man is only half a man without a house. And the house needs to look proper! We find that Danish teak-wood furniture from the 60s are the perfect match for most beards and therefor our recommendation goes out to Vintage Galore at Sanderstraße that has one of the finest selection of said type of furniture.

Sanderstrasse 12, 12047 Berlin-Neukölln

Gin & Tonic

The Gin & Tonic Bar on Friedrichstraße is a really gentlemen style bar that serves excellent drinks and cocktails with a special focus on Gin. In the atmosphere of an old English hunting room it all tastes just so much better.

Friedrichstraße 113, 10117 Berlin-Mitte

Thanks for the support by Braun

Geist im Glas, which translates to Ghost in the Glass, is actually a cosy little bar in a side street just off Kottbusser Damm in Neukölln that specializes in infusing spirits with fruits, herbs, nuts and spices to create unique flavors for their long drinks and cocktails. But apart from their nightly business they also open up the place on the weekends during the day from 12-16h to serve an exquisite brunch with some really yummy American-style dishes such as Huevos Rancheros, Biscuits and Gravy and extra fluffy pancakes and some elaborate brunch cocktails that will get you right into the mood for the weekend. To wet your appetite we present you some juicy photos of the brunch after the jump. You know where you can find us on the weekend…

Geist im Glas

Lenaustr 27

12047 Berlin-Neukölln

Bar daily 21-03h, breakfast Sat & Sun 12-16h

In the Spring of 2014 a new restaurant opened its doors in Berlin’s trendy district Neukölln. The eins44 is located on Elbestrasse close to lively Weserstraße in the second backyard inside an old distillery. The industrial charm of the place has been preserved and integrated into the interior design quite authentically. Every detail has been selected with love and tells its own story.

The culinary concept is a modern twist of French and German cooking. The menu changes every two weeks and is always made with seasonal ingredients combining the advantages of the native German kitchen with the finesse of the French cuisine. The food is everything but ordinary – with every creative dish you get an introduction to what is served and you learn about ingredients you wouldn’t even have imagined ever being on your plate. Unique variations such as artichoke tartare with parmesan cream and tarragon emulsion will make your tastebuds tingle with joy.

If you are looking for a unique dinner experience for sophisticated palates the eins44 is definitely worth a visit. During the week they also have a more easy going and German style lunch menu. Enjoy some impressions after the jump!

location photos: eins44

eins44 Kantine Neukölln

Elbestr. 28/29

12045 Berlin-Neukölln

Open Tue-Fri 12-15h, Tue-Sat 19-24h

Reservations: +40 (0)30 62 98 1212

Appetizer or main meal in itself, when sharing food with friends hummus is always high up on the list. We all know it’s made of chickpeas but there is an art to making really good hummus, dressing it up and adding accompanying dishes. It already starts with the main ingredient chickpeas. Different people have different methods of peeling off the thin clear skin to make the hummus rich and less seamy. While we’re not able to share the ultimate trick of making the best hummus with you, we have our recommendation of best places in Berlin to fulfill your hummus craving. Best enjoyed with a group of your favorite people. Read more after the jump.

Djimalaya

Centrally located on Invalidenstrasse, Djimalaya has a great range of toppings on offer on top of the classic hummus which are best complimented by grilled meats, salmon and vegetables. Or maybe a side salad or shakshuka is more to your liking. The food tastes super fresh and combined with the fresh juices this definitely falls into the category of healthy eating.

Invalidenstrasse 159, Berlin-Mitte
Opening hours: Daily from 12-23h

photo: Djimalaya

Zula

What’s great at Zula is that it lets you customize your hummus to your liking. Choose a size, then add on toppings or select one of three recommendations. The hummus here is garlic free and instead you have garlic oil at the table that you can mix into your plate. The small portion is enough for one, but you can also opt for a bigger option for sharing.

Husemannstraße 10, Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg
Opening hours: Daily from 11-23h

photo: Zula

Nanoosh

The US-based Nanoosh originally started in New York and is now offering a partly organic Eastern Mediterranean cuisine in clean and light design here in Berlin, too. The menu of course includes hummus but you’ll also find fresh soups, wraps and salads. Don’t forget to taste the homemade lemonade, ice teas or fresh juices. Everything is fresh – from the food to the drinks and the design.

Mohrenstrasse 50, Berlin-Mitte
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 11-23h, Sat 12-23h, Sun 12-21:30h

photo: Nanoosh

Gordon

Not your typical restaurant Gordon is a cafe/record store. Everything here is home-made: the food, the coffee, the music selection, the furniture. The menu is small with Israeli staples like shakshuka, wraps and of course hummus. Great characterful place for some chatter with friends over a snack of shared hummus.

Allerstr. 11, Berlin-Neukölln
Opening hours: Mon, Wed & Thu 09-19h, Fri & Sat 10-23h,  Sun 10-18h

photo: Gordon

The first two places on our list we discovered on the Good Food Tour with Berlin Food Stories. Thanks for having us!

What other Hummus places do you like in Berlin? Let us know in the comments below.

Neukölln is constantly evolving and has been the place to be for a while now. We see the upcoming Neukölln Shopping Night #5 as a chance to update you guys on the newest hotspots in the area, because on Saturday we will once again celebrate the unique shop and bar culture of Neukölln. We talked to Laura, who is organizing the Neukölln Shopping Night, about her ideas and of course the new spots you can’t miss during your treasure hunt in Neukölln.

Laura grew up in Paris, but has been living in Berlin for the past three years. A period during which she’s been more involved in organizing the unique city life than a lot of us Berliners. She co-manages the Bass Cadet Recordstore / Down by Retro on Weserstraße and has brought the Neukölln Shopping Night to life. The idea of the shopping night is to bring cool people into the unique neighborhood, to share the good vibe, delicious food, drinks and to find the hidden treasures.

When they first opened up their record store in 2013 the area was still young, so Laura and her friends picked up the idea of getting all the independent shops together to create this fabulous night of party and shopping – after all: sharing is caring. What she loves most about the nights is the dynamic and interaction of shop owners and the many guests. People value and appreciate the idea, so the nights are always a lot of fun. Get ready and check out the best new places in Neukölln after the jump…

Here are the new places to be in Neukölln:

Beuster Bar

Enjoy a craft beer or a daily special such as their excellent Moules Frites. Beuster Bar offers German and typical bistro favorites, and cocktails.

Weserstr. 32, Mo-Fri 18-02h, Sat-Sun 11-02h

La Bolognina

A beautiful Italian epicerie with handmade pasta and delicious wine. One Tuesdays they host the Aperitivo accompanied with DJs.

Donaustr. 10, Mon/Wed/Thu ­ 12- ­ 19h, Tue & Sat 12-22h

Schwammerl

A brand new and cozy German restaurant. From Käsespätzle to Goulash, the perfect dinner to start your winter night.

Weichselstr. 55, Mon 18-03h, Wed­-Sun 18-03h

Monella

Fresh pizza and delicious appetizers in a cozy space­ elegantly decorated. Pure pleasure for a special evening.

Weichselstr.17, Mo-Sun 18-12h

Papilles

Modern French food from breakfast till dinner with brunch on weekends. Delicious pastries & burgers, also to take away.

Flughafenstr. 25, Tue-Sun 10-01h

Stella

Nice place for lunch and easy take away ­ fresh products, home made cookies. Warm and cold dishes. Vegans and Vegetarians are very welcome!

Weserstr. 166, Tue-Sat 11-17h

Chrome Store

A brand new clothing store in Lenaustraße. Chrome Store sells modern vintage brands (A.P.C, Acne, Isabel Marrant) and current collections by Berlin designers for women and men.

Lenaustr. 10,  Mo-Fri 13-20h, Sat 11-20h

Heute ist Morgen

Specially picked ecological products and accessories for you and your home. A cool little store with a green future vision.

Kirchhofstr. 45, Tue­-Fri 12-­ 20h, Sat 11-19h

Studio Hertzberg

This unique store offers a good combination between local and ecological items, accessories and fair trade products all made in Berlin by local designers.

Sonnenallee 174, Wed-Sat 13-19h

Un Autre VooDoo

A concept store with a selection of designers offering clothes, shoes to accessories but also special items for children. Every product is curated with special care by the owners.

Tellstr. 7, Mo-Fri 12-19h, Sat 12-18h

‘How much Turkish am I and how much German do I have to be?’

The struggle of finding and being yourself in a world full of restrictions and limitations is real. Anyone with a second (or third or fourth or…) ethnicity in their persona, DNA or environment will have to ask himself these questions eventually.

The search for your ‚true‘ self gets even harder, when identity and integration come into the mix and interfere with your general soul searching. Suddenly, to find an in-group, as social identity theorists would call it, you need to check their markers and face possible rejection. The fear of the Unknown comes with obsession of control, dividing more than including.

To fit in, one has to adapt. To be recognized, one has to fit in a box. To be equal, one has to be the same. At least, that’s what society taught us. Is it right though?

This was a rhetorical question. Myself being half Turkish-half German, I know of the struggles of not knowing where to belong, questioning my identity. Obviously, I had way more privileges growing up, than others. And over all, I always felt like a Berliner. But still, I feel the struggle and I can relate to the pain of being marginalized, for whatever reason. Even though Berlin is a multicultural metropole, for many people it’s still tougher than others to be acknowledged. The society is us. Let’s all start acting as one.

The short-film „Berlin-Neukölln“ by Semih Kasap and Hakan Caglayan and Christian Plähn raises questions of a quotidian boy in Berlin-Neukölln. While walking through the district, he asks questions many of us have out loud. And leaves them unanswered. Since, in the end when the protagonist asks: ‚Who am I?‘ The silent question risen is also: ‚Who am I to you?‘

We all know, how it feels to be left out. Let’s try to remember that there is space for everyone.

Berlin is a modern, contemporary city like any other, but in one respect it has an awfully bad reputation: Credit cards – let alone any other modern-day form of payment – not accepted! You will read this as a warning in any guide book or hear this from any visitor of the city who complains that they had to pay in cash in the restaurant, couldn’t pay with credit cards in a big electronic stores or with any card whatsoever at the cinema. Germans really seem to value cold hard cash…

But this is changing right now, we just haven’t noticed it yet! With my last visits to the IFA consumer electronics fair I have come across new forms of digital payment multiple times and I wondered, how these are already implemented in Berlin so far. I investigated a bit and made some practical tests.

One of the technologies that I found especially intriguing is the so called mobile wallet that you have on your smartphone. They exist on multiple platforms, the one being interesting for me as an Android user is called MyWallet and it’s available for free at the play app store. What it is is a digital version of your wallet that includes your credit cards, right on your smartphone. Another technology that I tested is the mobile app of Paypal that let’s you use your Paypal credit to pay in stores. More about that and my favorite stores, cafes and restaurants that offer mobile payment after the jump.

The use of a mobile wallet such as MyWallet is quite easy. In the app you set up your credit card and when you come to the counter of a shop to pay for something you just hold your phone over the card terminal and the transaction happens in seconds. The technology behind this is the NFC transmission of your phone that basically mimics your credit card. You can set it up in a way that lets you use your MyWallet on the fly without even activating the app for smaller amounts of under 25 EUR. With higher amounts the transaction needs to be finalized by entering your PIN in the terminal. Simple as that. Your actual credit card can stay at home.

But where can you pay with this method? In more shops in Berlin than you would think. The system is based on the PayPass technology by MasterCard that runs on a lot of normal Credit Card and Debit Card terminals. It’s the same that is also used by the so-called contactless credit cards. Many regular card terminals already have this feature thanks to a software update. The PayPass Locator mobile app tells you which shops already have this feature, but as this is quite new the person at the cash register might not know this yet, so you might end up being the one to introduce them to it. I had this situation a couple of times in some stores, it was funny to see their astonishment when I swiped my phone over the terminal and it actually worked.

With the alternative Paypal it works quite different. Here both customer and sales person will have to open an app on their devices, they request an amount on their side and you basically approve the payment on your end. It requires more actions than a mobile wallet, but it is at the same time very clear and intuitive. Only real downside: Far fewer shops offer this payment option because it’s not hooked to a wide-spread standard such as PayPass.

Here we have listed some of our favorite stores, cafes and restaurants in Berlin that already offer mobile payment. It’s quite a lot in total and the list is ever growing. Wow, Berlin finally seems to have caught up with the advances of modern technology in this field. Hallelujah!

Cafes

Quick coffee but no time to hassle with coins and credit cards? Here’s your places where you can pay with a swipe of your smartphone. In Mitte there is a quite high percentage of places that accept mobile payment. The raw food joint Daluma at Weinbergsweg happily accepts your MyWallet payment on the fly. So does pancake heaven Distrikt Coffee at Bergstraße and the coffee king of town The Barn. In Prenzlauer Berg you’ll get lucky at Spreegold. And for those wanting to relieve some of their ebay money on Paypal you’ll have a chance to do that in the cafe at the co-working place betahaus in Kreuzberg.

Daluma

Daluma, Weinbergsweg 3, 10119 Berlin-Mitte

The Barn, Auguststraße 58, 10119 Berlin-Mitte

Distrikt Coffee, Bergstraße 68, 10115 Berlin-Mitte

betahaus, Prinzessinnenstraße 19-20, 10969 Berlin-Kreuzberg

Nano Kaffee, Dresdner Str. 14, 10999 Berlin-Kreuzberg

Restaurants

It happens so often to me: Going out for dinner and after you feasted you realize you don’t have enough cash on you. At these places you don’t have to worry about it because you can pay with your mobile wallet. Lokal, the lunch and dinner restaurant specialized in local ingredients, is your save bet in Mitte. In Kreuzberg you can digitally pay for your traditional German meal at Jolesh. For some Italien delights the restaurant Lava in Neukölln is a good option. And one of the hottest new places in town – Industry Standard – is accepting Paypal.

photo: Lava

Lokal, Linienstraße 160, 10115 Berlin-Mitte

Fräulein Kimchi, Kollwitzstr. 46, 10405 Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg

UMAMI, Knaackstr. 16, 10405 Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg

Jolesh, Muskauer Str. 1, 10997 Berlin-Kreuzberg

Lava, Flughafenstraße 46, 12053 Berlin-Neukölln

Industry Standard, Sonnenallee 83, 12045 Berlin-Neukölln

Bars

One of the most unlikely places to be able to pay with anything other than cold hard cash is a bar. But things are changing here too! The Beuster Bar in Neukölln (technically also a restaurant) accepts MyWallet payments. The cosy Vater Bar in the same districts will accept Paypal and the Neu Bar in Prenzlauer Berg does so, too.

photo: Vater Bar

Beuster Bar, Weserstraße 32, 12045 Berlin-Neukölln

Neu Bar, Greifswalder Str. 218, 10405 Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg

Vater Bar, Reuterstraße 27, 12047 Berlin-Neukölln

Shops

Shops usually take different kinds of cards like debit and credit cards. So it doesn’t come as much of a surprise that they would also accept mobile payments. Basically almost every major store that takes Master Card will also allow you to pay with MyWallet and similar apps. But also the more independent ones and small boutiques and concept stores start to offer this option. Fashion and interior store Baerck at Mulackstraße in Mitte is one of them. The big “supermarket” for architects and other types of crafty creative people, Modulor, accepts it too. And one of our favorite interior design stores, the Hallesches Haus, has also been approved for mobile wallet payment.

photo: Baerck

Baerck, Interior & Fashion, Mulackstraße 12, 10119 Berlin-Mitte

Modulor, Crafts & Materials, Prinzenstraße 85, 10969 Berlin-Kreuzberg

Hallesches Haus, Interior Design & Cafe, Tempelhofer Ufer 1, 10961 Berlin-Kreuzberg

Bikini Berlin, Concept Mall, Budapester Str. 50, 10787 Tiergarten

Of course this is just a small selection of the places in Berlin. To find more use the “near me” options in both the above mentioned apps. Happy shopping

Thanks for the support by MyWallet

photo: Alicia Kassebohm

Berlin is a city that ends up in smoke. No hard feelings here, if we’re being real, a cigarette with a good drink is one of the most oddly satisfying things. It is bad though. For the environment, others and mostly you. We all know this moment the next morning when smelling the hair and clothes from last night. It’s a rough one. Suddenly, all of your choices from last night are just the burn mark on your new sweater that smells like it was manufactured out of ash in a volcano. Not only non-smokers, even the toughest chain-smoker must be grossed out in this moment. Not to mention, hangovers are way harder when you didn’t only have Mr. Gin and Mr. Jack Daniels with you, but also the Marlboro Man. Or Pepe.

If you’ve had enough of all of the smoke and fire and want to burn the bad choices, we have some addresses for you where you can get a drink or dance without the fumes. Right after the jump our list of favorite non-smoker friendly bars (which by our definition are bars that have separate smokers and non-smokers areas or are completely smoke-free).

Charlottenburg

We’re starting in the West of Berlin with two absolute classics of the gastronomic scene of good old Charlottenburg. Our favorite 24/7 joint, the Schwarzes Cafe offers not only breakfast all day around the clock, but also a good drink in the night and all of this completely smoke free. Same goes for another classic of the neighborhood, the Café Bleibtreu, which is a restaurant and cafe by day and serves drinks in the night.

Schwarzes Café, Kantstraße 148, 10623 Berlin

Café Bleibtreu, Bleibtreustr. 45, 10623 Berlin

photo: Alicia Kassebohm

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Friedrichshain

Friedrichshain is one of the epicentres of the nightlife scene in Berlin. You will definitely encounter a lot of smoke and ashes here, but there are also some sacred havens for non-smokers. The bars Chapel near Ostkreuz and the Honolulu bar of the Michelberger Hotel are completely smoke free and the micro brewery Hops & Barley and the cosy vintage bar Kaufbar have separate non/smoking areas.

Chapel, Sonntagstraße 30, 10245 Berlin

Hops & Barley, Wühlischstr. 22, 10245 Berlin

Kaufbar, Gärtnerstraße 4, 10245 Berlin

Michelberger Hotel Bar Honolulu, Warschauer Straße 39/40, 10245 Berlin

photo: Michelberger Hotel Bar/ Bernard Polet / CC

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Kreuzberg

Kreuzberg is the most beloved district of Berlin for many and probably thanks to its thriving bar scene. The queer multi-kulti place Südblock, the super popular Luzia bar and the old classic Bierhimmel all offer separate non/smoking areas.

Südblock, Admiralstraße 1-2, 10999 Berlin

Bierhimmel, Oranienstr. 183, 10999 Berlin

Luzia, Oranienstr. 34, 10999 Berlin

photo: Luzia/ ana m. / CC

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Neukölln

The place for the young and hip is definitely still Neukölln, and of course this crowd is thirsty! Ankerklause, the no-fuzz, down-to-earth cafe and bar at the canal is smoke free, so are the old Kiez classic Fuchs & Elster, the day-time breakfast heaven Melbourne Canteen, and the new restaurant/bar Beuster.

Ankerklause, Kottbusser Damm 104, 10967 Berlin

Fuchs und Elster, Weserstraße 207, Neukölln, 12047 Berlin

Melbourne Canteen, Pannierstr. 57, 12047 Berlin

Beuster, Weserstr. 32, 12045 Berlin

photo: Ankerklause Facade/ Krista / CC

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Mitte

Surprisingly we couldn’t find that many smoke-free bars in Mitte, but then again, it’s more of a commercial district these days and the few old and new bars are unfortunetly mostly smokers bars. With two nice exceptions we found: The Bar Babette next to Kino International and the co-working cafe St. Oberholz.

Bar Babette, Karl-Marx-Allee 36, 10178 Berlin

St. Oberholz, Rosenthaler Straße 72a, 10119 Berlin

photo: St. Oberholz Facade/ Sang-hee / CC

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Prenzlauer Berg

Despite its reputation of being a mostly family-oriented upscale kind of neighborhood, Prenzlauer Berg has actually quite a lot of bars all over the place. Smoking is also a big thing here still, so the nice ones that are smoke free are rare. The old classic Wohnzimmer is one of them and the craft beer place Herman is too.

Wohnzimmer, Lettestrasse 6, 10437 Berlin

Herman, Schönhauser Allee 173, 10405 Berlin

photo: Charlyn Wee / CC

At Nichtraucherlokale and  Berlinairbars, you can find more bars and restaurants that are non-smoker friendly. Both sites regularly update their repertoire and give you more options to enjoy your night smoke-free. If you know of any more cool places in your neighborhood that deserve a mention here, please let us know in the comments below!

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And if you still have to smoke something, there is a café and liquid atelier, that is dedicated to e-cigarettes. Similar to a Shisha Bar/ Hookah Café, at Tante Dampf you can choose your liquid of choice and vape it – without the smelly aftermath. At Schönleinstraße 20, 10967 Berlin-Kreuzberg.

Ashes to ashes, funk to funkie, we know Major Tom’s a junkie – thank god you’re not Major Tom.

photo: Rowena Waack / CC

Berlin rarely comes short when it comes to original and unique ideas to make ordinary things more interesting. Take restaurants, for instance: Why eat in a normal place if you could also eat inside an old bus, in a greenhouse or in a gondola that came all the way from the snow covered Alps. For some dining experiences you just need a very special location for that extra amount of oohs and ahhs. We compiled a list of the 13 most unusual restaurants and cafes in Berlin that won’t disappoint you with their unique locations.

In a Greenhouse

Neni is on the top floor of the 25h design hotel at Bikini Berlin. It is still fairly new, but already one of the most popular places in town to have dinner. Not only can you dine inside a beautiful greenhouse, you also have a wonderful view over West Berlin and the zoo.

Neni, 25h Hotel, Budapester Str. 40, 10787 Berlin-Charlottenburg

photo: 25hours Hotel

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On an Old Factory Staircase

La Soupe Populaire is one of the restaurants of star chef Tim Raue. Located in an old brewery, you are seated on an factory-style metal staircase with a view over an exhibition downstairs.

La Soupe Populaire, Prenzlauer Allee 242, 10405 Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg

photo: iHeartBerlin

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On a Boat

Fame is the fairly new follow-up restaurant of Katerschmaus from the previously infamous Kater Holzig club (which was the follow-up of legendary Bar25). It’s located underneath the arcs of the S-Bahn track. But in the warmer months – from April/May until October – they also serve on the beautiful boat that lies right in front of the terrace at the Spree.

Fame, Holzmarktstraße 25, 10243 Berlin-Friedrichshain

photo: Dirk Ingo Franke, Eigenes Werk, CC

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In a Mirror Ballroom

Clärchen’s Ballhaus is a truly charming gem – an old ballroom right in the heart of Mitte. Their precious antique mirror ballroom is used for private events and concerts, but also for pop-up dinners that happen once a month. Check the dates here.

Clärchen’s Ballhaus – Spiegelsaal, Auguststraße 24, 10117 Berlin-Mitte

photo: Clärchen’s Ballhaus

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In an Urban Forest

The urban farming and community project Prinzessinnengarten has a wonderful cafe and restaurant in the heart of their little urban forest, right at Moritzplatz in Kreuzberg. The meals are of course prepared with the products from their own garden. Due to the outdoor location, it’s only open from April til October.

Prinzessinnen Gärten, Prinzenstrasse 35 – 38, 10969 Berlin-Kreuzberg

photo: iHeartBerlin

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In an old Launderette

The Lavanderia Vecchia is a beautiful and charming Italian restaurant inside a former launderette/laundromat that keeps a lot of its decor and charm.

Lavanderia Vecchia, Flughafenstr. 46, 2. Hof, Fabrik, 12053 Berlin-Neukölln

photo: iHeartBerlin

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In a Chinese Teahouse

The Gardens of the World in Marzahn is a celebration of a lot of wonderful places. One of the treasures here is the old Chinese Tea House, which also serves food in addition to their millions of types of tea. In the Winter months it’s only open on weekends, when the weather is good.

Gärten der Welt, Eisenacher Str. 99, 12685 Berlin-Marzahn

photo: Oh-Berlin.com / CC

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In the Darkness

There are actually two darkness restaurants in Berlin, but I chose Nocti Vagus for our list because I have visited it with my family a while ago and thought it was a truly unique and fun experience – to dine in complete darkness. They also have theater shows in the dark while you eat.

Nocti Vagus, Saarbrücker Str. 36, 10405 Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg

photo: Nocti Vagus

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In a Castle

We don’t have all that many impressive castles in Berlin, let alone with nice restaurants in them. But the Schlosshotel Grunewald has a quite spectacular one called Vivaldi. You will feel like dining with the Royals there.

Schlosshotel Grunewald, Restaurant Vivaldi, Brahmsstraße 10, 14193 Berlin-Grunewald

photo: Schlosshotel Grunewald

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In an old Bus

This is actually my personal favorite place on this list: The old bus of the Cafe Pförtner in front of the Uferhallen in Wedding. A truly original place for a unique dinner.

Cafe Pförtner, Uferstraße 8-11, 13357 Berlin-Wedding

photo: iHeartBerlin

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On an Island

This one is actually a bit outside of Berlin and is closed right now because of the winter cold. But this little island is so unique that I wanted to include it anyway. They have their first open day this year at Easter with coffee and cake and an Easter Egg Hunt. The regular season opening is in the end of April 2016.

INSL, Seestraße 118, 16866 Kyritz near Berlin.

photo: INSL

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In a Gondola

To bring you the coziness of a ski vacation right into the flatland of Berlin, the Swissotel has a real gondola from the Swiss Alps on top of their terrace, where you can enjoy mulled wine and cheese fondue. It’s open only in the winter months.

Restaurant 44, Swissotel, Augsburger Str. 44, 10789 Berlin-Charlottenburg

photo: Restaurant 44

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In an old Pharmacy

This cafe and restaurant embedded itself into an old pharmacy and kept most of the charming interior with the shelves and medicinal jars. A really charming and unique ambiance.

ORA, Oranienplatz 14, 10999 Berlin-Kreuzberg

photo: iHeartBerlin

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So these are all the places in Berlin that we think really stand out in terms of their unusual location. Do you know of any others that we should mention here? Let us know in the comments below.

Kanaan, photo: Kfir Harbi

Berlin never ceases to amaze me in terms of its relentless ability to open new places. I was reposting our “new restaurants” guide from last year only a couple of months ago only to realize that it’s already been a year. So I thought, with all the news of new places popping up recently, it’s time for a brand new “new restaurants” in Berlin guide – the 2016 edition, so to speak. And again here I was thinking it would be a quick piece with maybe 6 or 7 fresh new restaurants. Well, think again, Frank – it’s BERLIN – there is not gonna just be only 7 new places… My list ended up including 15 (!) exciting new restaurants that opened their doors in the past few months. And I’m just talking about the places that stand out and already experience a good portion of hype! Of course we’ll add new ones along the way this year, so stay tuned for more. But for now here is our fresh pickings.

Cecconi’s

This luxurious new restaurant in Mitte offers Italian food ranging from comfort (pizza) to high class (dover sole) with special brunch options on the weekends. Despite it being located inside the lobby of the members only Soho House, it is actually open to the public.

Cecconi’s, Torstr. 1, 10119 Berlin-Mitte

Open Mon-Thu 11:30-24h, Fri-Sat 11:30-01h, Sun 11-24h

Tel: +49 30 40 50 44 68-0

Cecconi’s, photo: Soho House Berlin

Chicha

This new Peruvian restaurant made big waves in the fall of 2015 and finally brought the famous Ceviche to Berlin. As many places nowadays it started in the form of a pop-up before it finally had a permanent place in Neukölln. Our favorite colleague Sara from Finding Berlin has a more detailed review.

Chicha, Friedelstraße 34, 12047 Berlin-Neukölln

Open Wed-Sun 18-24h

Tel: +49 30 62731010

Chicha, photo: Finding Berlin

Fes Turkish BBQ

Turkish doesn’t always have to be döner kebab or köfte. This modern new restaurant opened last summer and offers something that we normally know from Koreans: The table grill to barbecue your own meat. Definitely a nice change to the kebab and a welcome way to learn more about the Turkish kitchen.

Fes Turkish BBQ, Hasenheide 58, 10967 Berlin-Kreuzberg

Open Mon-Thu, Sun 16-24h, Fri-Sat 16-02h

Tel: +49 30 2391 7778

photo: Fes

Chupenga

A New Restaurants in Berlin list wouldn’t be complete without another Mexican(-inspired) place. I won’t dare to say anything about how authentic this place is, because some of our Mexican readers might have a complete meltdown (love ya!). But it sure looks yummy! Given its location in the business district of Mitte, this is only open during the week and until 20h, so only good for lunch or an early dinner.

Chupenga, Mohrenstrasse 42, 10117 Berlin-Mitte

Open Mon-Fri 11:30-20h

photo: Chupenga

Kanaan

So here comes the trifecta that is Kanaan, the most hyped place at the moment thanks to the fact that hummus is owning the world right now. I love hummus. They have not one, not two, but THREE relatively new places. They took over the Pizza Hütte (my beloved Pizza joint in P’berg) at Kopenhagener Straße and the cafe across and turned them into a take-away and restaurant where they serve the amazing hummus (tried it, it really is that good) and other Israeli and Palestinian (yes you read that right, what a peace project!) dishes. They also have a brand new express restaurant in Kreuzberg.

Kanaan Express & Restaurant, Kopenhagener Straße 16, 10437 Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg

Express (Hütte) open Mon-Fri 12-16h, Restaurant (Kohlenquelle) open Sat-Sun 12-22h

Tel: +49 176 22586673

Kanaan Express, Blücherstraße 37, 10961 Berlin-Kreuzberg

Open Mon-Fri 17-22h

Kanaan Express Prenzlauer Berg, photo: Kanaan

Tulus Lotrek

Tulus Lotrek (the phonetic German version of Toulouse-Lautrec) is a new place for those of you who enjoy some exclusive dining with refined and exquisite dishes that will make your taste buds quiver.

Tulus Lotrek, Fichtestr. 24, 10967 Berlin-Kreuzberg

Open Tue-Sun 19-24h

Tel: +49 30 41 95 66 87

photo: Tulus Lotrek

Karloff

The newly opened Karlhoff next to the Lugosi Bar offers South Italian small dishes that bring us the flavors of Naples and Sicily into the cold North.

Karloff, Reichenbergerstrasse 152, 10999 Berlin-Kreuzberg

Open Tue-Sat 18-23:30h

Tel: +49 178 1445664

tile mosaic & photo: Anne Derian

Zenkichi

The Zenkichi is the new sibling of the beloved House of Small wonders cafe in Mitte next to Friedrichstadtpalast. It’s actually in the same building, but while upstairs you can enjoy breakfast, brunch and lunch, the Zenkichi offers modern Japanese, slightly luxurious set menus for dinner.

Zenkichi, Johannisstraße 20, 10117 Berlin-Mitte

Open daily 18-24h

Tel: +49 30 24630810

photo: Zenkichi

Le Petit Royal

This is probably the newest one in our list as it practically opened last weekend. It’s the West Berlin counterpart of the famous Grill Royal and it’s equally on the more luxurious side of dinning. They are specialized in gourmet French Cuisine.

Le Petit Royal, Grolmanstraße 59, 10623 Berlin-Charlottenburg

Open Mon-Sat 18-23h

Tel: +49 30 330060750

Le Petit Royal, photo: Stefan Korte

Pacifico

Another “second” place of an already successful restaurant. This time coming from the makers of Parker Bowles at Aufbauhaus. Not far from Moritzplatz at Oranienstraße you can find their new Californian-Korean-Comfort-Food (buns & burgers) at Pacifico.

Pacifico, Oranienstr. 147, 10969 Berlin-Kreuzberg

Open Mon-Sat 12-22h

eMail: hello@pacifico-berlin.com

photo: Pacifico

Louis Pretty

Pastrami galore at the fancy new New York-style Jewish deli in Kreuzberg run by Oskar Melzer, who was formerly part of Mogg & Melzer at Mädchenschule, now run solely by Mogg.

Louis Pretty, Ritterstrasse 2, 10969 Berlin-Kreuzberg

Open Mon-Sat 11:30-22h

Tel: +49 30 77321122

photo: Louis Pretty

Chai Wallahs

Here is one more case of Food Truck-goes-permanent restaurant. We love how the gourmet street food scene is changing and integrating into the traditional gastronomy of the city. Here you’ll find modern Indian and Pakistani comfort food.

Chai Wallahs, Wienerstrasse 34, 10999 Berlin-Kreuzberg

Open Tue-Sun 12-22h

Tel: +49 1578 4581577

photo: Chai Wallahs

Madame Ngo

As cheeky and progressive as the exterior of this new Vietnamese joint on Kantstraße might seem, once inside you can expect delicious, traditional Pho, among other dishes.

Madame Ngo, Kantstr. 30, 10623 Berlin-Charlottenburg

eMail: hello@madame-ngo.de

Madame Ngo, photo: hello.anias

Roy&Pris

Chinese fusion is the concept of the group of restaurants including Yumcha Heroes, Toca Rouge and Long March Canteen. Roy&Pris is the latest addition and it’s located directly next to Yumcha Heroes near Rosenthaler Platz but offering some more exquisite creations that are a bit of a departure from their famous dumplings.

Roy&Pris, Weinbergsweg 8a, 10119 Berlin-Mitte

Open daily 12-24h

Tel: +49 176 22018245

photo: Roy&Pris

Tucholsky’s

Last but not least: the only place that offers something that we could confidently describe as a traditional German kitchen, something that seems to be not much of a trend if you look at all of the other places, but something that is definitely needed just as much as international fancy food.

Tucholsky’s, Torstr. 189, 10119 Berlin-Mitte

Open daily 18-01h

Tel: +49 30 27 58 20 53

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Do you know any other new restaurants in Berlin that we should know about? Did you already visit any of the places listed above? How did you like them? Let us know in the comments below.

Other articles on iHeartBerlin that you might like:

The Most Unusual Restaurants in Berlin …………………….. The Best Hummus in Berlin ………

…….The Best Korean Food in Berlin ………………… The Best German Restaurants in Berlin

AURA, photo: Dress Me Guide Me

The vintage and 2nd hand scene in Berlin is a very diverse world covering some rare vintage from golden times, contemporary high end brands as well as thrift stores where you can buy per kilo. The criteria which makes the difference between all those types is the selection of garments itself. While vintage is the label for clothes that were distinctive to a specific era that’s at least 10-15 years in the past, 2nd hand generally just describes clothes that have been worn by someone before. This could be anything ranging from 2000er high street pieces or last season’s designer stuff. Especially vintage stores pride themselves with the originality of their selection of pieces, that are mostly stand-outs, clean and in good condition. Just like well-curated 2nd hand shops they are usually done with a lot of love and passion, therefore vintage is usually more expensive than your average 2nd hand or thrift store.

Regardless of your personal preference, whether you buy 2nd hand or vintage as a political statement, to get trendy or luxurious brands for cheap or because you are searching for the pearl in a pile of random stuff to get that triumphant feeling of a precious discovery – Berlin’s got you covered!

Our guest contributor Emilie from Dress Me Guide Me selected some of the most awesome shops for you!

Extravagant & Special

Garments (women)

Garments is great for people who like to be seen, for style lovers or if you like powerful pieces, whether it’s party or daily clothing, jewels and shoes. They have two shops, one in Mitte with a bold selection and one in Prenzlauer Berg, a bit less extravagant but still with excellent choice.

Linienstrasse 204-205 – 10437 Berlin – Mitte
Stargarder Str. 12A, 10437 Berlin – Prenzlauer Berg

Open Mon – Sat: 12h – 19h

Garments Mitte, photo: Dress Me Guide Me

Mankii (men+women)

Hippie chic style is what you will find in this small and cozy 2 floors boutique. They have a seducing mix of unique pieces from everywhere (vintage kimono, folk crochet ponchos, colorful 70′s dresses) and some timeless must-haves (luxury bags, leather boots, Levi’s jackets, silk scarves), a lot of accessories and especially a refined belts selection. Part of the items are customized by the owner.

Gormannstrasse 16 – 10119 Berlin – Mitte

Open Mon – Thur: 12:30h – 19h / Fri & Sat: 12h – 19pm

Mankii, photo: Dress Me Guide Me

The Golden Circus Pop-Up Store (women)

This pop-up boutique is only open until the end of July 2016 so you need to head over soon to get your hands on their pristine vintage collection. Follow Sonia and all her finds: shiny vintage kimonos and rare world vintage.

Rosenthalerstrasse 66, 10119 Berlin-Mitte

Open until July 31, 2016, Mon-Sat 12-19h

The Golden Circus, photo: Dress Me Guide Me

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Trendy 2nd Hand

Dude (men)

Dude creates a gentleman atmosphere for their customers, whether you’re a dude with classic or eccentric taste. Suits, jumpers, leather jackets, shirts and coats from many high end brands such as Mood of Norway, Junk de Luxe, Drykorn or even Yves Saint Laurent or Galliano. The greatest quality at Dude is the huge selection of luxury shoes, some almost new that you can buy for around 150€. Dude is a 2nd hand shop with a stylish selection only for men. It’s classy (and therefore not cheap), it’s sexy, go for it guys!

Greifswalder Straße 202 – 10405 Berlin – Prenzlauer Berg

Open Mon – Fri: 13h – 19h – Sat: 11h – 18h – Closed on Wednesday

photo: Dude

Soeur (men/women)

It’s probably the stairs covered by highly attractive shoes that will lure you into Soeur and you won’t leave it for a while and certainly not with empty hands. Their selection includes brands such as Maje, Sandro, Comptoir des Cotonniers, APC, Isabel Marant and more but very French oriented.

Marienburger Str. 24 – 10405 Berlin – Prenzlauer Berg

Open: Mon – Sat: 11h – 19h

Soeur, photo: Dress Me Guide Me

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Bohemian Hipstery

Sing Blackbird (women+men)

A nice selection of 2nd hand and vintage always right in the trend. Interesting especially for big cozy coats and wool pullovers for Winter because the prices are ok. But you can always find something or at least enjoy a organic smoothie or a piece of cake in their cafe.

Sanderstraße 11, 12047 Berlin-Neukölln

Open everyday 13h – 19h

photo: Sing Blackbird

Rag & Bone Man (women)

Vintage, flowers, macrame, poems, music and perfect breakfast… Sounds like a dream? It’s not, you can find all this at this place, a vintage shop (focused on 70’s to 90’s) but first a collaborative space, with the owner Maggie, floral designer Wildflower and many many other talented friends.

Briesestr. 9, 12053 Berlin-Neukölln

Open Tue 9h – 18h, Wed-Fri 9h – 19h,  Sat/Sun 10h – 18h

photo: Rag & Bone Man

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Less is More

Sometimes Coloured (women+men)

Here is a pertinent and clear selection of 2nd hand from contemporary labels, high street as well as couture. You don’t need to dig to find timeless garments and easy to wear shades. There’s a constant turnover so go often.

Grünberger Str. 90 – 10245 Berlin-Friedrichshain

Open Mon – Sat: 12h – 19h

Sometimes Coloured, photo: Dress Me Guide Me

Chrome Store (women+men)

The Chrome Store offers bright, clear and also efficient vintage. Trendy, high end, structured and sportswear touch. Also some hot Berlin based designers that you won’t find anywhere else.

Lenaustrasse 10 – 12047 Berlin – Neukölln

Open: Mon – Fri: 1h – 20h – Sat: 11h – 19h

Chrome Store, photo: Dress Me Guide Me

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Underworld Vintage Only

Dress Code (men+women)

Just stop to dive into Nadja’s world. A world of warm energy, passionate work, fine selected and super clean garments. One of the largest collections in Berlin where everything is hand-picked. She even works on some pieces when she can to adjust shape or give a little modern twist.

Nostitzstraße 25 – 10961 Berlin – Kreuzberg

Open: Mon – Sat: 12h – 19h, Closed on Wednesdays

Dress Code, photo: Dress Me Guide Me

Bonnie & Kleid

Like a bird jumping into a bush to find the right twig you’ll jump into Bonnie & Kleid’s underground maze to find the right but weird party dress, the right scarf, hat, jeans or jewels. A place where we like to loose our time.

Gneisenaustraße 9, 10961 Berlin-Kreuzberg

Open: Mon – Sat: 12h – 20h

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90′s Vintage Galore

The shop owners of the following place totally fell in love with 90′s fashion and want to share it with you. Let them Eat Cake and Oh Mini I am both are at the same address and  run by two girls from the North who regularly bring some vintage from their countries, a lot of denims and accessories.

Let them Eat Cake / Oh Mini I am (women+men) - Weserstraße 164, 12045 Berlin – Neukölln

Open Mon – Sat: 13h – 19h

photo: Let them Eat Cake

Cheap(er) Luxury

You see this string of unaffordable designer shops on Kudamm? Cartier, Chanel, Yves St Laurent, Gucci, Prada… Well you can find the clothes a lot cheaper in the street right behind. Even people who can afford it resell at some point, the stores like to call it “second season”. Go to Mommsenstraße in Charlottenburg. If you like more avant-garde type of brands like Margiela, Raf Simons, Helmuth Lang, Bernhard Willhelm and the likes you should check out Das Neue Schwarz at Mulackstraße in Mitte.

Secondo – Mommsenstrasse 61 10629 Berlin-Charlottenburg

Open Mon – Fri: 12h – 18h30 – Sat: 12h – 15h30

Madonna – Mommsenstr. 57 10629 Berlin-Charlottenburg

Open Mon-Fri: 12h – 19h – Sat: 12h -16h – Closed on Wednesdays

Macy’z – Mommsenstraße 2, 10629 Berlin-Charlottenburg

Open Mon-Fri 12h – 19h, Sat 12h – 16h

Das Neue Schwarz – Mulackstraße 38, 10119 Berlin-Mitte

Open Mon-Sat 12h – 20h

Das Neue Schwarz, photo: iHeartBerlin

And what are your favorite vintage, 2nd hand and thrift stores in Berlin? Let us know in the comments below!

Text: Emilie Trochu

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Emilie Trochu is a lover of vintage and 2nd hand fashion, but also of sustainable fashion labels. To follow her passion she started her own independent project Dress Me Guide Me which is a comprehensive online archive of the best fashion shops in Berlin with a special focus on vintage and second hand, sustainable and fairtrade fashion, and stores with smaller, affordable brands. For iHeartBerlin she curated a guide with the most awesome vintage shops in Berlin. Follow her own project on Facebook and on her website.

Twingpigs, photo: Daniel Müller

For our latest guide we have once again teamed up with the lovely Laura Le Marchand from Down by Retro and Neukölln Shopping Nacht to give you the best of her favorite district: Neukölln. After we extensively covered all the shops and cafes in our previous collaborations we thought we’d give you something different this time: A nightlife guide including some of the hottest bars, parties and clubs of the popular district. All of these serve as perfect spots to drink and dance after an evening full of shopping and mingling at the Neukölln Shopping Night, which goes into its 6th edition this coming Saturday (May 7, 2016). Once again all the trendy spots in various neighborhoods of Neukölln will be open until 22h and offer some kind of special or mini event in their stores. More infos on the event and our new Neukölln Nightlife Guide curated by Laura after the jump.

Here’s a little teaser to get you in the mood for the next Neukölln Shopping Night on May 7 and below you will find a map that lists all the participating places.

After a all the special in the shops let’s hit the bars and clubs of the district to have some more fun! Here’s Laura’s selection of the most interesting places in Neukölln right now:

Jaja

Brand new wine bar with a tiny French epicerie – enjoy some food and croque monsieur while having a glass of natural wine.

Weichselstr. 7 12043 Berlin

photo: Jaja

Comedy Café Berlin

The home for alternative international comedy in Berlin and a comfortable and unique cafe and bar experience.

Roseggerstr. 17 / Weserstr., 12059 Berlin

photo: Comedy Café Berlin

African Acid Is the Future at Loftus Hall

The new party to be with eclectic selection infused with African beats and good vibes! Always full of good energies and beautiful people.

Maybachufer 48 / Ecke Pannierstr., 12045 Berlin

Next party on May, 28

photos: Camille Bokhobza

Sameheads

One of the best basement in the hood with parties from Disco to House with a well decorated bar. Always fun. And for the 6th edition of the Neukölln Shopping Night on May 7th this will once again be the venue for the official after party starting at 22h.

Richardstr.10, 12043 Berlin

Lipopette

Funky cafe and restaurant that turns into a bar in the late evenings. Great for drink in a relaxed atmosphere!

Warthestr. 9, 12051

photo: Lipopette

Twinpigs

If you enjoy strong drinks, craft beer, and a great atmosphere, than Twinpigs should be your favorite hangout. The atmosphere  is undeniably cool, while the smoky, candlelit rooms are cozy and inviting. The bartenders are welcoming and eager to help you understand your drink options.

Boddinstraße 57, 12053 Berlin

photo: Twinpigs

Wild Things

Wild Thing is the new natural wine bar by the owners of popular restaurant Industry Standard.

Weserstrasse 172, 12045 Berlin

Wild Things, photo: brewboxberlin

Alter Rote Löwe Rein

Huge, rustic bar close to Richardplatz.

Richardstr. 31, 12043 Berlin

Alter Roter Löwe Rein, photo via

Gelegenheiten

Cool little bar with occasional DJs sets and concerts, as well as flea markets and exhibitions.

Weserstr. 50, 12045 Berlin

photo: Gelegenheiten

Nathanja & Heinrich

Sometimes you just want to have a relaxed drink with a friend in a easy atmosphere without any pretense and fuzz.  Nathanja & Heinrich at Weserkiez is your kind of place than. The cosy cafe turns into a busy bar at night and attracts an easygoing mixed crowd. Lot’s of couches and big tables make this a perfekt place for bigger groups.

Weichselstr. 44, 12045 Berlin-Neukölln

And where do you like to hang out at nights in Neukölln? Let us know in the comments below!

photo: Daluma

With a couple of brand new, awesome vegan restaurants and cafes that opened in Berlin recently we thought it was about time to put together a new vegan guide for Berlin. Veganism is probably the biggest “trend” in gastronomy right now, though it is inaccurate to consider it a trend, I like to call it an “awakening”. I think with all the information we have nowadays about industrially produced food and its effect on the eco system and on our health it is only a natural reaction that people start to change their consumption and eating habits. I personally really like vegan cooking, mainly because it requires a certain creativity that makes us break out of our decade long food habits of what goes with what and how you prepare certain things. Vegan dishes, no matter if they are simple or elaborate, open up another world of taste experiences and I think that’s really exciting for everyone’s palate. Enjoy our selection of the most interesting vegan restaurants and cafes in Berlin.

Dandy Diner

The vegan diner of our blogger colleagues from style blog Dandy Diary just opened a couple of weeks ago with a big bang in typical Dandy fashion. The boys have been very vocal about being vegans for years now and it was just a matter of time until they would expand their activities beyond the world of fashion. They got together with Berlin’s vegan queen Sophia Hoffmann (who curated our first vegan guide and who also consulted on this new one) and worked out the menu for their diner with her. Besides the typical diner food such as fries and burgers, they also offer a variety of salads and sandwiches, and also a couple of desserts.

Dandy Diner, Karl Marx Straße 9, 12043 Berlin-Neukölln

Open Mon-Wed 12-22h, Thu-Sat 12-00h, Sun 12-22h

photo: Anna Wegelin

Brammibal’s Donuts

Brammibal’s vegan donuts have been a big hit on street food markets and are now also available in their own cafe that opened last weekend with a lot of fanfare. In the world of bakery goods and sweets the concept of veganism is a little under the radar because naturally this kind of food is without any meet and cheese and the animal products are mostly invisible. But of course in the typical pastries there is butter and other dairy products, so obviously not vegan. Not so the delicious and cute donuts of Brammibal. Have a bite!

Brammibal’s Donuts, Maybachufer 8, 12047 Berlin-Neukölln

Open Tue-Fri 08-18h, Sat-Sun 10-20h, Tel: +49 1575 5198526

photo: Brammibal’s Donuts

Lab Kitchen

The Lab Kitchen is also a quite new place and it’s located inside the Runbase Berlin. Naturally it’s all about healthy eating in this environment, so don’t expect any white flower or processed sugar here in your food. Raw food specialist Lisa Müller is the creative behind this place and she knows what she’s doing which is tasty and healthy plant-based dishes with local organic ingredients and superfoods. And yes, this can also be a burger with (sweet potato) fries.

Lab Kitchen, Schleusenufer 4, 10997 Berlin-Kreuzberg

Open Mon-Fri 08-18h, Sat-Sun 10-15h

photo: LAB Kitchen

Lucky Leek

If you are looking for more than just cafe snacks and diner fast food Lucky Leek is your kind of place. The restaurant is specialized in elaborate vegan dinner menus and they are serving them quite masterfully. It’s a great example of how vegan food can be so much more than “just the salad” or “two sides” and if you want you taste buds to experience something really different and amazing, you should come here.

Lucky Leek, Kollwitzstraße 54, 10405 Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg

Open Wed-Sun 18-22h, Tel: +49 30 66408710

photo: Lucky Leek

The Bowl

The Bowl is again a more simple approach to vegan eating. It belongs to the successful take-away chain goodies and the veganz supermarkets and extends their program with a bright and modern Bio-certified restaurant. Their dishes are what the name already suggests some yummy vegan ingredients cleverly combined and tossed together in a bowl, completely free of gluten and sugar. It can be really that simple and people are loving it.

The Bowl, Warschauer Str. 33, 10243 Berlin-Friedrichshain

Open Mon 12-23:30h, Tue-Sun 10-23:30h

photo: Christin Bildingrau

Daluma

Daluma in Mitte has made quite the name for itself within a short amount of time with their raw foods and cold-pressed juices. They are all about that healthy lifestyle so expect a lot of the latest food trends and superfoods.

Daluma, Weinbergsweg 3, 10119 Berlin-Mitte

Open Mon-Fri 08:30-20:30h, Sat-Sun 10-19:30h, Tel: +49 30 20950255

photo: Daluma

Kopps

Kopps is pretty much a classic when it comes to vegan restaurants in Berlin. Since 2011 they are successfully serving their clever 2-4 course menus that are created from locally sources, healthy ingredients of bio certified quality. On the weekends you can also enjoy a big brunch buffet until 16h. Can’t go wrong here.

Kopps, Linienstr. 94, 10115 Berlin-Mitte

Open Mon-Fri 18-24h, Sat-Sun 09:30-16h & 17:30-24h, Tel: +49 30 43209775

photo: Ilhami Terzi

photo: Kopps

Kanaan

So here comes the trifecta that is Kanaan, the most hyped place at the moment thanks to the fact that hummus is owning the world right now. I love hummus. They have not one, not two, but THREE relatively new places. They took over the Pizza Hütte (my beloved Pizza joint in P’berg) at Kopenhagener Straße and the cafe across and turned them into a take-away and restaurant where they serve the amazing hummus (tried it, it really is that good) and other Israeli and Palestinian (yes you read that right, what a peace project!) dishes. They also have a brand new express restaurant in Kreuzberg.

Kanaan Express & Restaurant, Kopenhagener Straße 16, 10437 Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg

Express (Hütte) open Mon-Fri 12-16h, Restaurant (Kohlenquelle) open Sat-Sun 12-22h, Tel: +49 176 22586673

Kanaan Express, Blücherstraße 37, 10961 Berlin-Kreuzberg

Open Mon-Fri 17-22h

photo: Kfir Harbi

Cookies Cream

Enjoy a delightful dining experience in the city with Cookies Cream, a true vegetarian gem with vegan options located down a dark alley next to the Westin Grand. The charming restaurant serves sophisticated high-end vegetarian and vegan delights, each with distinct flavors, ingredients, and creative presentations.

Cookies Cream, Behrenstraße 55, 10117 Berlin-Mitte

Open Tue-Sat 18-01h, Tel: +49 30 27492940

photo: Moritz Haase

Let it be

Got a craving for crêpes? Vegan crêpes have finally made their delicious debut in Berlin with the arrival of Let it Be – Vegan Crêperie in Neukölln. This informal, cozy little restaurant offers a great choice of regional and seasonal vegan food, from salty and sweet crêpes, to sandwiches, salads, cakes, burgers and gluten free options. Surprise your taste buds with the “Erykah Badu” crêpe – all dishes are named after celebrities – or the “Omar Rodriguez-Lopez” burger!

Let It Be – Vegan Crêperie, Treptower Str. 90, 12059 Berlin-Neukölln

Open Wed-Fri 15-22h, Sat-Sun 13-22h, Tel: +49 30 52669368

photo: Let It Be

photo: berlijnblog

Berlin is certainly not Paris. It’s not known for being a city of love, maybe more for short-lived adventures? But regardless of Berlin’s rough nature, it does have an utterly romantic core. Something that you will only discover when you take the time to get to know it, and look underneath all it’s layers.

Beside the obvious places such as techno clubs, hipster cafes, co-working spaces, and cheap tourist attractions Berlin has a couple of truly unique places that a particular charm that I would describe as traditionally romantic. Imagine greek columns entwined by ivy, boot rides in fairytale-like forests, hidden rose gardens and bridges leading to palaces. It’s the stuff of Disney movies and Berlin has these kind of places too! Maybe you know some of them, but didn’t pay attention to recognize their true beauty. Or maybe you have never heard of them. Either way we would advise you to seek them out, maybe on your next date, maybe on your next family visit, or maybe by yourself with a good book. Enjoy our selection of the most romantic places of Berlin masterfully captured by some of our favorite Instagrammers (and myself).

The Bridge at Schloss Charlottenburg

This might be the most kitschy scenario in all of Berlin. A cute little bridge leading over the pond with the castle in the background. If this picture doesn’t strike your romantic muscles, nothing will!

photo: loewe7

Bürgerpark Pankow

This park and it’s lovely columns is one of the lesser known places of Berlin due to its slightly off-center location. But indeed it’s worth the trip to Pankow because a walk in this park can be quite picturesque.

photo: maryloo_berlin

The Waterfall

Berlin has a waterfall, did you know? It’s actually an artificial one so technically it’s just a gigantic water feature. But it does look nice how the water comes down the stones from the actual “Kreuz” mountain in Kreuzberg.

photo: uwa2000

The Hidden Rosegarden

This is another one that is slightly unknown: The hidden rose garden inside the Humboldthain park. You can see it clearly from the foot of the flak tower. You’ll find the entrance when you walk along the trail on the side of the park facing the railway tracks. It’s magnificent!

photo: berlijnblog

Märchenbrunnen

For the longest time the fairytale fountain at Volkspark Friedrichshain was a bit rough, no water and missing all of its fairytale statues. But since they got renovated and water is flowing again the place is back to it’s old charm. It’s actually a part of a larger garden area that stretches beyond the actual fountain.

photo: aggisnaps

The Tropical Grow House

The Tropenhaus of the Botanical Garden of Berlin is full of exotic plants and one of the grow houses is full of cacti. It makes you feel like you are in a completely different part of the world.

photo: skwii

Museumsinsel

The Museum Island might be one of the main tourist attractions, but it received this status for a reason. The magnificent buildings of the museums, the paths lined with columns, the bridges, the statues. All of this combined make a remarkable atmosphere in the right time of the day and with the right light.

photo: max10557

Cafe am Neuen See

The little lake called “Neuer See” at the cafe of the same name is a perfectly romantic place to have a boat ride for two in one of these cute little boats. You can rent them through the cafe and take off for a couple of hours.

photo: raedcaml

Clärchens Ballhaus

There is something about this one old forgotten lot in the modern Auguststraße in Mitte. It’s missing its front house which made space for an enchanting beer garden. The back house hosts a ball room for dance nights and upstairs there is an antique mirrored ball room for special events, concerts and dinners. A one-of-a-kind type of place in Berlin.

photo: Frank

Körnerpark

Last but not least one of my favorite parks in Berlin. Embedded into a quite urban kind of residential area in Neukölln it’s possibly the most unexpected sight in this neighborhood. Lowered down a few meters below street level, equipped with fountains, flower bushes, a gallery and cafe it’s the perfect little resort right in the middle of the city.

photo: Frank

And what are your favorite romantic places in Berlin? Let us know in the comments below. Bit shout-out to the talented Instagrammers who captured these places so beautifully and who inspired me to write this post. Follow them for more amazing photos of Berlin by clicking on the links below each of the photos.

Sarah P, photo: Fotini Chora

As mundane as it may sound, Berlin is the very definition of a melting pot. It has always reminded me of an immense theater stage, where all countries take their position and as soon as the lights start to dim, they begin interacting with each other; they fight, they love, they live, but most of all they constantly try to make their stories get heard as loud as possible. There is one thing they have always in common: they are fully in sync with their multicultural environment and in the case of Greece miles away from the picture drawn by Nia Vardalos’ Big Fat – filled with stereotypes, yet utterly entertaining – Greek Wedding.

Several Greek places around the world – cafes, restaurants, supermarkets, concerts etc. – have always made me feel like Alice in Wonderland, but to a more twisted and disturbing extent than Lewis Carroll’s bizarre universe. It is mostly the image of people being lost in their Greek microcosm, fully ignorant of the overwhelming benefits life abroad has to offer, that brings discontent to me. And it is then, when you realize that for some coming from the same place has developed into the one and only criterion of socializing with people.

However, this story is about those who have become citizens of the world and their Greek identity represents a part of it and not vice versa. Here a few examples of Greek businesses and artists active in Berlin who choose to work and live through the aforementioned identity.

Food

Kaffee A. Horn

The product of hard work of a Greek-German couple is one of the loveliest places to be in the heart of Kreuzberg. Kaffee A. Horn is open throughout the day and pleases anybody, who is up for breakfast, lunch, dinner or drinks. Alexandra and Ludwig, the owners of the all day bar-restaurant, also, take over catering responsibilities for small events. Should your bike be in dire need of repair, Ludwig’s brother would be more than willing to help you fix it in the cute bike shop inside the café.

Carl-Herz-Ufer 9, 10961 Berlin-Kreuzberg

photo: iHeartBerlin

Bitte Coffeehaus

You cannot visit Bitte Coffeehaus without trying their exquisite Greek delicacies. With coffee from local roasters, a myriad of cakes, wraps, cookies as well as special events, such as cacti sales and Venezuelan street food, Bitte will not let any of its visitors leave dissatisfied.

Glogauer Str. 6, 10999 Berlin-Kreuzberg

photo: Bitte Coffeehaus

Myxa

As much as overwhelmingly rewarding the experience of living abroad has been ever since finishing high school in Athens, there are two things I will constantly miss: the Mediterranean weather and the coffee. This is why every time I am basking in the sun with a so-called “freddo cappuccino” by Myxa on a Sunday morning has been surprisingly relaxing and rewarding. Don’t forget to ask the staff what the name of the place means in Greek and to try their delicious breakfasts.

Lenaustr. 22, 12047, Berlin-Neukölln.

photo: Myxa

Ousia

My main issue with restaurants serving Greek food around the world is that they tend to adapt their dishes to the culinary habits of the locals. For those, who wish to try Greek traditional food the same way, they would find it in Greece, check out this beautiful place belonging to the Gortsas family. Just be a bit patient until the 16th August though, when they reopen after their summer break.

Grünewalde Str. 54, 10825, Berlin-Schöneberg.

photo: Ousia

Mr Gyros

The difference between the various sorts of kebab and gyros will always remain a mystery to me, no matter how many times I have it explained. The interior of Mr Gyros resembles the traditional Greek grocery story of the past century. There are only a few tables here, but they are just enough to make the guests feel cozy. Besides enjoying the food, the guests can, also, buy Greek products and delicacies. Due to summer break they will remain closed until the 21st August.

Grünewalde Str. 54, 10825, Berlin-Schöneberg.

photo: Mr Gyros

Maini – Olive Oil

Nils, Miki, Dionisis and Jannis, 2 Berliners and 2 Greeks that met in an advertising agency a few years ago, came together and created a high quality organic extra native oil that is being sold all over Germany since 2011. The name refers to the first name of Mani, the place in Greece where the respective olives trees grow.

photo: Maini

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Design

Rianna in Berlin

Having tremendous experience in clothing and design, Rianna opened up her present vintage boutique  in Berlin in 2009 after the staggering success of her first store in Athens. 2014 was the year of another great accomplishment, as she founded  her own fashion and interior label RIANNA + NINA with Nina Kuhn. I can’t remember for how long I had a smile stuck on my face, when I visited one of her boutiques; they are truly an oasis of joy and creativity.

photo: RIANNA + NINA

* * *

Music

Sarah P.

Having started as the lead singer in the indie group Keep Shelly In Athens, Sarah P. recently released her debut album under the name “Who Am I” which she describes as an ode to humanity. Check out her work on Spotify. I am pretty sure you don’t encounter this kind of alternative pop very often.

Hara Katsiki

Whether it is drawing, painting, graphic & costume design, animation, music or illustration, the multiple times awarded Hara Katsiki has a wide palette of art forms at her disposal to express her talents and her wildly fascinating inner world. As she says herself “creation means everything to me” and her work stands as the undeniable proof.

photo: Hara Katsiki

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Film

Hellas Filmbox Berlin

2016 is the year, that gave birth to the first Greek Film Festival in Berlin. A great part of the  Greek movie industry was here to support this new undertaking last January. Don’t forget to visit the festival next year (18.-22.01.2017). Until then, people will have the chance to enjoy the awarded films all over Germany, since Hellas Filmbox Roadshow Revisited will visit several German cities in the upcoming months starting with Berlin in the cinema Babylon (18.-28.08.2016).

photo: Hellas Filmbox Berlin

* * *

Art

Fotini Chora

Having studied language programming, technical support, fashion styling, decoration design and visual arts, Fotini Chora has developed into a photographer, whose work makes it very hard to ignore. Her latest project “Der Traumraum” delves into the mysterious cosmos of the naked human body exploring every inch and side of it.

photo: Fotini Chora

Feel free to share any feedback or suggestions that would enrich this guide!

photo: Sasha Kharchenko

I have an irrational fear of new hair dressers. Now you might think that I am a diva and that cutting a men’s hair is actually not so hard and what should go wrong with short hair, right?. But believe me: growing up in east Germany taught me that the people with scissors in their hand cannot be trusted. For years I always went to the same hairdresser here in Berlin not because I thought the salon did an amazing job, but just because I thought they didn’t do any permanent damage.

But when I stumbled upon the beautiful Zins Hair Salon on my way to visit a friend at Körnerpark, I knew that the day arrived where I had to try out something new. The hair salon is owned by a charming lady called Nadine Zins and you immediately realize that there is a lot of passion behind the project. While cutting my hair Nadine told me enthusiastically how she created most of the furniture for the beautiful interior of the shop herself together with a friend who is a carpenter. Also, the concept of only using organic natural product is quite unique for the neighborhood and I like the fact that she selected all the beauty products with research and care.

A longtime fan of Neukölln Nadine wanted to contribute with her passion to the district. She succeeded in creating a unique place with a charming interior and top skilled team of professional hair dressers working for her. I love when I get the chance to stumble upon passionate micro-entrepreneurs in different neighbourhoods and when they cut my hair with style I love it even more. More snaps of the space and the address after the jump.

All photos: Sasha Kharchenko

ZINS Organic Haircare Salon

Thomasstr. 59
12053 Berlin

www.zins-ohcs.com

photos: Valerie-Siba Rousparast

Café and Papeterie Two and Two is one of those places that i knew i would love from the first sight. Set in the place-to-be north of Neukölln, it is surrounded by amazing burger places, international cuisine and great fast food. Nonetheless it stands out.

Two friendly faces of the lovely Two and Two staff.

Founded by Eri from Tokyo and Tose from Paris, Two and Two integrates both of their cultures and makes a perfect new style. The name of this café makes a lot of sense, seeing that the place combines two cuisines in one, two cultures, two owners and two concepts: café and stationery store. Food-wise this means that you get everything from fresh Baguette with salmon or goat cheese, Quiche and chocolate cakes to Onigiri, rice snacks to take-away after your visit.

For drinks they will serve you coffee creations, but also authentic Matcha tea, which works wonders and seems to wake you up even better than any Espresso. For warm days they have yuzu lemonade, lavender lemonade (i personally recommend this one!) or Iced Matcha Latte. For colder days they will make you a Black Sesame Latte, a nice drip-coffee or a french hot chocolate. You can’t go wrong with this, no matter what you order.

Not only does the always friendly team serve you their delicious creations, but they also sell you cute stationary, postcards, all kinds of pens and notebooks from Japan. So, if you are a creative or an aesthetic with a love for minimalistic design, you will love their small shop section.

Two and Two, Pannierstraße 6, 12047 Berlin-Neukölln

Open daily 10:00-18:30, phone: 030 53 79 15 78.