Friedrichshain | iHeartBerlin.de

A Vegan Guide for Berlin

by Frank | Friedrichshain, Kreuzberg, Mitte, Neukölln, Prenzlauer Berg, Restaurants

photo: Ailine Liefeld

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 ecosystem 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 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.

The Most Awesome Vintage Shops in Berlin

by Guest Author | Charlottenburg, Friedrichshain, Kreuzberg, Mitte, Neukölln, Prenzlauer Berg, Shops

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!

The Most Iconic Fountains of Berlin

by Yasmin | Friedrichshain, Mitte, Places, Prenzlauer Berg, Schöneberg

photo: kaffeeeinstein / CC

What is the essence of a city? What is Berlin made of? As we already established, it is mostly made of the people inhabiting it. Berlin is a concrete jungle, with many beautiful buildings. Old architecture and new people mix well. They flow through the city like water in the canals. Water is life, water pulsates, water is the substance we are made of. And there is a lot of this substance in a metropolis like Berlin. Next to the Spree and the seas of the capital, there are other springs of water: Fountains. All over the capital you will find those sometimes grandiose, sometimes simple water oases.

But they are always architectural masterpieces, relics of other times, loaded with history and symbolic meanings. But they are also places to rest and dwell. On fountains, people who don’t know each other come together, people who have a date, people who are alone.

See ten of our favorite water places in Berlin and get some inspiration to plan your next walk in the city. Right after the jump.

Exploring Berlin: 24h in Friedrichshain

by Alicia | Bars, Cafés, Friedrichshain, Galleries, Products, Restaurants, Shops

photos: Alicia Kassebohm

Especially when we are overwhelmed with work, when something significant changes in our life, or when we simply leave our usual surroundings to a new place, this is when we notice our most valuable asset: time.

In Friedrichshain you have time to get lost, as well as time to find something you didn’t know you were looking for. It is a place for nostalgia, for living in the moment, but also for seeking the future. It is an unfinished place, where one of time’s most significant effects becomes very obvious: change.

You definitely notice that unfinished character just by walking down Warschauer Straße, seeing all the construction works, graffiti and improvised shops and galleries. It’s always in progress, always changing. But this is what makes it special, what makes all of Berlin special.

The new label Lilienthal Berlin wants to capture exactly this spirit with their brand new watch, representing the individualistic and unique character of the city that is always in between a state of tranquility and movement. The iconic design symbolizes both the diverse history, but also its colorful present and future with subliminal details and aesthetic quotes of the city. With the exchangeable leather wristbands and color options of the body and face, it is adaptable to its wearer as the city itself.

To celebrate the launch of today’s exclusive pre-sale of their first model – the Lilienthal Berlin L1, which comes in a limited edition of 1440, all designed in Berlin and manufactured in Germany – the label sent us on a 24h tour to explore our favorite places in Berlin. We took the watch with us on our way through Friedrichshain, always with the time on our side. Enjoy our highlights after the jump!

A Guide to Nonsmoker Friendly Bars in Berlin

by Yasmin | Bars, Charlottenburg, City Guide, Friedrichshain, Kreuzberg, Mitte, Neukölln, Prenzlauer Berg

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 your 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 is 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). read more…

10 Awesome Burger Places in Berlin

by Guest Author | Friedrichshain, Kreuzberg, Mitte, Prenzlauer Berg

When I moved from Denmark to Berlin in October 2014 I had no intentions of starting a food blog but of course I have always enjoyed eating burgers of any kind. Then I quit my call-center job in January and was thinking about starting this burger blog and so I did in February.

Denmark does not give you the chance to focus on for example burgers, it needs to be wider to survive. Because where I come from we do not have these magnificent burger places. The cliental is very limited and therefor only suitable for a franchise food chain. Copenhagen is the only place in Denmark where you can have a decent burger!  In Berlin I am totally ecstatic – there are literally burger joints “überall”. Some better than others of course but the standard is more than often high and the prices low. You can eat burgers from different cultures, Asian burgers and American burgers – big burgers and small burgers – expensive burgers and cheap burgers. Whatever you are searching for Berlin will provide food and shelter to your hunger!

For iHeartBerlin I created a list of 10 amazing burger places that include some of my favorites in town including brand new places and old beloved classics. I will not rank these burger joints but recommend every single one because to me they have something extra to offer. More burger reviews will follow on my blog Chessy Burger, but for now let’s enjoy these 10 amazing places.

11 Awesome Places for Breakfast & Brunch in Berlin

by Frank | Cafés, Charlottenburg, Friedrichshain, Kreuzberg, Mitte, Neukölln, Prenzlauer Berg

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 11 places in 6 districts of Berlin with a variety of breakfast and brunch options that will leave you craving for more. Enjoy your meal!

11 Awesome Outdoor Locations in Berlin

by Frank | Bars, Cafés, Clubs, Friedrichshain, Kreuzberg, Neukölln, Restaurants, Tiergarten

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!

Our 10 Favorite Parks in Berlin in Autumn

by Skylar | Friedrichshain, Kreuzberg, Neukölln, Places, Prenzlauer Berg, Tempelhof, Tiergarten, Wedding

photo: steffimarla

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.

The Heimat Bazaar & Street Food Market at Neue Heimat

by Frank | Bars, Friedrichshain, Market, Restaurants

In the past couple of days the fabulous Neue Heimat celebrated their season opening with a program full of street food, design booths, concerts and parties in their wonderful location at the area of the RAW in Friedrichshain. From now on Neue Heimat will be open from Thursdays til Sundays with live music, bars and snacks on Thursday and Friday night and street food and design markets on the weekend. Look out for special events and parties as well – this place is amping up for a fun 2015 season. We went to their new design market that has some well curated product, fashion and jewelry designers as well as artists and illustrators selling some cool stuff. The Heimat Bazaar is going to happen from now on every first Saturday of the month. Of course there is again going to be lots of street food at Neue Heimat, especially during their weekly Village Market on Sundays including newbies Tatas with their delicious waffles and their new invention the muffles, as well as awesome egg dishes from The Future Breakfast. Of course their are also the beloved favorites from last year such as the Italian sandwiches by Pic Nic 34 and the Schnitzel Burger by Schneeweiß. Check out our impressions after the jump on two pages.

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