Like a music fairytale: the iHeartBerlin picnic at Staatsoper für Alle

Like a music fairytale: the iHeartBerlin picnic at Staatsoper für Alle

Summer arrives with one of our favorite events of the year: “Staatsoper für Alle” – the annual open-air classical music festival on Bebelplatz. And as every year, we have another special picnic pop-up for our readers to win seats for.

Emotions, pathos, singing, and fans: what sounds like a short and sweet description of the currently omnipresent European Football Championship applies just as much to the world of opera. And every summer, one of the core objectives of the Staatsoper Unter den Linden is to bring opera to life for everyone. 

Every year, Bebelplatz is transformed into a fantastic backdrop for classical and opera music.  As part of the free open-air concert Staatsoper für Alle on July 12 and 13, fans of classical music and those who might want to become one can let themselves be carried away by the music of the Staatskapelle Berlin. So if you want to use the break in the European Championship drama on both days to indulge in the drama of the opera, you can simply drop by at the free event. And even if you weren’t a fan of opera music in the past, attending this event may change your perspective. 

Last year alone, over 33,000 people came to Bebelplatz to listen to the musical sounds of Verdi and Bruckner. This year, the opera performance of Melancholy of Resistance will be broadcast live on 12.7. and on 13.7. Wagner and Strauss are on the program, whose timeless pieces deal with the twists and turns of love and human nature. 

Be there – our picnic pop-up at Staatsoper für Alle
As we know that all this can be overwhelming for those who have never attended this event before or have had little exposure to classical music, we at iHeartBerlin give our readers the opportunity to experience this event in a more intimate circle every year. We are giving away 3×2 places for a picnic with us before and after the concert.

Dates of the picnic:
Date: 13.07, 19.00
Place: Bebelplatz
Participants: You & your BFF
What: Live concert by the Staatskapelle

Although the joint picnic with our readers has now become a tradition, it remains a very special kind of get-together that is as unique each time as the people we get to meet.

To make the picnic a visual and culinary delight, this year PicknickDeluxe 030 is equipping us with their amazing setup and delicacies from Meo Meo’s Kitchen, which are not only pretty to look at but also incredibly tasty. Meo Meo’s Kitchen is run by Kim and her husband Tuan. They are well known in the Berlin street food scene and have permanent stalls in Mauerpark on Sundays and in Thaipark on Saturdays and Sundays. Together with Katharina the founder from PicknickDeluxe030, they now also offer picnic boxes and catering for large groups.

To take part in the raffle for a place on our picnic blanket, simply do the following:
1. Follow us on Instagram to make sure our messages get through to you if you win.
2. Comment on this post with your favorite opera and tag your friend who you would like to take with you.
3. Check your inbox on 10.7. – we’ll let the winners know via DM. 

Staatsoper für Alle is organized by the Staatsoper Berlin in collaboration with its long-standing partner BMW, which supports the opera in making this event free for everyone and providing access to classical music.

An Unforgettable Experience at the New Resto-Bar Bellboy Berlin

An Unforgettable Experience at the New Resto-Bar Bellboy Berlin

A few weeks ago we had the pleasure to be invited to try out a brand new resto-bar in Berlin and we finally want to share our experience with you today. 

Bellboy Berlin is a concept bar that comes from Israel and much like other places from there such as Benedict, Night Kitchen, and Shishi, you can expect an overall experience for the senses and heart and not just a regular restaurant visit.

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The Best Concept Stores for Gift Shopping in Berlin

The Best Concept Stores for Gift Shopping in Berlin

If you are looking for a cute thing as a gift for a friend, loved one or even just for yourself it’s sometimes not so easy to know where to start looking, right? But don’t worry, that’s what we are here for. We went through our mental archive of all the shops in Berlin to find those that would fit the bill for this very purpose and came up with a cute little list of the best concept stores in Berlin that are perfect for gift shopping.

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Berlin Global: The New Interactive Exhibition About Berlin and its Place in the World

Berlin Global: The New Interactive Exhibition About Berlin and its Place in the World

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Since our first blog post, we have been dedicated to capturing and documenting Berlin in its many facets so that the whole world can have a glimpse of this wonderful city. It has always been important to us that we address both the residents of this city, as well as visitors, no matter how long they are here and no matter where they originally come from. Our special focus is on those people who have come here and brought a piece of the part of the world they came from with them when making their projects. Because Berlin is never just Berlin – it’s a potpourri with influences from all over the world. And that’s a good thing.

The new interactive exhibition BERLIN GLOBAL, which ceremoniously opened last week in the new Humboldt Forum, takes exactly the opposite approach here, showing Berlin with all the footprints that this city has left behind in the world. We find this approach extremely exciting, which is why we took a closer look at the exhibition.

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The Most Amazing Bookshops in Berlin

The Most Amazing Bookshops in Berlin

With most places closed during these months, there is really very little we can do these days, not even going shopping. It’s been an interesting time for us not really being able to give you the guides we are used to compiling. But there is one last type of place that has not yet closed during the lockdown: Book shops! We already have a guide about book shops, but we noticed some places have closed and some are new, so it’s time for a new one!

With the rise of the digital and our attention span shrinking by the minute, it’s actually a miracle that so many cool book shops still exist and have not been killed by online mega shops. We’re glad that there are so many people out there still appreciating physical books and we hope it stays like that. Berlin has a lot to offer in terms of book shops, from big to small, from mixed to super-specialized. We picked some of our favorite book shops that offer a variety of different books. We hope they give you a place to head out to when you wanna leave your house for a change. Happy reading!

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11 Exciting New Restaurants in Berlin to Try Out This Year

11 Exciting New Restaurants in Berlin to Try Out This Year

KINK. photo: Robert Rieger. 

An annual selection of new restaurant openings is a staple of iHeartBerlin. Unsurprisingly, this year our list is a bit delayed and doesn’t showcase quite as many places as usual. But even in spite of all the challenges brought on by the pandemic, there are some new restaurant openings to celebrate and support. 

Every single one of the eleven restaurants listed below offers something different. You’ll find such diverse offerings as Nepalese dumplings, Neapolitan pizza, Vietnamese rice porridge, or Swedish meatballs, along with many vegan versions available! Most of the places are relatively affordable, but make no mistake: those looking to elevate their restaurant experience should not be disappointed. 

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A Tel Aviv Double Pack in Berlin: Shani and her Restaurants Yafo & Shishi

A Tel Aviv Double Pack in Berlin: Shani and her Restaurants Yafo & Shishi

photos: Roger Sabaté.

One of the most rewarding parts of running iHeartBerlin is getting to know some of the most interesting people in Berlin. Throughout the years I was able to connect and make friends with talented designers, musicians, artists, as well as entrepreneurs, event makers and creative people with fantastic projects. They all contributed greatly to what makes iHeartBerlin unique and inspiring to so many others. And I am glad to be able to support them with my platform and connect them with collaborators and audiences.

For our interview series iHeartBerliner we sat together with one of those inspiring people of Berlin: Shani Ahiel, owner of Shishi and Yafo. We talked with her about running two restaurants in a male-dominated gastronomic scene, about life in Berlin as an Israeli and so much more. Shani shared with us her experience of building up a business in a foreign city, how life here feels like compared to Tel Aviv and what interesting encounters she made because of her restaurants. Enjoy the video below!

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Aperitivo Berlino: A Guide to the Best Aperitif Bars in Berlin

Aperitivo Berlino: A Guide to the Best Aperitif Bars in Berlin

The days are heating up again, the evenings are getting longer and the desire to share a cool aperitif with friends is pulling many Berliners out of their homes. The streets are filling up again with lively people, craving to catch up on the latest news from their friends, seeking the next delicious glass of Aperol Spritz. To give you some ideas on how to start the upcoming warm summer nights, we would like to introduce you to some great aperitif bars in Berlin.

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These Awesome Berlin Restaurants Offer Home Deliveries

These Awesome Berlin Restaurants Offer Home Deliveries

photo: Cookies Show. 

Normally around this time of the year, we would offer you a guide of the newest restaurants in Berlin. Well, things went a little differently this year and now we found ourselves scouting through various websites, Instagram accounts and Facebook pages to find out which of our favorite Berlin joints is actually still open and cooking during the current lockdown and – more importantly – who is doing home deliveries so we can avoid leaving our quarantine. We put together a quite eclectic mix of different styles of restaurants from fine dining to street food, and we also tried to cover places across the city.

Keep in mind some of these restaurants are only making their first experiences with deliveries, so be patient with them. It’s a tough situation for the entire gastronomic scene. It might be worth keeping tuned to their channels for any changes in regards to times and delivery terms. We’ve linked the most helpful website or social media account of each place in the texts below. Guten Appetit!

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