O.A.K. – A Café to Fall in Love with in Neukölln

O.A.K. – A Café to Fall in Love with in Neukölln

photo: Martina Trovato

With all the cool and cozy cafes in Neukölln, O.A.K. definitely stands out as one of the most delightful. It’s not only the ideal place to sip a cup of a well-brewed Italian cappuccino while chatting with your friends, but also a nice spot to get some work done on your laptop and fill your belly with homemade delicacies.

O.A.K. Cafè is run by a joyful Italian couple: Giulia and Martino (plus the cute glasses-wearing koala in a Hawaii shirt enjoying a coffee, the symbol of O.A.K.). I am personally a loyal customer and it’s always a pleasure to have a word with them.

read more…

A Guide to the Portuguese Community in Berlin

A Guide to the Portuguese Community in Berlin

Berlin wouldn’t be the melting pot brimming with inspiration that we love if it wasn’t for the international influences from expats that never cease to shape the city with their artistic vision. The time has come to highlight the creative masterminds in the Portuguese community in Berlin. Get ready to meet a diverse crew of uninhibited artists – photographers, writers, digital illustrators, musicians – who aren’t afraid to experiment and venture beyond the conventions. By the way, we’ve asked around and got the top recommendations on where to get Portuguese wine and their famous Pastel de Nata – make sure you scroll to the bottom!

read more…

10 Amazing Cafes for Breakfast, Brunch & Coffee in Berlin

10 Amazing Cafes for Breakfast, Brunch & Coffee in Berlin

When it comes to breakfast cafes I have to admit that I tend to always go to the same places, mostly my neighborhood cafe around the corner. But in the last year or so there have been so many cool new cafes opening up around various neighborhoods in Berlin that I thought it was about time to make a new version of our super popular breakfast & brunch places guide. This old guide still holds a lot of great places that are total classics now for Berlin, but this new guide should finally give some chance to newer cafes in town! Enjoy our list…

read more…

Exploring Kreuzberg: A Guide to Graefekiez

Exploring Kreuzberg: A Guide to Graefekiez

photos: Amanda Artiaga

When you make your way from Kottbusser Tor down to Hermannplatz, you’ll get Kreuzberg as you imagine it to be: Loud, busy, weird and colorful. You pass Doenershops, Spaetis, and stores that sell so many cheap and unnecessary things you start questioning what they actually make their money with. If you walk straight down Kottbusser Damm, you wouldn’t necessarily guess that one of Kreuzberg’s most beautiful “Kieze” is just to your right. But as usual in Berlin, you can just turn around one corner and the whole scenery turns upside down.

The Graefekiez won’t be your new go-to hotspot for activities after nightfall, due to strict noise regulations after 22h in this neighborhood. However, all its lovely cafes, delicious restaurants, cute little shops and streets where one beautiful old building stands next to the other, make Graefekiez the perfect destination for a relaxed ‘lil Saturday or Sunday afternoon excursion. We picked a few spots that you should definitely check out.

read more…

10 Amazing Places in Berlin that will take you by Surprise

10 Amazing Places in Berlin that will take you by Surprise

photo: Funkhaus Berlin. 

In all of the years that I have been living in Berlin the city never ceases to surprise me with new incredible places, no matter if they are incredible buildings, stunning interiors, unusual locations or innovative concepts. When people who are planning to come to Berlin or are already here but want to experience something new, they often ask me about places like that and where they can find them. My first reaction is always that I am missing the right answers because all the places are so familiar to me, after 18 years, what can truly still surprise me. But then I think back to the moments when I first discovered those incredible places, sometimes even before I had seen pictures of them, and how they made me feel. With this memory in mind I curated the following list of amazing places that will take you by surprise when you first visit them. Our readers who are more familiar with the city might know a lot of them already, but maybe we manage to have at least a couple that you don’t know yet.

read more…

A Guide to Schöneberg’s Beautiful Akazienkiez

A Guide to Schöneberg’s Beautiful Akazienkiez

Schöneberg, Schöneberg…? Surely, some people who aren’t yet familiar with the city won’t know that Schöneberg is one of Berlin’s neighborhoods because that’s exactly what happened to me. For decades Schöneberg was the epicenter of Berlin’s creative underground, but today you will find Berlin’s interesting, cool, and artsy vibe in most of the Eastern neighborhoods. This unique atmosphere that makes people from all over the globe want to move to the German capital. That way some neighborhoods like Kreuzberg have kept their cool and edgy reputation over the years. But, as you can already imagine, there’s much more than meets the eye in Berlin’s west, especially in Schöneberg. Yes, if you are new in town Schöneberg is still worth a visit and we are going to explore some of its curious locations and little wonders.

FYI: Because Schöneberg is quite an extense neighborhood, I have focused on a specific area which it’s the Akazienkiez and places near The Red Island. In a map, you can see a distinctive triangle-shaped area of Schöneberg bordered by railway lines S1, U7 and the Ringbahn of Berlin. It was called like that due to the left-wing supporters that lived in that specific neighborhood.

read more…

The Future Breakfast: A Brand New Breakfast Delight in Neukölln

The Future Breakfast: A Brand New Breakfast Delight in Neukölln

photos: Sabrina Hubert

Announcing The Future Breakfast as a novelty in Berlin is not doing them justice. Katie and Flo, the lovely team behind the new cafe in Neukölln, have been around with their project for a few years now serving their delicious egg and avocado dishes from their little food caravan at various street food markets, events and locations. But after all those years on the streets it was about time to settle down. So they rented their own space at Böhmische Straße in Neukölln, beautifully renovated it and opened their charming cafe to the public over the Easter weekend this year. Their launch was a huge success and their tasty dishes filled the bellies of many happy customers – and many more to come.

read more…

Sustainable Berlin: Amazing Zero Food Waste Projects for a Better Future

Sustainable Berlin: Amazing Zero Food Waste Projects for a Better Future

photo: Elaine Casap

Old habits die hard. Not that this is an excuse for avoiding change, but… they just do. When you, like most of us, grew up in this affluent society of ours, you are used to groceries always being available to you. That yoghurt in the back of the fridge, that you forgot when you went away for a few days… oh well, sheepishly throw it away, you can get a new one today. That take away food, that you didn’t end up eating in the end – bye, there’s the bin. Again, you bought 10 eggs and ended up eating 3? If you are recognizing yourself right now, this article is for you!

There is that indifference, in all of us. But if global food waste was a country, it would be the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases next to China and the USA. Unshaped fruit and vegetables, overproduced goods, portions at restaurants that are too large or expired groceries that are still fine to consume – all of it ends up in the bin, even though it is still perfectly fine to eat. Food waste is on of our biggest problems today and the fight against it should become habitual. This is why we are giving a shoutout to these awesome Berlin-based food projects that are taking a stand against it.

read more…

A Guide to Syrian Creatives, Projects & Places in Berlin

A Guide to Syrian Creatives, Projects & Places in Berlin

photo: Bernhard Musil

For a new feature from our series of articles presenting different cultures in Berlin that already featured the Greeks, Poles, or the Turkish people we want to showcase some of the most interesting things that Syrian people have brought to Berlin. Our listicle is simply brimming with versatile talent – among others we’ve got a Youtuber, several artists, writers and dancers, and – of course – a DJ.

We also highlight a bunch of great social initiatives created either by or in cooperation with Syrians that you shouldn’t miss. Last but not least, scroll right to the bottom of the article to find the best locations for Syrian food that Berlin has to offer!

read more…

The Ur-Berliner Guide Curated by Born & Raised Berliners

The Ur-Berliner Guide Curated by Born & Raised Berliners

photos: Amanda Artiaga

There are so many reasons why we heart Berlin. In a fast-paced city like ours, it’s hard to keep track. People move in and out, places come and go. What one person loves about this city, might be completely unknown to others, and possibly gone before they even find out about it. Every city guide, every restaurant recommendation, list of cafés, clubs or bars can only give little indications and reflect someone else’s love for this city, but in the end why you love Berlin, is your own story.

Those who have been born and raised in Berlin, and, after all these years, still decide to call Berlin their home, have a genuine love story to tell. We asked some of these ‘Ur-Berliners’, with lifelong experience how they would spend a day in Berlin. The results are a collection of hidden gems and nostalgic places that never lose their charm. #whyiheartberlin

read more…