A Hidden Gem in Berlin: The Noack Foundry & Bar Brass Restaurant

A Hidden Gem in Berlin: The Noack Foundry & Bar Brass Restaurant

left: artwork by Tony Cragg, right: Bar Brass. 

You all know the story of Alice in Wonderland, right? Young Alice falls down a rabbit hole one day and lands in a magical world unknown to her. That’s more or less what it’s like when you visit the Bildgießerei Noack in Berlin. Maybe you haven’t even thought about it, considering all the art to be discovered in Berlin. Why this should change as soon as possible, I tell you here.

Most of the time, all roads to art lead to the Museum Island – after all, there’s a lot to see there. But sometimes you get off the path. Then you may suddenly find yourself in front of an impressive industrial building that calls itself the Bildgießerei Noack. What at first glance is architecturally stunning carries in its interior the history of a long tradition: the casting of sculptures.

read more…

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.

read more…

15 Fantastic Projects & Places by Talented BIPoC in Berlin

15 Fantastic Projects & Places by Talented BIPoC in Berlin

La Case Paulette. photo: Vitaly Soroka. 

Celebrating and empowering Black communities should not just be limited to Black History month, but this is a good time for us to reflect on how we as individuals can help dismantle institutionalized racism in the spaces we occupy. 

To keep the conversations surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement from 2020 alive, it’s important to continue to do our part in uplifting BIPOC communities going forward. One way you can do so from your own home is by supporting Black-owned businesses and donating to community organizations. Needless to say, any contribution is particularly valuable during these times due to the negative financial impact of the ongoing pandemic.

To get you started, here is our curated list of Black-owned shops, restaurants, and organizations for you to get to know. Make a donation, share their pages on your social networks, enjoy a delicious takeaway meal or find your next favorite clothing item from our guide below.

read more…

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. 

read more…

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!

read more…

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.

read more…

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!

read more…

A Guide to Thai Creatives, Projects and Places in Berlin

A Guide to Thai Creatives, Projects and Places in Berlin

photo: Robert Rieger. 

Berlin is a generous and welcoming host to people from all around the world. Last week we gave you a glimpse into how you can experience Brazil in Berlin, but this week we’ve found the best bits of Thailand that exist right in our Berlin backyard. From Thai photographers, musicians and curators to great, authentic restaurants sprinkled around the city, you can find Thai culture right around the corner if you’re looking in the right places. 

Our guide has been created in collaboration with the newly formed collective un.thai.tled that is hosting a really interesting event this coming Saturday bringing together some of the best elements of Thai culture with the first edition of a “Thai Evening in Berlin”

Read on to see how you can experience Thai culture in the heart of Berlin.

read more…

Sharing is Caring – A Dinner with Friends at The Night Kitchen

Sharing is Caring – A Dinner with Friends at The Night Kitchen

Due to its slightly hidden location in a backyard of a quite touristy area of Mitte, it took me quite a long time to discover The Night Kitchen. But the restaurant concept from Isreal is quite the gem in such a unique space that it is absolutely worth checking out.

Combing the buzzing atmosphere of bars with a dining experience seems to be quite a thing in Tel Aviv. Isreali places like Yafo and Benedict already turned the German idea of restaurants totally upside down, and The Night Kitchen is continuing this concept. Their place really feels like a cool bar and even most of their tables have counter height. The idea to eat in a buzzing place like that adds a lot of excitement to the dining experience. Not matter if you sit outside in the garden, or inside in the cozy bar, it never gets boring. The service also has the same warm and friendly vibe (with a dash of Isreali sass) you might remember from your last trip to Tel Aviv, it’s much less formal and stiff than most regular places. It’s certainly a breath of fresh air.

If you expect only hummus and eggplant on the menu you really have to think again. It’s full of great seafood including prawns, octopus, and seabass – to name just a few. But also on the meat side, The Night Kitchen has a lot to offer. The short ribs are excellent, but the real surprise was the Balkan Chicken with sweet potatoes which were our favorite of the night on our first visit. It’s really rare I will say this about a chicken dish.

read more…

Discover the South-West of Berlin: A Guide to Steglitz

Discover the South-West of Berlin: A Guide to Steglitz

photos: Liz Ketcham. 

When I first moved to Steglitz around two years ago, I was just happy to have found a place. Since my last room was located some distance away from most public transportation, being only 10 minutes away from the Ring seemed like a definite upgrade. Over time, I realized that in moving to Steglitz, I might have inadvertently found a dream location: the South-West Berlin charm, the peace and quiet, and the maybe somehow illusory feeling of anonymity since few of my friends ever wander around here. For this particular guide, I teamed up with Franzi, who’s originally from the hood, and together, we came up with a list of places to visit around Rathaus Steglitz. Regardless whether you’re looking for a new place to live or for a surprising day trip destination, we hope you enjoy this article!

read more…