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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by Frank | Kreuzberg, Mitte, People, Restaurants
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.
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by Frank | Mitte, Restaurants
photo: Layla.
Not even a year has passed since our last new Berlin restaurants round-up of 2018. But my list of interesting new openings has already surpassed 10 so it’s about time for another one for 2019!
The last couple of months have brought us quite an interesting wave of new gastronomic projects. Some hail from already established entrepreneurs while others are complete newbies in the food scene of the city. While recent years showed a slight tendency towards more exquisite places I feel this year it’s quite balanced including something for everyone.
In our selection, you’ll find some creative fine dining, Asian delights from China, Korea, and Japan, a new Syrian place, of course, another cool new pizza joint, and also some hearty down-to-earth kitchen.
EDIT Dec 2021: We deleted some restaurants from the listicle that have already closed down since the writing of this guide.
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by Frank | Charlottenburg, Friedrichshain, Kreuzberg, Mitte, Neukölln, Restaurants, Schöneberg, Wedding
photo: Norman Poznan
How can you live in a building having such a history? One of my friends whatsapped me, after I told him about my neighbor, Flora Friedel Brandt. I get that a lot from people, how can I live in a city like Berlin, as a Jew, as an Israeli. How can I live in a city that didn’t want us before, that sent Flora away from here.
Flora Friedel Brandt was born as Flora Friedel Silber, on October 11, 1866. Flora was a Jew, a Berliner. Fire, she was living in Schöneberg in West Berlin. Then she moved to Wedding, “Little Turkey” of today. Finally, she had moved to Pappelallee 3 in Prenzlauer Berg at the east side of Berlin. Where she lived until Tuesday, June 16, 1942, when Nazi soldiers entered her building to take her. The soldiers evacuated Flora from her home, and sent her 260 kilometers south, to Theresienstadt Ghetto, in modern Czechoslovakia.
Theresienstadt Ghetto was flora’s new home for three months, until September 19, 1942. On that day, along with many other Jews, she was crammed into a beef freight train. The train was heading to a destination unknown to any of its passengers.
I find it hard to believe that Flora trusted the soldiers who told her she was heading to a new work camp, as she was boarding this crammed freight train, on a Saturday, going about 700 kilometers east, to the Treblinka Death Camp.
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by Guest Author | Stories
The idea of a place that offers breakfast around the clock already sounds pretty amazing considering I love breakfast and I tend to start the day quite late. But combine this with an unbelievable diverse and extensive selection of breakfast dishes that are typical in different countries, this makes it pretty much a paradise to me.
Benedict Berlin offers exactly that and has pretty much hit a nerve not only with me, but with a lot of people in Berlin. Only a few months old the place is already super popular and that even despite its unusual location in Wilmersdorf. But the commute to this place is absolutely worth it, because nowhere else will you get a variety and especially with such good quality here in Berlin.
The concept hails all the way from Israel where it is already a huge success with several stores. Benedict Berlin is their first branch in a different country and, oh my, are we lucky that they try different waters first here with us. Well, I guess the reputation of the Berliners to be crazy for new things reaches quite far.
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by Frank | Cafés, Charlottenburg