Kauf Dich Glücklich

Oderbergerstrasse 44, Prenzlauerberg

U2: Eberswalderstrasse

Opening hours:

Mon-Fri: noon til 1am

Sat-Sun: 10am til 1am

This small, cosy cafe, whose name translates to something like "Buy yourself happy", certainly does envoke a jolly feeling in everyone who steps inside. OK, well I don't actually know that, but if you aren't jollifed by this little joint then there's pretty much no hope for you. Fresh waffles and homemade ice-cream are the reason you'll see queues trailing out of the shop on a Sunday afternoon. The waffles come in a variety of flavours (chocolate, cinnamon etc.) and toppings (cheeries, cream, sprinkles, fruit etc.). Crepes, milkshakes, coffee etc. are also on the menu. You pay right at the start at the counter which I love cos then you can sit there for ages without someone always having their beedy eye on you.

As with the whole of Prenzlauerberg, it's all about that chic but retro look although this place manages to pull it off without appearing pretentious. You can even take the retro furniture home with you: everything you see you can buy!

Go here on a Sunday afternoon and jaunt down to the Mauerpark flea market down the road afterwards.

Fundus Verkauf

Behrenstrasse 14
UBahn Unter den Linden
This place is a treat to say the least. It's basically where old opera props go to die. Or in this case, where they go to be sold off to really eccentric, rich people. I more lovingly refer to the Fundus Verkauf as the "Fairytale Brothel" because that's kind of what it reminds me of. It's two stories and probably 6 or so rooms brimming with old props and costumes from productions put on by the Komischer Oper. Because the Komisher Oper is known for it's eccentricity, the props are fittinglly unique/colorful/bejeweled and bedazzled and when they are no longer needed, they are sent to the Verkauf to be sold off for a hefty price. Most people probably couldn't afford anything in here (well most people like me at least) but I've had oodles of fun just browsing through the rooms and imagining where I would put that 1500euro, fuchsia, crushed velvet set of dresser drawers. It's just a fun place to spend some time if you're in the neighborhood or to take people when they come and visit you and you have been tour guiding them along the historical (sometimes boring) Unter den Linden for hours.

Cafe Sorgenfrei

Goltzstrasse 17
Ubahn Eisenacherstrasse or Nollendorfplatz
Gotta love this cafe! With a name like Sorgenfrei (care free) you know you're in for a real, relaxing treat. This cafe, presumably run by a gay couple, the presumption being that they are a couple, not that they are gay, is a sweet wholesome trip back to yesteryear. It's sort of a 50's and 60's themed cafe/ antiques shop that mixes the decor with the merchandise. In fact, check the chair you are sitting in because it is probably for sale. The men behind the counter run everything with a sort of sweet, simple, elegance. All the baked goods are homemade everyday and the coffee comes with a giant lady finger instead of a measly tea cookie like in most cafes. This place is does kitsch really well and I think it's safe to say that any time you pass here, whether chatting with friends or reading alone, will be whimsical...and gay.

Cafe Bilderbuch

Akazienstrasse 28
UBahn Eisenacherstrasse

This is a unanimous favorite among friends here. It's probably the coziest of all the cafes I've been in and is best experienced at night. There is a front parlor area with tables and a few sofas that is perfectly acceptable but the back room, just past the kitchen and the bathrooms is where it's at. It's decorated like a cross between your grandmother's sewing room and your tenured professor father's study. There are doll houses and comfy sofas, mismatched chairs and tables, and walls of bookshelves filled with books free for the taking, reading, and putting back. There is usually some sort of live band performing on a small stage at the center of the room and sometimes, if the stage is free, one of the regular guests will seize the piano bench and the spotlight to play an impromptu something. Sometimes it's magical, sometimes it's annoying. It really just depends. Bilderbuch offers some great breakfast options, all fairytale themed, and nice daily specials and soups (the lentil soup is always nice). My favorites are their dessert options. They offer several daily and revolving cakes to choose from, an ample ice cream menu and really great apple strudel.
Warning: Never get the nachos.
If you like jazz music, go to Bilderbuch around 9pm on Wednesday nights to see The Live Jazz Trio. It's like watching the cutest live action gnomes you've ever seen "slappin' that bass". They're really entertaining and it's just a great atmosphere.

Cafe Sur

Akazienstrasse 7
UBahn Eisenacherstrasse
Berlin has a huge cafe culture. Going to a cafe and reading a book or a newspaper or chatting with friends for a while is a completely acceptable way to spend a morning, afternoon, or evening here. One of my favorite cafes is called Cafe Sur. You'll begin to notice that most of the places I mention are on or near Akazienstrasse because it's really near where I live, and like most people here, I'm staunchly loyal to my own neck of the woods. I've spent many many hours in this cafe for several reasons.
A. The staff. The staff is incredibly friendly which is sometimes a commodity here. I've never once been "Englished" there and there is one waitress in particular who is always jolly and generally good natured. Nina and I have a theory that she used to be a dancer of some sort because she has a certain posture and a graceful way of moving that reminds us a bit of a ballet dancer. She also wears this totally sick straw cowboy hat when it's sunny out. I want to be her best friend.
B. The ambiance. Ambiance is always one of my top priorities and this place is just really cozy and inviting, especially in winter. It's something about the lighting I guess and maybe the dark wood furniture.
C. The food. Obviously, this should be the number one draw. I always order a normal cup of coffee which is a strong, tasty Italian coffee or the cappuccino. If you order the cappuccino, you can order it with a piece of dark chocolate on the side for like 10 cents more and it's definitely worth it. They've got really nice wines from France, Italy, and Germany and, though I've never tried the beer, my friend Sam has and he usually gets their Spanish beer because he says it tastes the best. Their cakes are delicious and if you're interested in a Kaffee und Kuchen experience this is a great place to have it. I like the lemon tart and the chocolate cheese cake best. Finally, and most importantly, GET THE CHEESE PLATE! This is the best deal and greatest thing on the menu. A large cheese plate is enough for three people and has something like five or six different cheeses on it that change all the time, marinated veggies, roasted nuts, and comes with a great variety of breads all for 5 euros.
Seriously, this is my personal favorite and I'm sure if you make a trip to Cafe Sur you'll won't be disappointed.

Turkish Delight

The Turks are the largest ethnic minority in Berlin and without them, midnight snacks would be far harder to come by. Plus you know, we love the ethnics. The two Bezirks of Kreuzberg and Neukölln have a thriving Turkish population and thus, plenty of fucking awesome grub. While döner immediately springs to mind, the Turkish/Middle Eastern cuisine does in fact extend beyond this: falafel, shawarma, baklava to name but a few.
In order to avoid a disappointing döner experience where the meat makes up two thirds of the portion and the grease the other third (although this is actually England's speciliaty, far harder to find over here) or something similar, we've come up with a list the best of best of Turkish food in Berlin.

Mustafa's

Warthestrasse, Neukölln. U8/S41/S42: Hermannstrasse
Mehringdamm, Kreuzberg. U7/U6: Mehringdamm (right next to the UBahn station)
Opening hours: daily noon til late

Look, this place has a Facebook group devoted to it ("if there's no mustafa in heaven, i'd rather go to hell.") so you know it's made it. Don't let the measly member numbers (28) put you off- this is an underground gem so you better get in on it before all the cool kids do.
Reasons Mustafa's döners are the best:
1. The vegetables are amazing, not your typical döner veg: courgettes, peppers, potatoes, carrots etc.
2. The meat used is chicken. Don't know about you, but I fucking love a bit of chicken.
3. Feta cheese spinkled on top for the final touch.
4. Well cheap. 2 Euro 50 last time I went.

Tigris

Simon-Dach-Strasse 11, Friedrichshain. U1/SBahn: Warschauer Strasse
Opening hours: daily 11am-2am

Yummy falafel and shawarma but best of all are the hommus wraps. Comfy cushions too, always important. You can also sit outside in the summer.

Habibi's

Akazienstrasse, Schöneberg. U7: Eisenacherstrasse
Goltzstrasse 24, Schöneberg. U7: Eisenacherstrasse
Körtestrasse, Kreuzberg. U7: Südstern
Oranienstrasse 30, Kreuzberg. U8/U1: Kottbusser Tor
Opening hours: daily 10am-2am

Pretty fit falafels, as well as other Middle Eastern fare. Something that has to be tried: the pistachio balls aka little, green ball things.

Street Smarts

We obviously had to think long and hard about what our first post would be. You know, we couldn't just kick this shiz off with any random piece of crap. It had to be both relevant and introductory. So, we present to you as our very first post: The Street Smart Guide to Streets We Like.

One of our very favorite activities is jaunting. We like to take lovely long walks down random Berlin streets with no particular destinations in mind. Two simpletons walking and looking at stuff. It doesn't get more "special" than that. Generally the makeup of a good street includes nice buildings, some foliage, interesting people, good cafes and restaurants, the occasional park or two, and NO homeless people mucking up the ambiance.
With that in mind here is a list of rather nice streets to jaunt down.

Akazienstrasse: Ubahn Eisenacherstrasse
Goltzstrasse: Ubahn Nollendorfplatz
If you start at Akazien, it turns into Glotz. There are tons of really nice cafe's and restaurants (mostly Asian, Indian, and Italian but with the occasional French or Middle Eastern gem), beautiful buildings, tree lined sidewalks, and it all sort of culminates at Winterfeldplatz where there are some great benches you can sit on and people watch. If you're really lucky you'll see the "soul skater." He's an amazing specimen of a man. He has long dreads, wears hot pants and a fishnet top, and does this incredible choreographed hip hop dance number on roller blades. A sight which must be seen to be believed. Also at Winterfeldplatz is a great market on Saturdays and Sundays, one of Berlin's finest actually and well worth a visit.

"soul skater"

Bergmanstrasse/Mehringdam: UBahn Mehringdam
Mehringdam has some nice cafes and a really cool second hand shop. Bergmanstrasse is a GREAT street for eating and drinking! It is literally lined with cafes and delicious restaurants, and is punctuated with a great park called Victoriapark. It has a huge waterfall and is a nice place take a book and spend some relaxing moments.

Kastanienalle: UBahn Eberswalderstrasse
This street is pretty popular with the "too cool for school" sect but you can definitely see the appeal. It is really colorful and entertaining and boasts lots of restaurants with cheap but quality food choices especially if you are a vegetarian. There's also a really great playground at the end of the street that has a super sick trampoline, several table tennis tables, swings, and a jungle gym and is all space themed. It's best in the evening when all the little kiddies have headed home to bed. This street also has a pretty famous biergarten on it called the BerlinerPrater.

Simon Dach Strasse: UBahn SBahn Warschauerstrasse or SBahn Ostkreuz
This street is always busy especially at night and has a concentration of bars so it's perfect if you are lazy and like to pub crawl. It also has nice restaurants and cheaper Imbiss style places that are yummy and perfect for the drunken munchies.

Kolwitzplatz: UBahn Seenefelderplatz
Has a very nice park rife with adorable fat babies and cafes to boot. It also has a bustling Saturday market.

There are just so many streets and so little time to make our way down them all. These are just a few to get you started. Don't spend all your time trapped underground on the UBahn. Try and walk places and get yourself lost. You never know what kinds of treasures you'll stumble upon:)