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.