Five Berlin gems

Leon — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 01:25:54 +0000

If you’re like me, you hate tourists. Yet, there are certain things you must see when visiting a new city, like the Colosseum or Central Park. But as we strive for authenticity and originality, we look for stuff that’s outside the tourist agenda. Sometimes you’re lucky, and you find real gems, sometimes not. During my Berlin visit a couple of weeks ago, I came across these great places that I really recommend.

Café Morgenrot
This café captures the heart and soul of the young Berlin. Here, art students drink wine, eat vegan food and listen to loud electronic music. On the walls you’ll find racks with cultural and political magazines (need I say left-wing) and retro Atomkraft? Nein danke! badges. The atmosphere is so great, you won’t mind it’s cliché.
Kastanienallee 85 (Prenzlauer Berg)
U-Eberswalderstrasse

Silver Future
The process of gentrification that’s apparent in Berlin has not yet reached this part of town. This is clear when visiting Silver Future, a kneipe where hip people, lesbians and local turks meet to drink, smoke and eat snacks straight from the package. Great music too.
Weserstr. 206 (Neukölln)
U-Hermannplatz

Smart Travelling
If you’re a fan of slick travelling, you’ll fall in love with Smart Travelling. You’ll find it in a small hidden backstreet in the more upmarket shopping areas of Mitte. The handpicked selection of travelbooks, designer luggage tags, eyemasks, ultraportable toothbrushes and their own branded selection of neat flight accessories (called Flight Selection) make you wanna buy the whole shop.
Münzstr. 21HH (Mitte)
U-Weinmeisterstrasse

Dr. Pong
The only decoration you’ll find at Dr. Pong are black trashbags covering the windows. The main (and only) feature of the place is a ping-pong table. Starting the night with cheap beer and table tennis is genius, but make sure you bring your own racket, as people tend to get really competitive after a few Becks. Not what you’d expect from the slacker clientele. [Thanks Elin!]
Eberswalderstr. 21 (Prenzlauer Berg)
U-Eberswalderstrasse

Diener Tattersall
Not much has changed in this bistro since 1896 when it opened. If you want authentic and relatively cheap German food, this is definitely worth a trip to the more residential parts of former west-Berlin. For gourmets, this won’t exactly be a taste sensation of culinary sort. Rather, it’s about the atmosphere – authentic and unpretentious – that make you totally forget the fast-changing Berlin that’s going on outside. [Thanks Max!]
Grolmanstr. 47 (Charlottenburg)
S-Savignyplatz

The Planning Lab » Berlin

Five Berlin gems