So this was my fourth time in Berlin (or fifth?) and as I only had four days, I decided to focus on places I hadn't seen before and ended up following many of Bri's tips. The weather was glorious so I couldn't picture myself spending hours indoors and ended up cycling A LOT. Berlin is a huge city so I knew there was no point in being too ambitious for this amount of time. AND I was also very keen on spending time reading in cafés (okay... bars) instead of running from one place to another. I started compiling a list of my favourite addresses, it's just a start but hopefully it'll grow over time.
MITTE:
Bookworm:
• Do you read me? - Magazine Shop
• RSVP - Paper Shop
• P&T - Concept Store: Paper & Tea
Shopping:
• Alte Schönhauser Strasse + Neue Schönhauser Strasse (Aesop, & Other Stories, COS...)
Eat & Drink:
• Mamecha - Green Tea Café & Japanese Food
• District Môt - Vietnamese Food
Next time:
• Monsieur Vuong - recommended by Toril.
• Shiso Burger - recommended by Bri.
KREUZBERG:
Spend time at:
• Modulor - Art Material Store
Eat:
• Kimchi Princess - Korean Food
They have two other places: Angry Chicken & Mani Mogo (on my to-do list for my next visit).
Coffee:
Good to know:
• Oranienstrasse, between Oranienplatz and Görlitzer Bahnhof: plenty of bars, café and restaurants.
• Paul-Lincke-Ufer, perfect summer spot along the river, that's where you find Concierge and a few other restaurants.
KURFÜRSTENDAMM:
• What Do You Fancy Love? - Coffee & Bagels
• C/O Berlin - Photography
• Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church - one of my favourite sights in Berlin, it captures Berlin's fate during WW2 better than any history book.
• KaDeWe - the largest department store in Europe (P.S. The food hall is on the sixth floor...)
• Bikini!!! Bikini Berlin is a group of buildings completed in the 1950s and recently renovated. The result is a very cool combination of a concept mall, offices, a cinema and the hotel where I was staying. There is also a green rooftop terrace, facing the Zoological Garden.
Favourites:
• Super - Shop Eat Meet
• Gestalten Pavilion - Concept Store & Café