Book readings, hearty Irish breakfasts and home-made cakes…

Photo courtesy of Cafe Hilde

My first encounter with Café Hilde was on a dark and wet winter night back in January. The streets outside glistened with snow and rain rapped at the windows like a lunatic insect as I sipped wine with friends and listened in hushed silence to a voice from the past.

The voice belonged to Orson Welles – to a 1938 radio broadcast of him reading from Joseph Conrad’s Heart Of Darkness to be precise. Welles’ voice, wrapped atmospherically in the old recording’s hisses and crackles, merged atmospherically with the rain, holding the entire café rapt.

Hilde was new then, but the place has since maintained an impressive dedication to merging interesting cultural events with decent food, some of the friendliest service in Berlin and a great ambiance.

While located on the corner of Metzerstrasse and busy Prenzlauer Allee, it’s just far enough from the Mitte multitudes and the weekend Kollwitzplatz crowds to feel a bit sanctuary-esque.

The sizeable interior is well lit by large south- and east-facing windows (sit near the door and you can see the Friedhof der Sankt Marien und Nicolaigemeinde on the other side of the main road), and decorated with a farrago of tables and chairs, photos of multiple Hildes on the wall, and strategically placed piles of books and international reading material.

Photo courtesy of Cafe Hilde

While this may sound like many other ‘retro-chic’ Berlin hangouts, Hilde’s pristine newness, its charming interplay of light and space, erudite choice of books, considered background music (and its non-smoking policy), create a slightly more cultivated milieu – one that’s perfect for a rendezvous with a good book, an intimate chat over coffee or wine or a convivial lunch or dinner with friends (outside street seating also available).

Which brings us to the menu. The coffee’s good – two Brazilian fair-trade blends are on offer in a variety of styles – and the food, while staying within the realm of café fare, is above average.

Owner Kristina Hoppe lived in Ireland for many years and her nostalgia runs through the menu in the shape of hearty Irish breakfasts served at the weekend (a British ex-pat carnivore’s dream-come-true featuring sausages, bacon, black and white pudding, grilled tomatoes, mushrooms, toast and butter – but no beans) to Barry’s Irish tea and the Guinness and Kilkenny Ale on offer.

Vegetarians are catered for with colourful meat-free breakfast platters, vegetable soups during lunch and salads and pasta dishes in the evening.

Foto von Cafe Hilde

Throughout the day you can also indulge in Hoppe’s home-made sweet treats, which range from flapjacks, brownies, apple tart and cheesecakes – and a chocolate vegan fudge so devilish it should come with a trident instead of a fork.

Evenings are equally enjoyable thanks to Hilde’s interesting range of events, from excellent book readings put on by Dialogue to film nights and more. The wine list is decent, including some organic choices; and since the summer has opted to deliquesce somewhat abruptly into winter, those cosy radio broadcasts should be starting up again soon too…

Café Hilde
Metzer Strasse 22 (Prenzlauer Berg)
10405 Berlin
Tel: 030 (0) 40 50 41 72
Open: Mon-Fri: 9-24; Sat-Sun: 10-24

About The Author

Paul Sullivan is a Berlin-based writer & travel photographer and the founder of Slow Travel Berlin. You can check out his personal website here and some of his photography galleries here.

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