Kadó

Kreuzberg's Kadó

Licorice: it’s an acquired taste. A relative of aniseed and fennel, it’s touted for its health benefits and benevolence towards the digestive tract. Its distinct flavor and somewhat odd appearance make it a peculiar confection, but one with a seductive and dark allure. Located on Grafestrasse is Kadó – a whole store dedicated entirely to the unusual candy. It boasts over 400 kinds of licorice with imported rarities from Scandinavia, southern Italy, and Australia.

Licorice aficionados will delight at Kadó’s extensive selection ranging in flavors from salty-savory pieces to sweet and speckled with pastel colored shapes and designs. The shop’s interior, lined with over-sized glass jars and old school apothecary tins-cum-candy-jars, is reminiscent of the shops in Harry Potter’s Diagon Alley, further lending to its quirky charm.

Graefestrasse 20, Kreuzberg 10967, T 030 69 04 16 38, www.kado.de, Tue-Fri 9:30 – 18:30, Sat 9:30 – 15:30, Sun-Mon, closed

Erich Hamann Schokoladenfabrik

Those with a discerning chocolate palate should head to Hamann Schokoladenfabrik, Berlin’s oldest chocolate factory. This family-run shop has remained unchanged in flavor and in its distinct Bauhaus design since its inception in 1928 — but it is Master Chocolatier Erich Hamann’s unique approach to the dark arts that distinguishes it amongst the other chocolate shops in the city. These black beauties are bitter in taste and composed entirely of natural ingredients.

There are no watered-down milk chocolate variations, per Hamann’s insistence that milk chocolate only detracts from chocolate’s original form and taste, rather than adding to it. Customers, however, can decide for themselves if Hamann’s verdict is indeed correct as they choose from a range of schokoladens from the classic dark bars to the more exotic blends filled with praline, ginger, nuts, and marzipan.

Brandenburgische Straße 17, 10707 Berlin, T 030 873 20 85 86, www.hamann-schokolade.de, Mon-Fri, 9:00-18:00, Sat, 9:00-13:00

La Cave De Bacchus

Cave de Bacchus is the oldest French wine shop in Berlin, and its history is as reputable as its thoughtful selection of wines. Owner, Gérard Degouy, originally from Champagne, relocated to West Berlin in 1971 to improve his German language skills. At the request of his compatriots, all of them nostalgic for their homeland’s terroir, Gérard began to import French wine. The hobby soon became a passion and later a thriving business and today – still located in Charlottenburg – the store remains unchanged in its loyal approach to French viticulture and gastronomy, treating customers to a mini sojourn “en France” with its impressive selection of Grand Crus and Chateaux, and not to mention, Gerard’s favorite, Champagne Here, terroir is king, and the selection of other imported goods, such as gamey pâtés, rillettes, creamy fromage, Dijon moutarde, and freshly baked baguettes, all add to the shop’s culinary pedigree.

Westfälische Str 33, 10709 Berlin-Halensee, T 030 892 20 23, www.cave-bacchus.de, Mon – Fri 10 – 19,  Sat 10-14, Sun, closed

Goldhahn and Sampson

Goldhahn & Sampson in Prenzlauer Berg

Cookbooks wield uncanny expectations of magically morphing into a domestic goddess/culinary guru overnight, even though we all know they often only sit on the bookshelf collecting dust rather than tomato stains. Goldhahn and  Sampson is the perfect place to help you realise your culinary dreams and kick off 2012 with a whiff of garlic and home-baked bread.

Located in Prenzlauer Berg, the shop functions as a cafe, shop, and cooking school allowing customers to peruse the latest in culinary goods, gadgets, and cookbooks – of which they have a fine selection – whilst sipping espresso and nibbling at some house-made cake. G&S also offers nightly cooking classes that occur on a weekly and monthly rolling basis: from basic poultry, to modern Italian cooking, to cooking meat, and more, there is something to satisfy the inner gastronome, or indeed inspire a loved one’s cooking aspirations.

Dunckerstraße 9, 10437 Berlin, T 030 41198364, www.goldhahnundsampson.de, Mon-Fri, 8- 20, Sat, 10-20, Sun closed

Bier-Spezialitäten-Laden

Don’t be fooled by Bier Spezialitäten’s cracked and faded façade. Wedged between Berlin’s east-west artery right off the Karl Marx Allee U-Bahn, this store is a beer lover’s dream-come-true. The shop carries over 550 German-style beers from the ubiquitous Pilsner to the heavy Hefeweizen or Weissbier along with some imported libations, such as American craft and microbrews, and Belgium and British ales. The main draw here, however, is the Deutsch bier. Although the collection can prove daunting, the owner is well-versed in his knowledge of German beer and is always willing to assist you in your search of your choice poison – and even crack it open for you to enjoy on your way home.

Karl Marx Allee 56, 10243 Berlin, T 030 249 21 46, Mon-Fri, 10 – 19:30, Sat, 10 – 14:30, Sun, closed

Wald Königsberg Marzipan

Often associated with the other  major Christian holiday of Easter, marzipan’s buttery almond flavor also functions as a darling yuletide confection. A favorite indulgence of the famous Russian composer, Tchaikovsky – think of the Marzipan-themed dance in the Nutcracker’s second act – its Eastern-inspired roots made their way to Austria and later Germany only to become an emblematic German sweet. Wald Königsberg Marzipan’s candy-striped walls imbue this third-generation-owned shop with the charms of a classic 1950’s candy store. Owners Paul Wald and his wife, Master Confectioner, Irmgurd Radant moved to Berlin in 1947, and set up the shop in its present-day Charlottenburg-based locale. Radant’s impressive craftsmanship shines through the glass vitrines that line the store’s countertop, tempting customers with her wide range of almond-inspired concoctions.

Maitre Phillipe (photo by Freddy)

Pestalozzistraße 54a, 10627 Berlin, T 030 32 38 254, www.wald-koenigsberger-marzipan.de, Mon-Fri, 10-18:30; Sat, 10-15:30; Sun, closed

Maître Philippe

Maître Philippe is a cheese and wine shop that’s run on passion and love. Owner Philippe and his daughter Anais relocated to West Berlin from southern France and soon began to import their local gastronomy to the German capital. The art of wine and cheese pairing is given new verve here, with Philippe’s extensive knowledge of French fromage and fine wines guaranteeing customers a crash course in taste and culture.

His philosophy is simple, and rests on his loyal support to small producers. The careful selection of farmhouse cheeses and specialty, small-production varietals is the real charm of Maitre Philippe’s. On a humorous note, ripe, aromatic cheese might not be your first choice if you’re looking for an inconspicuous stocking stuffer, but it makes a wonderful, welcome gift nonetheless. And a bottle of carefully chosen wine is always a safe bet.

Emser Straße 42, 10719 Berlin, T 030 88683610, www.maitrephilippe.de, Sun-Fri, 10-19, Sat, 10 – 14:00 Uhr

Salumeria di Pino

Runner up to Berlin’s extensive Turkish population, the Italian influence also looms large in the German capital as this hot blooded Italian store underlines. Large legs of prosciutto and salami dangle from the ceiling, greeting customers with the aroma of those cured meats most commonly associated with this boot-shaped country. The store is family owned and operated and its selection of imported goods extends far beyond the aforementioned cured meats. There are cheeses, house-made pastas, sauces, olives, wines, and more, giving customers the opportunity to sample and select from a range of Italian delights.

Windscheidstr. 20, 10627 Berlin, T 030  324 33 18, www.salumeria-pino.de, Mon-Wed, 10:30-20, Thu-Sat, 10:30-open end

Five Elephant

Coffee culture has slowly worked its way to the German capital, and now the selection of specialty roasts offered in this city is more varied than ever. Five Elephant Coffee Roasters is the new kid on the block. Located on Reichenberger Straße, the American-run cafe serves a mean devil’s cup, and caters to the German penchant for afternoon cake. The cafe’s real Pièce de résistance, however, is its house-roasted beans – which are conveniently available for purchase and well-suited for the chillier winter months.

Reichenberger Straße 101, 10999 Berlin, T 030 9608 1527, www.fiveelephant.com, Mon – Fri, 8:30 – 19:00, Sat – Sun, 10:00 – 18:00

Pain au Lait from Soluna (photo by Sylee Gore of Berlin Reified)

Soluna Brot und Öl

It is no exaggeration to say that bread is the staff of life in Germany, and although the recent organic health-food renaissance may make whole grain bread seem like a recent phenomenon, it clearly is not. This wholesome, dense bread dates back to the time of the Gauls and Visigoths and has withstood repeated modern efforts to refine it. The tradition continues today at bakeries like Soluna Brot und Öl.

Owner Peter Klann is a baker of the old world. His Kreuzberg-based bakery’s wood-oven stone near the entrance hints at the quality of loaves that rise here, luring customers in with the yeasty aroma of freshly baked bread. The shop offers a range of traditional German style brots as well as some foreign-inspired starches, such as Ligurian Olive Bread or the traditional French baguette. There are also house-made spreads (known as pistes), cheeses, cured meats, leberwurst, and other amiable bread companions available for purchase.

Gneisenaustr. 58, 10961 Berlin, T 030 61671191, www.brotundoel.de, Mon-Fri, 10:00 – 19:00, Sat 7:30 – 16:00, Sun 10:00 – 16:00

About The Author

Molly Hannon is a U.S.-born freelance writer based in Berlin. She holds a Master’s in gastronomy and communications from the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Italy, where this fall she will lead a master’s-level seminar about 20th-century food literature and its relationship to contemporary food writing. A contributor at NPR.org and the Dailybeast/Newsweek and an editor at the Berlin city guide Unlike, Hannon writes about food’s cultural influences, narratives, and literary legacies—how they shape civilization and bring us together. She maintains a blog, LesGensFaims, which translates as “Hungry People.”

American ex-pat Cynthia Barcomi moved to Berlin in 1985 as a professional dancer. She opened up her first cafe – Barcomi’s – in Kreuzberg’s Bergmannstrasse in 1994, which sold her own roasted coffee blend and home made cakes. A few years later she followed up with her Mitte branch, set in a beautiful ivy-covered courtyard close to Hackeschermarkt. Cynthia has also written three cookbooks full of her wonderful baking recipes…

Cynthia Barcomi (Photo: Maja Smend)

Where are you from in the States, and what brought you to Berlin?

I am originally from Seattle. I came to Berlin via New York City in 1985 where I’d just received my BA in theater and philosophy from Columbia University.

In a number of years you went from professional dancer to professional baker – how did that transition come about?

It was 1994 and I’d just given birth to my second daughter. I realized that I simply wanted to do something else in my life – roast coffee beans. The baking was more on the side in the beginning. The customers wanted more and more pastries so I had to adjust my concept a bit in order to find a dialogue with them.

What made you think American-style cake (and roasted beans) could do well in Germany, the “land of bakers”?

I just believed in what I was doing. I have always been true to myself. Baking and roasting coffee beans are an extension of that belief. I think, I can.

How long did it take you to learn German: did you find it easy or difficult?

Well, I did find it difficult to learn German. I always carried a little dictionary around with me and wrote down words I didn’t know. At some point, I started to use them! I was also in an international dance company and our common language was German.  Sink or swim.

Photo: Maja Smend

What kind of cakes/products did you make at the beginning and where did you sell them?

I began by selling brownies and cookies and KaDeWe and Wertheim when I was pregnant with my second daughter.

Your first venture was Barcomi’s in Kreuzberg: what was the initial reaction when you opened it?

I found people to be very curious, welcoming and a perhaps a bit skeptical at the beginning.  Every business that had been in my space had been a huge failure and there was nothing like Barcomi’s in Berlin.  There still isn’t, for that matter.

What are the main differences between the Kreuzberg and Mitte outlets?

In Kreuzberg it’s all about coffee beans and American pastries. Mitte encompasses the Bergmannstrasse and goes further in the direction of restaurant fare: soups, salads, sandwiches, and platters.

What kind of products does the Mitte Deli sell, and where do they come from?

I have one production kitchen in the Bergmannstrasse so we deliver ourselves. The products from the Deli all come from the Bergmannstrasse.

How much of what you sell are from original recipes (i.e. yours or your colleagues)?

All of what is sold in the stores is from me.  With the exception of one couscous salad, I do not use recipes of colleagues.  Barcomi’s has my stamp on it and I want to keep it that way.  Of course many things influence me, but the recipes are holy!

When did you start writing cookbooks — and what kinds of recipes can readers find in them?

I began my first of three books when I was pregnant with my fourth child, Savoy in 2007. The books reflect the food and pastries found in Barcomi’s but also go far beyond the selection we have in the stores.

Backen, by Cynthia Barcomi

How much have you been influenced by the German baking / food tradition?

I don’t think the food in Berlin is a strong reflection upon typically German food.  To that extent, I have focused more on my American roots rather than letting German food influence me.

What are your thoughts on the Slow Food movement? Do you endorse it or keep track of the movement in any way?

I guess I am not real fan of the word “slow”.  I do understand it is meant as juxtaposition to “fast” but I think it is a misnomer. I’m more focused on the idea of handmade goods in small quantities. I see my work as an alternative to industrially produced / processed food and coffee beans.

What kind of percentage of your products could you regard as made from “local” ingredients?

Butter, eggs, milk, and fruit – all of our fresh (as opposed to Philly cream cheese) products are local.

What are the main barriers to sourcing ingredients locally in Berlin?

I think a lot of produce has gotten so industrial that it has overtaken the small farmer. Artisanal cheese is something you’d sadly rarely see in Berlin.

Do you think Berlin is a good Slow Food city – or has it got potential to be?

Well, I think Berlin has potential. You need to educate the consumer and make new ideas accessible.  This is very important AND you need people who connect with what they’re doing. Enthusiasm is contagious.

Which are your favorite places to eat or have coffee in the city?

I only drink coffee and eat pastries at my own shops. I do like to eat at Grill Royal in Mitte. To be honest, with all the children, stores and work, I don’t have much time to go out and eat!

Can you name five favorite Slow places in Berlin?

Schlachtensee in Zehlendorf is fabulous for a bike ride or walk. The Guggenheim Museum in Mitte is great for a slice of culture. Sans Souci in Potsdam is wonderfully calming. The Botanical Garden in Dahlem is magical. Potsdamer Platz is perfect for movies in their original language.

Baking friends can find a recipe for Cynthia’s Chocolate Strawberry Muffins with Coconut here.

Barcomi’s Mitte
Sophienstrasse 21,
Mitte, Berlin
Tel: 030 2859 8363
Open: Mon-Sat 8-21, Sun 9-21
Map

Barcomi’s Kreuzberg
Bergmannstr. 21
Kreuzberg, Berlin
Tel: 030 6948138
Open: Mon-Sat: 9-24, 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.

Berliners love their bounteous breakfasts as much as their afternoon Kaffee und Kuchen – and any establishment that can offer both is justly venerated. So it is with Anna Blume, a Prenzlauer Berg institution that manages to combine a florist, bakery and cafe with impressive fluidity.

Photo: Paul Sullivan

Interior designer Thomas Seiffert has made good use of the fact the venue was named after a 1919 Kurt Schwitters poem: lines from the surrealist masterpiece spiral elegantly outwards from a reproduction of an Alphonse Mucha mural – a summer-clad Art-Nouveau woman (Lady Dada?) sniffing coquettishly at a flower – and unfurl along the walls behind the counter.

The conceptual borders between flower shop and café blur even further the more time you spend here. Delicate odors waft through the cafe when the internal door is opened; petals and other flower parts turn up in the beverages and food (think rose-infused crepes, teas, home-made ice cream); gorgeous bouquets and arrangements punctuate the tasteful interior.

A pervasive Art Deco theme continues through the curving red leather banquets, the solid, marble-topped tables and the dark, cosy salon at the rear, all red drapes and candlelight even during the day. Oddly the place only opened in 2005 – it feels like its been here forever.

You can also sit outside on the generous patio (blankets and heat lamps during winter) and watch the Prenzlauer Bergers go about their business. If that gets boring, grab a free book from the tree library – a community bookstore cunningly inserted into a nearby tree trunk.

Anna Blume’s menu stretches to hearty lunches and vigorous dinner courses made from seasonal ingredients – but it’s as a breakfast and cake place that it reigns supreme. For Frühstück there’s the usual run of muesli, eggs, crepes…but the real highlight are the set breakfasts.

Photo: Paul Sullivan

Named after flowers and priced at around 8 euros, they’re beautifully presented and generously proportioned. Fish fans will love the Anemone (salmon, scrambled eggs, shrimps); the Med-style Oleander features salami, provolone, oyster mushrooms and marinated zucchini; the Alpenrose has Tyrolean ham and Schweinelende (pork loin).

If there are two or more in your group, plump for a platter (17.50 euros for two / 24.50 euros for four): a vibrant medley of hams, eggs, fruits and fish superbly arranged on a tiered silver tray. Such offerings are inevitably coveted, especially at weekends. Arriving between 9-10am is a good idea. Any later and you may be left languishing by the door until a table comes free.

With this in mind, try to find a seat facing away from the door unless you want half a dozen famished eyeballs boring enviously into your Latte Macchiato.

If you’re a late riser – don’t worry. Pop by later in the afternoon and succumb to the café’s cake selection – a glittering catwalk of comely crumbles, slick cheesecakes and baroque gateaux that pout and wink from behind a long glass vitrine. Once you’re done with your treat, stroll past the neighbouring florist and look in the window of the Anna Blume bakery next door. If you’re lucky you’ll witness the white-coated staff working their magic with flour, cream and light industrial machinery.

Anna Blume
Kollwitzstraße 83
Mitte/Prenzlauer Berg
Open: 8am–2am daily
Tel: 030 440 487 49

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.

Wohnzimmer means “living room” in German, which gives you an inkling of the ethos behind Reindol Klenner’s veteran Helmholtzplatz hangout. Kitted out with DDR era armchairs, mirrors and faux-Renaissance sofas culled from flea markets, theatres and even, rumour has it, a castle, the venue exudes an aura of cosy homeliness.

Photo: Paul Sullivan

The building dates back at least a century and has always been a traditional German Eck Kneipe (corner pub), though the wooden bar fittings and general decor hark back to communist times.

Wohnzimmer attracts a broad array of creatives and hipsters, locals, tourists and mums (this is family-centric Helmholtzplatz after all). It’s a splendid place for an intimate chat over a coffee in the daytime or a couple of beers in the evening.

During the day the music never gets overly loud so it’s also a good choice if you’re looking for somewhere to relax with a good book. Chances are you won’t be the only one chilling on a chaise longue and dipping into a novel.

The space out back (smoking permitted) is equally homely, if deliberately scruffier, with tattered walls, original fixtures like a bathroom sink and mirror and a miscellany of chairs and tables that includes a lesser-spotted Verlobungssofa: an S-shaped, two person ‘courtship’ chair where couples or dates can sit next to each other and face each other at the same time (see photo below). There’s also a very old fashioned school desk tucked away in one corner that’s a treat to sit at.

Photo: Paul Sullivan

Throughout the day coffees, beers and a limited menu of cakes, soups and sandwiches are offered (all self service). Wohnzimmer generally gets very busy at the weekends and even quite loud. But the music is always respectfully kept at sub-conversation levels and despite its popularity and the fabulous drinks served up at the temporary cocktail bar (we recommend the gin and kumquat special) – an aura of bohemian repose prevails.

A fine place for a spot of page-turning or a snug tète-à-tète.

Wohnzimmer
Lettestraße 6
Prenzlauer Berg
Daily: 09–04/End