James Co-Lives: geh Veg, Birkenstr.
Who is James?
James is a part of the Quarters community and lives in one of the Berlin buildings. He’ll be keeping a diary of his coliving experience, letting you know the good, the bad and the ugly about sharing your life and giving his impressions of Berlin.
Vegan food: Birkenstrasse 9th of May
On the cosy, uncomplicated, straightforward, unremarkable 20th century street, with the bright coloured buildings trying but failing to hide the architecturally uninspired design, sits the vegan breakfast cafe Geh Veg. Bikes are scattered either side of the nearby underground station, left in the haste of the morning commute. Cafes outnumbering the Kebab shops, a rarity in this city. It’s a corner of Berlin just minutes from Zoologischer Garten but the fast paced metropolitan lifestyle feels a world away. Geh Veg, the name similarly to the street is straightforward, indicating its intentional offerings from first view. It was a recommendation from a friend, who heard that I’d moved to the area. They asserted that I simply “must” visit the cafe at the earliest opportunity.
Flower Shop
The week after I moved to the area I decided to try out the place. Although I wouldn’t normally choose to go to a vegan cafe, since moving to Berlin in the latter part of last year, I’ve noticed that the amount of cafes dedicated to veganism, vegetarianism and other niche lifestyles far outweighed the ones accessible at home. So I was excited to see what all the fuss was about. On our approach to the cafe, making sure we dodged the cyclists and the families on a stroll enjoying the warm spring sun, we made a brief stop at the pop-up flower stall where the stock definitely benefited from the fine weather and a crowd congested in a small bottleneck, literally stopping to smell the roses.
Cafe Community
We moved on sharpish, driven by the urge for that first morning coffee, comparable only to the craving for a cold pint after a long walk. Approaching the cafe and seeing the straightforward sign my friend exhaled “Geh Veg! Ah cool a vegan place” she was now equally as excited as I was. We managed to find a seat at a mosaic table outside, the metallic tiles glinted in the sunlight. Between us and the cafe, an elderly gentleman sat fixated with his newspaper and a group of women seemed to be putting the world to rights. Their hands waved in animated discussion.
I went to order and noticed the clientele matched the neighbourhood. A mix of mature students staring into their laptops and more seasoned patrons, like the gentleman in front of the cafe absorbed in the morning paper. I ordered a cappuccino and was quite stupidly surprised when they offered Soya milk. My friend a matcha latte with oat milk because she likes the colour green. I also ordered an apple cake, mainly to see if it would taste different to one from a traditional cafe (it didn’t!). I don’t speak great German, so I ordered in English. The barista spoke great English and didn’t make me feel judged (I’m learning but it’s nice to be able to get a coffee without feeling embarrassed). The service was timely and the waitress brought my order to our table.
Vegan Ice Cream?!
We sat outside, enjoying the bright late morning sun and crisp air. Our order arrived. The cake had a simple but pleasing garnish of strawberry and physilis. Geh Veg has a reputation for presenting beautiful meals, especially breakfasts and cakes. As I drank my coffee I found the taste of the soya milk peculiar but not unpleasant. It grew on me as I drank more. The vegan apple cake tasted exactly the same as one at any traditional cafe. The portion size and price exactly right. We sat for around another 40 minutes, happily left to enjoy the weather. We finished, satisfied with our unfamiliar but highly recommended excursion. My friend gathered her bike, which was mixed amongst the heap left abandoned by the entrance of the underground. And we set off up past the flower shop to enjoy the rest of the day.
If it had been a bit warmer we would have had a vegan ice-cream. Geh veg has around 18 flavours and some are even soya free!
Geh Veg is a vegan cafe at U-Birkenstrasse. They produce home made, fresh, gluten free, and delicious vegan food and drinks. Geh veg makes their own bagels, as well as a selection of cakes, soups, and other baked goods. They’re always creating new savory spreads to top their much loved breakfast plate.
For Breakfast we recommend the Sweet and Savoury plate. Both breakfasts are local favourites and are reasonably priced at 7.90 and 8.90.
Words and eating by James Buck
