Berlin — where techno meets coffee
Take a stroll down the wide strasses of the hip German capital, a city that’s poured its passion for art, architecture, craft, and all things cool into the outstretched cups of its coffee-loving citizens.
Written by Susie Kealy and illustrated by Adrian Macho for Standart Issue 8.
Among the graffiti and cultural blends, specialty coffee shops and roasteries are scattered along Strasses and hidden behind Hofs. They have been making both local and international names for themselves. In an elastic society made up of so many residents who seem to be in constant transition, the coffee scene must and does evolve with the eclectic world around it.
Berlin is a city of pieces. A community and landscape made of old and new, destroyed and restored. It is vibrant, living and breathing at every moment of the day.
Café Kranzler
Café Kranzler is the new flagship store of The Barn Coffee Roasters. It was opened late last year, but the location has been a landmark of West Berlin since its opening in 1932, with eye-catching red and white awnings. It now boasts not just beautiful views of the surrounding boulevard of Kurfürstendamm, but a busy filter and espresso bar of lightly roasted coffees. With a catalogue of information provided by baristas, everything is made by pour-over or the first Mavam Under Counter Espresso machine in Germany.
Happy Baristas
Owned by Roland Lodr and two-time Slovak Barista Champion Marian Plajdicko, the space close to Ostkreuz Station transforms with the changing light of the day, but possesses an enjoyable atmosphere from open till close. With a three-group shining Victoria Arduino Black Eagle on its bar, the shop expertly dishes out espressos and hand-brewed filters from roasters based both in Berlin and abroad. A rotating menu includes selections from The Barn, Doubleshot, and Colonna Coffee, accompanied by an evolving food and dessert menu. And yes, the baristas are quite happy!
Isla
The small yet well-regarded café is among the new independent faces on the Berlin scene. With a rotating selection of beans from roasters like Fjord, Drop, and Five Elephant and a busy kitchen that has played host to nomadic brunch makers like Future Breakfast in addition to a host of fermentation and experiments, the space has become a Neukölln favourite. The café is furnished with reclaimed and recycling items, and is a great place to enjoy good coffee and a chat with the friendly staff on any afternoon.
It is a city that speaks a plethora of languages. Its boroughs are distinct in their styles and the types of people that inhabit them, with the old world being mixed with the contemporary.
Bonanza Roasters
The Bonanza Kreuzberg location is housed in a large and very beautiful red brick courtyarded warehouse. Inside, the spacious café features wood, foliage, and mirrored surfaces, including a pair of Linea Pb and Slayer machines. The two small espresso machines split milk-based and pure espresso drinks into two different physical stations. The café is divided from its team of roasters by a large modular glass wall. Sample the range of filters and espressos that are meticulously created by the baristas on the floating working tables.
19 Grams Chaussee
The third shop in their growing fleet, 19Grams brings its friendly face and espresso shots to Mitte with this beautiful new space only a short walking distance from the Naturkundemuseum. The café uses a selection of beans from Tres Cabezas, another Berlin roaster, on a gleaming La Marzocco Linea and provides filter options as well. With clean lines, indoor green foliage, and bright features, 19Grams Chaussee provides a range of rooms to enjoy, and you can even catch a seat overlooking the working baristas on bar while enjoying breakfast or brunch.
Five Elephant Mitte
Five Elephant’s brand new Mitte location hasn’t quite had the dust settle yet since opening. It’s still slowly transforming and building its beautiful space on Alte Schönhauser Strasse, yet that hasn’t stopped it dishing out the tasty brews. While still serving the same espresso and brews as the location on Reichenberger Strasse, the two spaces are like night and day. The surfaces are made of bright smooth Terrazzo, with a Modbar laid into its long workbench at one end, and the famous cheesecake at the other.
Populus Coffee
Started by a Finnish husband and wife duo, Henrik and Sari Haavisto, the facade of the newly opened roaster overlooks the canal. The inside is simple and cosy, with a small roasting area behind the open space of the bar, serving a range of methods and origins. Why did they decide to open in Berlin? ‘The coffee scene here in Berlin reflects the spirit of the town,’ writes Henrik, ‘heavily influenced and built by people coming from all over the world, the coffee culture has flourished and seems ever growing.’
Father Carpenter
Opened by Krésten Thøgersen and Karl-Heinz Müller at the end of January 2015, the original shop, hosting a busy kitchen and Synesso machine, has now expanded into other spaces within the sheltering courtyard, opening its own takeaway shop a glance away. Service is fast and food is tasty and filling. The café serves breakfast, brunch, and lunch accompanied by a changing menu of coffee provided by its roasting project Fjord, a collaboration with Silo, another Berlin based café.
Berlin is a city of pieces. A community and landscape made of old and new, destroyed and restored. It is vibrant, living and breathing at every moment of the day. Yet while it is fragmented and starkly contrasting, Berlin is also developing into a synergy of dynamic cultures, communities, and coffee spots. It is bursting with art, creativity, science, technology, and culinary obsession.
Editor’s note: Michal of Standart is heading to Berlin next week to proudly judge the Comandante Cup, a fun competition that is part of the Berlin Coffee Festival agenda. We would love to see you compete and say hello!
Where: The Barn Berlin Coffee Roasters, Schönhauser Allee 8
When: 1 September 2017, 2 to 8 PM
Rules: find out more
The full version of this article was originally published in Standart Issue 8. Want more caffeinated goodness in beautiful print? Click here.
