Berlin is nowhere near Mexico unfortunately, and the search for a good Mexican comedor in this city can be a hungry one. I’d just about given up all hope when I met a dog out for a cycle with his owner. It was dark and he had a light on his back as he jogged along beside her. They stopped at this cosy-looking place in Kreuzberg and she recommended I go in. “Es ist fantastisch!” The dog looked intelligent so I did.

Ta’ Cabrón is warm and comforting with simple furnishings, a couple of Mexican wrestling masks and the plastic cacti demanded by stereotype. Specials are written up on a board proclaiming various types of tacos (from €4), quesadillas (from €3.50), tostadas (€5.50), burritos (€5.50), enchiladas (€5.50), tamales (€6) and molletes (€6), all with various fillings, along with nachos (€1) and guacamole (€3.50). You help yourself to cutlery so if it’s delayed, you’ve no one to blame but yourself. I ordered a taco gobernador (€6) and a beer (€2.80) and was delighted to be served an authentic taco (with real tortilla!) stuffed with shrimp. I helped myself to the homemade hot sauce. Absolutely delicious. Maybe even too delicious - portions are unfortunately never big enough.

Joaquín Robredo from Culiacán, Sinaloa is two years in business. It really is “¡Ta’ Cabrón!” to have a genuine Mexican taquería in Berlin! It quickly filled up as I was eating – it seems I’m not the only one to be grateful.

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Ta’ Cabrón Taquería | Snacks, Restaurants (Mexican) | Quesadillas € 3.50
Skalitzer Str. 60 | Kreuzberg | +493032662439
Tue – Thu 13:00 – 23:00, Fri – Sat 13:00 – 00:00, Sun 13:00 – 23:00

A short tram ride east will bring you all the way to Asia. Well, not quite – Berlin’s public transport isn’t that good – but the M8 will bring you as far as the Dong Xuan Center where a thriving Vietnamese community is blossoming on what used to be decrepit industrial wasteland.

‘Little Vietnam’ consists of an untidy collection of huge hangers stuffed to the brim with shops upon shops selling all manner of stuff you never knew you needed. Tacky and flashy are the order of the day – this is the place to come for neon shop signs, plastic flowers, cheap wedding dresses, rubber reindeer or plastic figurines. Those friendly one-armed waving cats can of course be found here, as can porcelain pigs engaging in activities no decent porcelain pig would normally be found in.

Weird wares are scattered all around, sandwiched between karaoke bars, shoe shops, barbers, hair salons and nail salons. It’s another world. Old men play cards at a furious pace around tables under clouds of smoke, money changing hands quicker than the eye can see. Live carp patiently await purchase in huge tanks at the back of supermarkets crammed with tins of things I’d never heard of and crazy fruit I’d never seen before.

Browsing through the hustle and bustle is hungry work and a number of restaurants of questionable hygiene offer authentic Vietnamese cuisine. Again, you might have no idea what you’re eating but hey, it’s cheap, cheerful, and certainly an adventure!

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Dong Xuan Center | Bars, Coffee & tea, Shopping, Snacks, Restaurants (Vietnamese)
Herzbergstr. 128 | Outer – North&East | +493055152038
Mon – Sat 09:00 – 18:00

The heavenly smells wafting from Schwarze Pumpe will draw you in from the cold, or long day of exploring, even before you’ve realized whether you’re hungry or not. In fact, you may wander in for just one Hefeweißbier (€ 2.90) and find yourself ordering a delicious Chili Con Carne (€ 4.50) too, as I did.

This cozy little pub/café/Kneipe has long been a favorite with locals, offering heart-warming (limbs too) German fare at its most tempting since it opened in 1993. Daily specials like Fenchel-Tomaten-Suppe (€ 3.50), broccoli and potato bake (€ 6), cheese Spätzle (schwäbische noodles) with salad (€ 6), or Grünkohl in Kräuter (cabbage in herbs, € 3.50) are written on a board and taste much better than they sound. (Thankfully this rule applies to most German cuisine.)

A menu also offers set dishes at very reasonable prices – breakfast, including the typical Rühreier (scrambled egg) with bread for € 3.20, is served from 10:00 -14:00, the kitchen remains open to 23:00, and a very popular Sunday brunch is available for just € 5 every… well, Sunday.

This old-fashioned joint looks like it hasn’t been done up in years, exactly as I like it, and the homely feeling is extenuated by the friendly staff who seem to know everyone who walks in the door.

With the day’s newspapers available for perusal, good music, a cozy atmosphere, simple wooden decor and delicious food and drink, you might find yourself staying longer than originally planned.

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Schwarze Pumpe | Bars, Coffee & tea, Snacks, Restaurants (German) | Apfelschorle € 1.50
Choriner Straße 76 | Mitte | +49304496939
10:00 – 01:00 daily (Kitchen ’til 23:00)

Normally a “Datscha” is a seasonal second home often located in the exurbs of Russian cities. But this Datscha is situated in the middle of Friedrichshain Kiez (neighbourhood) and is a temporal second home for people who want to experience another culture.

Café Datscha represents the house of an old, rich Babushka, with high ceilings, wooden furniture, wide doors of colorful glass and many tiny framed pictures on the wall. On her menu she has everything the Russian/Ukraine/… grandchild can imagine: Borscht, Blintz, Pelmeni, Vareniki and much more.

If you want to try the wide range of snacks, sweets and warm food you have to visit the café on Sunday. Then they offer a big brunch (10:00-16:00) for 9 Euro (children 6 Euro).

So, Приятного аппетита (prijatnogo appetita!)

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Café Datscha | Coffee & tea, Restaurants (Russian/Ukraine) | Blini € 5.50
Gabriel-Max-Straße 1 | Friedrichshain | +493070086735
From 10:00 daily

Aufsturz means more than 100 sorts of beer and a big choice of food. The place is always full of people trying to test every beer once. But the choice is difficult: Banana beer or smoked beer (Rauchbier)? German beer or Mexican beer? Don’t worry: The waiters are patient and helpful.

The interior of the Restaurant/Pub is simple but comfortable. Since 1994 the Aufsturz has exhibitions of sculptures, paintings, photography, installations and collages. There is also a club area where they present concerts (Pop, Rock, Jazz), performances, workshops and other events weekly.

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Aufsturz | Art & culture, Bars, Music, Restaurants (International) | Beer € 2.00
Oranienburger Straße 67 | Mitte | +493028047409
12:00 – 02:00 daily

On weekends you can party everywhere else, but Thursday night belongs to Sage Club. For some people it’s their after-work relaxing zone, for others it’s better than Saturday because the club gets crowded early. Every Thursday Sage Club, located inside the U-Bahnhof Heinrich-Heine-Straße, turns into a music fest for finest Indie rock, Alternative and Metal. But not only DJs reign this three floor venue. So the main floor is dedicated to live upcoming bands.

The interior of the Sage is reminiscent of a dominatrix studio. Every Friday and Saturday the club hosts KitKat, a techno-party that’s geared for anyone who dresses up in leather, latex, glitter, glamour and extravagant clothes. But of course this special interior fits well for Rock’n'Roll too.

The special attraction of the Sage Club is the swimming pool in the smoking/lounge area. Unfortunately a sign forbids you to get in but the view into the deep blue water helps you come down after excessive dancing.

Make sure to get to the club before 22:00 for free entry (and don’t be put off by a possible long queue), after 22:00 you have to pay €6 to get in.

If you need some great food on the next day keep in mind that Sage has also a restaurant. It doesn’t remind you at all on the dirty Rock Club. This place is rather chic, stylish and quite expensive – a hanseatic dream in white. But have a look at the Sage restaurant website and be sure to book before you come.

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Sage Club | Bars, Music, Restaurants | after 22:00 € 6.00
Köpenicker Straße 76 | Mitte | +49302789830
Thu 19:00 – open end

Coming to Berlin but starving for an original American breakfast? Then you have to check out “The California Breakfast Slam” in Neukölln. It’s the only place where you can find “Fluffy Pancakes”, “Texas Style Turkey Sausages” or “Organic Poached Eggs on Cured Ham Slice”. For us Germans who are used to “Brötchen” (buns) and marmalade it is maybe a little bit unusual to have a hot meal for breakfast but in Berlin you can not escape the multicultural influences.

The kitchen chef Patrick Blasa is also a musician and comes from California. He’s always missed a delicious home breakfast since he came to Berlin 8 years ago. One day he stopped looking for it in Berlin and just started to offer it himself. But this food is not like you would find it on every corner in the states, it claims some gourmet twists as you can see on the menu which changes every weekend. Patrick himself cooks in the kitchen and always considers the good quality of the food he buys for the dishes.

The California Breakfast Slam happens only on weekends. Make sure to reserve a table if you plan a slam there – or just drop by if you are in the area, you may be lucky!

Details about this spot (Show on map)
The California Breakfast Slam | Coffee & tea, Festivals & events, Restaurants (American) | Starter € 3.80
Pflügerstrasse 19 | Kreuzberg
Sat – Sun 10:00 – 16:00

A restaurant designed completely in white – that was the idea of the two founders of “Schneeweiß” (which means snowwhite) 8 years ago. So Ralf Kern, originally musician and hobby cook and Dennis Ranogajec who organized events created together with a friends architect a space where a straight design comes together with a clear culinary concept.

Started as low budget project this restaurant turned out to be something special: Schneeweiß received the iF Design Award and was also nominated for the German Design Award. While creating the concept for this place the founders asked themselves: What fits to snow-white? The Alpes! So today the menu consists of alpine classics mixed and newly interpreted with modern Central European kitchen. So it seems more than a funny coincidence that the street in which Schneeweiß is situated is named after the Swiss high mountain pass Simplon Pass.

But be aware: This place has nothing in common with a traditional Après Ski cottage, fortunately! While sitting on the white side benches the huge chandelier in the middle of the dining room catches your eyes. In a hidden fireplace room you are invited to smoke your cigars and have some drinks after a frosty day outside.

Schneeweiß now resides for 5 years in a hidden corner of Friedrichshain. Situated between the hotspots Ostkreuz and Simon-Dach-Straße (check the Simon-Dach-Strasse article) one might think that not many people find their way to this beautiful place. But even on weekdays you should reserve your table before visiting.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Schneeweiß | Bars, Restaurants (Alpine) | Starter € 8
Simplonstrasse 16 | Friedrichshain | +493029049704
Mon – Fri 18:00 – 01:00, Sat – Sun 10:00 – 01:00

Why should I eat Canadian Pizza in Berlin? This is what you might ask the first time you hear about Ron Telesky in Kreuzberg. The answer is easy: This place is different than common Italian pizza restaurants. Here you can get big, thin pizzas with every topping you can imagine: Fresh Pesto, candied walnut, mango, potato, feta sauce and many more. A special thing you should try is the hot maple syrup – but be aware, this is really hot!

The two German owners of Ron Telesky have learned their trade in Canada so they know how to get the Canadian feeling: inside a big moose head on the wall and a mural with a typical lake and mountains on it; outside you can sit either on trunks or in a Canadian canoe while having Dr Pepper Coke and Moosehead Beer. This is real Canadian lumberjack-luxury!

And if you live somewhere near this place you can also use the delivery-service which brings your pizza on a special bike.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Ron Telesky | Snacks, Restaurants (Canadian pizza) | Piece of pizza € 2.00
Dieffenbachstraße 62 | Kreuzberg | +493061621111
Mon – Fri 12:00 – 22:00, Sat – Sun 15:00 – 22:00

The first thing that comes to your mind when you enter Sankt Oberholz: Is this an office or a cafe? People typing on their computers can be seen everywhere. From time to time, they take a sip of their Latte Macchiato, watching who enters the room while chatting with their neighbor. The secret ingredient at Sankt Oberholz is simple: Wireless Internet. This is no new concept in Berlin but somehow this one has become the preferred hotspot for laptop owners and wireless nomads.

But don’t worry, pixel lovers aren’t the only ones welcome here. There are some more things that make St. Oberholz such a special place to visit. For example, lots of interesting, creative and international people frequent the cafe, located in Berlin’s trendy Mitte District.

So it wouldn’t be out of the ordinary if the nerdy boy at the next chair the leader of an electro band, and if you look closer, the gonzo guy buying a fresh-made peppermint tea could be the author of a popular controversial coming-of-age novel. Or maybe they are just normal students like me.

Be sure to go upstairs and have a seat next to the huge windows. There you’ll have a great view over bustling Rosenthaler Platz – that means more people to watch plus the beautiful light of the sunset in the evening.

By the way, the self-service bar in the cafe offers a huge plate of delicious Spaghetti Bolognese for € 5.00! For smaller appetites you can chose from cakes, sandwiches, bagels and soups.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Cafe Sankt Oberholz | Bars, Coffee & tea, Snacks, Restaurants (Intern.)
Rosenthaler Straße 72a | Mitte | +493024085586
Mon – Fri 08:00 – 00:00, Sat – Sun 09:00 – 00:00