Image by Ciarán Fahey

More than 20 years after it was taken down, the Berlin Wall continues to be the city’s principal attraction for visitors.

The success of sights like Checkpoint Charlie and the recently repainted East Side Gallery has convinced the city powers to rebuild it – some of it at least – as a memorial on Bernauer Straße, where a section of the original Wall still stands.As expected, flocks of tourists eagerly make their way to the site, perhaps in their hurry overlooking a discreet installation in the former “ghost station” of Nordbahnhof.

Pictures and placards in German and English tell the incredible tales from the division of the city’s public transport system and the madness which ensued once the Wall went up in 1961. (The 50th anniversary of its construction took place on August 13th last.)

Barbed wire and bricked-up entrances were the order of the day, as the East German government sealed off all possible escape routes to the West, creating these ghost stations where trains passed through East Berlin on their way from one section of West Berlin to another. Passengers could only glimpse out at the dimly lit eeriness patrolled by border guards as they whizzed by.

Stories of courageous escapes, explanations, diagrams and multimedia all feature in this fascinating but small exhibition of the crazy realities of life in the shadow of the Wall. Best of all – it’s free!

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Nordbahnhof | Art & culture, Relaxing | Free
Gartenstraße | Mitte
24 hours daily

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Berlin

Image by Ciarán Fahey

The heavenly smells wafting from Schwarze Pumpe will draw you in from the cold even before you’ve realised 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 cosy little pub/café/Kneipe has long been a favourite 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 cosy atmosphere, simple wooden decor and delicious food and drink, you might find yourself staying longer than originally planned. And with the nights getting ominously colder, where’s the harm in that?

Details about this spot (Show on map)
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)

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Berlin

Image by Ciarán Fahey

Apparently the Irish drink more tea per capita than any other people in the world. As soon as I moved here I had to find where I would get my tea.

The Berliner Teesalon on Invalidenstraße proudly states that it has “tea specialities from all over the world”. And it does! This charming old-style Laden is home to over 250 types of tea including a whole shelf devoted to my own beloved Barry’s Tea! (I’m sipping it now as I type.)

It was only after I left Ireland that I realised there was more than one type of tea and the Berliner Teesalon seems to have all of them under one roof: black teas from India, white teas from China, green teas from Japan… Oolong, Pu Erh, Darjeeling, Sikkim, rooibos, Jasmine and flower teas – they’re all in tins and boxes which line the shelves in this veritable treasure trove of tea. Of course there are all sorts of tea implements available too, from teapots of all shapes and sizes to strainers and sieves to ensure the perfect cup.

To help tea aficionados with their choices, once every month or so customers are invited to try a selection of teas over a couple of hours for €12 (check website for dates). House-mixed teas in colourful tins prove very popular as gifts. “Es gibt nicht den Tee,” replied the woman when I asked which was the best. It just seems I’ll just have to try them all.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Berliner Teesalon | Coffee & tea, Shopping | Barry’s Gold Blend (80 bags) € 7.25
Invalidenstraße 160 | Mitte | +493028040660
Mon – Fri 12:00 – 19:00, Sat 10:00 – 16:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Berlin

Image by Ciarán Fahey

As city squares go, they don’t come much uglier than Alexanderplatz. Surrounded by a rash of imposing GDR-style unimaginative blocks, with perhaps Berlin’s ugliest fountain plonked in the middle, this is not the place to come for a romantic stroll. Much like the “Friendship Between Peoples Fountain” in fact, Alex looks terrible but means well.

Its real beauty engages on a more personal level thanks to the excitement of people milling around, the tourists and punks, the trams trundling through, and the tempting (even for vegetarians!) smell of roast Bratwurst which emanates thanks to the sausage sellers scattered around. Effectively the centre of a decentralised city, Alexanderplatz changes to suit the seasons and the whims of the people at any given time.

In November 1989, the largest demonstration before the fall of the Berlin Wall took place here and was pivotal to the fall of the East German regime. Its biggest gatherings these days occur at the various fairs and markets which call it home throughout the year. Glühwein-swilling at Christmas, chocolate-swilling at Easter, and beer-swilling any other time, there’s always something for swillers to swill!

Overlooked by the Fernsehturn, Alexanderplatz is also home to the funky World Time Clock, erected in 1969 and a popular meeting place for Berliners since. I presume this is so they know exactly how many minutes late you are. Germans don’t like to be left waiting as I’ve found out on numerous occasions, but thankfully for latecomers, Alex has plenty of distractions.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Alexanderplatz | Art & culture, Relaxing, Shopping | Free
Alexanderplatz | Mitte
24 hours daily

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Berlin

Image by Ciarán Fahey

Underground out of sight, in a place open until at least 6am – exactly where you want to do your drinking. Silberfisch has long been one of those bars which gives you the feeling Berlin wants you to become a vampire, sleeping all day, out all night. It’s an easy transformation. There’s something comforting in walking down the steps from Oranienburger Straße into this den to be greeted by the friendly bar staff like a long-lost Chilean miner.

DJs with remarkably good taste churn out the sounds seven days a week. Regulars sit at the bar exchanging ill-formed commentaries with whoever listens, consoling indignations with choices from the extensive drinks menu. Visitors are delighted to listen to commentary from knowledgeable locals, toasting their own diplomacy with choices from the extensive drinks menu.

It can be smoky, it can be loud, but there’s an extensive drinks menu. Specialties include Absinthe Sour (€8), Pina Colada (€7.50) and my favourite, Long Island Iced Tea (€9.50), all interspersed with Jägermeisters of course. Beer starts at €3. Exclusive to the Silberfisch however is its infamous Weltfrieden (World Peace) which is served in what can only be described a massive goblet for €15.

“After three double vodkas, bitter lemon and tonic, everyone is for world peace,” explained the barman. There are safer drinks of course, for those who want to make use of the dance floor.

The Silberfisch is best enjoyed after midnight when all the other vampires also come out to play.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Silberfisch | Bars, Music, Relaxing | Beer from € 3.00
Oranienburger Str. 37 | Mitte | +493028387388
Sun – Thu 20:00 – 06:00, Fri – Sat 20:00 – 08:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Berlin

Image by Ciarán Fahey

Long one of my favourite haunts, the only disadvantage bohemian Café Cinema has for me is that it seems to be one of everybody else’s favourite haunts too. It can be hard to find a table!

I first stumbled in here in 2004 and I’ve been stumbling out of it pretty often since.

Old movie posters and film snaps decorate the walls, overseen by film-set lighting above, but it’s the classic lines of its simple and tasteful furniture, with candles adorning the tables, which give this cosy Berlin institution (in operation since 1990) its cosmopolitan air.

But for the music which is always great, (I’ve never heard a bad song here), you would imagine you were back in the 1920s, a wonderful time to be in Berlin by all accounts. (I’m not that old.)

Friendly prices ensure regulars return, with coffee just €1.50, beer (.5l) for €2.90, and proper Cuba Libres being set free for €4. Snacks range from cake for €1, stew with bread for €2.50, a mixed salad with sheeps’ cheese and tuna for €3.70, or (from 18:00) two fried eggs with salad and your choice of tomato, ham or mushroom, or a combination, for no more that €3.50.

Café Cinema is a favourite meeting place for Berliners and it stays open late too. That’s probably not a coincidence.

Don’t forget to check out Haus Schwarzenberg (check the Haus Schwarzenberg article) just behind it while you’re here.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Café Cinéma | Bars, Coffee & tea, Music, Snacks | Cake € 1.00
Rosenthaler Straße 39 | Mitte | +49302806415
12:00 – late daily

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Berlin

Image by Ciarán Fahey

Very little stirs locals’ passions quite like Fußball and Tatort do. Both form the staple diet for regulars of the ever-popular FC Magnet Bar, but woe betide anyone who dares speak too loudly when the latter is on!

Berliners flock to the pub every Sunday night to watch their favourite Crimi on the big screen, quickly snapping up all the best seats in front of it before the crime series begins. Lights are dimmed. Stragglers make do with stools at the back. Not a word is uttered, not a sound released, everyone hanging on every word. All eyes glued to the screen and not peeled away until it ends. Orders at the bar for another Weißbier (€3.50) should be made quietly at this time. In a whisper.

Tatort has been running for 40 years and the detective drama remains as popular as ever. Even thinking of playing with the Kicker table at the back can land you in trouble! Any other time of week, however, FC Magnet is a different place, where fans of football can gather in comfort on low seats to watch the Bundesliga, Spanish Liga and others on the big screen, with language of commentary often up for vote.

Prices are reasonable (mojito €6.50, coffee €2) and it can get quite crowded, especially for the Champions League or other big games. If you don’t want to miss a don’t-miss game, it’s best to get your seat early.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
FC Magnet Bar | Bars | Weißbier € 3.50
Veteranenstr. 26 | Mitte
Variable ’til late. Can depend on kick-off times.

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Berlin

Image by Robby Block

Berlin is nowhere near the Schwarzwald, which is actually in Baden-Württemberg in southwestern Germany, but they’ve been happily serving up Swabian home cooking in the Hauptstadt for ten years now. For some reason German food gets a bad rap abroad. I suppose national chauvinism might be to blame, but the first time I had Käsespätzle (cheesy noodles) I knew I was hooked.

The menu is seasonal, so there are always new things to try, but the classics like Flammkuchen, a kind of thin German pizza, or Maultaschen, a type of large ravioli filled with meat or vegetables, are also highly recommended. The portions are large and always good value. Wild game often features on the menu as well, so you might find Wildschwein (boar) or maybe even venison in season. And you can’t come to a German restaurant and not expect great beer: two favorites are Rothaus (on tap) or Augustiner (in bottles).

The walls might be decorated with the taxidermied trophies of bygone hunting parties, but vegetarians are well catered to. In winter, the place fills up quickly creating an atmosphere that might be the very definition of Gemütlichkeit. In summer, they open up the large windows, set up tables on the pavement and the restaurant spills outside.

Getting a table in the evening can sometimes prove to be a challenge as the place has become popular in recent years. Go early or better yet, call and book a table. The staff is friendly and helpful (and speak excellent English!).

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Schwarzwaldstuben | Restaurants (German) | Main from € 6
Tucholskystraße 48 | Mitte | +493028098084
09:00 – 00:00 daily

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Berlin

Image by Robby Block

There isn’t a lot that needs to be said about this monument; although it tends to be one that lots of people overlook. The bronze sculpture Der verlassene Raum by the artist Karl Biedermann was commissioned in 1988 in remembrance of the 50th anniversary of the Pogromnacht (Night of Broken Glass) – which saw Jewish homes, business and synagogues throughout Germany destroyed by SA Stormtroopers.

Near the Tiergarten, the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe overwhelms you with its size and scale. Its concrete slabs tower over you erasing your path and your existence as you lose yourself to the labyrinth. In contrast, this small memorial on Koppenplatz accomplishes the opposite somehow. The slightly oversized table and chairs, one pushed back, one overturned, impress you with the immediacy of the situation. The residents have just left, probably to one of the nearby assembly points in the neighborhood.

The floor is ringed with the words of Nelly Sachs, the Berlin born, Nobel Prize winning poet. They read: …oh the houses of death / invitingly appointed / for the host who was once a guest / Oh you fingers, / laying the threshold / like a knife between life and death / Oh you chimney stacks, / Oh you fingers, / And the body of Israel going up in smoke!

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Der verlassene Raum | Art & culture | Free
Koppenplatz | Mitte
24 hours daily

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Berlin

Image by Robby Block

The Neues Museum on Berlin’s Museum Island finally reopened in 2009 after having been closed for over 70 years. The museum was closed as a precaution in 1939, prior to WWII, and after suffering much damage during the war was left by the successive regimes as a ruin. Finally in the 1990s, a massive renovation project began, overseen by the British architect David Chipperfield. Finally Nefertiti, the famous bust of the erstwhile Egyptian Queen, whose ownership is still disputed by the Egyptian government, had a worthy resting place.

Late last year as construction work got started on the extension of the subway U5 several pieces of “degenerate art” were uncovered in the basement of a private house near the Rotes Rathaus on Alexanderplatz. The eleven sculptures had been confiscated by the Nazis, as they were deemed too Jewish or un-German from museums and private collections. It is still unclear how the ended up in someone’s basement, perhaps a mystery for future historians to uncover.

The works include a bronze cubist sculpture of a female dancer by Marg Moll, “Hagar” by Karl Kanppe and “A Likeness of the Actress Anni Mewes” by Edwin Scharff. Although the works have been cleaned and preserved for the exhibition, they still show evidence of having been buried in the rubble of the city for the last 60+ years.

See them now as they are not part of the permanent collection!

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Entartete Kunst | Art & culture, Relaxing | Museum entrance € 10
Bodestraße 1 – 3 | Mitte
Sun – Wed 10:00 – 18:00, Thu – Sat 10:00 – 20:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Berlin