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?

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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)

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!).

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Schwarzwaldstuben | Restaurants (German) | Main from € 6
Tucholskystraße 48 | Mitte | +493028098084
09:00 – 00:00 daily

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Berlin

Image by Robby Block

In the western part of Berlin, near Bahnhof Zoo, is the famous Kaiser Wihelm Memorial Church, a partially restored bombed out ruin that today stands as a reminder of the horrors of war. In the eastern part of the city lies another ruin of a much older church that today remains largely forgotten. Just across a busy six lane thoroughfare from Alexanderplatz lies a leafy oasis, a quiet spot away from the crush of the city.

Construction on the original Fransican Abbey began in 1250 and it was a fine example of early gothic style until it was destroyed by Allied bombing on 3 April 1945. Today the ruin stands as another reminder of the war that left the city devastated. The space now stands as an open art exhibition space in a garden-like atmosphere. In summer theatre productions are also performed.

Nearby, you can also find two more reminders of Berlin’s history. The first, directly behind the church is the original Berlin Wall, which surrounded the old cities of Berlin and Cölln. Nearby, in a quiet stretch of residential housing, is Berlin’s oldest restaurant Zur Letzten Instanz. The restaurant dates to 1561, though the current building is a post-war reconstruction. The interior is also quaintly period, though I’d stick to the Biergarten outside. I can’t vouch for the menu personally, it tends towards typically Berlin cuisine. You’ll probably find delicacies like Eisbein, often translated as pig knuckle, and once eloquently described to me by a friend as a fatty, pink, meaty marshmallow.

Guten Appetit!

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Franziskaner Klosterkirche | Art & culture, Relaxing, Theaters, Restaurants
Klosterstraße 73A | Mitte
April – Nov, Tue – Sat 12:00 – 18:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Berlin

Image by Robby Block

The menu at Yam Tam might not be very extensive, but you can still find lots of great traditional Korean dishes here. Order at the counter and they’ll deliver your food to you at the table. You can have the traditional favorite Bibimbab with meat or vegetables. The mandu (dumplings) taste like someone’s mom was up all night rolling out the dough. If you are new to Korean food and want to try several different things, go for the panchan menu, which comes with rice and 7 Korean side dishes – pickled radishes, kimchi, fish cake, and others according to what is available and fresh. Definitely enough for two.

The owner is a fashion designer and it shows in the choice of magazines you can read while you wait and in the minimalist decor. The interior, white tables and walls, is mostly modern though the original paint and molding on the ceiling remind you that this is, after all, Berlin.

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Yam Yam | Restaurants (Korean) | Meal from € 7.00
Alte Schönhauser Straße 6 | Mitte | +491791319153
Mon – Sat 12:00 – 00:00, Sun 12:00 – 23:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Berlin

Image by Ciarán Fahey

Ear-popping on the way up and eye-popping once you’re there, the Fernsehturm is quite literally Berlin’s most outstanding attraction! Towering majestically 368 meters above Alexanderplatz, it can be seen from almost anywhere in the city – a comforting beacon of hope for lost wandering souls trying to find their way home or to the next party.

The Fernsehturm (literally ‘TV Tower’ in German – it has been transmitting TV and radio signals since it opened in 1969) is the tallest free-standing structure in western Europe (positively dwarfing the “miserly” 324 metre Tour Eiffel).

Two lifts whisk visitors at a speed of six meters per second to the viewing platform 203.78 meters above the city in the time it took you to read that sentence. (Forty seconds in case you weren’t paying attention.) In any case, it sure is quicker than taking the 986 steps. The view all around Berlin is quite impressive, eye-popping as I mentioned before, and it can be enjoyed with a Cocktail 360˚ (vodka, gin, vanilla, lime and cranberry) for €7.50 at the Panorama Bar. Why not? It’s Germany’s highest bar! A modest bottle of beer is €3.60.

If you really want to go for a twirl however, reserve a table at the swish revolving restaurant a floor above. Diners complete a full rotation only once every half hour so you need not worry about returning your food after eating it.

Refurbishment is calling! The restaurant’s closed from February 13 to 26 and the observation deck from February 20 to 26.

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Fernsehturm | Bars, Coffee & tea, Relaxing, Restaurants (German) | Adult € 11
Panoramastraße 1A | Mitte
Mar – Oct 09:00 – 00:00 daily, Nov – Feb 10:00 – 00:00 daily

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Berlin

Image by Sharon Mertins

When one of my best friends came to visit a few weeks ago from Amsterdam, he had a whole itinerary planned for us for the weekend. He had lived here for four years before moving away, and he was determined to do his favorite ‘Berlin things’ throughout the few days he would be here. One of them was watching the sunset at Nola’s.

Nola’s restaurant is no big secret around Berlin. But despite it’s popularity, it’s still worth a visit. It’s a lovely place to watch the sunset while you sip on a cold drink while sitting on one of the sun-chairs during the summer, or nursing a hot cup of chocolate with a blanket wrapped around you during the colder months.

Nola’s has a wonderful terrace with a fantastic view of the Volkspark am Weinberg, and an inside area with an elegant 1950′s sort of decoration that gives you the feeling of being….in a classic 1950′s movie set. The Swiss cross is always present along with ‘Rivella’ ads but this is all very subtle and done with good taste.

On Sundays they offer a fabulous brunch with an absolutely delicious variety of Swiss cheese, eggs, sausages, salmon, homemade marmalade……you get the idea. And for those winter cravings………..Fondue and a variety of Swiss dishes.

The atmosphere is always relaxed and more of a family environment depending on the time of day… But the sunsets…..!!

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Nola’s | Coffee & tea, Relaxing, Restaurants (Swiss) | Brunch € 11.50
Veteranenstr. 9 | Mitte | +493044040766
10:00 – 01:00 daily

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Berlin

Image by Herrmann Königs

“Prego signore!” is what I first heard at Gianni’s Pasta Bar – and of course ever on. Today I’m convinced that here is where Gianni brought his home – Italy.

This place is on one half a source for any Italian food you wanna buy (wine, pasta (-sauces), cheese, meat, marinated veggies, sweets, coffee, etc.). On the other half – and here comes my recommendation – I love it for the weekly changing lunch menu and the best coffee I found in town (and it’s more than reasonably priced – cappuccino € 1.60). Oh, and I should not forget to mention their yummy ciabattas (€ 2.60 – 3.30) in five different varieties which I prefer to take away.

But the actual star of the Pasta Bar are the lovely staff: Gianni Gillone – the always charming owner and workaholic and, of course, the very nice and friendly girls whom one quickly takes to one’s heart.

Being a regular here, I keep seeing new faces as well as many daily guests – and they can’t be wrong! It’s simply a great place to read newspaper or just to chat with friends.

I once took a couple of friends from Italy here. And they proved this place as “Italian”; they loved the coffee (that’s means something!) and liked the variety of Gianni’s goods.

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Gianni’s Pasta Bar | Coffee & tea, Shopping, Snacks, Restaurants (Italian) | Pasta € 4.50
Schönhauser Allee 186A | Mitte | +493044323830
Mon – Sat 08:00 – 21:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Berlin

Image by Herrmann Koenigs

“For me Berliner backyards are like surprises. You never know what’s waiting for you behind the gate.”

On one hand the way apartment buildings were built during the so called “Gründerzeit” (time around 1870-1914) produced the typical apartment blocks in Berlin, now known as “Altbauten” (old buildings) or “Mietskasernen” (tenements). On the other hand it gave Berlin those backyards everywhere.

In a particular area called “Scheunenviertel” (Barn Quarter) you can find a couple of very interesting “Hinterhöfe” where life seems to be hidden. Enjoy theatres, cinemas, galleries, museums, shops, cafes, bars, restaurants and other surprises there!

Except for “Hackesche Höfe“, now a tourist magnet and the most prominent complex of backyards, tourists and even Berliners don’t visit them. That is very unfortunate. And you will understand that if you go out to discover the following backyards: – Backyard of Haus Schwarzenberg (see the Haus Schwarzenberg article)- Heckmannhöfe (see the Heckmanhoefe article)- Hackesche Höfe: a complex of 8 backyards Rosenthaler Straße 40/41 & Sophienstraße 6- Kunsthof, contains very nice hospitality and quality galleries Oranienburger Strasse 27- Sophie-Gips-Höfe, contains the Hoffmann Collection (see the Hoffmann collection article) Sophienstraße 21- Rosenhöfe, Rosenthaler Strasse 36- Panasia/Gallerie Cicero, Rosenthaler Strasse 38

Also, I’d like to encourage you to keep your eyes open for many other backyards in this area and not to be shy to enter them. With a bit of luck you can find real jewels of cultural & night life in them!

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Berliner backyards | Art & culture, Bars, Cinemas, Coffee & tea, Shopping, Theaters, Restaurants
Different locations | Mitte
Various opening times

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Berlin

Image by Sarah Curth

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

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Berlin

Image by Sarah Curth

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.

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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

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Berlin