Arkadas is the Turkish word for friend and it well describes this neighborhood joint. It is a friendly, unpretentious and colorful place in the Länggass quarter in Bern. I call it my comfort food spot.

They offer a freshly cooked menu of the day, dürüm, falafel, appetizer (mezze) plates and Turkish desserts. The vegan scene sprawled out to Bern, so you find several vegan options on the menu. All dishes are prepared with the freshest ingredients, therefore you find no fix menu, but chalkboards.

Everybody is raving about their signature dish “dürum with avocado”, but honestly, I’ve never tried it, because I am so fond of their mezze plates. They consist of middle eastern classics (e.g. hummus) and less commom creations (e.g. refreshing pomegranate beet salad) varying regularly. Luckily, the moreish crispy falafels are always on the plate. If you have a sweet tooth, I recommend you try the homemade lemonades to wash down the oriental goodness.

Being popular with university students and office workers, it is advisable to pop in rather early at lunchtime or in the calmer evenings.