Atmospheric Berlin: the Nicest Cafes

This spot can be described as either alien, psychedelic or even schizophrenic. Personally, I come here in the afternoon to have a cup of coffee and a pie, enjoy Haus Schwarzenberg hip vibe and try to guess what this statue is – a frog or a bat. At night Kaschemme turns into a bar and changes its name to Eschloraque: drinks, live music, a nice chat with bartenders whose face beam with red-blue and green – B-horror movie light effect.

You should visit this café out of curiosity or to satisfy your passion for jazz or classical music rather than taste its coffee which is nevertheless good. Horenstein is a retro boutique decorated with vinyl, vintage furniture and old radio cassette players, ancient film and music posters, with the friendliest salesman in the whole Wilmersdorf district. If you have time, I recommend you to spend at least an hour there to relax in an armchair with a cup of coffee and a cheesecake listening to a crackling old record.

Once while riding a bike in Neukölln I stopped at this café to have lunch, and enjoyed the place. It was a nice spot in every respect with inexpensive and tasty dishes, including salads, sandwiches, desserts and good coffee. The café has a very special atmosphere - very quiet in the morning when its visitors read newspapers on a cozy terrace and the bartender lazily wipes the glasses. It gets noisier in the evening when partygoers drop in for a drink.

I had lived in Reichenberger Street for a rather long time, so when Five Elephant Café opened, I became its regular visitor. It was a great pleasure to have breakfast there and go down for freshly brewed coffee made by the owners, Chris and Sofie. By the way, the owners dry, roast and grind coffee themselves. Also go for yummilicious light cheesecakes here. After breakfast I recommend taking a stroll along Reichenberger alleys and relax by the water canal.

Double Eye is always noisy and crowded, even the brightly decorated terrace, but it’s always better to drink tea or coffee in a lively company. Don’t be taken aback if one sunny morning you will see a mob of chatting young men with cups, standing at the entrance and on nearby pavements. Double Eye is a European champion in latte-making – they even have a certificate that says so. I’d given them certificates for hospitality, service and cakes, especially the Portuguese pie and black cherry pie. Prices are reasonable.

If I happen to find myself in Friedrichshain district in the afternoon, I always drop in at Aunt Benny for a couple of hours. This is where I can leaf through the latest issues of archtecture, fashion and music magazines and surf the web while drinking an obligatory cup of coffee with a piece of banana bread or a Canadian pretzel. The menu also offers a wide choice of smoothies and cheesecakes. The space is bright, with a clean minimalist decor and a large table, which I'm always happy to share with my fellow freelancers.