It's beautiful here : BERLIN
Friends,
I’m a little late to the party with this city and not entirely sure why I never visited before, given that I’ve been surrounded by Europe for +- 24 years now. Lately though, for many reasons, I’ve been surreptitiously researching potential cities to call my next home. Berlin has made it onto my extremely short shortlist. I’ll admit that I visited in the dead of winter which historically isn’t my best season, so am planning another spring trip for her second interview :-)
I travelled with this book, these hand warmers, and a beautifully curated itinerary + city map from my thoughtful friend — Katharina.
Here’s 5 beautiful things about Berlin (and 3 that I really wasn't that impressed with).
1. Sleep
I chose this hotel based on the incredibly central location but also the spa overlooking the Berlin Zoo. This was my first stay at a 25hours Hotel and I absolutely loved it.
They have a popular rooftop restaurant / bar as well as a beautifully designed concept store.
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Other hotels that I have shortlisted:
Michelberger Hotel — Friedrichshain
Miniloft — Mitte
Gorki Apartments — Mitte
Hotel Oderberger — Prenzlauer Berg
Sir Savigny - Charlottenburg
2. Gemäldegalerie
Housing the most important collection of Botticelli’s work outside of Italy with all paintings lit entirely by daylight, this museum was just divine.
All the naked ladies, and an extremely bored naked baby.
Because — Italians + Renaissance.
3. Eat, drink, coffee + cake
Drinks:
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Rias, Kreuzberg - drinks and jazz
Cordobar, Mitte - drinks + bar food (get the black pudding pizza)
Hops & Barley, Friedrichshain - microbrewery Berlin beer with football
Food:
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Borchardt, Mitte - German food, order the schnitzel
Cocolo Ramen X-Berg, Kreuzberg - Ramen, gyoza + kimchi - soba at lunchtime
Lokal, Mitte - Modern German food, all ingredients are local
3 Schwestern, Kreuzberg - No nonsense German food
Balikci Ergun, Moabit - Turkish food
Rogacki, Charlottenburg - famous for their smoked eel
Coffee + Cake:
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Konditorei Buchwald, Moabit - Baumkuchen (tree cake)
Distrikt Coffee, Mitte - Great coffee + cake
Roamers, Neukölln - coffee + brunch
Bonanza Roastery Café, Kreuzberg - Unnecessarily good
Also, please take a moment to appreciate this thing of beauty which was my staple snack:
4. Jewish Museum
Haunting and necessary - let us never forget how deadly and vile white supremacy is.
5. Shop
Concept stores and bookshops tend to be where I focus for shopping, here’s a few of my favourites in Berlin:
(i) Voo Store
(ii) Do You Read Me ?!
(iii) The Store @ Soho House
(iv) R.S.V.P. Papier
(v) Folkdays
Here’s 3 things I visited but wasn’t that fussed about (could’ve been how cold I was):