Cupcake Berlin

Birthday cake at Cupcake Berlin

Cupcake Berlin is a small café in Friedrichshain that have specilized in - that's right - cupcakes. Before visiting I never really understood what the hype was - how can a muffin with icing go from being an ordinary (possibly good) cake to something amazing by just adding icing? 

Sure, I have had really good muffins, but they have never sent me salivating by just thinking about them. But no, cupcakes are something different and the Berlin cupcakes at Krosserner Strasse are an excellent example of that. Chose from vanilla cakes with strawberry, lemon, or cream cheese topping, rich chocolate cakes with peppermint or Oreo on top.

If you are in the area you must try it - if not nearby, it is worth a detour.

Cupcake Berlin

Krossener Straße 12, 10245 Berlin

http://www.cupcakeberlin.de/

No Fire No Glory

After brunch at Euphoria in Friedrichshain I decided to check out an espresso bar in the area I came across when looking for a brunch place in Friedrichshain.

I can really recommed No Fire No Glory if you are in the area and in need of a proper coffee - I had the Galaõ and it was excellent. My friend Jenny had an americano and also gave it a good review. The café also serves freshly made juices, cakes and some smaller snacks for breakfast.

No Fire No Glory

Jessnerstr. 35, 10247 Berlin

www.nofirenoglory.de 

Anna Blume

Whenever I have visitors I always take them out for brunch, and most of the time if is to one of the places on the intersection of Sredzkistrasse and Kollwitzstrasse. Just across the street from Sowohl als Auch is Anna Blume, also one of Berlin's brunch institutions. 

Like its sister café, Anna Blume offers breakfast platters filled with assorted cheese and meats, fruits and vegetables. They have a more limited selection but their platter for 2 or 4 people is hard to beat - both in terms of quality and price. Coffee is not great, but the freshly squeezed juices somewhat make up for it, and the yogurt with fruit salad and crunchy müsli is... very good. I have never been disappointed (at the food) at Anna Blume.

Anna Blume has more of the feel of a Vienna coffeehouse and also boasts a large range of cakes - in addition to their flower shop! Location is also advantageous kitty-corner to Sowohl als Auch - if one place is full, then check out the other.

Café Anna Blume

Kollwitzstraße 83, 10435 Berlin

http://www.cafe-anna-blume.de/ 

Sowohl als Auch

One of the two brunch institutions of Kollwitzstrasse, Sowohl als Auch is always jam packed on the weekends. Prepare for a wait or avoid the time between 11 and 14. This sais, it is worth the wait. Sowohl als Auch is one of the best brunch places in Berlin with a large range of choices, geographically categorized. You can have the British plate with eggs and bacon, the Spanish with spicy salami and manchego, the Norwegian with salmon and so on. There is something for everyone! 

 

Breakfast platter for two

Coffee is decent but not as good as you could expect from a coffee house, but then this is also a pastry shop and if you still have room you can finish off brunch with a large piece of cake. A big plus in the summer is the extensive outdoor seating area and the quaint tree-lined Kollwitzstrasse. Sowohl als Auch should be included in every Berlin itinerary.

Café Sowohl als Auch

Kollwitzstraße 88, 10435 Berlin

http://www.tortenundkuchen.de/ 

Euphoria?

My friend Jenny was in town this weekend, staying just off Simon-Dach-Strasse in Friedrichshain - what better reason to go explore this part of town for good brunch places. Since I am not very often in this neighbourhood I did a little reseach on qype, and came up with a few options including 100 Wasser Café, Café Uebereck, Datscha, Kurhaus Korsakow and Euphoria. (We later walked past the Kurhaus and I went to check out what I missed - but I have to say their brunch buffet was a miserable sight...)

I found Euphoria's menu online and immediately noticed that they serve crepes. I love crepes (or more precisely Swedish pancakes). I ruled out Datscha and Uebereck since I was planning on having Russian brunch the following day and Uebereck was a little bit out of the way. Running a little bit late, I texted the options to Jenny who then might also have spotted the crepes and went for Euphoria. 

Everything is orange under the awning

 

 

We shared a big breakfast platter and could not finish it between the two of us. Extra points for the vanillequark (my latest obsession is pancakes with vanillequark and fruit. Or just vanillequark and fruits...) but there was very little fruit and vegetables, just some slices of melon and cucumber. Cheese and hams were good but nothing out of the ordinary, coffee was decent. All in all, I'd say Euphoria is a good place  to go for brunch in Friedrichshain, but it doesn't beat the two brunch institutions at Kollwitzstrasse, Anna Blume and Sowohl als Auch in Prenzlauer Berg. 

Euphoria

Grünberger Str. 60A, 10245 Berlin

http://euphoria-bar.de/ 

Café Fleury

Birdie also likes brunch

While you should definately have your coffe at Il Syndicato across the street, Café Fleury is great for a Sunday brunch when you don't have to rush off and run errands. The only place where I have found 'rillettes' outside of France, Café Fleury also offer breakfast platters with flavourful cheese and tender hams, yoghurt with fresh fruits, croques monsieur et madam etc. Very busy around noon, so be prepared for a bit of a wait or come early!

Café Fleury
Weinbergsweg 20, 10119 Berlin

Qype 

Il Syndicato - best coffee in Berlin

I have to start by listing my absolute favourite coffee place in Berlin - Il Syndicato on Weinbergsweg. The espresso is 50 cents and the milchkaffe has just the right kind of creamy foam. Add a freshly baked piadina (italian wrap thing) to your coffe and you're good to go (check out the stores around Alte Schönhauser Str...).

Il Syndicato

Weinbergsweg 5, 10119 Berlin

 

Il Syndicato on Qype