How to: Find Great Coffee

Double Eye

Just a hole-in-the-wall with, almost always, a crowd of fans gathering on the sidewalk, queuing for coffee or already sipping on one. You’ll get a perfect cappuccino, milchkaffee, espresso, or one of Double Eye’s special creations for a fraction of what it would cost you to get some awful coffee at Starbucks (the American chain’s branch on Akazienstraße actually had to close due to the competition from this small coffee shop). Cappuccino, served with a complimentary biscuit, is 1,80 euro. A Pastel de nata (for a euro) is the perfect companion.

Price range $

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Godshot

At Godshot you’ll meet a barista who’s prepared to discuss coffee with you. That way you’ll always get exactly what you want in your cup. Three or four kinds of coffee beans to choose from. If you’re really into coffee, you can join one of Godshot’s barista courses (there’s even one in English).

Price range $$

Phone 030-762 334 17

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No Fire No Glory

The coffee, the atmosphere and the staff – everything feels just right at this café (even the trees have the right height). Choose between coffee beans from Copenhagen’s Coffee Collective, or Berlin’s Bonanza Coffee Heroes. No Fire No Glory moved from Friedrichshain to Prenzlauer Berg last spring. Significantly more seats than before makes the new location even better. No Fire No Glory features a good selection of home made cakes and sandwiches.

Price range $$

Phone 030-288 392 33

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The Barn

Organic and locally produced are the keywords in this small café/coffee shop, which could be taken right out of “Portlandia”. The coffee is top notch, with perfect temperature and just the right strength (Well, almost always). If you’re feeling hungry, The Barn has a good selection of sweets and sandwiches to choose among.

Price range $$

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Five Elephant Coffee

On a leafy street, deep down in Kreuzberg, you’ll find this relaxed café and with an in-store coffee roaster. The coffee is superb, and you’ll kill for the cheese cake. If you like their coffee as much as we do, you can buy a bag of beans when you leave.

Price range $$

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Bonanza Coffee Heroes

Prenzlauer Berg’s most popular coffee bar. Bonanza has, well deserved, a good reputation among urban tourist and locals. Their coffee drinks are always of high quality, even if they, like us all, can have a bad day. The enthusiasts that run Bonanza roast their own beans to perfection, and also supplies them to a few of the other coffee bars on our list.

Price range $$

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Antipodes

Excellent Kiwi coffee, with organic beans from Kings & Queens coffee roasters in Berlin. Their flat white is strong enough to keep you going all day.

Price range $$

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Röststätte

When you’re done drooling over all the shiny, new espresso machines in the store, head for the café counter and order an espresso. Röststätte serves some of Mitte’s best coffee, roasted by hand in the combined store/café.

Price range $$

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Oslo Kaffebar

Are you missing your Norwegian coffee? Do not despair. Kristiania Espresso might be gone, but Kristian is still making excellent espressos and cappuccinos at his new place, Oslo Kaffebar, just steps away from Nordbahnhof. In co-operation with Bonanza coffee roasters, the coffee bar has created a special roast – the Oslo Blend.

Price range $$

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Cafe CK

Prepare yourself for a very strong cup of coffee. Cafe CK uses 20 grams of coffee (or more, if you want it even stronger) in every drink. You’ll probably need something on the side, we recommend the carrot cake. CK also has a branch in Voo Store in Kreuzberg’s Oranienstraße, but this review is for the café in Prenzlauer Berg. CK uses coffee beans from Bonanza.

Price range $$

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