Coffee in Berlin

Berlin is a pretty big place and I only had two full days there, so I barely scratched the surface of what felt like a very diverse city.

I had time for only three coffee stops. The first had to be at The Barn given it’s a roastery whose work I’ve really enjoyed in Edinburgh in places such as Baba Budan.

I went to their small cafe in the Mitte district to start my day with a bright and powerful espresso.

I was rewarded with a very warm welcome from the lovely team. They poured me an excellent shot that had great balance to it. It was a splendid start to proceedings.

I had time for another coffee in the neighbourhood so headed to Ben Rahim.

Hidden in between buildings, Ben Rahim is a little espresso counter full of charm.

They showcase Red Brick from Squaremile, a coffee well-known to Edinburgh peeps as it features at all of Jon Sharp’s cafes – Wellington, Thomas J Walls etc.

It has never been a huge favourite of mine as it tends to be just a little too brightly citrusy at the start. This was again the case here, but it was a well-made shot that offered a nice little reminder of home.

Finally, I had a lunch stop at Father Carpenter’s Coffee Brewers, which again was buried in amongst buildings, but was a rather more large-scale place.

With coffee by Fjord, I started proceedings with a very good espresso.

It was a Kenyan with typical fruity notes. It was made to an exceptionally good standard.

For lunch I ate a really fresh salad called gado gado. This featured nicely charred sweet potato and lots of crunchy veg, with boiled egg in the mix for added substance. Drenched in a really good peanut dressing, this was just the kind of aromatic and light lunch on a 35° day.

So overall, the little I sampled of the Berlin coffee scene was really impressive. I hear strong reports on many other cafes and roasteries so I look forward to further exploration on future visits. These three places are all worth checking out when you’re next in town.