Now is exactly the right time for a few relaxing hours in Berlin's cafés. Here you can get something warming for body and soul and brave the Berlin winter. We have some cosy neighbourhood cafés, probably the capital's oldest patisseries and a few little trips to France and Japan up our sleeve. With these tips in your luggage, the cold winter can no longer harm you.
Tip 1: Warm up with coffee and Baumkuchen at Konditorei Buchwald
The Buchwald patisserie 's flagship product is emblazoned in red letters above the front door: Baumkuchen since 1852. Over the past 160 years, the house recipe for the popular pastry has been perfected according to all the rules of the art. In addition to its speciality, the traditional confectionery also offers many other delicacies such as cakes and tarts - the perfect place to warm up after a long winter walk through the Tiergarten and enjoy an atmosphere that you would otherwise only recognise from grandma's parlour.
Where: Bartningallee 29, Tiergarten
When: daily 11 a.m. to 6 p.m
Tip 2: Feast your way through the winter with Mrs Behren's cakes
An interior that looks like it's from the last century, timeless cakes of the highest quality and a wide selection of delicious hot drinks can be found at Frau Behrens Torten in Charlottenburg, Glienicke, Kreuzberg and Friedenau. Here, traditional baking skills are combined with artisan innovation. As a result, the cake menu includes classic treats as well as lactose-free, vegan or gluten-free alternatives, which are almost indistinguishable from the other cakes in terms of flavour and consistency.
See for yourself - and order a glass of sparkling wine to go with it on a wintry Sunday!
Where: Wilmersdorfer Straße 96, Charlottenburg; Hauptstraße 66, Glienicke; Bergmannstraße 3, Kreuzberg; Dickhardtstraße 1, Friedenau
When: depending on the branch
Tip 3: Try tea from Central Asia in the Tadshik tea parlour
In the Tadzhik tea room in Mitte, the Central Asian country is brought to life amid hand-carved sandalwood columns and authentic furnishings. The interior of the tearoom was once a gift from the Soviet Union and today gives the place its very special atmosphere. Make yourself comfortable on the colourful cushions and enjoy a Russian tea ceremony, small savoury snacks or fairy tales from 1001 nights at the fairytale tea time, which takes place every Monday evening.
Where: Oranienburger Straße 27, Mitte
When: Monday 4pm to 9pm, Tuesday to Friday 4pm to 10pm, Saturday 12pm to 10pm, Sunday 12pm to 9pm
Tip 4: Make yourself comfortable at Fräulein Wild
Fräulein Wild - also known as Anna-Maria Wild - has managed to create a retro paradise for cake fans in a quiet side street not far from Kottbusser Tor that will make you forget the hustle and bustle of Kreuzberg for a while. Breakfast classics, cakes and other delicacies are served here with a steaming cup of organic coffee that most guests will probably remember for a long time to come.
Where: Dresdener Straße 13, Kreuzberg
When: daily from 10 am to 6 pm
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Tip 5: Try the homemade cakes at Bistro 1900
The 1900 Café Bistro exudes Parisian flair in Charlottenburg, and not just in summer. Admittedly, the romantic street terrace is quite something. But it only gets really cosy inside the restaurant. With rustic wooden furniture, candlelight and fresh flowers on every table, the homemade dishes on the menu taste even better.
With spelt crumble cake, delicious cappuccino and other homemade cakes, you can easily survive even the coldest winter days here.
Where: Knesebeckstraße 76, Charlottenburg
When: daily from 9 am to 6 pm
Tip 6: Get delicious cocoa specialities at Winterfeldt Schokoladen
What would winter tips be without the ultimate guarantee of a good mood: chocolate. The Schöneberg-based Winterfeldt Schokoladen has dedicated itself entirely to sweet treats made from cocoa beans and has been supplying hungry chocoholics since 2005. Initially located on the eponymous Winterfeldtplatz, since 2009 it has been just a corner away on the corner of Goltzstrasse and Pallasstrasse.
You can't really go wrong here: the selection is delicious from start to finish and the small café area will sweeten your day. The only mistake would be to walk past this little shop.
Where: Goltzstraße 23, corner of Pallasstraße, Schöneberg
When: Monday to Saturday 10am to 6pm, Sunday 12pm to 6pm
Tip 7: Relax in the neighbourhood café Annelies
Annelies is a real gem in Kreuzberg. People from the neighbourhood (and further afield) meet up in the small neighbourhood café to enjoy a creative and high-quality breakfast or lunch. You quickly notice the neighbourhood character of the shop. By your second visit at the latest, you will recognise some of the faces and feel warm and welcome, even in the Berlin winter.
The menu includes cakes and pastries from the Albatross Bakery around the corner and, of course, all kinds of coffee specialities.
Where: Görlitzer Straße 68, Kreuzberg
When: Monday and Wednesday to Monday 9am to 5pm, Saturday and Sunday 10am to 6pm
Tip 8: Discover Vietnamese tea culture at the ChénChè teahouse
Nothing helps better against cold weather and winter blues than a warm tea - the ChénChè tea house in Mitte adopts this wisdom and serves you traditional Vietnamese delicacies in bowls and plates. The desserts served with the tea are made in the in-house bakery and take you straight to warmer climes. There is also plenty to broaden your cultural horizons.
If you wish, you can take part in a traditional tea ceremony and learn about the many healing properties of tea.
Where: Rosenthaler Straße 13, Mitte
When: daily from 12 noon to midnight
Tip 9: Take a trip to Japan at the House of Small Wonder
From Vietnam, it's straight on to Japan: the House of Small Wonder is a western café with a Japanese influence. the small wonder first saw the light of day in Williamsburg, New York, in 2010 and has been spoiling Berlin guests since 2014. The House of Small Wonder is the perfect place to meet up with friends for a hearty breakfast or brunch and forget about the cold weather outside for a moment.
Where: Auguststraße 11 - 13, Mitte
When: Monday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday to Thursday 10.30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m
Tip 10: Green, cosy, in the middle of Berlin
Between historic walls and young creative spirit, Café The Greens is a green oasis in the heart of Berlin. Surrounded by houseplants, greenery and urban gardening, a cosy atmosphere meets sustainable cuisine. Fresh vegetables and herbs from the Münzgarten, speciality coffee roasted in Berlin and seasonal, predominantly organic ingredients characterise the menu.
The interior also reflects the loving attention to detail: restored espresso machine, wood panelling from old buildings, flea market finds - all with character and history. As part of the Alte Münze community, the café is involved in workshops, art events and open socialising - a place to feel good, linger and be inspired.
Where: Am Krögel 2, Mitte
When: Monday to Friday 10 am to 6 pm, Saturday and Sunday 12 pm to 6 pm
Tip 11: Let yourself be whisked away to France at Café Fleury
A slice of French joie de vivre in the centre of Berlin - if you're in the mood for savoir vivre on a cold day, you should pay a visit to Café Fleury. The owners, Betty and her husband, serve all kinds of delicious treats based on old family recipes and get the ingredients directly from the famous Rungis wholesale market in Paris. In addition to café au lait and fluffy croissants, you can also enjoy homemade tarts with apple, rhubarb, apricot or even lemon and raspberry. And in the colder months, warming walnut tarts with maple syrup are on the menu.
Where: Weinbergsweg 20, centre
When: Monday to Sunday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m
