This is for people like me who before a trip scourge through the internet desperately trying to find all the hot spots, all the alternative and hip bars, coffee places and restaurants, all the culture but with the minimum possible tourist destruction.Â
and before you highlight the obvious, yes i am aware iâm also a tourist, but the type of holiday i adhere to is the one along the lines of what locals would normally do on a Sunday (hoping there will be brunch in there too).Â
So, if you are like me and youâre into the admittedly now outdated yet funky âhipsterâ culture, this is for you...
Possibly one of the best hotels iâve ever been. Not because itâs the most luxurious but mainly because it embraces Berlinâs character within its four walls.Â
a warm and comfy welcoming reception/restaurant/coffee place/bar/library... itâs a bit of everything actually. Upon arrival and once we checked in we run to the bar and grabbed a Green Fairy (gin based dynamite of a cocktail) and a homemade Michelberger branded Pale Ale (thatâs for Robin).Â
While sipping our drinks and planning our stay we realised that this place felt way too much like home...
The room was even more of a surprise,âcozyâ and indeed it was. The see-through window to the shower and the intimate bed arrangement makes this the perfect choice for a couple.Â
The in-house restaurant was even better, gourmet delicious slightly pretentious vegan and not flavours which were absolutely incredible. It made us go back for more and more... including the incredible Brunch featuring the notorious (again homemade Michelberger branded) Fountain of Youth Coconut water, which i have to tell you became my latest addiction (iâm currently going through withdrawal syndromes)
and once we managed to get ourselves outside this incredible hotel - which by the way offers a massage service, private sauna session, pink pong and foosball spots as well as crazy events like 24hr piano recitals... the question was where to brunch
Silo felt too familiar and thatâs because itâs a reflection of where we normally hang out every Sunday morning in shoreditch and Dalston.Â
The menu was simple and egg based, the staff was sooooo welcoming and accommodating and the food was absolutely delicious!!!Â
Personal recommendation - as always - poached egg-ies with avo on sourdough or some other amazing bread. Apparently silo is known to be promoting local bread (which is amazing) . Also reach out for the apple mint juice with a shot of ginger it was refreshing and delightful.Â
Campbellâs recommendation i assume it would be the hearty bake of eggs, sausages and home made pesto - i have to admit the bite i tried was divine.Â
Berlin is very historically loaded and the whole city itself is a reflection of the grim past, like a veil of grey is covering the skies. Upon arrival i must admit i was not impressed but by the end of the trip i definitely did not want to leave and this was due to the experiences i had and the emotions i felt.Â
The monuments that left me with a feeling of awe were the following:Â
1. The holocaust memorial - Memorial to the murdered Jews of EuropeÂ
the area feels like death is breathing air among the hollow corridors in between the âtombâ like bulks of stone. Children and tourists jumping on them and running around... who am i to judge but ignorance felt insulting and disrespectful for what this memorial stands for.Â
Please, please... if you do visit, don't run around and don't take posing sexy pictures ... itâs just wrong!Â
2. The Berlin Wall & Checkpoint Charlie - atrociously enticing and mesmerising the ruins found around the city made me shiver to the bone. and then the only question summarising it all is âWhy?â - Checkpoint Charlie was flooded with tourists, some ignorant and some naive that made a fold of the situation, and small street âentrepreneursâ trying to exploit the situation.Â
I felt very emotional and intrigued at the same time...
3. The former SS headquarters - Topography of terrorsÂ
Insane how not so long ago the world was facing such monstrosities and was simple sitting as a silent spectator to what was taking place there. Where the former SS headquarters used to be, now lies a long timeline of how Hitler came to power and how one thing lead to another, just as if stars had been aligned for him. Absolutely Brutal ...
Although i initially called it majestic, the truth is that itâs not, itâs just a symbol of blunt power bearing so walls which have witnessed many atrocious decisions.Â
Ha! these little guys (machines) are located all around berlin and they were an early 21st century initiative introduced and currently maintained in Berlin encouraging people to keep their moments alive through pictures. Needless to say that iâve got shit loads of them :)
NeukĂślln just a while back used to be ânothingâ really other than grim building blocks. Once the airport that was hosted there closed down, prices fell and people bought houses turning the area into the new Hipsterland (Dalston if that sounds more familiar).Â
Full of galleries and alternative little restaurants as well as flooded with random street events, we were lucky enough to bump onto one of them.Â
After endless hours of walking and getting lost (despite that we are both self declared masters of the Google maps) we stumbled upon a crowded little corner shop which drew our attention and thus moved closer to observe.Â
A little stand was set up outside a brunch place, selling cacti (i think) and giving out free alcoholic remedies, whilst inside the little restaurant a little earthly haven appeared with delicious egg (again) based treats being served on trays and board and other weird objects.Â
The restaurant is called the Roamerâs and it was a delightful little stay for refuelling after the gazillion hours of walking which have left me weak, grumpy and hungry.Â
Again, eggs on the menu (i don't even want to think the levels of my cholesterol right now) and my personal recommendation is the Sailor - poached egg, smoked salmon, avo and feta cheese mmmmm..
and when in Rome do as the Romans they say... well same applies for Berlin iâll have you know!!!! for more information on the cool clubbing scene of Berlin please see my related post on - Demystifying the Watergate just by clicking here. you might be intrigued!Â
and YES, Robin did have an after hour kebab - weâre still praying it wasnât Donkey meat.Â
Posh Berlin  (yeah itâs a thing)Â
a beautiful little restaurant in the more commercial side of Mitte and near Alexander platz. Simply the equation goes like this
starter Tartare + Rump Steak + a bottle of Champagne = PerfectionÂ
and last but not least, Shopping... Mitte is your go to area for some very cool boutiques but also some of the known us. Celebrating Karl Lagerfeldâs origins i could not have NOT paid the store a visit ;)Â
Karl Lagerfeld Berlin - Neue SchĂśnhauser Str. 8 ¡ +49 30 28096590Â
Berlin is absolutely for everyone, itâs versatile, itâs flooded with history and culture, itâs dirty and grey and yet colourful and vibrant at the same time... i highly recommend it was an all rounded incredible experience.Â