Cornelia Brelowski: Keep calm and have a coffee: Berlin’s accommodating gastronomy

TEXT: CORNELIA BRELOWSKI

I can’t praise Berlin’s café and restaurant culture enough. Despite the pandemic crisis and the maintenance and delivery costs still rising due to the various political conflicts nobody can ignore anymore, one thing in Berlin has remained the same: you will always find an affordable cup of coffee and – if hungry – an enticing meal at various price levels. I will present two quite opposing examples, which both have long become Berlin institutions.

There are old soldiers of classic Berlin gastronomy who have survived all the turmoil and have been here even since before the wall came down. One of them is Pasternak, situated in Prenzlauer Berg’s Knaakstraße right at the Wasserturm square, where the menu includes both Ukrainian and Russian dishes as well as Georgian wine and a pianist in the evenings. Patti Smith likes to stop by Pasternak during her Berlin visits (she has her own designated table, which allows an overlook of both bar and restaurant).

Anyone who is familiar with her books knows that she has a very good instinct about where to get the best coffee while travelling. But here, you can also enjoy Eastern European cuisine at a price of 65 euros per person for a 4-course group menu, including water – still or sparkling as you please. Pasternak, though having become quite chic, still retains its old-world charm and, soothingly, also combines two cultures that find themselves in political conflict again and again; reminding us that culture and politics often have very little to do with each other. Pasternak of course was named after the author of the classic Russian novel Doctor Zhivago.

Food for all budgets through to fine dining. Photo: Tanya Prodaan on Unsplash

Speaking of old worlds. In former West Berlin, you still have the chance of a post-clubbing coffee and breakfast (and cigarette) in the middle of the night at the iconic Schwarzes Café in Kantstraße, ever since – read and believe it – 1978. “What’s normal, doesn’t interest us,” the website states. Colourful and diverse, spontaneous, chaotic, open-minded, and full of love, Schwarzes Café rocks on. Breakfast is served all night from 6 euros upwards – cash only, please.

Speaking of which, in Berlin it actually makes sense to always have some cash in your pocket. Many places in both the former East and West prefer cash payment, especially if you’re only having coffee. The reason is that the Berlin gastronomy scene is struggling with high rent and maintenance costs, and every single card-based transaction costs the host a fee. Tips are often paid in cash in Berlin cafés – there will be a glass, tin or box put out by the cashier to this end – my daily café has a pirate-style treasure box to drop your coins in. Please mind that in Berlin, tips are often not included in the salary – so even if you pick up your drinks and food at the counter, make sure to leave a little pourboire for the staff.