Sloerm, Mitte/Prenzlauer Berg

So I happened upon Sloerm accidently and I was delighted to find such a super cool cafe on Danzigerstr. The cafe is very unique in that its decorated with lots of old sofas, cinema seating, painted crates for tables, lots of miscellaneous found objects, even an old stove but it is definitely a damn cool place with a really nice local crowd. The full menu is displayed on a giant blackboard over the self service counter and there is a huge range of coffee/teas and food wise, you can choose from their long list of sandwiches, breakfasts and great cakes and snacks. They also take the work of the barista seriously and even have a sticker branding 'Support your local barista' with a funky chracter, they lived up to the sticker too, the coffee was excellent, very smooth. There is a very laid back vibe in the cafe and the staff were very friendly and warm. Also had a laugh at the cheeky sign on the door of a pram with a line going through it and thats the nice thing about the cafe, there is a lot of objects and things to look at, all details thought through. The music they played when I was here was ok, I would have to determine how good it is overall on the next visit but I will definitely be back, I felt totally at home in this cafe and you can tell that the people in there were regulars. Must find out with Sloerm means??? Any takers?

Danzigerstr. 53 U-bahn: Eberswalderstr.

www.sloerm.net

Coffee: 9/10

No Fire, No Glory, Friedrichshain

No Fire, No Glory with its unusual but brilliant name is a cafe that takes coffee making and latte art seriously. The quality of their coffee is excellent and they take time to perfect it, these guys are great baristas. They also have coffee tasting days which are very popular and they come up with the best coffee to serve in the cafe. The coffee is always served artistically with barista art. The food of choice is their own speciality which is meat pies and they are gorgeous and of course the ever changing pastry designs are quirky and amusing, mine was a skull and crossbones, keep up to date on their blog with their latest creations. There is also a nice selection of cakes on offer which are freshly made. The overall feeling you get with 'No Fire, No Glory' is that they owners have opened a cafe that they want their customers to come in and have fun in and to put a smile on their faces. They have achieved this for sure every time they serve you a pie with a funny image or a delicious coffee with a beautiful latte art, its well thought through. The decor is unique with its mixes of woods, metals and cool logo design has been well though through, very cool!

http://gloryberlin.blogspot.com/

Address: Jessnerstr. 35 U-bahn: Frankurter Allee

Coffee: 10/10 Cake: 8/10

The T Room, Mitte/Prenzlauer Berg

Tea glorious tea, the drink of kings and queens (and everybody else). The T Room & Gallery is one of those unique cafes you only find in Berlin, quirky, well designed and with a total relaxed feel. The T Room's ethos is 'take your time' and all food served here is home cooked and their is a fine selection of cakes, scones and sweet treats as well as a fine choice of tea and of course coffee, if tea isn't your thing. One thing that stands out above other cafes is the genuinely friendly atmosphere and the owners are very easy to get along with and have a chat with. The T Room is the type of cafe where you would spend hours hanging around. The music played in the cafe is excellent and they also have a Vinyl Station with a fine choice of records that customers can play, now I have never seen this before in a cafe, brilliant! The selection of english reading material is also worth mentioning, there are also future plans to introduce an english book shop in the cafe and english film and tv screenings. The T Room also offer High Tea in the afternoon where for a fixed price you can eat as much scones, cakes, sandwiches and drink as much tea as your heart desires. Another nice touch is that you can come in and order a picnic and take away a nice mix of their sandwiches, treats and tasty crisps. I must also mention that they also have a great gallery space downstairs and put on a wide variety of art shows giving young and upcoming artists a platform for their work. As their website states "Pop by for a cuppa and a friendly chat", I'm glad we did!

www.the-t-room.de

Address: Christinenstr. 27 U-bahn: Senefelder Platz

Tea: 10/10 Cake: 10/10

Schwarze Pumpe, Mitte/Prenzlauer Berg

Tucked between Mitte and Prenlauer Berg is the brilliant cafe, Schwarze Pumpe. As well as been a cafe/bar it also has a nice studio apartment that they rent out and very nice it is too and affordable especially for this area. The food on offer is a fine selection of German treats and they also offer a fabulous Sunday brunch at the very affordable 4.50 euro, a great selection indeed and also very inexpensive. It is also a great night time hang out place and it is never too packed and the crowd are a cool mix of locals, cool but not pretentious. They play a good selection of music and also have some occasional live events. The café's name is an allusion to surface mining in Eastern Germany which was stopped in the years after the reunification. The futuristic barstools made of steel tubes and gauges and the enamel signs with instructions to the workers on the brown walls recall the industrial past. The old floorboards and the even older tables create a very dense and nostalgic atmosphere. This is definitely a cafe with its soul still partly in the old DDR but this is done with great care and you will enjoy the time you spend here.

Address: Chorinerstr 76/Fehrbellinerstr 16 U-bahn: Senefelder Platz

www.schwarzepumpe-berlin.de

Coffee: 8/10

Hilde, Prenlauer Berg

So what makes a great Berlin cafe? Well for me its a combination of a few things, great coffee, great food, friendly staff and then the actual design of the cafe and the feel good factor. Sometimes in Berlin it is very difficult to find a cafe that has all of them but thats before I discovered Hilde... this cafe is perfect. They serve generous sized breakfasts, particularly 'The Hilde Breakfast" which looks and tastes wonderful. Also on the menu is a range of tasty treats, freshly baked quiches, salads, 2 daily soups and some mouth watering cakes. I must also add that the coffee is 'more than fair trade' and it is from a local Prenlauer Berg coffee company, the prices are very good too. The decor is vintage style furniture and of an excellent quality and not shabby like some other cafes but I guess they were all chosen with great care for comfort and design. The window seats in particular seem very popular choice of seating, maybe next time I manage to get one as they were all taken when I was there. There is also a Vintage Jewellery cabinet by Glitz Museum which is a nice extra feature to Hilde. I must also add that the music selection while I was here was well chosen and very enjoyable. I just have to say that I was very impressed by everything and as I said its rare to find such a cafe and all served with a friendly smile. I've also been in here at nightime and it is a very cool bar too, good tunes and a cool crowd. All I have to add is, who is Hilde?

Address: Metzerstr. 22 Tram: M2 or U-bahn: Senefelderstr

www.hilde-berlin.com

Coffee: 10/10 Cake: 10/10

Edelweiss in Goerlitzer Park, Kreuzberg

Edelweiss is a brilliant cafe/bar in Goerlitzer Park and one of the best places to hang out on a sunny day as the outdoor seating here is brilliant and varied, sun loungers, decking, old 60's style furniture and benches. While the outdoor seating is a massive draw, the indoor is very warm and inviting and it is a great place to chill out on a weekday or weekend night with parties running til very late. There is a full menu here and the breakfasts in particular are very tasty as too are some of the main courses like Schnitzel, damn good. They also have great snacks, sandwiches and some very nice vergetarian options. The drinks menu is also extensive. The crowd here is made up mostly of cool locals and Edelweiss is a well known Kreuzberg happening places especially on the weekends where the crowds can be massive and in the summer that bit busier. Also in the summer can be massive outdoor parties in Goerlitzer Park which also draws a huge crowd here. The only downer when its busy, it can take awhile to get served outside but if you are sitting in the sun and taking everything in, it is forgiveable. Party on Berlin!

Address: 1-3 Goerlitzerstr. U-bahn: Goerlitzer Bahnhof

Coffee: 10/10 Cake: 9/10

Goldberg, Neukoelln

Cafe Goldberg is a really chilled cafe on Reuterstr. 40 in Neukoelln, on the border of Kreuzberg. They have wifi, great food and they provide some nice outdoor seating that looks really cool especially when you are inside looking out on this quiet steet. The food is a mix of daily specials, some salads and tasty selections of cakes, all at great prices. The decor is very comfortable, made up of 60's style furniture, soft chairs and very cool tables. Its a great place to lounge around and read a newspaper. At night Cafe Goldberg turns into a great local haunt, made up of cool local arty types and creatives and you can party into the night. The atmosphere is wonderful in here once it gets dark as the interior and the soft light add to the overall feel. Neukoelln has some great cafes and bars opening up and Goldberg is up there with the best of them.

Address: Reuterstr. 40 U-bahn: Hermannplatz

Cafe: 9/10 Cake: 8/10