Zur Rose Cafe, Mitte

On the side street of Weinbergsweg leading up towards Prenzlauer Berg is the charming and delightful cafe, Zur Rose. Becoming one of my favourite Berlin cafes, it typlifies what Berlin cafe life is all about. Its very relaxing, the staff are very friendly and they have some really nice food to eat, particularly the breakfasts. The decor is a mix of old rustic furniture and mixed with old DDR bits and pieces, check out the cool wallpaper. It is a really nice cafe to chill out in and it opens til 1am and has a nice crowd here in the evenings. Its a must visit but part of me wants to tell nobody about it and keep it secret for me and my friends.

Addess: Weinbergsweg 26  U-bahn: Rosenthalerstr.

Coffee: 9/10   Cake: 9/10

Baltas Cafe, Schoeneberg

Baltas Cafe is a different sort of cafe in the Schoeneberg area in that its more stylish than the others and probably suffers at times from been uber trendy. But saying that I am adding it because Baltas is one of the best places to work with a laptop or just sit back and watch people walk by. It is also self service, you order your coffee and pay and they bring it down to you. Service is always very friendly. Food here is mostly sandwiches and pastries but all very tasty and filling. You can also buy yesterdays food at a 50% discount. But watch out for the odd idiot, entertaining to watch though.

Address: Goltzstr. 17 U-Bahn: Eisenacherstr.

Coffee: 8/10 Cake: 8/10

Cafe Chagall, Prenzlauer Berg

Bohemian Berlin is still alive. Cafe Chagall right at the U-bahn stop Senefelder platz is a cafe with a long history in this area. With its Russian roots, it has a wonderful menu full of Russian gastro treats and all at very cheap prices, but fantastic quality. You are made feel so welcome here and the clientele are a nice mix of locals and multi cultural. The staff here make you feel at home and are incredibly friendly and warm and the main kellner is very entertaining. The cafe remains busy into the night and they candle light the whole place which it makes it very hard to leave. They also have a room for smokers and room for non smokers. A must visit!

Address: Kollwitzstr. 2  U-bahn: Senefelderstr.

Coffee: 9/10 

Double Eye, Schoeneberg

Double Eye are World Champion Baristas and they have the award to prove it, they also have been German Champions, European Champions for coffee making and for Latte art, amazing achievements indeed. The first thing you notice at Double Eye is the amount of people outside on the street and inside the small steh cafe (stand cafe), no matter the weather and particularly when the weather is good as they have funky outdoor seating and people will stand on the street with their beverage. Their coffee selection is great and they ask you a lot of questions about your coffee... how strong, with or without milk, etc. They serve the best coffee at the best prices and they always serve them with a smile. Actually the prices here are some of the cheapest I have seen in Berlin and for such top quality, its the reason why its full every day. Maybe ts not a cafe you would spend a lot of time at due to the fact that there are no seats inside but everybody sits outside or stand and this cafe is a real local institution. You come here for one thing and thats COFFEE, a huge variety including the Double Eye Special and Super Special. They close in the evening.

Address: Akazienstr. 22 U-bahn: Kleist Park or Eisenacherstr.

Coffee: 10/10 Cake: 10/10

Cafe Cinema, Mitte

Previously Cafe Kino, I actually preferred this name, it is apparently the first bar to open up in the Hackescher area after the wall came down and inside it looks like it could have been here a much longer time before. It is a really inviting and warm cafe and the surroundings are very interesting with a great mix of b&w photos adorning the walls and some really comfy furniture. It sets the tone for a great atmosphere. There is a good mix of locals and tourists. The only downside if you don't smoke is they allow smoking. However the other great thing about Cafe Kino (i'm sticking with this name) is that it stays busy into the evening as a cool bar. Staff are also friendly.

Photo: Erik Richmond (aka Genial23 on Flickr)

Address: Rosenthalerstr. 39 U-Bahn: Hackescher Markt

Coffee: 8/10

Gottlob, Schoeneberg

Situated on the lively Akazienstrasse, Gottlob is probably the most popular cafe in Schoeneberg. Right opposite a beautiful church, it has a brilliant outdoor seating area providing the best of views. Due to its great location it is a popular spot for people watching and always attracts a very mixed crowd of young and old. They offer a lovely but inexpensive breakfast, good and interesting food menu and a weekly changing special of one vegetarian and one meat or fish dish. The staff are sometimes a bit slow and friendliness can vary but they seem to care about good background music for a chilled out atmosphere. I guess it is still one of the best places to sit and have a nice time, since their positioning is perfect.

Address: Akazienstrasse 17 U-Bahn: Eisenacherstrasse

Coffee: 8/10 Cake: 7/10

Golzo Cafe, Schoeneberg

How lucky are people in Schoeneberg that they have two cafes like Savo and Golzo on the same street serving the best coffee this side of Berlin. Golzo really specialises in very good coffee, very good pastries and a small food menu that mostly comprises of soups and sandwiches. When you order coffee, they offer you a choice... strong or mild. Both are so smooth and always served with a smile. They also have Wifi here and a bookshelf with great art books to peruse while you sip their fine beverages. The deco here is quite modern but very comfortable. It only opens here til 6pm but definitely worth the trip. A nice local coffee shop.

Address: Golzstr. U-bahn: Eisenacherstr. or Nollendorf

Coffee: 8/10 Pastries: 8/10

Bateau Ivre, Kreuzberg

If I had to pick the perfect cafe to meet a group of friends on a Sunday morning and spend hours together having Sunday brunch and coffees, well this would be the place. Bateau Ivre right in the middle of the happening Kreuzberg street, Oranienstr. is a cool cafe but in the best sense of the word cool, not pretentious. The staff are very friendly and chilled out as is the clientele that frequent here. Their breakfasts in particular are delicious, generous and pretty cheap at that. The vibe here is well thought through and even the background music is well chosen to set the mood. Overall I would say this is one of the nicest cafes in Berlin... it is real Berlin. Viva le Bateau.

Address: Oranienstr. 18 U-bahn: Goerlitzer Bahnhof

Coffee: 9/10

Anna Blume, Prenzlauer Berg

This has got to be the cafe with the biggest selection of gorgeous cakes in Berlin. As you enter you cannot help but gaze with amazement into the large glass vitrine and you will find it difficult to make a choice. They also make cakes on demand and deliver them and the little florist next door is also part of their business, that's so Berlin! The inside is cosy and sensual and they have a large menu with good breakfast and other tasty treats. The outdoor seating area is sheltered by lots of plants and big sun-umbrellas in the summer, perfect for people watching. Anna Blume is a beautiful oasis in the buzzing Kollwitz Area in Prenzlauer Berg.

Address: Kollwitzstr. 83  U-Bahn: Senefelder Platz

Coffee: 9/10  Cake: 10/10

Cafe Avril, Kreuzberg

Cafe Avril located in the middle of Graefestrasse in Kreuzberg is a beautiful cafe that specialises in tasty vergatarian food. It is also a great place for people to go who have kids as there is a special kids room down the back, but for people who don't have kids don't let this put you off, the cafe is very tranquil and there are nice window seats to watch the world go by. Its is frequented mostly by locals and it has a nice gentle atmosphere. In summer they have great seating outside and its so nice to sit here in the sun. The Graefe area is so nice to hang around and this cafe is always a good place to stop for a break. Also they have WiFi here so its also a good place to get some work done on your computer.

Address: Graefestr. 83  Ubahn: Schoenleinstr.

Coffee: 9/10   Cake: 7/10

Cafe Savo, Schoeneberg

Okays so Cafe Savo is not the cosiest cafe in Berlin but nontheless it is still a nice place to spend some time and they always have great reading material. They don't have a huge food menu but they do make the most amazing cakes every day, only three varieties but they are home made and absolutely delicious.. as too are the brownies, the best around Schoeneberg. One of the things you also notice about Cafe Savo when you go a few times is that a lot of local people go here every single day... which means only one thing, quality. The coffee here never fails to hit the spot, always excellent.

AddressL Golzstr.3  Ubahn: Eisenacherstr

Coffee: 10/10  Cake: 10/10