Hilde, Prenzlauer 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. Hilde also has a fabulous Irish Breakfast and it is the real deal, all the products are imported from Ireland. They serve this at the weekend and is not to be missed especially for those missing this great weekend brekkie. 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