Milkabilly, Friedrichshain

Now for something colmpletely different. Berlin has its very own Milk Bar 'Milkabilly' a brilliant retro cafe in the heart of Friedrichshain. The owners have got this bang on, this is the real deal from the authentic diner furniture to the sweet and friendly waitresses dressed in their 50's style uniforms. This place is especially for those with a sweet tooth and is not to be missed for ice cream lovers, all year round. They have over 365 types of ice cream flavours and they do the most amazing shakes, waffles, sodas and of course coffee! Milkabilly has a huge following of Berlin's rockabilly and vinatage enthusiasts scene and you see the most amazing people here all day long and whenever they decide to close, a great array of Berlin's rockabilly fans and regulars. The music played here is very cool indeed playing classic rock 'n' roll, doo wop, rockabilly and classic tunes from bygone days, retro coolness in all its wonderful glory. They have lots of events happening, cocktail nights, tiki brunch, tatoo, hot rod, illustration and art events, aloha and great bands and Djs playing the greatest music. You will leave here with a grin on your face! Has to be seen, drop on by!

Mainzerstr. 5 U-bahn: Samariterstr.

www.myspace.com/themilkabilly

Coffee: 8/10 Milkshakes: 10/10 Ice/Treats: 10/10

Wohnzimmer, Prenzlauer Berg

Like the name suggests 'Wohnzimmer' meaning 'Living Room', this cafe has all the warmness and good feeling of sitting in a very comfortable old apartment and their mix of old sofas and chairs from all eras, you will find it hard to leave. The staff here are very friendly and chilled and you are made feel at home and won't feel at all rushed. They do a wonderful breakfast and they are rather large and a big breakfast will be perfect for two people. It is especially nice too when the weather is good and you can sit outside on their benches and take in the nice surroundings of Helmholtzplatz. They offer all manner of food treats, fantastic cheap breakfast aswell as scrumptious organic cake. Having a nice piece of cake and coffee, is yours for about 5 euro, very cheap for this excellent quality. Wohnzimmer also offers a backroom for smokers and non smokers, the front room, so its great for both parties. Bear in mind the cafe is a self service too. One of the great things about this cafe is that it is also a great nightime bar and it pulls in a great cool crowd from the local area. They also have a nice Bionade Schwipp which is extra special for brekkie, made with sekt, strawberries and mint and is an excellent unique treat. Enjoy your time 'staying in' at Wohnzimmer.... staying in is the new going out!

Letteststr. 6, Helmholtzplatz U-bahn: Eberswalderstr.

www.wohnzimmer-bar.de

Coffee: 8/10 Cake: 9/10

St. Gaudy Cafe, Prenzlauer Berg

On the corner of Schoenhauser allee is the wonderful St. Gaudy Cafe, run by an Irish/Australian couple and it is a great location for any english speakers to frequent what with the great inexpensive food and coffees but they also run some great events here too. Monday is Tango Night, Tuesday is Movie Club night where they show some great classic movies such as 'Clockwork Orange', Wednesday is Langauge Exchange, Thursday is Arts'n'Lit night, Sunday is Live Music Night, they even do Yoga Classes.... phew! The back room here is excellent and is available on Friday/Saturday for parties or whatever event you may want to put on. There is a warm inviting atmosphere at the St. Gaudy and the decor is very bright and cheerful and it is such a nice place to work during the day on your computer as they also have w-lan. The customers are made up of local Berliners and english speakers from all over the world. They have local artwork on the wall and they play really good music while you sit and enjoy your time there. The food on offer is a mix of great breakfasts, quiches, salads and all manner of snacks, aswell as some excellent coffee which they take great care to perfect, they take the art of barista seriously, my coffee was delicious. So drop along to to Gaudy and you won't regret it and prepare for a nice welcome from two of Berlin's nicest hosts!

1 Gaudy Str/Corner Schoenhauser Allee U-bahn: Schoenhauser Allee

www.gaudycafe.com (Website is on the way soon with events info etc) Stay Tuned!

Coffee: 10/10 Cake: 10/10