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Best Coffee Shops in Berlin
The 10 best coffee shops to visit in Berlin.
Published February 7, 2022
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Jennie Backteman
Coffee experts@The Coffee Lab
Berlin has long been a favorite place to visit with a reputation for some great things to see and do, but until recently, finding great coffee has not always been easy here. However, that’s all changing as in the last few years, coffee shops have been appearing and transforming the German capital into a hotspot for third-wave coffee. Walk around some of the trendiest neighborhoods in the city such as Mitte, Neukolln, Kruezberg or Prenzlauer Berg, and you’ll definitely be able to find some specialty roasters and coffee shops from industrial, trendy coffee shops to Viennese-inspired coffee houses. If you’re planning a trip to Berlin in the future and want to make sure that you get your fix of the best coffee in the city, here are some of the best coffee places in Berlin.
1. Distrikt Coffee
If you are looking for the best coffee in Mitte Berlin, then it’s well worth paying a visit to Distrikt Coffee. While cafes in Mitte can sometimes feel like they mainly cater to tourists or businesspeople, Distrik has a different feel to it since it’s a favorite with the locals. There’s free Wi-Fi, making it a great spot for working or catching up on your emails before exploring the city. The espresso here is known for being a bitter coffee, with beans from Berlin’s Fjord Coffee Roasters, some of the best coffee roasters in Berlin, to make some of the best coffee in Berlin Mitte. You can choose from a range of straight black or frothy coffees from the menu, all served in stunning porcelain cups. Distrikt Coffee is open seven days a week, from 9 AM to 4 PM Monday to Saturday, and 9.30 AM to 5 PM on a Sunday. It is a great please to go on a weekend if you feel like enjoying a cup of freshly brewed coffee and a plate of pastries. The pastries come from the famous Albatross Bakery, which also provide bread and cakes for those looking for a carb-fix.
2. Five Elephant
Five Elephant is located on a leafy side street not too far from Gorlitzer Park. Pioneers of the best third wave coffee in Berlin, this is definitely a spot to visit if you want to try some of the best coffee in Berlin with vintage maps displaying the journey of their coffee beans from various countries around the world including Ethiopia, Brazil, Colombia and El Salvador. The café has a minimal, industrial style and the coffee beans are roasted here on site. Enjoy your coffee seated at the comfortable wooden tables indoors or soak up the sun thanks to the outdoor seating area if you’re visiting in the summer. Once you have had your fill of coffee and delicious cakes, why not shop for a branded tote bag or coffee mug? They make excellent souvenirs or gifts for coffee-loving friends! The Five Elephant is open seven days a week between 9 AM and 5 PM.
3. Prinzessinnengarten Cafe
Once a wasteland that had been abandoned for sixty years in the center of the busy Mortizplatz in Kreuzberg, the ‘princess gardens’ were transformed by a group of volunteers nine years ago. Today, they are home to the production of over five hundred types of vegetables and an amazing organic café serving delicious coffee. Idyllic and shaded by the trees, the Prinzessinnengarten café is a top spot for tourists passing by, walkers, cyclists, and people who work in the area. Choose from a range of espresso drinks or herbal teas served surrounded by nature. If you are interested, you can also find a range of courses here in everything from beekeeping to composting.
4. Refugio Café
At first, Refugio Café looks like many of the other coffee shops that you’ll find in Berlin – dangling greenery, comfy couches, and local art on sale. However, there’s one unique thing about this shop; the staff are made up entirely of asylum seekers and migrants who are new to Berlin and the café has been established since 2015. The coffee shop itself is just one of five floors where forty refugees from Afghanistan, Syria, and Eritrea all live and work. Along with the great craft coffee served here, you can also sample a tasty traditional Syrian brunch, attend free exhibitions, and take part in language courses.
5. Bonanza Coffee Heroes
Located in the Prenzlauer Berg neighborhood right in the center of the elegant Oderberger Strasse, Bonanza Coffee Heroes is just a little to the south of the popular Mauerpark. It’s been open since 2006 and has something of a cult status among the third-wave coffee fans in the city. The fruity coffees served here are roasted on site, and you’ll definitely pick up the flavor of cherries no matter what you order from the menu, whether you go for the cortado, a cappuccino, or a flat white, which is said to be the best in the city. The small, intimate, and comfortable space is ideal for relaxing before exploring the city or shopping for bargains at the famous Mauerpark flea market. As well as amazingly good coffee, you can also shop for Bonanza Coffee Heroes merch. They sell coffee in re-usable glass jars, tote bags made from recycled ocean plastic, t-shirts, coffee cups, and a whole lot more.
6. The Barn Roastery
Since it opened in 2010, The Barn has aimed to establish a serious culture of coffee in Berlin. If you’re looking for espresso, The Barn is the place to go as one of the best coffee shops in Berlin – or even in the whole of Germany – for an espresso shot. Coffee beans are sourced from a wide range of countries including Kenya, Costa Rica, Burundi, and Ethiopia, and they serve bold, bitter espressos and stunning macchiatos with intricate, frothy fleur-de-lis. They’re serious about tasting the coffee here, though, so don’t expect to find a lot of milk or sugar on the menu. The Barn is also committed to climate change and they plan to plant 5,000 native trees over the next five years. Look out for The Barn coffee mugs made by Kinto a small-scale producer of sandstone cups. They are perfect for lattes and V60 brews.
7. Silo Coffee
Tourists often head to Silo Coffee café for the coffee and stay for the food. Run by friendly Australians living in Berlin, this is the place to go if you want a good flat white – Australia’s favorite coffee drink. They offer a huge selection of coffees with beans coming from roasteries all around Berlin including The Barn. When it comes to food, it’s just as good as the coffee. The Australian-influenced breakfasts are a huge hit, with food ingredients that come from local producers including bread from Milanese-style local bakery, Sironi. If you’re a bit of a coffee geek and want to get involve with more of the coffee scene in Berlin, you can attend cupping sessions here to sample the result of different roasts and brewing methods. A superb brunch menu means this café is very popular in the late morning. As well as classic bacon and egg dishes, you can also sample delicious and healthy vegan breakfasts made with fresh, organic produce. We recommend the mushrooms on toast with truffle.
8. DoubleEye
Located in Schoneberg, the DoubleEye coffee shop might be easy to pass by as it’s a little bit off the beaten path. But if you want to start your day with some of the best coffee in Berlin at a cheaper price than you’d expect to pay in the busier parts of the city then it’s definitely worth taking a trip here. The coffee is straight from 2005 and 2006 world espresso-making champion Arno Schmeil, and it’s served with a selection of delicious pastries to choose from.
9. Ben Rahim
Hidden away in a central Mitte courtyard, Ben Rahim is a coffee-shop representation of the city itself with its fusion of different influences. Described as the first third-wave coffee shop with an Arabian twist, you can find coffees from the Square Mile Coffee Roasters in London and enjoy a welcome, relaxing break from the hustle and bustle of the busy shopping streets located right outside. Whether you want to try traditional Turkish coffee, a flat white, or a basic filter coffee, they have lots of great options on the menu all poured to perfection.
10. Isla Coffee Berlin
Head to the busy Hermannstrasse in the cosmopolitan area of Neukolln and you’ll find Isla Coffee, a shop that focuses on a circular economy concept. They serve a range of delicious weekend brunches on the menu, too, but most people who visit come for the coffee. Not only do you get to enjoy a great cup of coffee here, but you’ll also be talked through the different beans and roasts and learn more about the coffee you’re drinking.
If you plan to visit Berlin in the future, there’s no shortage of places to get a great coffee.
About the author
Jennie Backteman
I´m a ultramarathon runner, landscape designer and a coffee lover.
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