Coffee Guide 2018: Nine tips for really good coffee in Neukölln

As soon as you enter, you have the feeling of being in a good friend’s flat-share rather than in a public café. The atmosphere in the Leuchtstoff Café is relaxed through and through, which is probably due to the fact that every piece of furniture is unique and has been arranged with a lot of creativity.

On tap, there are rotating guest coffees from JB to Coffee Circle.

The highest standards are also set for the homemade organic cakes and brownies. The filter coffee filter coffee on tap includes rotating guest coffees from JB to Coffee Circle. A batch brew is also offered daily. Espresso-based drinks are prepared with a La Marzocco Linea, with a choice of a strong house blend from Machhörndl or a changing guest espresso.

Snapshot

• Address: Siegfriedstraße 19, 12051 Berlin
• Opening hours: Mon – Fri 8 – 18 | Sat & Sun 10 – 18
• Espresso: Machhörndl Blend, changing guest espressos e.g. Phoenix
  Filter: Batch Brew Machhörndl, two Pour overs, changing e.g. Phoenix, JB, Coffee Circle
• Milk selection: Whole milk, soy, oat, spelt-almond
• Brewing methods: La Marzocco Strada, Hario V60
• Food: Homemade cakes, sandwiches, brownies, cookies, lunches
• Laptops allowed: Yes, Mon-Sat, in the „study“ only
• Must Try: Homemade brownie with salt
• Payment options: Bar

Home Café is located in a quiet side street not far from Körnerpark. The simple and minimalist café already catches the eye from the other side of the street, so you look in curiously through the large window.

We were warmly welcomed by Sarah, the owner. She is a native New Zealander and started her own café about two years ago. Her interior design is minimalist, yet lovingly accentuated. In summer, you can sit in the sun in front of the shop, a rarity among Berlin’s third-wave coffee shops.

Sarah selects the coffees for her customers on a rotating basis, so when we visited there was a choice between two filter coffees from Honduras and a Kenyan, each roasted in Belfast (Bailies) and Berlin (Populus). The filter coffees are made with a Kalita Wave and the espressos are made with a La Marzocco Linea. Sarah also bakes her own cakes and offers a lovely selection of breakfast creations and small dishes – from granola bowls to grilled cheese sandwiches with chutney, there is something for everyone.

Isla Café is located on the hectic and noisy Hermannstraße. Yet it offers much more than just an „island“ where you can relax from the stress of Neukölln’s big city. Peter Duran, owner and former employee of a sustainability consultancy, has designed his café entirely according to his convictions, namely to use or waste as few resources as possible. The idea has been implemented down to the smallest detail, which can be seen, for example, in the coffee cups. They are made from recycled coffee residues and renewable raw materials. But also the in-house ricotta is made from leftovers from the preparation of latte.

The in-house espresso is roasted in cooperation with Café 9 in Kreuzberg.

The interior is inviting and Scandinavian in style, with lots of wood and warm light. At weekends, you can have brunch at Isla, where attention is also paid to a traceable and ecological supply chain of ingredients.

The in-house espresso is roasted in cooperation with Café 9 in Kreuzberg and the filter coffees come from different roasters, varying every 6-8 weeks. On our visit, we had filter coffee from the coffee farm „La Isla“ (that can’t be a coincidence, can it?), roasted by The Barn.

Tip: If you are planning a coffee tour and want to travel around as little as possible, take the U-Bahn to the „Boddinstraße“ stop (U8). From there you can easily reach about 8 coffee shops on foot, which you can also find in our coffee guides.

Two Planets, located directly at the Boddinstraße underground station, offers a perfect mix of neighbourhood coffee shop, speciality café and really good breakfast address.

The owner is Australian by birth, which is especially evident in the coffee menu.

Without taking themselves too seriously, they offer lovingly created breakfast options and coffees that pack a punch. On our visit, we had an Ethiopian filter coffee from the roaster Kaffeekirsche and the Propeller Blend from Five Elephant. The owner is Australian by birth, which is particularly evident from the coffee menu, where you can order a „Magic“, among other things. By definition, this is a double ristretto with foamed milk, served in a small cup that holds about 160 ml. For many, this ratio of coffee to milk is perfect and makes for a magical moment of enjoyment. The choice of alternative milks is wide, with the whole concept geared towards offering vegan and organic products. The café exudes a very relaxed atmosphere and the tiled walls are decorated with numerous Disney drawings and plants.

Snapshot

• Address: Hermannstraße 230, 12053 Berlin
• Opening Hours: Mon – Sun 9 – 18
• Espresso: Five Elephant – Blend
• Filter: Batch Brew, changing e.g. Coffee Circle
• Milk selection: Whole milk, oat, almond, soy
• Brewing methods: Batch Brew, Rocket Linea Professionale
• Food: Cakes/baked goods partly homemade, partly from Albatros
• Laptops allowed: Yes
• Must Try: Mushroom Toast
• Payment methods: Cash, card payment

Anyone who enters the Camon is immediately caught by the inviting atmosphere. The many details in the interior create space for everyone, whether you are in a hurry or want to linger for several hours. From the stylish espresso bar by the window for a quick coffee in between, to the grandstand-like seating area, there is a suitable area for everyone.

A real highlight are the perfectly seasoned sandwiches.

The coffee comes from the Cologne coffee roaster Ernst and is used both for the espresso, which consists of a rotating single origin and a house blend, and for the filter coffee. There is a choice between a batch brew and several single origin alternatives. The espresso-based drinks are prepared with a „Spirit“ espresso machine, which gives you an idea from the outside that the coffee is sourced with the best know-how. The homemade cakes are lovingly decorated, with a real highlight being the perfectly seasoned sandwiches.

Snapshot

• Address: Sonnenallee 27, 12047 Berlin
• Opening hours: Mon – Fri 8 – 18 | Sat & Sun 9:30 – 18
• Espresso: Ernst House Blend, Single Origin e.g. El Salvador
• Filters: Batch Brew & Single Origin – Ernst
• Milk selection: Whole milk, Oat, Almond, Soy.
• Brewing methods: Batch Brew, Kalita, KvdW Spirit Duette
• Food: Bread from Albatros, much home-baked
• Laptops allowed: Yes, only in certain areas
• Must Try: Coconut Pound
• Payment Methods: Cash, card payment

Located in a quiet side street near the Maybachufer, Okay Café has been here for two years. The Swedish café is decorated in Scandinavian style and the menu in particular shows that Makki, the owner of the small coffee shop, attaches great importance to Swedish specialities. Every day of the week, for example, you’ll find differently garnished cinnamon buns or Swedish, customisable pancakes called plättar on the menu.

If you have wanderlust and want to immerse yourself in the coffee culture of Sweden, the Okay Café is especially close to the country!

The coffee comes from The Barn and is used for espresso as well as filter coffee. The coffees rotate according to season and flavour profile. Depending on the occasion, Okay Café has various specials throughout the year, such as offering Semmla on „Fat Tuesday“. The small pastries, reminiscent of cream puffs, are eaten in large quantities in Scandinavia before the start of Lent and are highly prized.

The two founders Hana and Sarah met as bakers in Berlin’s first cupcake café and share the joy of making people happy with food. They have been conquering the hearts of Neukölln residents since June 2017, cooking, baking and with a lot of joie de vivre.

Yirgacheffe is available as an „Endless Refill“ option for anyone who wants to make the café their workplace or second living room.

The two bake fresh daily, 7 days a week. This includes cakes: Pumpkin and chocolate-orange are currently high on the list. And of course, really good coffee is a must. The two entrepreneurs have chosen our Sidamo espresso and Sarah serves me a wonderful cappuccino. In her opinion, this espresso harmonises best with soy and oat milk. There is also Yirgacheffe coffee from the Moccamaster, for example, as an „Endless Refill“ option for anyone who wants to make the café their workplace or second living room.

Culinary wise, there are some local delicacies such as Austrian Almdudler, English baked beans or Marmite (vegetarian spice paste) – not necessarily for everyone, but typical of Sarah’s homeland and surprisingly fitting as a topping for homemade soup! Special cakes are also baked for special occasions, like a colourful layer cake for Christopher Street Day.

Brammibal’s Donuts is, as the name suggests, first and foremost a donut shop.

But not just any donut shop, because here they create vegan donuts that taste so good you can’t stop trying them! The idea of baking vegan donuts for friends quickly turned into a business, and Jessica, the owner, consistently does without animal products in her café. So donuts are offered in a wide variety of flavours with the most unusual glazes and toppings, each of which tastes extraordinary on its own.

The café offers plenty of seating and is particularly busy at market times (Tues & Fri).

Due to the direct neighbourhood to „Populus Coffee“, it quickly turned out that the coffee comes from exactly this roastery and the two owners work very closely together. On offer are rotating espressos and filter coffees that have been specially adapted for „Brammibal’s“. The café offers plenty of seating and is particularly busy at market times (Tues & Fri). If it gets too hectic outside, Brammibal’s is a great place to sit between the brick walls and the hustle and bustle of the market with a fruity espresso and a few donuts.

Snapshot

• Address: Maybachufer 8, 12047 Berlin
• Opening hours: Mon – Sun 10-18
• Espresso: Populus, rotating
• Filter: Populus, rotating
• Milk selection: Oats
• Brewing methods: Batch Brew
• Food: Baked goods, DONUTS, Sandwiches
• Laptops allowed: Yes
• Must Try: Peanut Butter Donut
• Payment Methods: Cash, card payment
• Barrier-free!

The two and two Café in Neukölln offers a warm welcome. The stylishly and simply furnished premises create a cosy and relaxed ambience in which one would like to linger longer.

The joy of home cooking is wonderfully expressed in the delicious French specialities such as quiche and canelle. This is accompanied by Coffee Circle enjoyment from the portafilter machine or freshly brewed coffee from the Chemex, depending on your preference. In addition, selected Japanese stationery, specially chosen in Japan, tempts you to linger and buy.

Snapshot

• Address: Pannierstraße 6, 12047 Berlin
• Opening hours: Mon – Sun 10 – 18:30
• Espresso: Coffee Circle, Sidamo
• Filter: Coffee Circle
• Milk selection: Whole milk, oat, soy
• Brewing methods: La Marzocco Linea, Chemex
• Food: Cakes and snacks
• Laptops: Yes
• Must try: Cannelés au chocolat
• Payment options: Cash, card payment

The young roastery with a direct location to the Landwehr Canal has been offering its own coffees since March 2017. As soon as you enter the café, you are taken in by the strong, rich green tones. Not only do they offer damn good coffee in the Scandinavian roasting style (rather light), but the café also welcomes breakfast lovers at the weekend for a boisterous brunch.

The two owners, Henrik and Sari, want to bring Finnish coffee culture closer with their café and have fulfilled their dream of having their own roastery. You can see in the many small details that they are living this dream: From the pink, angular coffee cups, which blend in perfectly with the predominant green of the roastery, to the specially designed wall shelf, the entire concept seems authentic and lovingly coordinated.

The coffee is sourced from a friendly Norwegian coffee importer and then roasted on the premises. The coffee specialities are brewed either by the boss himself or by one of the friendly baristas. Care is taken to ensure that the individual character of the coffee is always in the foreground. Those who enjoy filter coffee can choose between rotating single origin alternatives.

Tip: Stop by on Tuesdays or Fridays and go to the Maybachufer – Market after your coffee!