Concierge Coffee in Berlin

October 10, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

Concierge Coffee, Benjamin Pates’s and Namy Nosratifard’s baby, is there for you to serve the best flat white in entire Kreuzberg, just along the canal. Fresh pastries and house juices are here, too, nicely displayed on the counter (with some quite tongue-in-cheek taxidermy pets in the front). But it isn’t only coffee that attracts Berliners to Concierge, Kreuzberg’s best kept secret. It’s the atmosphere of this low-key spot that makes it so undeniably cool. The coffee bar is hidden away in an old gatekeepers room, while the beverages are served through a small window in the back. Sit with the locals on matching the cups, blue stools, and enjoy the street view!

Paul-Lincke-Ufer 39-40 / Berlin

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Photos by Edward Kanarecki.

Cocolo Ramen X-Berg

October 9, 2017October 9, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

Cocolo Ramen X-Berg is said to have the best ramen in Berlin. I guess the huge queues for a seat are the best evidence for that. I ate the Wantan ramen with shrimp wontons and it was the actual 7th wonder happening in my mouth. Ramen often tends to be too fatty, but this one was just perfect for me – light, but with its recognizable essence. Gyoza dumplings are also worth a try. The industrial interior with long, wooden tables is as charming as the outdoors space. Sitting there on a sunny day and observing the diverse street life of Kreuzberg is something I can do everyday! While sipping Cocolo’s home-made, signature lemonade, of course.

Paul-Lincke-Ufer 39-40 / Berlin

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Photographs by Edward Kanarecki.

Kreuzberg Market

September 25, 2017June 11, 2023 | Design & Culture by Ed

That’s not your average market. This one specific market, located along the Spree river, takes place every Tuesday and Friday and booms with the unbelievable diversity of Berlin‘s Kreuzberg district. Cultures and ethnicities clash on the stalls in form of vegetables, jewellery and even oriental bread types. The people here are so unbelievably beautiful. Sellers talk, laugh and are absolutely open for any kind of bargaining. The market-goers buy and pack everything neatly into their stylish baskets. It’s chaotic, but in a very organic way.

All photos by Edward Kanarecki.

Fiona Bennett’s Panama

July 26, 2017July 26, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

Not owning a panama hat this summer is like being absolutely unaware of the invasive Jane-Birkin-style basket importance. Are you still looking for the right straw hat to fit the upcoming sunny days? The Berlin-based milliner, Fiona Bennett, might have what you’re looking for. The hats coming from her ‘One World’ capsule are hand-woven with traditional techniques in a village in the Bolgatanga region in Ghana. The used straw is from local abundant kinkanhe (Veta Vera) grass and its coloured with natural dyes. Fiona’s website has more than two pages of different silhouettes fitting various head-types, so don’t hesitate to check them out (or visit her studio-slash-boutique, if you’re in the German capital).

Potsdammer Straße 81-83 / Berlin

July in Berlin

July 13, 2017August 20, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

What’s better than spending a rainy July day on visiting your favourite Berlin spots? Going for the sale-season triathlon? Discovering new designers? Induldging yo’self in tuna tataki? I think nothing can beat those…

Few days ago, The Store and Berlin-based label Ottolinger launched an exclusive collection of tie-dyed t-shirts and sweatshirts in all tones of rusty-brown, illustrated by the brand’s friend and collaborator @ruffiodoom (Instagram nickname). Also, the paint-covered accessories caught my eye – choose between the customized Nike AF1 sneakers and the tiny-miney hand-bags with souvenir charms (you know, the tourist ones, like the ‘I love Italy’ trash) attached. One-off DIY feeling of Ottolinger is Christa Bösch’s and Cosima Gadient’s signature style, perfectly fitting Berlin’s current creative energy.

Torstraße 1 (enter through Soho House Hotel). More about The Store here.

Fiona Bennett‘s store is both a beautifully lit display of the brand’s headwear and an atelier filled with local petites mains of millinery. We were all considering one of those summer-y straw Panama hats, the house’s new addition…

Potsdamer Straße 81-83

Sticks ‘n’ Sushi is a brand new spot which explores Japanese cuisine in a modern, but quite relaxed way. From delightful sushi with wagyu and a wide selection of sashimi to bowls of edaname and signature ‘Emotion’ set, the place is the right choice for a quick-lunch. The industrial interior à la former warehouse with spacious interior makes it super appealing.

Potsdamer Straße 85

Andreas Murkudis is a must-go whenever I visit the city. This time, my favourite concept store invites you to experience the Birkenstock Box. The travelling ‘retail experiment’ in Murkudis’ courtyard will stay there till 22nd of July. It offers slightly revamped Birkenstock sandals, created exclusively for Andreas Murkudis If you’re not really into cult orthopedic sandals, and a massive Céline sale doesn’t excite you (ok, that’s creepy), then you will surely fall in love with the massive installation by Kostas Murkudis – a line of satin dresses hanging down the ceiling, forming a rainbow colour palette. Looks very, very impressive.

Potsdamer Straße 81e

See you in Berlin!