CAMILLE DARROUX RECOMMENDS: JAJA WINE BAR

Open since late March 2016 and run by French-German pair Yulja Giese and Etienne Dodet, Jaja is named after a somewhat old-fashioned French slang word used to describe everyday wine. Located on Neukölln’s Weichselstraße, this natural wine bar offers an ever-changing selection of reds and whites as well as the occasional orange wine — a rarity. Each wine currently on offer can be ordered by the glass and is usually priced at 4.50€-6.50€, which makes Jaja a great place to get to know natural wines. You can also purchase bottles — either to-go or to drink in-house — and the selection that the Jaja team put together features many staples of the natural wine world, including wines by Jeff Coutelou — one of the best natural wine makers. However, don’t go here only for the wine: the place frequently hosts pop-up dinners with Berlin’s most sought-after chefs, including Mathias Gondol, a young French chef and dedicated follower of the farm-to-table movement, who takes over the stoves at Jaja every Saturday. (Text: Camille Darroux)

Jaja, Weichselstr.8, 12043 Berlin-Neukölln; map

Tue-Sat 18-1h, Sun 18-22h

Camille Darroux is a digital consultant, freelance writer, and director of Mimosa Agency. She has been living in Berlin for two years.

Miscellaneous

PLATED BERLIN: A COOKBOOK FOR EVERYONE WHO WANTS TO PUT A LITTLE BERLIN ON THEIR PLATE

Hungry for city life? We certainly are (and in more ways than one)! If you’re looking to bring a taste of Berlin to your own kitchen, this one’s for you. Plated Berlin isn’t just a cookbook, it’s a food guide that showcases handpicked Berlin cafés, bars and restaurants while sharing their best recipes. Spanning 300 pages, this softcover gem compiles nearly all Cee Cee’s favorite spots from recent years, from A for Annelies to W for Wen Cheng. Each place is lovingly introduced with photos of the people behind it, short interviews and a recipe capturing their unique flavor. The recipes cater to every taste and hour of the day: think sweet indulgences like Basque cheesecake from the gluten-free bakery Aera, refreshing starters such as Remi’s fantastic radicchio and ricotta salad, and hearty dishes like Jaja’s cauliflower with egg yolk sauce. No taste bud is left behind, and no corner of the city is unexplored. True to the spirit of urban discovery, the book is organized by neighborhood — North, South, East, West — encouraging you to try new recipes and also visit the spots in person. The creators, Judith Gilles (known for her food blog Judilicious & Nutricious) and Savannah van der Niet, share a deep passion for great food. Savannah’s talent for photography and knack for uncovering amazing places is well-known to us. She’s been a treasured part of the Cee Cee editorial team for years, capturing stories through images and words.

Published by The Gentle Temper, “Plated Berlin: A Contemporary Food Guide to 35 of Berlin’s Finest Eateries with Chef-Selected Recipes” brings things full circle. Publisher Karolina Rosina once worked on our second Cee Cee Berlin guide before launching her publishing house. It’s a joy to see collaborations blossom and synergies emerge with people we love working with. As Savannah prepares to return to her home country of Australia, Plated Berlin feels like a beautiful keepsake of her time here (you will be missed!). It’s a tribute to Berlin’s diversity — culinary and cultural — fueled by people with roots and influences from all over the world. This book isn’t just a fantastic food guide and source of inspiration, it’s a stunning object in its own right, with silver embossing, vibrant orange accents, gorgeous photography and thoughtful design. It’s the perfect gift for the holiday season and my favorite addition to the kitchen shelf. This weekend, I’ll be trying the French toast from the book. And if it doesn’t turn out quite right? Well, I’ll just head to Sorrel to taste the original.

Text: Nina Trippel / Photos: Judith Gilles

“Plated Berlin” by Judith Gilles & Savannah van der Niet. 300 pages, published at The Gentle Temper in English.

Book Release 21.11.2024 17–20h at Purgal Delicatessen.

@platedberlin
@judiliciousandnutritious
@savvyv
@thegentletemper

Events

SUMMER FINALE IN BERLIN — UPCOMING EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

August is entering its final days and to say goodbye to summer in style here are our top tips. On 29.08.2024, the hall at Silent Green will be transformed into a stage for Koaxula’s performance art. In “Deslenguadas”, artists Natalia Escobarand Daniela Huerta use whips as sound instruments to invoke the power of ancient serpent deities such as Coatlicue and Tlazolteotl. Singing, dancing, and careful staging create an impressive experience. For those who want to party, the End of Summer Garden Party hosted by Bar Sway and Sound Metaphors is on 31.08.2024. DJs like Benji DF, Courtney Baile, and Daniel Wang will provide the perfect summer soundtrack, with wine and snacks from Sway. On Sunday (01.09.2024), the Green Market Berlin will once again open its doors for Vegan Sundays in the Eierhäuschen garden. Here, plant-based delights and sustainable products are central. From vegan street food to handmade lifestyle items, there’s plenty on offer. You can round off the weekend with a view of the Spree.

To start the week, a Monday evening awaits at Bergmanns that will delight all wine lovers. Under the guidance of Elena, an experienced sommelier with stints at the renowned Nobelhart & Schmutzig and Jaja, you will be introduced to the world of natural wines. Five carefully selected options, accessible to novices and connoisseurs alike, are on the program. Homemade snacks, sourdough bread and pickled delicacies will be served too. The cozy terrace at Bergmanns — which overlooks the bustling neighborhood — provides the ideal backdrop for a relaxed summer evening.

Text: Lotte von Schönfels / Photos: Alejandro Bernal, Bergmanns & The Green Market Berlin

Silent Green, Gerichtstr.35, 13347 Berlin–Wedding; map
Koaxula 29.08.2024

gART.n, Blockdammweg 1, 10317 Berlin–Neukölln; map
End of Summer Garden Party 31.08.2024

Ei Berlin, Kiehnwerderallee 2, 12437 Berlin–Treptow-Köpenick; map
Vegan Sundays 01.09.2024

Bergmanns Berlin, Riemannstr.13, 10961 Berlin–Kreuzberg; map
Wine Tasting 02.09.2024

@koaxula
@bar____sway
@soundmetaphors
@greenmarketberlin
@bergmanns.berlin

Shops

HELKA CERAMICS — TASTEFUL CERAMICS IN GRAEFEKIEZ

A “feast for the eyes”! Recently I sat in a Kreuzberg restaurant and was thrilled by how tasteful the food was, but also presented on the plates. The eccentric colors of each vegetable (betanin red of the beets, may green of the peas, and juicy yellow of the lemon) and creamy sauces were matched in glorious contrast to the restrained color and design of the restaurant dishes. A nice coincidence? On our way home through Böckhstrasse, we strolled past what appeared to be a new store – full of cups, plates, bowls, and vases in this same understated design – handmade clay objects studio Helka Ceramics. Now that’s a coincidence! If you ring the bell, Lisa Kosak opens the door. The ceramic artist from Belgium has lived in Berlin for many years and first discovered her passion for pottery at a workshop. The passion became a vocation. After a few years of an apprenticeship and four and a half years co-founding a clay workshop in Neukölln, she opened her first studio for her own clay label in March 2023.

The studio’s bright rooms offer plenty of space for craftsmanship. Lisa makes every object from her collections in the Kreuzberg studio – all by hand (from the wheel to the kiln) and in small batches. Her objects bear mouthwatering, tasteful names: Chocolate Cup and Canelé Side Plate in the colors Caramel, Chantilly and Olive. The elegance and quality of her pieces were quickly discovered by Berlin restaurant owners and so collaborations with Kin Dee, JaJa, Lode & Stijn and Barra were born. It’s not just restaurants that enjoy her pieces: Lisa likes to share her knowledge and offers courses at the potter’s wheel – Open Studio Time, single lessons or in four-week workshops. Lovers of this craft can learn the process in all steps: from the wheel to the firing process in the kiln. Their studio door is also (mostly) open – if you like, be sure to stop by this Saturday (29.07.2023) for the first summer pop-up and dive into the universe of Helka Ceramics!

Text: Milena Kalojanov / Photos: Daniel Farò

Helka Ceramics & Studio, Böckhstr.12, 10967 Berlin–Kreuzberg; map
Summer pop-up 29.07.2023 13–19h

@helkagram

Restaurants

PARG: GARDEN-TO-TABLE DINING IN THE UCKERMARK ALL SUMMER LONG

There are no sweeter memories than those of hours spent at a table under a summer sun, surrounded by good company, eating delicious food. For this I cannot think of a better place than Parg – Hannes Broecker and Claude Schötz’s new garden-to-table bistro in the Uckermark. No strangers to the restaurant scene, this duo are the talented two behind the much-loved wine bar, JaJa, in Neukölln. Now they split their time between the two locations, with Hannes in the kitchen, providing unexpected, complex, yet down-to-earth sharing dishes, using only produce picked fresh from their garden (tended to by the talented gardener, Paulina Brachvogel) or in the case of the fish and meat, sourced from local suppliers. On sunny days guests are invited to dine in the garden under the dappled shade of the trees, and when cooler or wetter, tables are arranged in the charming Palm House, built in 1900 to grow California stone fruit. On the sunday we visited, we sat out and enjoyed “Parg Brotzeit” – a platter of homemade breads, accompanied by quark, pickles, meats, and a new personal favorite “Solei” (think pickled eggs, the British pub-classic, but preserved in brine as opposed to vinegar). Other highlights included “Parg Sourdough Pizza”, one of the best pizza doughs I’ve eaten in a long time, topped with black garlic and mustard leaf (straight from the garden of course), as well as grilled char, topped with carrots, horseradish and dill. A summer day isn’t complete without ice cream and Parg have created a playful take on the popular dish Spaghetti Ice – made with rhubarb, condensed milk and rhubarb root oil. The wine is also not to be overlooked – it’s no surprise with their background at JaJa that Claude is able to recommend a wonderful selection of accompanying natural wines.

Once satisfied, stay a while and wander the gardens, read a book on the grass, or do like we did and squeeze in a second ice cream handmade by the charismatic Götz Bargende at Illegal Gelato; then cross the road over to On Studio, where you will find the ceramics your Parg meal was served upon. Finally stop by one of the many local lakes for a clarifying dip, before you start the journey home. This weekend (24. & 25.06) there is even an extra attraction – with Anna Falck–Ytter hosting her Cyanotypie Workshop. Sign up here.

Text: Chloë Galea / Photos: Savannah van der Niet

Parg at Grosser Garten, Dorfmitte 11, 17268 Gerswalde; map
Sat & Sun from 13h. You can book a table here.

@_parggg_

Language

CAMILLE DARROUX RECOMMENDS: JAJA WINE BAR

PLATED BERLIN: A COOKBOOK FOR EVERYONE WHO WANTS TO PUT A LITTLE BERLIN ON THEIR PLATE

SUMMER FINALE IN BERLIN — UPCOMING EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

HELKA CERAMICS — TASTEFUL CERAMICS IN GRAEFEKIEZ

PARG: GARDEN-TO-TABLE DINING IN THE UCKERMARK ALL SUMMER LONG