Cee Cee is a weekly email magazine with hand-selected recommendations for Berlin and beyond. Every now and then you’ll find paid posts as part of the newsletter, marked as “Sponsored Posts”. Subscribe here to receive Cee Cee every Thursday and follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more tips!
page-template-startpages
Everything is connected, and that certainly applies to Berlin’s gastronomic scene. One of the youngest of these city-wide connections is Theke in the Likörfabrik on Seestraße, the latest project from the Michelberger universe. Part of MXPSM (Michelberger X Preußische Spirituosen Manufaktur), the project has been distilling for more than ten years through collaborations between the Michelbergers and the factory. For a few weeks, you can now sit behind the large windows on the historic brick floor under beautiful, old neon tubes. There is lunch, snacks and drinks made from the finest spirits. The menu is seasonal and eclectically European. The whole concept is quick and uncomplicated, especially at lunchtime, when it can be very, very fast-paced. Current signature dishes from the head chef, Sam Griffin are Leberkäse (a kind of Bavarian meatloaf) sandwiches with pickles, eggplant schnitzel with grilled vegetables, and gnocchi Cacio Pepe. The products used are only the best, Michelberger Team & Farm and local suppliers ensure this. And so Wedding gains a culinary lunchtime highlight which can even be enjoyed until sunset on Thursdays and Fridays.
Text: Alina Herbel / Photos: Max Hannes Beutler, Robyn Steffen
Theke, Seestr.13, 13353 Berlin–Wedding; map
@theke.berlin
It’s big in the USA, South America, and also popular in Sweden. And that’s where the two founders of Tio Tio, Niko and Felix, got their passion for padel. During their studies in Stockholm, they couldn’t get enough of the backstroke sport — a mixture of squash and tennis — now they’ve opened Berlin’s coolest padel facility in Lichtenberg. Five courts on the roof of a shopping center — there are also two Czech kiosks serving kombucha and other refreshments, and you can rent rackets or buy Tio Tio merchandise in the repurposed shipping container. They immediately won me over as a volunteer testimonial. After my first match, it became clear padel would be the new tennis for me. I know, I know, true tennis fanatics tend to be skeptical about padel, but playing tennis outdoors in Berlin is notoriously difficult if you haven’t been in a club for many years. In other words, the will is there but the tennis court is not.
At Tio Tio, you can simply book a court and take a few friends with you (who don’t need previous experience playing the game). Thanks to the smaller court and smaller rackets, it’s easier to hit the ball (sounds paradoxical, but it’s true) and, as with squash, you can use the walls. So if you come along with your playing friends — whether experienced in backstroke sports or not — you are guaranteed to have a lot of fun here. After the game, enjoy the magnificent view — in the evening, you’ll be rewarded with a sunset scenario.
Text: Nina Trippel / Photos: Ben Fuchs, Dino Schneider
Tio Tio, Marktstr.6, 10317 Berlin–Lichtenberg; map
@tiotio.social
We already know Berlin-Brandenburg has it all. But one of the most sacred places in the region is the Japanese Bonsai Garden, an hour from Berlin-Mitte, near Potsdam. As a family business, it’s easy to notice the attention to detail — tree decorations and, most importantly, Japanese traditions have been carefully instilled by the founders. As you walk in, you are transported from Brandenburg and swept away to the outskirts of Kyoto, with blooming cherry blossoms in late April, azaleas in May, and an insane palette of autumn colors in October. You can easily spend a few hours here. The garden has a tea house with a variety of different teas available. They also have a variety of Japanese sweets and treats to enjoy while sipping on a cup of Sencha in the garden. They sell tea leaves and matcha so you can take a piece of this oasis home with you and bring a sense of tranquility into your everyday life. They have my absolute favorite Marukyu Koyamaen’s Kinrin Ceremonial Matcha. Oh, and they make it incredibly hard to leave the garden without purchasing a beautiful bonsai tree on your way out.
Text & Photos: Tanya Khvorostiana
Originally from Kyiv, Ukraine, Tanya moved to Berlin nine years ago, after living in Barcelona. She is currently working as a visual editor and graphic designer, spending most of her time researching special locations and places in Berlin.
Japanischer Bonsaigarten, Fercher Str.61, 14548 Schwielowsee–Ferch; map
@japanischerbonsaigarten
@tanyataco
The next event is coming up, I’m meeting up with old acquaintances who I can fool into thinking I have my life under control with perfect nails. Or maybe I’m full of euphoria and find a small gap between appointments and to-dos for a last-minute visit to the nail salon. Either way, I rarely put color on my nails, except for special occasions. Which is too bad, because, while my wardrobe motto is “black is the new black” all year round, I’m all too happy to give my nails some color. This is where Abstract comes into play because Pauline Norden — founder of the brand which was established this spring, 2024 — promises a solution for people who don’t make it to the nail salon as often as they would like. With her gel nail stickers, she offers a simple, long-lasting and time-saving alternative to conventional nail polish and gel nails. The application is simple: receive a set of 20 stickers, which you choose according to fit, and apply to your natural nails. File off the excess and place them under the UV lamp for 60 seconds. Done!
You won’t worry about concealing overgrown gel nails with Abstract, because you can peel the stickers off again easily (they will last for at least two weeks). It’s best to begin with the Starter Kit which includes a UV lamp and two sets of stickers of your choice. And what a range of stickers there are! Soleil Soleil, Silver Surfer, Pepsi Red, Heatwave, Sugar High. Sounds like summer, doesn’t it? Goodbye base coat, top coat and all the polishes in between. I’m prepared with refills until the end of summer and eagerly await the F/W drop, which promises darker shades, new patterns and exciting collaborations.
Text & Photos: Robyn Steffen
Abstract
@abstractnaildrops
From drag queen brunches to latin parties, CSD Berlin (27.07.2024) is much more than just a pride march. First up: if you need to brush up on your LGBTQ+ history head over to Nollendorfplatz for the Queer & Trans History Tour on Friday (26.07.). The guided walk takes you through 100+ years of successes and struggles courtesy of expert guide Jeff, who uses augmented reality elements to project Berlin’s LGBTQ+ history onto the streets. Meanwhile, over at Keller Kreuzberg they’re celebrating pride as only they can: with a dose of sex positive good vibes. The colorful shop for toys, tees and fetishes will be open extra long during CSD with drinks, competitions and a mid-summer sale (25.–27.07.). Next up, the main event: Saturday (27.07.) will see 75 trucks and tens of thousands of people take to the streets for the annual CSD demonstration. To address grumbles that pride marches are more about big brands than activism, this year’s event hopes to be firmly political, with six policy demands and dozens of campaign groups taking part. The floats to watch (and dance behind) include Deutsche Aidshilfe, Amnesty International and Queerer Sportverein Berlin. The meeting point for the march – which goes through Schöneberg to the Siegessäule – is the corner of Leipziger Strasse and Spittelmarkt at 12 midday.
Rounding off Saturday’s events are the (in)famous pride parties, running well into Sunday. The official celebration takes place at Ritter Butzke in Kreuzberg, with a colorful lineup that includes a DJ set by Hot Chip and an appearance by queer performance icon Amanda Lepore. If you prefer dancing to the off-beat, Lido Berlin is where you’ll want to end up. The Kreuzberg concert venue is hosting Furiosa “Latin Pride” with an all-night program of Latin pop and reggaeton. Doors open at midnight, so round up your pride crew and ¡Vamos de fiesta!.
Text: Benji Haughton / Photos: Jason Harrell, Robyn Steffen
The official CSD Berlin and Pride Month program is available online.
@csd.berlin.pride
ANMELDUNG