When I stop by Café Fleurs in the middle of the day, I expect the space to be quiet. Instead it’s a flurry of energy, paper lanterns and disco balls hang above tables of friends and families drinking coffee and eating cake. This energy is due, no doubt, to owner Etienne’s hospitality. He sports a cobalt-blue shirt and pink socks, his colorful, welcoming energy radiating through the space. Etienne was born in France and studied gastronomy there. Flowers were always a part of his dream – his mum reminding how at five he already wanted to be a florist. In May 2024 Café Fleurs opened. It’s a cozy café with coffee, cakes served on old-fashioned chinaware, savory options and, on weekends, flowers. Everything is made in-house except the breads and croissants, which come from La Maison. While they offer savory options (breakfast plate, quiche, soup or a sandwich), we strongly advise that you prioritize their sweets: their lemon meringue tart is perfectly balanced, their vanilla flan creamy but not too decadent.
Other than flowers and food, they occasionally host events in the space such as crochet or twice-monthly bouquet workshops. Outside of their home in Kreuzberg, you can sometimes find Etienne and the café’s “Happiness cart” sharing bouquets at Sfera, Wolf Kino or other local spots. The flowers are sourced from a family in the Netherlands and are seasonal and Europe-focused. But of course, if this space is a reflection of his personality and mood, so too are the flowers: “Honestly sometimes I’m moody! Sometimes it’s just pink, once it was very beige and blue and I was wondering ‘what happened?!’.”
Text & Photos: Savannah van der Niet
Café Fleurs, Glogauer Str.6, 10999 Berlin–Kreuzberg; map
@cafefleurs_berlin
