Few Berlin courtyards are as well-known as the one at the KW Institute for Contemporary Art. Located on Auguststraße, in a former margarine factory, KW is the birthplace of the Berlin Biennale and remains one of the most important addresses for contemporary art today. Inside the mirrored glass cube by American artist Dan Graham, Café Bravo has reopened with a new team of operators. The story of the pavilion began in the winter of 1994. After a lecture at what was then the University of the Arts, Graham developed the idea for a place where art and everyday life could merge — a functional piece of architecture made from polished stainless steel and double-sided mirrored glass, somewhere between a pavilion and a public living room. Together with Berlin architect Johanne Nalbach, he created Café Bravo — his first sculpture designed for sitting, waiting, and drinking coffee. This idea became reality during the first Berlin Biennale in 1998. Now a new era begins. Café Bravo is the latest addition from the team behind the renowned and much-loved spots Otto, Trio, and Pluto.
In July 2026, a new generation took over: Clemens Roesch, Eva Alken, Sören Zuppke, and Vadim Otto Ursus. And one of them is deeply rooted in this part of the city — Vadim grew up just a few steps away. Together with the Berlin architects from Studio Affin, the pavilion has been redesigned without altering its openness. Custom-made cherry wood benches and window ledges by Hanna Rothhaus, a curved stainless-steel counter by Luca Lombardini running along the open kitchen, shelves in rich green tones, and warm wooden details echo the colors of the courtyard. Rather than competing with the architecture, they enhance its effect. The weekly fresh flower arrangements from Brandenburg’s Buchholz, created by Meggie Schneider, allow the interior of the café to merge with the “Archipel” garden by French landscape architects le balto. Bravo sees itself as a museum café in the best sense: a place where the world and the neighborhood come together. Bravo accompanies the day from morning until evening, with a calm rhythm and a kitchen focused on seasonality and attention to detail, from the first coffee and small breakfast (such as sprouted oat muesli with hazelnut butter and compote, or a slice of bread with Heggelbach cheese and tomato), to a weekly changing lunch menu, and a glass of wine in the evening. A selection of signature snacks is also available throughout the day, alongside homemade cakes and pastries. Homemade lemonades, “Bravo Iced Tea,” water kefir, coffee, and wild-foraged teas, along with a small wine and cocktail menu, offer refreshment during the hot summer months. For me, it feels like rediscovering a personal Berlin classic. Or, put more simply, one of those rare places that feels as though it has always been there. Bravo, Bravo!
Text: Milena Kalojanov / Photos: Robert Rieger
Bravo, Auguststr.69, 10117 Berlin–Mitte; map
@bravoberlin
