At Café Ribo, a lunch bistro on Ackerstraße, owner Katja has been preparing Maultaschen according to her mother’s recipe since 2009. In the summer of 2015, I tasted Swabian Maultaschen in broth for the first time. My partner at the time, Micha, ordered a Weißwurst, and we shared a salad with a dressing so delicious that I still try to recreate it today. The flavor instantly sparked a feeling of nostalgia, even though I’m from East Berlin and he’s from Bavaria. Here, feel the personal touch and presence of the owner and her family. Katja’s mother washes and irons the white tablecloths every day, while her father helps out behind the counter. In winter, when you enter, other guests briefly look up in acknowledgment before returning to their conspiratorial conversations. Over a plate of Spätzle, people tell each other how they’re really doing. In summer, the spacious terrace opens onto a public green space. Sit under trees, sip Orangina, play table tennis, and occasionally, there are even oysters in the evening. When I later learn about the Ribo choir, it becomes clear: beyond its fantastic Maultaschen, Ribo has long been a way of life for many. A kind of club that takes care of its members and where people genuinely enjoy growing older together.
Text: Sascha Silberstein / Photos: Ruby Watt
Sascha is from Berlin, Prenzlauer Berg. During the warmer months, she runs another welcoming place: the Wassermühle Nebeltal in Mecklenburg. In winter, she works as a cook for and with Vadim Otto Ursus (Otto, Trio, Pluto).
Café Ribo, Ackerstr.157, 10115 Berlin–Mitte; map
@caferibo
