HOMEMADE BABKAS, CHALLAH BRAIDS & ORGANIC LEBERKÄSE BUNS AT CAFÉ PLOETZ IN SCHÖNEBERG

Ploetz is the maiden name of the two owners of the eponymous Schöneberg café, Elke and Eni Löscher’s mother and grandmother. Born in Berlin, Ploetz later moved to Amman. Two cities could hardly be more different, yet both have left their mark on her: here, the rough, creative, urban energy; there, the warmth, cuisine, and heartfelt hospitality. It is exactly this dichotomy that the family-run café has been translating since April 2025, by the Julius-Leber-Brücke. After gaining years of experience with their Frankfurt ventures, Wasserhäuschen Fein and Café Momi, Elke and Eni realized their dream last year: opening their own café in Berlin. Ploetz serves as a spacious neighborhood spot where specialty coffee, international cuisine, and bakery converge. Everything is made in-house — baking, cooking, and fermenting — resulting in a daily showcase of fresh pastries and a generous menu. Every morning, the scent of hand-laminated croissants — something the two are particularly proud of — fills the former butcher shop, whose heritage-protected, green-and-white tiles exude Old Berlin charm. Croissants, babkas, and golden challah braids are among the café’s classics, accompanied by window pastries that change almost daily according to the season and spontaneous bakery ideas. In the kitchen, Levantine spices meet sourdough bread, Sabich plates meet shakshuka, and grilled sandwiches meet smashed potatoes with Frankfurter Grüner Soße.

Many ingredients come from carefully selected organic farms — cheese from Hofgut Heggelbach, sausages from Biohof May — with coffee sourced from Populus. The core menu remains constant, while seasonal specials and new pastries add variety. Vegan options are naturally available, from the Sabich plate to vegan brioche sandwiches and French toast variations. Beverages include specialty coffee, salted hot chocolate, matcha, chai, homemade lemonades, and spritz drinks. Recently, Ploetz expanded just a door down with an additional space. Though styled a little differently, the transition from the main café feels seamless. Evenings here are for sharing dinners, Friday pasta nights, weddings, and workshops. From the very first visit, Ploetz feels like a permanent neighborhood meeting point — a warm, welcoming atmosphere, exactly what you hope for from a family-run place.

Text: Robyn Steffen / Photos: Mohit Amlani

Ploetz, Czeminskistr.4, 10829 Berlin–Schöneberg; map

@ploetz.berlin

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Cafes, Guests, Restaurants

WHERE TO CELEBRATE THE YEAR OF THE FIRE HORSE IN BERLIN — RECOMMENDED BY ALICE M. HUYNH

Every year, I look forward to the New Year. Sometimes it’s the Year of the Water Monkey, then the Year of the Wood Snake or, as will be the case on February 17, 2026, the Year of the Fire Horse. Perhaps you’ve heard of this before, or maybe you’re wondering why I seem to be a few months off. Unlike in the West, many countries across East and Southeast Asia — especially China, Vietnam, Singapore, Taiwan, and South Korea — celebrate the Lunar New Year according to the traditional lunisolar calendar. It’s also known as Chinese New Year (Spring Festival), Seollal in Korea, or Tết in Vietnam. Because the celebration follows the lunar calendar, the date shifts each year in the Gregorian calendar. The twelve zodiac animals rotate annually, and we are now moving from the Year of the Wood Snake into the Year of the Fire Horse. The importance of this holiday becomes particularly visible in the news. Around this time, one of the world’s largest annual migrations takes place as millions of people travel home to celebrate with their families. Homes are cleaned and decorated, altars are prepared, and new clothes are worn, especially in red, a color associated with luck and prosperity. Red envelopes filled with money — hongbao in Chinese or lì xì in Vietnamese — are among the most cherished gifts. And, of course, food plays a central role, often tied to symbolism and superstition. (read more)

A whole steamed fish represents abundance and prosperity. Dumplings resemble gold ingots and symbolize wealth, long noodles stand for longevity, and sweet rice balls express unity and togetherness. Because of this deep cultural meaning, the Lunar New Year is celebrated widely across the diaspora as well. Berlin, too, offers plenty of places to mark the occasion with festive dishes. At Moii Café in Charlottenburg, a small but charming Taiwanese café, you’ll find mooncakes alongside beautifully crafted cakes and drinks. My favorites are the Osmanthus latte with jelly, the milky jasmine tea cake, and the mango sponge roll. For a classic celebratory meal, Jolly Restaurant is a longtime favorite, known for its Peking duck: crisp, lacquered skin and tender meat wrapped in thin pancakes or baos with sweet hoisin sauce. Perfect for sharing with family and friends.

At Dumpling Nian, combine two lucky dishes on one table: steamed sea bass with ginger and spring onions in soy sauce, alongside handmade dumplings filled with pork and Chinese cabbage, shrimp, or beef and carrots. Weekend brunch at Meet You Restaurant is another highlight. Their Shanghainese menu includes homemade dumplings, xiao long bao (soup dumplings), jianbing (crispy Chinese crêpes), baos, chili wontons, and warm soy milk. My tip: come with a group and share everything. If you’re craving southern Vietnamese comfort food, Saigon Cơm Niêu is my personal go-to. Alongside dishes like Bánh Canh Cua (a spicy crab noodle soup), they serve Thịt Kho Tàu, caramelized pork belly with whole eggs, traditionally eaten during Tết. The round eggs and square pieces of pork symbolize harmony, completeness, and family unity.

For a more cultural experience, visit Linh Thứu Pagoda during the holiday. Besides the beautiful temple setting, there’s vegan food, music, and the chance to light incense and make wishes for the year ahead. The celebrations continue at Dong Xuan Center, where you’ll find handmade bánh chưng and bánh tét (sticky rice cakes wrapped in banana leaves with mung beans and pork), red sticky rice (xôi gấc), and varieties of chè desserts. For Korean New Year traditions, Han BBQ offers an all-you-can-eat samgyeopsal (pork belly) barbecue until 17.02.2026, including rice, banchan, and salad. And at Dotori, a special four-course menu inspired by traditional Korean New Year dishes is paired with Korean beverages, an elegant way to welcome the Year of the Horse. However you choose to celebrate, the Lunar New Year is ultimately about gathering, sharing food, and starting fresh together. Berlin offers many ways to do just that.

Text: Alice M. Huynh / Photos: Matthieu Joannon, Alison Pang, Robyn Steffen

Alice M. Huynh grew up in the Allgäu Alps and has called Berlin home for over a decade. After beginning her career in New York’s fashion industry, she slowly turned toward what truly excites her: travel and food. Today, she works as a content creator focused on lifestyle, culinary culture, and travel.

Moii Café, Fasanenstr.46, 10719 Berlin–Charlottenburg; map

Jolly Restaurant, Am Kupfergraben 4/4a, 10117 Berlin–Mitte; map

Dumpling Nian, Eisenbahnstr.4, 10997 Berlin–Kreuzberg; map

Meet You Restaurant, Fasanenstr.41, 10719 Berlin–Charlottenburg; map

Saigon Cơm Niêu, Bülowstr. 9, 10783 Berlin–Schöneberg; map

Han BBQ, Kantstr.120/121, 10625 Berlin–Charlottenburg; map

Dong Xuan Center, Herzbergstr. 128-139, 10365 Berlin–Lichtenberg; map

Dotori, Gustav-Adolf-Str.159, 13086 Berlin–Weißensee; map

@alicemhuynh
@moiicafeberlin
@dumplingsnian
@meetyou.china
@saigoncomnieu
@hanbbq.berlin
@dotori.berlin

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Cafes

A MOMENT OUT OF YOUR BUSY SCHEDULE — WARMING FOOD & ENERGIZING DRINKS AT SCHIM:PAUSE

Schim:pause is one of those places you stumble upon as you race around the city running errands. In this neighbourhood café, owners Choi and Gaeun aim to catch your eye and invite you in for a moment of calm — a hidden retreat in Prenzlauer Berg. Pause, stop for a moment, and Schim, rest or take a break. Choi, who loves coffee, and Gaeun, who loves baking, moved to Berlin from Russia. Originally from Seoul, they decided to combine their passion for flavor and quiet moments at Schim:pause. Some key dishes we enjoyed were the Pistachio crème Brûlée, French toast, and the iconic Korean bulgogi sandwich paired with the iced strawberry matcha and the signature “Kaffee Schim”, an iced black sesame latte. A perfect balance between sweet and savoury. The menu is set to pair with the coffee selection, flavours that feel satisfying without overstimulating the palette, and entice guests to return for more. As we entered Schim:pause, we were greeted by a warm couple who explained everything there was to know about their menu and filter coffee selection. We left ready to take on the rest of the day. Schim:pause aims to leave guests feeling warm, nourished, and with the memory of subtle yet comforting flavors. They are currently developing seasonal menus and are open for events and collabs.

Text & Photos: Ruby Watt

Schim:pause, Dunckerstr.85, 10437 Berlin–Prenzlauer Berg; map

@schimpause.berlin

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Activities, Cafes

BETWEEN ARTHOUSE CINEMA & FRAPPÉS: KLICK KINO

Along Winterscheidtstraße, I pause in front of a striking black-and-white sign and study Klick Kino‘s program for the evening. There’s still some time before the next screening. Behind the glass, a lively café comes into view, where sweet and savory treats await, making it the perfect spot for a pre- or post-movie treat. Klick, a small neighborhood cinema, has over 100 years of history. Since 1911, it has changed its name multiple times while building a reputation of cinematic significance in West Berlin. The distinctive name “Klick” has stuck since the 1970s, when Michael Weinert curated a program featuring both classic and independent films – an ethos that continues there today. After a long break, the cinema was reopened in 2020 by the Kulturspedition. Since then, artistic director Christos Acrivulis has curated the program, positioning the cinema as a true cultural hub. In the single-screen, roughly one-hundred-seat venue, arthouse films take center stage, complemented by monthly special series and evenings that blend film with readings, concerts, or performances. The separate room in front of the screening hall — now Café Klick — had long remained empty, only opening during screenings. Although the café has only been part of the cinema since October 2024, it already feels like a fixture.

The café is unpretentious and perfect for a quick pause before or after a film. Soups or quiches, homemade cakes (like the popular cheesecake), paired with a blueberry matcha or an iced frappé in summer, or a homemade quince punch in winter. Britt, the café’s owner, explains that guests often bring the quinces, which are then processed on-site, a small testament to how this place has built a community over the decades, becoming an indispensable part of the neighborhood. A slow-paced evening in a red cinema seat, a bag of pretzels in hand, in a space where Berlin’s film culture right at home.

Text: Susi Churas / Photos: Elisabeth Rogov, Kinokompendium

Klick Kino & Café, Windscheidstr. 19, 10627 Berlin–Charlottenburg; map

@klickcafe
@klickkino

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Cafes

FLUFFY CAKES, CREAMY DRINKS & A PLACE TO UNWIND: AO CAFÉ IN THE SIMON-DACH KIEZ

Is a small, sweet dessert part of your perfect meal? Unfortunately, the selection in many restaurants can be pretty disappointing. Still, I usually order one (how could I not?). Most cafés are already closed in the evening, ice cream parlors are still on their winter break, and it rarely feels worth making a detour to another spot just for something sweet. That’s how Xiu Jan, Tuan Anh, and My felt too. They missed having a place where you could get high-quality desserts late at night and end the evening in a calm, sweet way. That’s how the idea for the AO pop-up came about, which the trio opened in November 2025. AO Café serves Japanese-inspired desserts and drinks in the heart of the Simon-Dach neighborhood, just a stone’s throw from Shōdo Udon Lab, My’s Japanese restaurant specializing in homemade Sanuki-style udon and tempura. AO is a separate concept, even if the location makes it the perfect follow-up spot. First, slurp udon, then have a matcha at AO, and to top it off, share a fluffy cake. The focus is on classic Japanese creations such as strawberry shortcake, matcha mille-crêpe, and roll cakes. Everything is light and airy, exactly as you’d expect from Japan. Part of that comes down to the flour, which the team imports directly from Japan. It creates the texture that turns their shortcakes and roll cakes into the fluffiest possible treat.

The drinks menu combines classics with the café’s own experimental creations. Alongside matcha and hōjicha lattes, there’s the kinako dango latte, a milk drink with soybean powder and handmade dango. Other bestsellers include the hazelnut hōjicha latte (delicious!) and, yes, the kinako dango latte. All milk drinks can be made with oat or coconut milk at no extra charge, making them easy to order vegan. The yuzu and matcha cheesecakes are made with vegan cream cheese, and the chocolate mille-crêpe is also entirely free of animal products. The menu is set to change seasonally, with a new offering already planned for spring. The trio is also thinking long-term. Eventually, the location is set to become Bluen Bar, focusing on Japanese-inspired cocktails and drinks. The pop-up was originally planned to run until the end of January 2026, but thanks to the positive response, the trio now intends to keep the current concept running until May 2026. And I’ll admit, sometimes I skip the restaurant part altogether and just meet my friends here for something sweet.

Text: Robyn Steffen / Photos: Robyn Steffen & David Frank

AO, Wühlischstr.34, 10245 Berlin–Friedrichshain; map

@ao.cafeberlin

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Language

HOMEMADE BABKAS, CHALLAH BRAIDS & ORGANIC LEBERKÄSE BUNS AT CAFÉ PLOETZ IN SCHÖNEBERG

WHERE TO CELEBRATE THE YEAR OF THE FIRE HORSE IN BERLIN — RECOMMENDED BY ALICE M. HUYNH

A MOMENT OUT OF YOUR BUSY SCHEDULE — WARMING FOOD & ENERGIZING DRINKS AT SCHIM:PAUSE

BETWEEN ARTHOUSE CINEMA & FRAPPÉS: KLICK KINO

FLUFFY CAKES, CREAMY DRINKS & A PLACE TO UNWIND: AO CAFÉ IN THE SIMON-DACH KIEZ