My boyfriend has a new morning ritual: croissant, coffee, then the office, which is basically next door. He even sends me a photo of it. No text, just a coffee and croissant from Etwas Kleines. I don’t live in the neighborhood, but when I’m nearby, I make the same stop and get a Miso Caramel croissant and flat white with oat milk. Etwas Kleines is a hole in the wall on Warschauer Straße: nineteen square meters, a counter, and a queue that spills onto the street. Hence the name, something small. The concept is a familiar combination of croissants and coffee, made by a micro-artisan bakery for people who value quality and craftsmanship, and need it on the go.
Behind the café is Oleg, a Ukrainian who came to Germany with his family because of the war. In Ukraine, the family had cafés and pastry businesses, and baking has always been his passion. Starting from scratch in Berlin, he chose to focus on what he loves most: croissants. Etwas Kleines grew out of that, and the wish to build something of their own. Oleg works on the croissants constantly, on how they look, their taste, and texture. “We want every croissant to be better than the one before.” They also have a nice mix of sweet and savory croissants, and change up the menu, so whenever you visit, there’s something new to try. I’d recommend the ham and cheese croissant with a mini cornichon if you’re in a savoury mood, and if you have a sweet tooth, the miso caramel or matcha and raspberry jam croissants have your name on them.
The interior came together with designers from Ukraine, for a space that feels modern but warm and welcoming. At that scale, almost everything is built around takeaway, yet it still reads as a place with personality, with the brown wall tiles matching those the display croissants sit on, and croissant lamps overhead. Even the logo is local. Next to the bakery, there is a small bear monument called Bär that looks over the bakery, which is where the bear logo came from. It felt very Berlin, so it became part of the café in a way.
As for what comes next, they’re not planning too far ahead. “As Ukrainians, we have learned to live more in the present and appreciate what we have today.” For now, that is making something good, improving it, growing Etwas Kleines step by step, and seeing where that goes.
So if Etwas Kleines is on your route to work, or you’re just in the area, stop by for a croissant, crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, and a specialty coffee to go.
Text: Stefania Basano / Photos: Aditya Christian
Etwas Kleines, Warschauer Str.15, 10243 Berlin–Friedrichshain; map
@etwaskleinesberlin
