Upon entering Sfera, a bright, inviting cafe greets you. It’s hard to know where to look first. The wooden counter? The honeycomb floor tiles? The wall ornaments? The royal blue chairs? One thing is clear: this is a space you’ll want to stay a while in. It’s only when you go up to order that you realize that there’s even more: through a small corridor, two other rooms open up. More sober in design, they’re no less impressive, with a wall of wine offering a toast to the cafe’s Altbau flair. Owner Jana moved to Berlin in 2017 and worked in a few brunch places (she was head chef at Allan’s Breakfast Club) before she decided to open her own shop on Böhmischer Platz in Neukölln in April 2023. She has developed a purely vegan menu for Sfera, which is housed – funnily enough – in a former butcher’s shop, whose old mosaic wall remains today. The eat-in menu changes depending on the season but there are always sandwiches to go. My highlights from the current offerings: toasted brioche with fruit, vegan crème fraîche and basil, and the French toast with almond crème, cherries, sage and crumble. Don’t forget the savory dishes, such as the potato salad with smoked tofu and the oyster mushroom ceviche.
Natural wines from Vinofactum and 8greenbottles are available, as is coffee from Passenger. The bread is supplied by one of our all-time favorites, Gorilla Bakery. Incidentally: you might know Sfera from Herrlich Dining. The latter’s founders, Fee and Hannah, are old friends of Jana’s and have catered events in her space (there are plans for pop-ups, kitchen takeovers by chef friends and other get-togethers). Whether it’s a boozy brunch or a weekday lunch, a Sunday gathering or a quiet coworking sesh, this roomy cafe fits the bill on all counts.
Text: Robyn Steffen / Photos: Luna Schaffron
Sfera, Schudomastr.44, 12055 Berlin–Neukölln; map
Mon, Thu & Fri 10–16h, Sat & Sun 10–17h
@sfera.berlin
