The Sunday coffee at St. Oberholz

St. Oberholz reminds me of the first weeks in Berlin, when I was discovering new corners and restaurants and was trying to be in time to meetings with people I didn't see before. 

The place is always full, with many people chosing this vegetarian-friendly bar/light restaurant as their home office (wifi provided with the sugar for the coffee), including on Sundays. When I arrived there the last Sunday afternoon I felt in the middle of a busy day in an advertising company. But it's enough place either outside and inside, at the basement or at the first floor.

English-speakers are welcomed and frequent customers are covering many far geographical areas from the Globe. An interesting antropological expedition.

After a short investigation among my friends who are regularly visiting the place, I will recommend the wide selection of cakes and the tea as well as some sandwiches and quiches.

The restrooms - although not crystal clean - are funny, with a hen and a rooster giving you some hints about the proper place for your gender.

I don't have any idea who this St. Oberholz was, but I suppose he had a pleasant life.

Sorgenfrei in Berlin

A couple of days ago, in a very quiet afternoon, I had a big cup of coffee and a tasty piece of cake in the quiet Worriesfree/the brute translation of Sorgenfrei/ in Schoeneberg. The recommendation you usually read about the place is the 50s-60s "charm". Indeed, the place is furbished with disparate - from the social and aesthetical point of view - pieces, most part of them available for sale. What I saw this week were not the must-have examples of creative design of the pre-hippy era. The counter looks like it was then - West or East Germany, the brown and grey nuances were common - the other products on sale: toys, books, pieces of porcelain, chairs etc.. I was fascinated by some big metal boxes for coffee, not on sale. I saw in other parts of Berlin shops or coffee houses furnished in the style of the time and it is not for me very clear what is the psychoanalitical root of this "love" for a period only two decades away of the WWII. If you ask me, I don't like this style at all and every time I am in such places I feel like being in a kitsch tomb.

However, I ignored this inconvenience while tasting the delicious cake - very fresh - and the coffee. All of them at extremely convenient prices. And a very careful service. For a long time, until it was time to close the kindergarten around, it was very quiet. Shortly after 17.00, mother with kids entered the place and infused a bit of life to the dead and stinky furniture.