T R A V E L // B E R L I N - city guide

So, my first city guide & what a cracker to start with, Berlin!

Berlin has become a pretty popular place to jet off to for a good old city break & when we were planning our trip blog posts & Instragram were so valuable when trying to source little gems to visit in the city. I know a lot of you followed along in real-time on my Instagram stories but for those of you who missed them, I thought you might appreciate a list of places that we enjoyed so you can plan your own trip!

Accommodation:

The apartment we stayed in was through Airbnb. It was situated in the district of Fennpuhl, to the North East of the city centre. There were plenty of amenities around, it was a quiet area & seemed pretty safe & travelling to the centre was fairly quick via the underground. If we were to go back to Berlin we would definitely want to spend a night or two at the 25hrs hotel as it looks pretty rad & is situated right by the Berlin Zoo in the district of Bikini, though the room prices there are much more expensive than your standard Airbnb.

£: £45 - 50 a night

Good Bank:

Now, have you ever been to a salad farm? NO? Well this one is pretty damn cool & the interiors are something else! Good Bank grow their own salad & display it for all to see in pink neon lit tanks. Opening hours are 11:30 - 22:00 Monday to Sunday & situated extremely close to Alexanderplatz, Good Bank Berlin is very easy to find. There is indoor & outdoor seating & they serve an array of salads, sandwiches, small snacks & of course desserts. Alongside this they have a pretty well priced drinks list. Personally we spent the evening drinking Prossecco & Friday German beer.

£: 4 - 5 euros a drink (alcoholic)

Instagram: @goodbank

Voo Store & Companion Coffee:

If you are into fashion & coffee then it would be worth taking a trip to Voo which is situated in the district of Kreuzberg. If you aren't planning a trip to Berlin any time soon though you can also shop via their website. Stocking fashion brands such as APC, Charlie May, Marni, Acne & Nike. They also sell numerous magazines, books & premium homeware trinkets. Considering it is a high-end shop it has a very relaxed feel & all staff were extremely happy & polite. Again, like Klunkerkranich, Voo would fit into Manchester's NQ very well. Opening hours are 10:00 - 20:00 Monday - Saturday. Companion Coffee serve their specialty tea & coffee from their cafe space in Voo store where you can sit by the French windows with a top-notch coffee, look out into the courtyard while reading one of their many magazines & soak up the atmosphere.

£: As the brands they sell are high end, they are pretty much priced like you would expect to find anywhere else online. Coffee & tea are priced at 2.50 - 3 euros.

Instagram: @voostore @companioncoffeeberlin

House Of Small Wonder:

Brunch is always on the top of our daily to-do list when we go to a new city so were always on the look out for places that serve great breakfast food, especially ones that have strong interior game. House of Small Wonder did not disappoint on the food or interior front, in fact, probably one of the bets breakfasts we've ever eaten! It's a pretty magical place to walk into as you are greeted by a beautifully decorated foyer & an incredible spiral staircase adorned with tropical plants which ascends to the dining area. HOSW is located just off Friedrichstrasse & is open 9 - 5 Monday to Sunday. Staff were friendly & attentive & the general atmosphere was pleasant. 

£: It's worth noting that this place is cash only. Food is priced between 6 & 11 euros & hot drinks are roughly 3 - 4 euros.

Instagram: @houseofsmallwonder

Beets & Roots:

This quirky, veggie focused restaurant that specialises in Buddha bowls is the perfect pit-stop for a non-heavy but filling lunch. You can eat in or take your food to go. We opted to eat in as, as usual, we wanted to soak up the incredible interior while we dined. Located just north of the city centre, Beets & Roots offer a range of meat, veggie & vegan options, you can check out their entire menu on their website. Staff were all friendly & helpful even when the Instagram husband & I were getting under their feet when we we trying to score that 'perfect shot'. Opening hours are 11 - 9:30 Monday to Sunday.

£: Averaging about 10 euros per meal, including a drink.

Instagram: @beetsandroots

Monkey Bar:

This place gets busy & it's understandable why. The views are stunning as it famously looks over Berlin Zoo & the music is on form. Located in the 25 Hours Hotel, Bikini this rooftop bar is one you are going to want to put on your Berlin to-do list. I would recommend that you visit the Monkey Bar late afternoon though before the evening drinkers start piling in. This way you will be able to enjoy your drinks in one of the sofa areas by the window & thoroughly take in the view of the city. The cocktails are on the expensive side which was to be expected but they are not stingy on the alcohol content. Overall the atmosphere was sound & the bar staff were polite. Opening hours are 12:00 - 2am Monday - Sunday.

£: Cocktails are from 10 euros, table service is extra (we didn't opt for this) & I have heard that it's not that great for what you pay for so best to go to the bar for your own drinks to save the hassle.

Klunkerkranich Rooftop Bar:

This spot wouldn't be out of place in Manchester's Northern Quarter to be honest! If you are looking for amazing views of the city, good drinks, good music, good food then you need to visit Klunkerkranich rooftop bar. Opening hours are 10:00 - 2:00am Monday - Saturday & 12:00 - 2:00am Sundays & it is situated on top of the Neukolln Arcaden shopping centre. Simply get the lift to the 5th floor & walk across the car park to the secret rooftop. There are two sides, one where you can hang around & get some amazing panoramas & the other which has the bar, music, food & the city view of course! It is 3 euros entry to the bar area but for the view & atmosphere it's totally worth it! Make sure you have a go in the vintage photobooth too!

£: 3 euros entry with drinks being about 5 euros

Instagram: @klunkerkranich

Honorable mentions:

Angry Chicken is an amazing Korean fried chicken restaurant, check out their website, the design is deliberately vulgar but I kind of love it (hahahah) Roamers is a great stop for a coffee, the plant themed interior is beautiful, well worth a visit. Schiller Burger Bar was the perfect joint for a classic burger in a box burger. Bikini Shopping Centre is located right next to Berlin Zoo & Hotel 25 Hours & is full of independent shops art installations & our favourite photobooth machine! Peter Pane - another brilliant burger restaurant, so much choice, great drinks & pretty damn cheap! I thought it was also worth mentioning that there was a huge variety of vegetarian & vegan options all around the city, even in the airport! Honestly, I couldn't believe how much choice there was!

For those of you planning your trips, I hope this post is as helpful for you as everyone who sent us suggestions made it for us! Massive thank you to everyone who sent us suggestions!