Photo by Florian Wehde on Unsplash
Best Specialty Coffee Shops in Berlin
For years, Berlin has been one of the hipster capitals of Europe, so it's no surprise that it has a plethora of great specialty coffee shops.
I've personally visited the city dozens of times and it's clear that Berlin is constantly evolving with a constant influx of new inhabitants and new ideas. And new coffee shops.
Let's take a look at some of the best specialty coffee shops in Berlin, as ranked by Kava users.
Cabana Coffee Roasters, Kreuzberg
Cabana Coffee Roasters is on the excellently named Zossener Str in Kreuzberg, close to the Bergmannkiez district. It's a small, intimate, friendly café serving beans from their on site micro-roastery.
Batch brew, hand brew filter, and espresso based coffees are available and they're currently top rated for their Flat White. In the summer months you can grab a seat on the street and watch the world go by.
Find them on Kava here.
Wilke, Neukölln
Berlin sometimes has a reputation for not being the friendliest place but Wilke eschews this sterotype, being a warm, characterful, friendly place. They're famous for their cakes and brownies but you'll also find good brunch options here too.
On warmer days you'll find a few chairs and tables out on the street from where you can enjoy your coffee. But on cooler days, you don't have to miss out on the street vibes if you take a seat by their big bright windows.
Find them on Kava here.
Flying Roasters, Mitte
Heading across the river into the northern part of the city, you'll find Flying Roasters, situated close to Volkspark Humboldthain. They're a small roastery specializing in organic coffees which they source direct from growers, and guarantee to pay way above normal market rates to ensure the sustainability of the farmers.
Inside the café you'll find a simple space that focuses purely on the quality of the coffee they are serving. You'll find espresso based drinks as well as hand-brew filter.
Find them on Kava here.
Bonanza Coffee Roasters, Kreuzberg
Bonanza Coffee's roastery in Kreuzberg is one of my favourite spaces in Berlin. An old factory has been carefully renovated to provide a bright, spacious café, whilst retaining hints of its industrial past.
Of course, to make this list, it can't only be about the aesthetic; the coffee has to stack up too. And it does. I'm always appreciative of having multiple coffees available on batch brew and on my last visit there were 3 options. I chose the natural anaerobic El Salvador and it was excellent. The pastries are top notch too.
You can find their Kreuzberg roastery here, as well as their Jägerstraße and Mitte locations.
AKKURAT Café, Kreuzberg
AKKURAT was a new discovery for me on my last trip to Berlin and I was excited to see they were using beans from La Cabra for their batch brew.
The Honduras that I tried was great, but if you want more choice they have various options for hand-brew, as well as espresso too.
Food options are not limited to pastries, with a good selection of brunch and lunch options. There's even outside space for sunny days.
Find them on Kava here.
leuchtstoff, Neukölln
From my newest Berlin coffee shop discovery, to my oldest. Leuchtstoff was the first specialty coffee shop I ever visited in Berlin, as some very close friends lived less than 2 minutes walk from it, and it's been consistently very good ever since.
If you're looking for somewhere to work from, it's partially laptop friendly, with several tables designated laptop free and a no-laptops policy at busy times such as weekends.
You'll find espresso, batch brew, hand-brew, and Aeropress options, and they have a nice selection of cakes and pastries available.
Find them on Kava here.
19grams - Alex, Mitte
19grams was founded way back in 2002, making them possibly the first specialty coffee roaster in Germany. They source directly from a network of growers and although they have grown significantly in the last two decades, they still hold true to their original principles of roasting in small batches to produce coffees that are rich, clear in taste and retaining the sweetness of the cherry.
Their location at Alexanderplatz is not only a café but also their roastery. It also serves a fantastic brunch - one of the best in the city according to Kava user jay_faulks in her rating.
The café is laptop friendly during the week but they ask that you leave your laptop at home on weekends, which seems reasonable to me.
You can find their Alexanderplatz roastery and café here, as well as their original "Boxi" location here, their "Chaussee" location here and their "Schlesi" location here.
It's up to You
Don’t agree with this rundown? It’s up to you to start rating your coffees on Kava specialty coffee app and make sure your favorites move up the rankings.
Join the Community of Coffee Lovers on Kava
Kava is the new free app for specialty coffee lovers.
Kava helps you discover the best specialty coffee shops. Rate your coffees and share images, comments and likes with your friends and followers.
Get it now for free on Android or iPhone here.