Berlin is filled with coffee shops and more coffee shops. It’s a caffeine culture, one could say. Yes Starbucks is present, just like everywhere else, but the more enchanting experiences come from the more native joints. Locals gather to chit chat, double-fisting cappucinos and .5lt beers, and take a much needed break from the cold busy city. Travelers have a chance to warm up, recharge, and write their travel blogs (cough cough). The best spot we found for coffee and tea is Café Cinema.

From the street, tasty tasty.

Café Cinema is the perfect place for a midday rendezvous or a break from the city hubbub of Berlin. Good prices, great (read strong) coffee, and a quiet sense of humor from the baristas, this café has something for everyone.

Standing on the edge of a busy street you can see the Berlin Cathedral; when you walk through the squeaky redbrick door, take off your gloves, and see the diverse group of patrons, the outside world disappears. Once inside the chatter that only caffeine creates surrounds you, it follows you as you make your way past the antiquey art and trendy attendees to the back. The selection of lattés, teas, and desserts has a distinctly German feel—but do not worry, the baristas are not surprised or dismayed to see an American who speaks only two words of deutsch.

Seating inside is tricky as it seems Café Cinema is quite popular. But, if you can, snag the piano for a table. Nothing is quite as quaint as coffee on a piano! If you prefer a quieter atmosphere consider the patio out back. Set in an alley, which leads to the Otto Weidt museum (free!), you can peruse walls upon walls of beautiful graffiti art (common in Berlin but particularly good here), and strange hanging flags.

After visiting many cafés in Berlin (and drinking our weight in caffeine), we found Café Cinema to be the idyllic spot for a traveler looking for a local experience in a tourist capital.  One could spend hours people-watching on the front street or reading a book at a tiny table. It’s a place that asks you to relax and enjoy, to be in the present moment and maybe feel a little bit more hip in the process. Who can resist?

• English Friendly
• Toilettes
• No WiFi
• Ample Seating