Where the wild fellas guzzle

Natural wines can really be a point of controversy. Some say they taste of earth and smell like well-worn wool socks. Next! The others know that high-quality wine doesn’t need additives. That in the ever-growing family of natural wines there are plenty of palatable and classy wines that can certainly hold their own taste wise in comparison to top wines including additives. You just have to know your way around. And be up for treating your palate, your conscience and your head to something really good. Just like Ramses, Oscar und Tom – two Mexicans and one Norwegian, the unpretentious connoisseurs behind the new natural wine bar ‚Wild Things‘ on the corner of Weserstrasse and Elbestrasse in beautiful Neukölln. These are also the guys behind ‚Industry Standard‚, the restaurant with bar that is completely dedicated to really good and holistic cuisine, inspired by the Mediterranean. Now, they are continuing that concept: those who have filled their tummies with the delicious menus in the Standard can just lumber on a few metres and sit down for some indulgent wine drinking in the ramshackle bar that’s all about wines that have nothing to offer but great grapes. Luckily. It’s astonishing that many people care so much about origin, processing and organic production of their food – but wine? It has to taste good. Period. To be frank, we’ve tested it: it tastes good without sulphides. Without sugar. Without pesticides. Without fungicides. Without all the added bullshit. In the improvised charm of the bar with the popcorn machine you can now find that out yourself and let the international Wild Things team fuss over you. You should just drink. And not prattle on, the guys think. A wine should speak for itself. A very welcome side effect by the way: should your evening with the natural wines go on a little longer than you planned, you probably won’t be hanging quite so far over as you might have expected. Because normally, the hangover is caused by all the evil additives. And here, it’s just about one thing: good wine. Or, as co-owner Ramses says: ‚It’s just a bunch of pressed grapes, and that’s it‘.
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Wild Things Naturwein-Bar | Weserstraße 172, 12045 Berlin | daily 6 pm – 2 am | Facebook

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Kategorien: Places | Autor: | Datum: 11. Mai 2016 | Tags: , , , |  Keine Kommentare

Know your type

Know your type

A profiler is a criminal investigator that draws conclusions about the perpetrator’s socio-economic characteristics based on evidence at the crime scene. He is a reflective snooper and meticulous thinker. And what profilers (on TV and in real life) do with people, is exactly what the Coffee Profilers do with coffee. And with people. The international founding team has made it its mission to bring together coffee lovers with the perfectly matching coffee variety. And the team works on various levels: For the main part, the Coffee Profilers are a coffee bar located in a place where you wouldn’t exactly suspect a nicely designed modern café – the very historic yet somewhat drab Karl-Marx-Allee. Stepping into this friendly and bright space, everything says coffee: the lovely scent, the display of items on sale, the extra long shelves filled with coffee machines. The friendly staff will inquire about your preferences concerning acidity and offer suitable varieties to choose from – which almost change daily. Feeling overwhelmed already? Don’t worry – the guys working the coffee machines know what you need. And are happy to tell you all about growing conditions, roasting levels, acidity and flavours. Listening to all this information, you can really see the passion light up their eyes. They talk about different qualities, filters and brews, and selected growing areas in high altitudes from which they receive their coffee. And all of a sudden there’s a whole new world beyond skinny latte. To top it all off, the Profilers also organise workshops and tastings. So if you’ve acquired a taste for exquisite coffee, you can learn even more than in the three minutes you have while you’re waiting for your coffee-to-go on your way to work. Or just order some really good coffee.
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Coffee Profilers | Karl-Marx-Allee 136, 10243 Berlin | Mon to Fri from 8am to 6pm, Sat from 9am to 6pm, Sun from 11am to 5pm | www.coffeeprofilers.com

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Kategorien: Places | Autor: | Datum: 24. Februar 2016 | Tags: , , , |  Keine Kommentare

Come hai trovato il film?

Come hai trovato il film?

t happened during an exchange year in New Zealand: unsuspectingly sitting in front of the television and all of a sudden, there he was: Tom Selleck. And Tom Selleck’s real and very American voice. Of course, Magnum didn’t speak German – why should he, he was in Hawaii after all – but that he actually sounded that different (and definitely not any better) was rather disappointing  to say the least. This awakening experience led to the following insight: synchronised films are simply not the real thing. AT ALL. So it is all the more enjoyable that a former bakery in Kreuzberg is now home to the arthouse cinema »Il Kino« which features films from all over the world in original language with subtitles; films that have been praised during festivals yet find no distribution in Germany. A team just as international as the carefully selected program founded the 52-seat cinema: the Italian-German-Norwegian crew follows a concept that has already been a great success in Rome since 2010. At that time, a group of 54 directors, screenwriters, cutters and actors had brought to life exactly the kind of cinema they would like to go to themselves. And we’re very happy to go with them. The bar at Il Kino offers a fine selection of Italian wines and serves fresh antipasti till 10pm and that way encourages you to discuss – and digest – the somewhat demanding films afterwards.
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Il Kino | Nansenstraße 22, 12047 Berlin | Mon – Fri from 12.30pm, Sat & Sun from 11am | www.ilkino.de Photo: Malene Korsgaard Lauritsen

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Kategorien: Places | Autor: | Datum: 27. Januar 2016 | Tags: , , , |  Keine Kommentare

Late Night Dogs

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Late Night Dogs

What makes a perfect bar? Not too big, dimly lit and well stocked with exclusive alcoholic beverages. Either there’s a row of elegant stools lined up along the bar or plenty of old and comfy leather armchairs to sink into and make you feel like you had a title of nobility – or  at least an impressive collection of cigars. Wait. Freeze that exact image. Then add some old school hip hop. So far, so good. Now discard everything that might seem pretentious. And then, to top it all off, run a Kreuzberg-filter over everything. Et Voilà: Welcome to Bourbon Dogs. The American whiskey bar at Spreewaldplatz is a slightly different version of the perfect bar. The menu offers an exquisite selection of various classics and reinterpreted whiskey drinks, craft beer and the complete opposite of the everlasting bestseller at Swedish furniture stores: a darn good hot dog. If you’re feeling adventurous, choose from drinks listed as »unusual«, which are by definition »obscure whiskies made in unique styles«. If you’d rather take it slow, then go for a Brooklyn Lager with a Classic Dog. No need to go overboard, right? Well, on second thought…
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Bourbon Dogs | Spreewaldplatz 14, 10999 Berlin | Tue to Sun, from 5 pm | www.bourbon-dogs.com

 

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Kategorien: Places | Autor: | Datum: 20. Januar 2016 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , |  Keine Kommentare

Happyli ever after

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Happily ever after

Everybody knows it, everybody likes it, although nobody knows exactly why: The Märchenbrunnen (fountain of fairy tales). Even grown men get this dreamy look on their faces and are enchanted by the fairytale characters in this lovely corner of the Volkspark and turn into a tame softies. Let’s face it: Hansel and Gretel, Puss in Boots, Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood and Snow White send us straight down memory lane and back to a time when children’s fantasies were part of reality, life was made of miracles and there was no daily routine. We still want to dream, we still want to believe. No matter how big, strong or evil you are, if a two year old hands you a toy phone, you’re going to answer it. Well, the fountain of fairy tales is no longer alone. Just across from the Märchenbrunne, the Fairytale Bar now takes us to the land of good and evil, happiness and horror and damn good drinks. With all the magic going on inside the Fairytale bar, it’s still all about enjoying exceptionally composed cocktails and long drinks. Come and sip on some magic potion, ease your mind and let your imagination go wild. If the phone rings and there’s no kid standing in front of you, just let it ring – you deserve it.
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Fairytales | Am Friedrichshain 24, 10407 Berlin | Facebook

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Kategorien: Places | Autor: | Datum: 25. März 2015 | Tags: , , , |  Keine Kommentare