My first night was actually spent in a hotel working. Hotel Lux 11 seems a trendy boutique one with a lot of spot lighting in the lobby. Lux doesn't stand for “Luxury”, but the location as it sits in Rosa-Luxembourg Straße, very close to the “The Fernsehturm”, the TV tower.
The building was the former HQ of KGB, hence there was a hint from the reception: Don't complain if anything doesn't work. Luckily, the single room is actually a studio apartment with a full kitchenette including stove, microwave, coffee machine and fridge. All kitchenware is well stored in the cupboards, all German quality. The room itself is spacious enough and well designed in a contemporary style – a wash sink next to your bed and a shower space behind a glass wall. Sometimes, it might be too well designed: I had to call the reception to find how to switch off all the lights – the last button is hidden in my bedside table.
Overall it can be a comfortable choice for not too fussy travellers. The bonus points are definitely given to the considerable kitchenette and the restaurant in the ground floor, perfect for breakfast or light lunch.
Lux 11 www.lux-eleven.com
An alternative way to start a morning is to have a big Viennese brunch in Cafe Einstein, not the one in the central Unter den Linden. Hidden in a villa in a very quiet street close to Tiergarten, the Cafe has a typical Viennese style with high ceiling and brown-toned decoration. If you don't like a brunch with cheese, smoked salmon and cold meats, a German portion of veal schnitzel is also a popular choice by tables around me. The coffee menu might be a bit more complicated if you don't speak the language. Apparently all Caffee Latte, Cappuccino or Espresso Macchiato have their German terms.
Cafe Einstein Stammhaus
Kurfürstenstraße 58
10785 Berlin
www.cafeeinstein.com
Now I would like to share with you my favorite neighbourhood in Berlin: Gipsstrasse and Weinmeisterstrasse.
This neighbourhood is 5 minutes walking away from the popular Hackesche Höfe but on the quiet side. A more local Sophie-Gips-Höfe together with both Sophiestrasse and Gipsstrasse is a real hidden gem with cafes, galleries, conception stores and restaurants. One side of the street there are cool shops selling books, crafts and designer clothes, on the other side, there is just a normal community garden for residents. There are just so many things to discover around there. You will see people relaxing outside of Cafe Altes Europa or sipping a noodle soup in the courtyard seat of Ramen Cocolo. All vivid and lively. More surprisingly, in a shop next to the courtyard cafe Barcomi's, I found a London map which is made of water-proofed fabric. You can squeeze it, rub it and put it any where like your tiny jeans pocket and don't have to fold it properly. I got it as a gift for my friends in Berlin and also as an invitation for them to visit London.
Bonus: Hotel Casa Camper would be a best choice if you want to explore the area.
www.casacamper.com
www.kuchi.de
www.barcomis.de
www.alteseuropa.com
www.trisori.com
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