Category: Places

Already something of a Berlin institution, Mogg & Melzer has become a staple of the city’s food scene since opening its doors just two years ago. The small but perfectly formed restaurant, inside the former Jewish girl’s school on Mitte’s Auguststraße, serves up probably the best New York-style deli food to be found in a city which still considers a slice of cheese on Brötchen as a decent sandwich. We’ve chewed our way through most of M&M’s excellent menu over the years, but we always find ourselves alighting on the salt beef (on the rare occasions that it’s not sold out), pastrami on rye, or the Reuben. Served with a side of coleslaw and a crispy pickle, each sandwich comes in small or large – no prizes for guessing which we opt for! – and is literally dripping with meaty goodness. Just like in NYC, arrive early to get a seat and your pick of delicious food, and spend your time savouring every last mouthful of Mogg & Melzer.

Summer’s well and truly over, but that doesn’t mean that Berlin’s burgeoning street food scene has to suffer. Sure, open air events like Markthalle Neun’s Stadt Land Food are going into hibernation, but Bite Club has moved indoors, and more and more pop-up food events are, er, popping up, seeking shelter in bars, clubs and other venues all over the city.

One recent discovery is Neue Heimat‘s bar and food night, which can be found in a converted railway shed in the RAW Complex in Friedrichshain (also the location of the fantastic Urban Spree). As well as the ever-present Mogg & Melzer, eatable treats were provided by the Happy Belly oyster bar, Schneeweiß‘s pop-up restaurant and more! We tucked into a succulent surf n’ turf burger from Fisch Art and a chorizo and bean-filled delight from Maria Maria Arepas, while lubrication came in the form of Red Snappers (gin-laced Bloody Maries), Old Fashioneds and Negronis.

If you’re a fan of jazz, you’ll be happy to note that all this deliciousness coincides with the Jazzy Fridays weekly live sessions – and those who like their music with more bleeps and bloops will probably feel the main room DJ (thanks for the Caribou!). With entertainment going on until 4am or later, and more awesome food and drink than you could safely consume, Neue Heimat’s set to live up to its name in the cold months to come. Make this your new home this winter.

When we recently vacationed on the German island of Rügen, there was place we made sure to visit first: Prora. Earmarked by the Nazis as a holiday destination for some 20,000 worn-out workers, construction on the eight buildings of the “Colossus of Prora” was halted by World War Two, since which the huge complex has been used as a military base by the Soviets and East Germans, and later a youth hostel and, seemingly, a squat with its own nightclub.

We rocked up on what turned out to be an unseasonably beautiful September day, both wearing head-to-toe black and Dr. Martens, looking to our fellow holidaymakers like wannabe stormtroopers, or maybe just hipster-goths on vacation. Piling our winter coats on the sand, we rushed into the crystal clear sea with Olive, before climbing through the ruined walls and marvelling at the sheer scale and ambition of Hitler’s answer to Butlins. Construction work confirmed what we’d read about the buildings being redeveloped as vacation apartments, so we’d advise you to visit Prora while it remains one of Germany’s great abandoned relics. 

We may not be too sentimental about our home on the northeastern shores of England, but we certainly miss the sea. Sure, Berlin has beautiful lakes, but they don’t quite fulfill our longing to feel the coastal winds whip against our faces, taste the salt in the air and gaze out towards the horizon where blue meets blue. That’s why we chose to spend our short summer break on Germany’s largest island, Rügen, which sits on the Baltic Sea (Ostsee), a mere three hours’ drive from Berlin.

For our first Oliday (holiday with Olive), we pointed our rental car due north and headed towards Trent. Here we arrived at our beautiful Airbnb with an ocean view and its very own sauna!  The location was stunning, with wild flowers dotted all around and the sea only a minutes walk away. On an evening we would sit in the garden with a glass of wine, watching sunset close in and the flashing beacon of Hiddensee lighthouse and feel a million miles away from Berlin.

Having set up camp, we started planning a week of wholesome outdoor activities, including visits to the white cliffs of Jasmund National Park, the tiny towns of Sassnitz and Sellin, and the Nazi’s half-built vacation resort of Prora. Check out the first of our holiday snaps, and stay tuned for more adventures of überlin on Rügen!