überlin

When we heard there was a cafe called Bullys Bakery here in Berlin, we just had to pay them a visit to show off our very own bulldog Olive! As soon as she waddled into the cute Neukölln store, she was greeted by 2 1/2 year old Kurt, the eponymous bully, and very much the big dog around here. About five times as big and half as excited by new friends, Kurt tolerated little O’s attempts to scale his mountains of muscles before going for a sleep in the back.

Even if you aren’t a dog lover, you’ll find much to enjoy in Bullys Bakery: a great flat white (the yardstick I use to measure the standard of a place’s coffee), beautiful cakes and delicious Flammkuchen. A German speciality, these sauceless pizzas are an überlin fave, and the ones we ate at Bullys, especially the chorizo, egg, goat’s cheese and rocket, the best we’ve ever had. So if you ever find yourself on Weserstrasse, pop in for a coffee and cake, and say “wüf” to Kurt for us!

Australian-born, Berlin-based PHIA covering “15 Step”, from Radiohead‘s In Rainbows:

Cool huh? We found out about PHIA when the waitress in our local Thai restaurant recognised us and pitched us about a special house concert happening this Friday. Only in Berlin!

Turns out our wait staff was OOi, a classically-trained musician who’s going to perform a solo viola work, a collaboration, and is also going to VJ for PHIA. As for the headliner, she’s going to work her magic armed with a kalimba (thumb piano), a set of loop pedals, and maybe some more rearrangements (scroll down for a Fleet Foxes cover). For details and reservations for this special event, email info@listentophia.com.

To see the rest of my photos go to Zoë Noble Photography

And the award for Berlin’s booziest supper club goes to… Zuhause! From the cocktail we were handed when we first arrived – vodka, homemade ginger tea and mint – to the bottles of delicious wine that kept arriving at our table, this most informal of dinner parties was kept well lubricated. In between serving restaurant-grade dishes, paired with said free-flowing wines, Canadian expat Kristi and her Irish beau, professional chef Dave, were the hosts with the mosts – both in and out of the kitchen.

And man, do they know their way around a kitchen. My menu highlights weren’t the obvious choices, but clearly reflect my English roots. We love a good cheese, and the Bleu de Bresse that made up the sixth and final course was just that. And I was ecstatic not only to find two meat dishes, but that the first was the very same Asian take on a Scotch egg I’d been drooling over on the Zuhause website that afternoon – served with miso butter, spring onion and the ubiquitous white asparagus. The lemon curd that cut through the dessert of strawberry tart and fresh meringue was just like my Grandma used to make, a tasty trip down memory lane.

Zoë’s favourite dish, as ever, was the lamb – a tender cut of Irish fillet – while we both lapped up the shallot and chive tortelloni, and the opening fish course of octopus, fennel, grapefruit and melon. But the food was only half the fun, with the intimate setting of the host’s typische Berliner apartment, the hosts themselves and their solid gold “banter” making for a night to remember… brain cells permitting. Like Zuhause on Facebook to join the party!

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