überlin

Tag: Brunch

  • House of Small Wonder

    by

    James Glazebrook
    Category:

    House of Small Wonder brunch

    Berlin might be light years ahead of other hipster hot spots in terms of its Thursday – Tuesday “weekend” party scene and “life artists” per capita, but in other areas it’s still playing catch-up: coffee, craft beer, and brunch. Sure, places like California Breakfast Slam serve boozy brunches of American proportions with a side of Berliner indifference, but in any major US city, joints like this are two-to-a-block and run 100% more efficiently.

    So we were happy to learn that a unique Williamsburg breakfast concept has been imported from Brooklyn to Berlin. House of Small Wonder is described as “urban greenhouse meets American dishes with a Japanese twist”, and is worth a visit for its ramshackle Tokyo rooftop garden vibe alone. The menu runs from standard brunch fare like the organic egg scramble to Eastern-infused offerings like Okinawan Taco Rice – Tex-Mex with a twist – and Tsukune Don – chicken meatball with nori, scallion, sesame and soft egg over rice. We chased our delicious mains with some insanely good french toast croissants, the thought of which still make us salivate.

    If there’s a drawback about House of Small Wonder, it’s the location: in the otherwise unremarkable area around Friedrichstrasse. We’d recommend combining this with a shopping trip to Weekday, or saving it for when the parents are in town and, for no good reason, staying near Unter den Linden. It’s sure to become more of a destination once the owners open up their huge NY-style Japanese restaurant downstairs, but until then, you’ll probably find yourself reserving House of Small Wonder for special, and especially tasty, occasions.

    House of Small Wonder staircase

    House of Small Wonder Japanese Tex Mex

    House of Small Wonder bird wrapping paper

    House of Small Wonder French Toast croissants

    House of Small Wonder bird cage

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  • Roamers

    by

    James Glazebrook
    Category: ,

    Roamers window and plants

    We love the quote that Neukölln café Roamers has adopted as its banner: “You’re only here for a short visit. Don’t hurry, don’t worry. And be sure to smell the flowers along the way.” The man who originally spoke those words, American golfer Walter Hagen, sounds like a chilled fellow, so we think he’d appreciate the relaxed, rustic vibes of Roamers. Very much a (farm) family affair, the Pannierstraße hangout features plants from co-owner Flore Schmidt’s aunt’s flowershop, lamps and chairs from the factory his uncle used to work in, tables built by his stepfather and a counter made of the old door to his family’s pony stable. Schmidt has been cooking since the age of 15, and with his partner Chris Schiefner, creates healthy, tasty fare from hearty sandwiches (mmm Welsh Rarebit) to nutrient-packed salads and smoothies. They say they put all of their passion into every dish and, from the food itself to the furniture and fixtures, love is all around at Roamers.

    Roamers cafe in Neukoln

    Roamers cafe and vintage furniture

    Roamers vintage details

    Roamers cafe and vintage furniture

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    Roamers chocolate chip cookies in jar

    Roamers menu

    2 Responses to “Roamers”

    1. Papaerk says:
      June 14, 2014 at 9:25 pm

      Brill pictures new camera? and place looks great …far from your place?

      Reply

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  • Dirty South

    by

    James Glazebrook
    Category:

    bootless along wall

    There’s no denying the awesome power of the German Frühstück (zum Bespiel) but, as far as we’re concerned, no one does brunch like the Americans. That’s why we headed to Dirty South in Friedrichshain, a restaurant and bar opened by the Philadelphians behind Cupcake Berlin. A down-home diner with a punk twist, Dirty South serves up comfort food for homesick expats and Yankophiles like us.

    Zoë opted for poached eggs served with a scrummy biscuit and real(!) bacon, while I went with an epic breakfast burrito – a heavenly heart attack in a wrap! They were out of Brewdog, so I washed everything down with a lovely bottle of HOLYSHIT, from Berlin brewery Schoppe Bräu. If you miss American food, and friendly American service – or if you just want a cool place to hang out and fill your faces – then Dirty South is the place!

    photos on wall

    flyers on wall

    bottle of beer on table

    brunch and breakfast burrito

    One Response to “Dirty South”

    1. Stil in Berlin — Links in Berlin: Spring Fever Edition says:
      March 21, 2014 at 10:02 am

      […] again, Friedrichshain (is that forgotten Kiez becoming a thing now/again?) – James and Zoë of Uberlin tasted the US-brunch menu at Dirty South with poached eggs and breakfast burritos and called it […]

      Reply

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  • Engelberg

    by

    James Glazebrook
    Category:

    Did you know that Strammer Max, as well as being Saxon slang for a bonk-on, is a traditional German meal usually made up of (fried) bread topped with ham and a fried egg. If we haven’t just ruined it for you, you can order this delicious dish at Engelberg, a lovely brunch spot we found near Mauerpark. Serving up other modern takes on German (or Swiss?) specialities, such as Leberkäse (meaning “liver cheese”, but more appetisingly described by an Australian friend as “meat-sausage”), and doing so with care and efficiency – even on super-busy Sunday lunchtimes – Engelberg comes highly recommended. With a dick joke on the side.

    Engelberg, Oderbergerstrasse 21, 10435 Berlin.

    One Response to “Engelberg”

    1. Kate (@shoegirlinDE) says:
      October 7, 2013 at 2:10 pm

      Yum! Thanks for the recommendation! Even better, this is in our hood (come December).

      Reply

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  • Melbourne Canteen

    by

    James Glazebrook
    Category:

    Melbourne Canteen 1

    We actually went to Melbourne Canteen weeks ago, but we didn’t want to make some sort of statement about supporting English-only businesses in Berlin. Oops – look like we just did! Anyway, when we returned after *that* Exberliner article, we’re happy to confirm that we were offered a German menu – but, more importantly, that the food was still great. The eggs Benedict were among the best we’ve ever had in Berlin, the full Aussie – or whatever they call eggs, bacon and the works down under – was generous and tasty, and (of course) the flat white was near-perfect. Oh, and the walls are decorated with photographic prints from everyone’s new favourite Berlin streetstyle blog, What Ali Wore.

    Melbourne Canteen 5

    Melbourne Canteen 4

    Melbourne Canteen 3

    Melbourne Canteen 2

    Melbourne Canteen 6

    11 Responses to “Melbourne Canteen”

    1. Sayuri, Japanese Food, Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf – Foodie in Berlin says:
      November 24, 2014 at 6:53 pm

      […] about the “Rant” article the Exberliner wrote and the subsequent storm in a teacup (see comments in überlin) reaction it […]

      Reply

    2. Lizzy says:
      September 14, 2014 at 12:50 pm

      Horrible disgrace. sample sized portions of food made with no love, served with no love, after a very long wait and over priced.
      This is definitely the WORST breakfast experience i had in years.

      I gave the Melbourne Canteen surprisingly too many chances, NO MORE!!!!!!!!

      Don´t do this to yourself, My belly feels sad angry and sick.

      Reply

    3. salvatore says:
      October 6, 2013 at 6:49 pm

      i ate brunch here today with my partner. way above average prices. average food (at best). wayyyyyyy below average service. this cafe really should have a warning sign for customers “after being completely ignored by plentiful staff, prepare to give up and serve yourself a mediocre brunch for two for 30 euros.”

      Reply

    4. Sayuri, Japanese Food, Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf | foodieinberlin's Blog says:
      May 1, 2013 at 3:40 pm

      […] about the “Rant” article the Exberliner wrote and the subsequent storm in a teacup (see comments in überlin) reaction it […]

      Reply

    5. Francesca says:
      April 11, 2013 at 8:25 pm

      nothing to say about the food although I agree … there is rocket everywhere.
      I was one of the first customers because I live 5 minutes from there and I can say that the owner was not sure of what I would call “friendly” to me.

      at the beginning (I do not know if it has now been changed) on the menu was “mixed salad” and when a menu says “mixed salad” it is expected that there are different types of salad … but the dish I was offered was a whole pot of rocket with three tomatoes, without even touching it .. I told the waitress that I ate a dish rocket with three tomatoes instead of a salad for 5.00 euro .. the waitress (she was very nice) called the owner who did not want to listen to reason .. I paid the pot of rocket without even proposed that I be something different .. and especially without having eaten …

      the rule “the customer is always right” seems to Melbourne Canteen be reversed … “the owner is always right.”

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    6. Kate (@shoegirlinDE) says:
      April 2, 2013 at 11:46 am

      English or German, I don’t care – this food looks fantastic! Can’t wait to add this to our list of places to frequent once we move to Berlin. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply

    7. Justin says:
      April 1, 2013 at 8:49 pm

      Only bad thing is too much rocket!!! UGH! Why why why!

      Reply

    8. Melbourne Canteen says:
      April 1, 2013 at 8:42 pm

      Thank you all for your nice feed back and support. For your information, the Exberliner rant “Sorry No German” mentioning a restaurant A.K.A “Little Melbourne” in Neukölln, obviously hinting at the Mebourne Canteen, since it is the only restaurant called Melbourne in Neukölln, was written on FALSE FACTS. Our menu is in both English and German (although the writer of the Exberliner rant, as an obvious English speaker was handed out English menu in English). I am the owner of the Melbourne Canteen, and have never had the pleasure to meet the author ot the rant, although she writes that she talked to me and that I could not speak a word of German. Had she actually talked to me we would have conversed in German, because I happen to be German and learned German at school long before she did. Our place is multicultural, as our logo suggests, our staff is also from different backgrounds including German, French, Australian, British, Irish, Hungarian… And all of them speak basic German and are making the effort to serve clients in German. We serve delicious food, all house made with fresh ingreedients and have been praised for it since we opened. Our restaurant seemed to have unfairly been singled out as an all English speaking expat place, solely for the purpose of the rant (the writer of this rant actually boasts about how she bitched in our staff’s back in German), all of which, as one commentor wrote, simply reveals poor journalistic standards. We have protested with the ExBerliner, but they never retrieved their or corrected their print, because that piece gave them publicity.

      Reply

    9. Suzy says:
      April 1, 2013 at 3:30 pm

      Looks great. I feel bad for them, being attacked for the whole English thing. They probably didn’t give it much thought when they did it but just did what they felt comfortable with.

      Reply

    10. papaerk says:
      March 28, 2013 at 11:39 pm

      looks brilliant and the food pics are mouth watering to say the least and of course the star herself Olive looking very cool and collected.

      Reply

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