Not your ordinary breakfast

Having breakfast outside of your own four walls has become increasingly popular during the last years. Though the number of places catering to this demand - often even until 4pm for the late risers - is very high, it is hard to find a place that sets itself apart from the usual breakfast fare of rolls, butter, cheese, cold cuts, jam and eggs. So, whenever I go and try a new breakfast location the originality of their breakfast menu is my main measuring point, followed by the atmosphere of the location and the service.

Tomasa at Villa Kreuzberg ranks high on all of these three measuring points. The staff was quick and friendly despite the high volume of guests. The location is an old mansion right next to Victoria Park in Kreuzberg with a nice outdoor terrace for warm and a fireplace inside for cold days. Last, but most importanly, the menu offers an exquisite selection of breakfast dishes of excellent quality. Take for example the breakfast of the month:

# Egg Benedict
# Scrambled egg with white asparagus
# Cottage cheese with cherry tomatoes and basil
# Serrano ham and cantaloupe
# Brie with pepper and onion rings
# Strawberry-chili-jam
# Strawberry tartlet with cream of vanilla and mascarpone
# Fruits for garnish
# Butter, honey and mixed bread basket

You don't have to choose from any of the items listed, but all of them come on one plate! The items were creative and presented on a huge plate in an appealing way. The price of 12,80€ is not cheap but on the other hand lunch will the unncessary after this delightful breakfast!

Recently I heard that dinner there is also really nice. So, I am considering doing another trip to check it out and report on it at the next possible opportunity.

Solar - a trendy Berlin bar

There are plenty enough bars in Berlin but only few manage to really set themselves apart. Solar is such a place.
Hidden in an old ugly building from the 70s not far from Potsdamer Platz it is almost something like a secret tip. Once you find the place and get passed the scrutinizing look of the door man a glass elevator lifts you on the outside of the building - up to the 17th floor. There you enter a hip restaurant with huge glass windows all around. The atmosphere and the view are astonishing - the food and the service above average. Reservations for dinner are indispensable.
If you are more into drinks you can climb a short flight of winding stairs and you reach the bar area that welcomes you with classy white sofas (some of them dangling from the ceiling), loungy music provided by a live DJ, and an extraordinary view over half of the illuminated city. The drinks are a bit on the expensive side with about 8 to 10 Euro for an exotic cocktail but nothing close to what you would pay on a rooftop bar in New York or Paris! It is also worth mentioning that the DJ stands in a movable cabin that rises and declines between the two floors. Exceptional location, exceptional atmosphere and exceptional view! Must check it out!

Solar
Stresemannstr. 76
10963 Berlin
Tel.: +49 (0)163 7652700
www.solarberlin.com

Exotic Dining in da city

It's time to dedicate a new article to Berlin's huge food culture...

Cafe do Basil

This little Brazilian restaurant in the lively and multicultural district Kreuzberg features an opulent dinner buffet on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings starting at 6pm. For the unbeatable price of 9 Euros one can try typical Brazilian dishes such as grilled chicken, moquecas (stews), Feijão, yummy fried veggies as well as cold salads, fresh fruit and a couple of different desserts. Definitely something different from the usual! Make sure to reserve a table ahead as the restaurant is very small!

http://www.salgados.info/

Gasometer adventures

Who of you knows what a gasometer looks like, what it is used for... yet has even been on top of one??? I can answer all these questions with "yes" - and let me tell you, it's a real Berlin adventure!

In other cities people climb bridges secured to the construction with ropes... in Berlin people climb gasometers. One of those gasometers can be found in Schoeneberg, an area in the southwest of town. It is a facility that was used to "store" gas through underpressure between 1910 and the 90s. So much for the technical part. Then someone had the idea that it would be a great look-out point - and born was a new attraction for Berlin tourists and locals alike!

The climb is a bit exhausting but nothing worth to mention for an ex-athlete like me. :-) Short stops at different levels of the landmark give the visitor a chance to adjust to the height and rethink the undertaking. It is never too late to ask the guide to accompany one back. Not me though; I was burning (or was it my leg muscles?) to get to the top. And I was not to be disappointed! Boy, was that an amazing view. One could see everything in the city, and even beyond its borders. Of course, the height was a bit frightening, probably mostly due to the fact that the banister as high as my waist line was not very protective and the "floor" was totally see-through. Plus, it was a bit windy up there.

It took almost one hour to walk around the entire circle once, for the guide was able to explain every single building or tower on the horizon. Amazing. I could have stayed there all evening... This is a real adventure! An absolute must for every Berlin visitor free from giddiness.
During the summer time the company even offers "excursions" on top of the gasometer to watch fireworks from there. Maybe worth a second trip up those 456 stairs!

http://www.climb-berlin.com/de/