Of course Greece is not known for pearls, so forget about the headline. But this is a very tiny place (a little bigger than a pearl, though) with very good greek food - to go and to have there. The restaurant in the back part of the location looks just like you were on a greek island with the fisherboats bobbing up and down along the waterside. Well, there is no water, but there are the little chairs and all the stuff on the walls and in the shelves that spread this relaxing taverna atmosphere.

I went there with Holger Volland (one of the other authors of this blog) and he took the picture, that’s why I am ON the picture paying my lunch - and Holger’s, too, because it was his birthday!

Kaliva, Wielandstrasse 37, 10629 Berlin (Charlottenburg), Tel. 3100 4550.

Open Mon - Fr (I believe!).

When can you say you are? People who just recently moved here don’t have a clue what this kiez-thing really means. They have an address and don’t care about spending their free time going from Mitte to Charlottenburg and later to see a friend in Friedrichshain.

I think it starts when you start saying Fhain or Kreuzi or Prenzlberg or S.P.A.N.D.A.U…. This goes hand in hand with a certain feeling that your (!) kiez is the most exciting neighbourhood in Berlin. This kiezthing – you probably have it in every other city as well. What’s special about berlin is that you can afford to live almost everywhere (well, the square meters differ a bit) – so choose your homebase carefully.

Here’s some Berlin-Musik: 

Hanne Hukkelberg, Berlin
http://www.lastfm.de/music/Hanne+Hukkelberg/_/Berlin

Icke & Er: Keen Hawaii
http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYojBDQQXy4

Seeed, Dickes B
http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=w9b2j2g42nQ

what makes a top creative creative? right. that is food. a lot of food, as we can see in this blog. if the people at metadesign are hungry, they often go to “klemke” just around the corner. forget about health food, eco bio sustainable fusion cuisine. this is REAL food. pigs, cows and lambs slaughtered, cooked and deliciously prepared as traditional food: braten, schnitzel, gulasch. there are no chairs, you have to eat standing at a table, preferably outside most time of the year. ah, and lawyers go there too.

Klemke’s Wein und Spirituosenhandel.  Address: Mommsenstr. 9, 10629 Berlin

image from qype

While it might be hard to find some really good restaurants in Berlin (though this has changed and I will later post more on this issue), the city remains my uncrowned queen of international “snackage”. Based on the famous Currywurst, all the nations under Berlin’s sky offer their own delicacies and those of others in small, affordable and good snack stands and restaurants.

So why buy in? Eat out!

First thing to do of course: the Currywurst and there is - in my opinion - only three places to eat it. For those of you into the topic you might be surprised that Konopkes is not on my short list. Despite the fact that’s an East Berlin institution I consider their wurst just not up to the highest standards. So please only go to:

CURRY 36, Mehringdamm 36, U Mehringdamm, curry36.de

Thanks artie* from Flickr for this picture.

Order quick and sharp, the ladies on the counter don’t have much time: “Einmal Currypommes mit Ketchup-Mayo” will give you a Currywurst, french fries, ketchup and mayonnaise. Yumm! Alternatively order a “Schaschlick-Spieß” and enjoy a bit of tender fried pork.
Look it up on google maps

Bier’s at Kudamm 136 and at S Friedrichstraße

The slightly more noble West Berlin Curry (please notice the French champagne bottles in the coolers behind the grill stand next to the Beer and Coke!) is not more expensive but offers the curry for the endless party-monster and the distinguished opera visitor at the same time. The original outlet at Ku’damm 136 received a sister on Friedrichstraße directly in the underpass below the train tracks for the Mitte crowd. Try the extra spicy sauce along with your curry, it’s delicious.
Look it up on google maps: Ku’Damm location.

The fascination - and sometimes deep love - with our beloved city often comes from second and third sight encounters. A nice way for experiencing and therewith growing to our city are the meandering back- and courtyards you will find in all districts. So this is a general suggestion: If you walk past one of those large Berlin “Einfahrten” give a little hump to the door, and when you are lucky it is open. Have a peek inside, because sometimes a small universe of up to 8 (!) courtyards align like pearls on a string. Its here where you feel the inhabitants hearts pounding…and not all of them are as disney as the Hackesche Höfe.