Best Coffee Shops in Berlin

Berlin's coffee scene reflects the city itself: serious without being pretentious, experimental without being inaccessible, and built by people who came from somewhere else and decided to stay.

Mitte and Prenzlauer Berg

The Barn Coffee has become Berlin's most internationally recognized specialty roaster, with multiple locations across the city. Their Roastery in Mitte is worth the visit. The focus on single-origin espresso and careful extraction has influenced the entire German specialty coffee market.

Kreuzberg

Kreuzberg hosts a different coffee culture: more Turkish-influenced in its street-level offerings, more anarchic in its specialty shops. Bonanza Coffee Heroes in Prenzlauer Berg has roots in Kreuzberg's independent ethos and remains one of the best places to drink coffee in the city.

Neukolln

Neukolln has developed its own coffee scene as the neighborhood has changed. Father Carpenter and a collection of smaller independents have made the area worth exploring for coffee alongside its restaurant scene.

The roasting culture

What distinguishes Berlin from other European coffee cities is its roasting culture. Multiple world-class roasters operate in the city, and the quality of beans available to cafes is exceptional. This raises the floor for everyone.

See all Berlin coffee shops on the Berlin guide.

Related reading: Amsterdam, Paris. See all coffee shops in Berlin on our city guide.

Berlin specialty cafes count toward Pulled Coffee exploration challenges.

Neukölln

Neukölln's transformation has included coffee shops that resist the gentrification anxiety that surrounds them. Father Carpenter and a collection of smaller independents have made the area worth exploring for coffee alongside its restaurant and bar scene. The neighborhood's mixed character means the coffee shops serve a more diverse clientele than many areas of the city.

Friedrichshain

Friedrichshain's proximity to the club scene means its cafes operate on a different schedule than the rest of the city. Several excellent specialty operations have opened along Boxhagener Platz and the surrounding streets. The Sunday flea market creates a weekly gathering that anchors cafe culture in the neighborhood.

Charlottenburg and the West

The western neighborhoods don't get the same coffee attention as Mitte or Prenzlauer Berg, but the quality is there. Distrikt Coffee has been important in establishing west Berlin's specialty credentials. The wealthier residential character of Charlottenburg means the cafes there are quieter and more neighborhood-focused than the destination cafes to the east.

Schöneberg and Tempelhof

Schöneberg's LGBTQ+ history and its long-established cafe culture create a neighborhood that has been doing serious coffee long before the third wave arrived. The area around Akazienstrasse has several strong options. Tempelhof's converted airport field provides an unusual setting for the cafes and food trucks that operate around its perimeter.