A Weekend in Berlin

There’s never enough time in Berlin to see and do everything but I thought I’d give it my best shot recently on a whirlwind weekend in the German capital. A friend told me about an interesting neighborhood that she likened to the “SoHo of Berlin” called the Hackesche Hofe in the Mitte district. Always ready to go off the beaten path in big cities, I set out from my hotel off the Kurfurstendamm, the main shopping street, more commonly known as Ku’damm, to explore.

Hackesche Hofe is a series of interconnected Art Nouveau buildings situated in an almost hidden courtyard, many of them dating from the turn of the century. Like much of Berlin, they’ve all been restored and now house residences, shops and cafes. Some noteworthy shops include Edsor Kronen, for one-of-a-kind silk ties, Jost for high-quality leather bags and Promobo, an artisan collective carrying men’s and women’s clothing, hand-crafted accessories and decorative items for the home. Also in the area is the second branch of Barcomi’s, a bakery/deli started by American expat Cynthia Barcomi. In addition to cheesecake and carrot cake, you’ll find salads, sandwiches, bagels and her homemade coffee roast—it’s a great little spot for lunch.

Other places to find unique one of a kind items include Salon Bennett on Alte Schonhauser, a chic hat shop from British born milliner Fiona Bennett whose creations have topped the heads of Brad Pitt, Katie Holmes and Christina Aguilera. At Frau Tonis Perfume, a minimalist perfumerie on Zimmerstrasse near Checkpoint Charlie, the perfumes are made from essential oils from France—jasmine, tuberose and violet (apparently Marlene Dietrich’s favorite) are the best-sellers. And while not new, Fassbender & Rausch, a gourmet chocolate shop near pretty Gendarmenmarkt Square is still a place to get lost in, Willy Wonka-style, among the melt in your mouth confections.

Back in the center of town I found myself at Museum Island, home of five world class cultural institutions on a parcel of land jutting into the Spree River. In the New National Gallery, I took in the Gerhard Richter exhibit, a major retrospective to mark the popular German artist’s 80^th birthday and in the Neues Museum, recently restored by British architect David Chipperfield, I visited the famous ancient Egyptian bust of Nefertiti. But the museum I was most interested in was the Hamburger Bahnhof, a contemporary museum in a restored train station, which in itself is quite something to see. There are always a variety of exhibits on the calendar—an upcoming exhibit of note is on the works of Dusseldorf-based sculptor Martin Honert (October 7-April 13, 2013).

Later I stopped at the Humboldt Box, a new futuristic structure across from the cathedral (the Berliner Dom) that looks a little out of place amid such Old World grandeur (much like the Norman Foster glass-dome ceiling atop the Reichstag where the German parliament is housed). The temporary building will remain there as a tourist information center until a permanent building goes up in a few years. Take the elevator to the top floor restaurant where, over a coffee or glass of wine on the terrace, you can take in spectacular city views including the cathedral’s imposing dome and other landmarks like 1,207-foot Berlin TV Tower, the city’s tallest structure.

Another interesting spot to get a drink and a bite to eat is the 6^th floor Food Hall of the KaDeWe department store on Ku’damm. It’s one of the largest food halls anywhere and certainly on par with those of Europe’s great department stores like Harrods in London. The entire floor is a maze-like series of food counters where you can shop for food items (sausages, caviar, pate, homemade chocolates, artisan cheeses, bread, etc.) and dine on anything from traditional sausages with sauerkraut to sushi, pasta and Chinese along with a German Riesling. And for some really great people watching, order a glass of bubbly such as the Moet & Chandon from the swanky Champagne bar.

The dining scene is always dynamic in Berlin with plenty of new spots opening seemingly every week. A former girls’ school is now home to Pauly Saal restaurant, with modern German cuisine from the team behind the popular Grill Royal, a contemporary design and celebrity clientele (Angelina Jolie held her directorial debut party there). There’s also the Brooklyn Beef Club, in a vaulted cellar space, where amid Murano crystal chandeliers and wood-paneled walls, imported U.S. Black Angus steaks are served. And at my hotel, the Swissotel, which caters to both a business and leisure crowd with 316 rooms and a modern atrium lobby, I enjoyed a memorable meal at Restaurant 44, whose picture windows face on the Ku’damm. Chef Danijel Kresovic’s dishes, which might include dorado with asparagus risotto or veal saltimbocca with new potatoes are flavored with herbs grown on an outdoor terrace of the hotel and the restaurant recently introduced wines sporting its own boutique label in addition to its impressive global list.

As I made my way to my room, I realized I only got halfway through the list of places I wanted to check out. Oh well. That just gives me an excuse to go back.