This store’s curatorship is so amazing that I find it hard to remember the last time I walked into a retail store and felt so comfortable that I didn’t want to leave. No piece seems to be unnecessary to be there, and everything is designed to make us think that all products - or almost all - are indispensable to our lifestyle.
When we are not looking for a particular spot and unpretentiously go to places when we are traveling, perhaps the most incredible and unusual venues appear out of nowhere. That's how I met Botanical Affairs, that surpassed any expectation of a drink bar that I could ever visit.
Eins 44 was one of the highlights of all of Berlin's culinary discoveries. It is absolutely amazing. It is so hidden (in a courtyard) that whoever passes by it in the street, will never imagine that it is one of the best restaurants in town. Oddly, the place operated years and years ago as a major gin distillery.
One of the best ways to get to know a place is to taste simple local food, especially when you have the opportunity to visit street markets and fairs. In Berlin, curry wurst and doner kebab are a symbol of local street food. But fortunately the gastronomic scene has evolved and some markets are proof of that, such as Markthallen.
It seems that in all metropolis in the world, establishments dedicated to bread and other artisan confectionery started to pop up in the last four years. I strongly believe it was mainly due to the arrival of MasterChefs on TV and the gastronomy theme becoming so trendy with the help of instagramers.
The important and fundamental thing about Berlin is to be different, bold, to be ahead of time, shocking and out of the box. It is hard to find a "standard" young Berliner. Better yet: their pattern is the type that has no judgment, each individual express himself as he wants in his own way, and the more different the better.
To understand the history and culture of Germany and fall in love with an itinerary made of landscapes, culinary flavors and unforgettable artistic expressions, start at Leipzig. No other city represents Germany as well as this one, which is currently the fastest growing and most prosperous in the country.