Berlin, A Whirlwind Trip

Pergamon Museum
Hotel Kardell
Babi's Ouzeri
KaDeWe
YoSoy Tapas Bar
Hackescher Market and Hackescher Höf

Quick Tips:

Best Way To Get Around:

Welcome Berlin Ticket - available in 48-hour or 72-hour increments for 16 euros and 22 euros, respectively. This enables the buyer to travel on all S-bahn, U-bahn, and buses, unrestricted.

Although Hotel Kardell is near the Charlottenbug S-bahn station and line and the hectic, tourist-driven Ku'damm, it was a quiet refuge. The decor in the lobby and rooms is very 1970s and dated, but the rooms were clean and comfortable. The staff will change the bedding to non-feather upon request. The beds were a bit bowed, but comfortable. An iron is available in the hotel's laundry room, if requested. There was an air of family about the hotel and a decent breakfast buffet. The hotel's restaurant makes absolutely superb jams and jellies all year round. For €2.50 one can take home a jar of jam that is the essence of the fruit itself, and €5 jams include unusual mixtures like red beet, linden blossom and apple, or rosehip. They should be selling these jams and jellies in high-end gourmet stores! Ask for a room facing the residential side, not the S-bahn line, to ensure a super quiet room. Rooms were around €43 for single and €83 for double. Welcome Berlin tickets are available around the corner in a neighbourhood newspaper store, and metro maps are in the hotel lobby. Reservations can be made online and in English: www.hotel-kardell.de. For Oriental dancers out there, this hotel is very close to Tanzstudio Hallensee, run by the famous Cifuentes.

Although Hotel Kardell is near the Charlottenbug S-bahn station and line and the hectic tourist-driven Ku'damm, it was a quiet refuge. The decor in the lobby and rooms is very 1970s and dated, but the rooms were clean and comfortable. The staff will change the bedding to non-feather upon request. The beds were a bit bowed, but comfortable. An iron is available in the hotel's laundry room, if requested. There was an air of family about the hotel - and a decent breakfast buffet. The hotel's restaurant makes absolutely superb jams and jellies, all year round. For €2.50, one can take home a jar of jam that is the essence of the fruit itself, and €5 jams include unusual mixtures like red beet, linden blossom and apple, or rosehip. They should be selling these jams and jellies in high-end gourmet stores! Ask for a room facing the residential side, not the S-bahn line, to ensure a super-quiet room. Rooms were around €43 for single and €83 for double. Welcome Berlin tickets are available around the corner in a neighbourhood newspaper store, and metro maps are available in the hotel lobby.

This is a great spot for a cool glass of sangria and a bite from their fresh and garlic-laden tapas bar. The range of tapas is extensive and includes the rare pimentos de Padrones (in season), which are grilled and tossed in olive oil and a bit of rock salt. These pimentos are rarely found outside of Latin American countries and are a real treat; they take on an almost zucchini-like quality when grilled or fried. Luscious! The espresso, Cafe Cortado, and lemon tart (packs a real lemon punch and is served with a frothy, warm, milky mint sauce) were fabulous too.

YoSoy has a bit of an old Berlin and old Palma feel to it, in part due to the slightly Jugenstil-influenced decor. Service is spotty and slow, albeit friendly.

Located in a quiet residential nook, between the hectic Ku'damm and the S-bahn lines, Babi's Ouzeri was a fabulous spot to unwind, enjoy a glass of retsina, and linger over homemade Greek specialties. The decor is pared down and tasteful, highlighting the beautiful rosewood bar and tables, with none of the Greek tourist kitsch one often sees in German-Greek establishments. In summer months, Babi's sets up teak tables outside - if the sidewalk dining is full and you really want to enjoy the sidewalk ambience, they may even pull a table from inside for you. Babi's is a family-run establishment, with the moms and aunts cooking fabulous food in the back, the daughters and cousins waitering, and the menfolk running the bar, hosting, or generally hanging out to watch the soccer game with the customers. The grilled shishkebobs were quintessentially Mediterranean; the octopus salad was marinated to perfection. Great value and a jewel of a find.

If you are staying in the Charlottenburg region at Hotel Kardell, be sure to check out the dozen or so secondhand stores. I spotted La Perla silk evening gowns and Chanel jackets for unbelievable prices - as well as a funky retro store that specialized in kitsch, bowling shirts, leather jackets, cowboy boots, and Hawaiian shirts from the U.S. Several shops specialized in secondhand for babies and kids: toys, clothing, books, and so on. There were too many stores to list here in this little review - just go! Don't forget to stop at Babi's Ouzeri or one of the other neighbourhood tapas or Portuguese restaurants for a snack. This region is a quiet break from the hectic pace and crowding of the more popular spots in Berlin.