There are many stark differences between the Dutch and the German capitals. In fact the two cities could not be more different from each other. Also, their coffee cultures are quite far apart but both are making good steps towards putting their respective specialty coffee scenes on the map. One major disparaty that I have noticed here in particular is how the Dutch seem to be driving their fast growing specialty coffee offering using largely home-grown talent, while the German capital heavily relies on foreigners from Australia, the US, New Zealand and England to throw some much needed coals into its engine.
In fact many of the leading coffee spots in town are owned by expats who have made the German capital their home and are thus helping to transform a national coffee culture that sometimes feels slightly stuck in the past and a bit boring into something exciting and worth celebrating. One such place is located in funky Friedrichshain, a very typical East Berlin neighbourhood. Run by Morgan Love and his cousin, Silo Coffee is the kind of place that truly recreates the wonderful coffee culture that Sydney and Melbourne are so famous for.
Its bright and friendly interior makes you feel more like you’re in someone’s loft apartment, there’s a great little terrace that allows for excellent people watching and since recently a very tasty breakfast/brunch menu. My friends and I took a seat in the back, which is also a great spot for a little working session and ordered some of the yummy sounding dishes such as baked eggs with Chorizo and scrambled eggs with ham. All of this obviously had to be accompanied by various Flat Whites and pour overs such as the delicious Kenya Nyeri by Bonanza Coffee Roasters, which they got in freshly roasted that day.
The team behind Silo Coffee wanted to create a friendly space where they themselves would love to hang out as much as their customers. When Morgan wasn’t behind the bar he was typing away on his laptop. I think I can conclude that they succeeded. Or maybe he’s just obsessed, ha! The atmosphere is super relaxed and regularly changing coffees keep things interesting for its regular customers.
For now, Silo Coffee is pretty much the only place in this part of town that serves really good coffee but Berlin’s always been a bit quicker than other German cities when it comes to adopting new trends. Maybe Friedrichshain will soon see more people taking the plunge and switching Latte Macchiatos for aeropresses. Time will tell!
