When I went to Berlin in May, I already had a long list of coffee shops that I wanted to visit. However, KaffeeKirsche (literally, “coffee cherry”) was a chance discovery on my last Sunday, which I spent wandering the streets of Kreuzberg, arguably the birthplace of Berlin’s speciality coffee scene. In a familiar story, KaffeeKirsche is a roastery with small chain of coffee shops (three so far), which started on Adalbertsraße (also home to Bonanza Coffee and The Visit).

I actually walked past the original café, which opened in 2014 and was also the original roastery, which looked interesting enough for me to do some quick online research (the joys of smartphones and free (for now) EU roaming). This led to the discovery of both the roastery café in Tempelhof and the café/bakery on Böckhstraße, which is where I ended up in my quest for lunch.

The café/bakery occupies a spacious corner spot with plenty of seating inside and out. Brunch is served until three o’clock, while the cake selection is available all day. There’s a standard espresso-based menu, a pair of single-origins on pour-over via the V60 and a range of tea and other drinks.

You can read more of my thoughts after the gallery.

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When KaffeeKirsche opened on Adalbertsraße in 2014, it was both café and roastery. The café & bakery on Böckhstraße came next in 2017, with KaffeeKirsche taking advantage of the new place’s greater size to move the roastery into the space next door, where it lived until the roastery moved again, this time to an even bigger facility in Tempelhof at the end of 2021, with the attached café opening in February 2022.

Although its address is on Böckhstraße, the café & bakery sits at the junction where Böckhstraße and Schönleinstraße combine on the western side of Kottbusser Damm in Kreuzberg. The result is an interesting space, with a large, open triangle (I hesitate to call it a square), home to a handful of tall, mature trees, behind which stands KaffeeKirsche. On the ground floor of a typical Berlin tenement, one side runs along Böckhstraße to the left, while the front screened is from the busy Kottbusser Damm by the trees and a low-level bank of greenery. Meanwhile, set back slightly on the right, is the old roastery, now being used as a storeroom.

The result is a rather wonderful space, with three large windows down the left-hand side, while the front is all glass, consisting of central double doors, with a large floor-to-ceiling window on either side which can fold back, concertina style, so that in good weather (like when I visited), the front is entirely open. There’s a row of five round tables outside along the front of KaffeeKirsche, seating provided by low, broad stools. Meanwhile, benches run down the windows along Böckhstraße, where you’ll find another five (smaller) tables.

KaffeeKirsche has an island counter set towards the back of the main space, with seating to the left and right, a central aisle left clear from the door to the counter. To the right of the counter is a large retail area with merchandising and bags of coffee, while on the left, the seating continues all the way around to the back of the counter. There’s a six-person table at the front on the right, behind which is a pair of two-person square tables, all the seating provided by the same low, broad stools.

There are five more of these two-person tables on the left, two free-standing between window and counter and three in a row down a bench along the first of the three windows along Böckhstraße. There’s another bench in each of the remaining two windows, which are smaller, and a total of three round tables. Finally, there’s a row of three low, rattan-style armchairs along the back wall, with another three of the round tables, while up against the back of the counter is a similarly styled sofa and armchair with a final round table.

Ordering is simple as the till is in the centre of the counter, directly ahead as you enter, with the cakes to the right and the Faema E71 espresso machine to the left. You order at the till, then collect your coffee around the side of the counter on the left, where the pour-overs are made. However, if you order food, you’ll be given a number, your food brought out to you when it’s ready.

I arrived just before food stopped being served at three o’clock, which was perfect timing. The brunch menu will be familiar the world over, featuring several coffee-shop classics, but for a change, I went with the cheese breakfast, featuring Manchego, Brie and Mountain cheese, plus fruit and vegetables, along with herb cream cheese, jam, butter and homemade bread. It was very tasty, providing an interesting contrast of tastes and textures.

At the barista’s recommendation, I had a V60 of the Papua New Guinea (PNG) Grassroots, a fine, rich, fruity, full-bodied, naturally-processed coffee, which more than held its own as it cooled. I was sufficiently impressed that I bought a bag to take home with me.

Liked this Coffee Spot? Then check out the rest of Berlin’s speciality coffee scene with the Coffee Spot Guide to Berlin.

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