Françoise Poilâne
West-side cleansers
Since 2013, the luxury juices of Los Angeles Cold Press could only be purchased from the no-less-luxurious shopping mall Quartier 206 on Friedrichstraße. From October on, they’re expanding to City West with a new juice bar just off Kantstraße. Read more
Orania: Duck in a bubble
Luxury hotel and restaurant Orania’s non-engagement with the Kiez is probably its saving grace. But diners willing to step past the spiderweb of cracked glass actually step out of Kreuzberg for a real Berlin-rarity: Peking-style duck à la minute. Read more
Berlin gets Poke'd
Since Mitte forerunner Ma’Loa opened a year ago, this Hawaiian fish dish has left a salmon-scented trail from Alexanderplatz U-Bahn station to the chilled sections of Lidl. We gave three purveyors a shot. Read more
Tenzan Lab: Next-level shaved ice
Want to eat something truly unique in Berlin? Introducing the first Kakigori café in Europe, Tenzan Lab, featuring some of the most stunning matcha desserts we've ever tasted. But does the novel concept justify the hefty price tag? Read more
Le Brot: Real baguette in Neukölln
Achhh, the unmistakable, sweet smell of hot baguette. Enter the bakery on Fuldastraße, and inhale: finally, real French bread in Berlin! With a certified French baker at the oven, there's no better place to get baguettes in town. Read more
The Future Breakfast: A popup gets serious
Take back brunch! Once primarily the domain of Australians, breakfast in Neukölln is now anyone’s game. Here's the final of our three-part series featuring the latest hyped spots (and, yes, it's from Down Under). Read more
Tulus Lotrek: More than meets the eye
One of Berlin’s latest and most affordable Michelin stars seduces with deceptively modest dishes bursting with unbridled creativity. Read more
Italiansky in the West: Mine/Wine
Francoise Poilane investigated Italian dining as conceived by Russians, and found sensational open wines and the best sourdough in town. Read more
Pho-lternatives
Colder weather means one thing: bring on the Vietnamese noodle soup! And we don't just mean pho. Expand your horizons at three new restaurants. Read more
Brasserie Colette: Better than a French spoof
Star chef Tim Raue pivoted from Asian to French bistro cuisine with his latest concept. It might not be accurate, but that doesn't mean it isn't tasty... Read more
Night Kitchen: Mod-Med in Mitte
You've read the blog buzz about the new Tel Aviv export and late-night dining spot off Oranienburger Straße, but is it justified? Mostly! Read more
Avo toast goes viral: Five for the fix
Avocado toast: overhyped millennial meme, or the best thing ever? Whatever you think about it, you can't avoid it in Berlin. From the new to the noteworthy, we sampled the toast of the town. Read more
My Macron hangover
Stop sending me congratulatory messages about the French elections, says Françoise Poilâne. French voters may have resolutely said "non" to a right-wing presidency, but now we have Macron. We might be vaguely 'relieved', but happy? Read more
Madame Ngo: Vive le Vietnam
There's finally an antidote to Berlin's Vietnamese food problem (ubiquitous, cheap and underwhelming): City West's Madame Ngo, serving Berlin's best nem and some damn fine pho. Time to take a trip to Kantstraße. Read more
Poland on a plate: Landsberger Eck
Of course our new Polish issue includes Polish food. Landsberger Eck pays tribute to the Prussian roots of Western Poland with Kneipe-style home cooking. Read about it here and grab the issue for more Eastern eats. Read more
Berlin's most splendid croissants
We finally found the perfect croissant in Berlin! Third-wave coffee purveyors The Barn on Schönhauser Allee have their impeccably flaky crescents sourced from Mitte caterers Splendid Delikatessen. Happy dunking! Read more
The taste of raw (milk and ham): Sébastien Gorius
Lured by a friend to Berlin in 2013, Gorius opened a slice of France in Schöneberg. At Cantine d'Augusta, named after Gorius' late Oma, raw foodies can rejoice in pungent cheeses, any number of cured cold cuts and over 100 wines. Read more
Photo courtesy of the Ako Instagram
Ako: Unassuming and delicious
A tiny, unassuming café just steps from the overhyped Anna Blume hides one of Berlin's best vegan, macrobiotic breakfasts. Time for Françoise to bust this Prenzlauer Berg secret wide open. Read more
Allan’s Breakfast Club: Bonjour, mate
Looking for somewhere to quell the pang for a satisfying breakfast? Look no further than Prenzlauer Berg’s first Australian café, where you can indulge in Antipodean brunch during the day and, at night, sip on French wines as well. Read more
Freelance lunch
It's not just enough to open a co-working space in Berlin these days – you've gotta have the right productivity-boosting eats as well. Here are four canteens worth noting. Read more