Avo toast goes viral: Five for the fix

Already more of a millennial meme than an actual foodstuff, avocado toast has reached peak hype in Berlin, to the point where any new café has to have it on the menu. Hashtags at the ready, we sampled the toast of the town.

• 1

  

  Francois Poilane

  Betty'n Caty: The luxury of simplicity

  Knaackstraße 8, 10405 Berlin

  030 91206850

  The toast: Thick-cut avocado tossed in virgin olive oil and lemon on slightly toasted whole-grain bread from nearby artisanal bakery Delicate, topped with a poached egg and a sprinkle of chilli.

  The recent upscaling of this Prenzlauer Berg brunch favourite, from its tiny locationon Knaackstraße, to a handsome two-level space up the street, had us worried for a minute. But Caty and Betty, the two smart German ladies behind the name, have managed a cosy transition to the next stage. It’s all there,as delicious as ever – the great granny-style pies and crumbles, the sophisticated salads and that damn fine quinoa quiche (gluten-free dough, goat cheese, figs and walnuts). Meanwhile, alcoholic beverages have joined the fresh-juice list, and expanded hours and outdoor seating allow for evening drinks and appetising dinner specials. The avocado toast has been a best-seller since the duo opened in 2013, and is set to remain one: great bread, a generous amount of perfectly seasoned avocado, a pro-poached egg, no unnecessary toppings or jarring flavours. It’s a hefty €8, but simplicity is a luxury in this town. The only hitch: more space hasn’t meant more place, so make sure you book a table on the weekend! –FP
• 2

  

  Jane Silver

  Two Planets: The vegan dream

  Hermannstraße 230, 12049 Berlin

  The toast: Thick-sliced avocado, hummus and rocket on whole-wheat sourdough from Albatross Bakery in Kreuzberg, carrot salad, beans, homemade walnut pesto and a lemon slice on the side.

  Despite the fact that the mostly-vegan, British-Australian incarnation of Neukölln’s Two Planets café has been around for twice as long as the original American one, it’s taken us a while to warm up to it, both because of our loyalty to the former owner’s excellent bagels and because we really don’t like the catchphrase “dope-ass toast”. But you can’t deny the appeal of a thick slab of chewy sourdough topped with basically an entire avocado, served on a slate with side salads, pesto and lemon for DIY assemblage.It could use more zing – oh, for a squeeze of sriracha! – but it’s insanely filling, it’s served by congenial bearded vegan-bros who put Lou Reed on the stereo and exhibit their illustrator friend’s sausage cartoons, and did we mention it’s only €5.50? Dope-ass indeed. –JS
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  Amy Leonard

  Benedict: The 24-hour bagel

  Uhlandstraße 49, 10719 Berlin

  030 9940 40997

  Website

  The toast: Roughly mashed avocado with chilli and coriander atop a slice of roasted tomato on a homemade poppy-seed bagel, scrambled eggs on the side.

  It’s been around since the beginning of the year, but Westside Tel Aviv import Benedict only recently made good on its promise to serve breakfast round the clock. Alongside multiple takes on the trademark Eggs Benny, this includes avocado “toast”, which only loosely fits the description: it’s served on a bagel, for one thing, and comes with a similarly large pile of Gouda-laced scrambled eggs. This mountain of food comes with a commensurate price, but the €12.50 you pay for it also gets you a coffee, tea or one of five varieties of mimosa, so not a bad deal overall. Enjoyed in Benedict’s polished, posh surroundings, it’s a breakfast experience worth the wait for your table. Or go at 3am and skip the wait altogether... —AL
• 4

  

  Tinman: The maximalists

  Alte Schönhauser Straße 2, 10119 Berlin

  The toast: Avocado tossed with fresh lime, Maldon sea salt, olive oil and “Japanese spices” on rye-wheat sourdough from Albatross, with homemade Romesco paste, sesame seeds and dried chilli.

  When Tinman’s British-Australian duo decided to set up shop in Mitte (over drinks at the adjacent Wombat hostel bar), they thought it would be “unwise not to have avocado toast”. And since they came a little late in the game, they had to make a difference. Hence the daily bread deliveries from Kreuzberg on bike, the Romesco sauce and the Japanese “mystery spices”. One could argue that this mishmash of bursting flavours doesn’t let the fresh avocado shine as much as it should. Still, it’s a super-generous portion for €7.50 (put a poached egg or bacon on it for €1.50 extra), which the hungover hostel crowd ought to appreciate. They also serve a great deli ham-and-cheese sandwich and peanut-butter toast... and third-wave-style coffee with beans from the local Tres Cabezas roastery, so you can wash it down with a cortado. — FP
• 5

  

  Jane Silver

  Aprilkind: The poor man's version

  Simon-Dach-Str. 15 Berlin

  The toast: Thin-sliced avocado, tomato, jarred red pesto and a fried bio egg on white sourdough from “a Turkish bakery”; side salad.

  This otherwise charming Friedrichshain newbie is a cautionary tale about the dangers of deciding to serve avocado toast without really getting it – there’s so little avocado on theirs that it’s more like an egg sandwich than anything else. But as served German-style with rocket, cucumbers, fruit slices and even one of those physalis garnishes, it’s a decent breakfast regardless. Really, though, the major selling point is the price: €4.50 is less than half of what Silo down the street charges for theirs, and you won’t have to listen to a Melbourne-accented lecture on the intricacies of coffee bean roasting while you’re eating. — JS