The Cafe Hardenberg. Yes. Spacious with some flair. Being opposite of the Uni and near the Art Uni as well it is every time when I go packed or near packed, Sunday afternoon being worst. The food is not bad and not so expensive, but I am a person who eats there breakfast or have just a "Milchkaffee", which comes Berliner style in what in other places is used as a soup bowl and to soak it up you get a cookie with it. I never asked, but the calories of that in itself might actually equal a bowl of soup, the thing is rather filling, but then again I am not sure if one should count it as an actual "meal"?
The place is stretched over two floors, and has palm trees and shabby red velvet seats along the walls, where the shabby-ness is very essential to contribute to the flair. It has a great counter bar that reminds of Paris in the 1900's. It also has a huge mirror on one wall, so it seems even bigger than it already is. It has at some extremely attractive and at the same time annoyingly vain waitresses and once and a while same style waiters, so if you like that it is a great place to try your flirting skills, if you don't like that, well... the obvious, don't go there.
It has all in all an interesting atmosphere to hang out and be seen, and if you are young and pretty yourself you can sit there and after at least 20 minutes some eager guy will ask you if there is a seat free at your table, so that is not bad on a rainy cold afternoon on Berlin. Sadly, if you are not that young any longer this phenomena drizzles out, I guess there are other places then. On the other hand, once a boyfriend at the time was very pissed off with me, as I had waited for him there and one guy had asked to sit at my table, as the rest of the Cafe was totally packed (see above, Sunday...), so you can also get in trouble for the same thing, but maybe your boyfriend is not so possessive.
There are better avant-garde places in town, but for the relatively posh area this one will do to write on your novel and have a coffee with it, or to just sit there with only the coffee and no novel, and look great doing so. read more