Since buying a flat in Kreuzberg three years ago, I've not returned to Berlin. On a sunny Tuesday I…read moretook a stroll on Bergmannstrasse, which of course is the best area (in the world!) for shopping and near my flat. It reminded me of San Francisco's Hayes Valley in the late 90s, packed with cool shops and vibe that is way too hipster to describe. I remember that one sunny morning in 98, I went for brunch at Suppenkuche on Hayes with a German guy and we went to shops not unlike these ones found here. Now as a middle age woman I have resources, options and I get to enjoy everything at face-value. Speaking of face, this place has amazing oils. Organic, and flavorless, and rich with all sorts of great vitamins. I also found the oil for after-shave, meant for men, but great also for ladies, delightful. The hand cream is also super cool and was on sale. In addition to oils, there are also great selection of chocolates, herbs, tea and cool selection of everything in between. Most of everything, if not everything is made in Berlin. The hipster factor is definitely here and price as we all know, is compatible to San Francisco so quite cool to buy and not feeling your pocketbook getting pitched. I like the labels all marked as made in Berlin. I bought things for myself and others. I also chatted with the shop owner who is super sweet. I would highly recommend this store to American tourists (note this is not a touristy store, so more the reason to come here).

From the owner: Wir sind eine Manufaktur für Bio-Öle aus regionalen Saaten, stellen Pestos aus Kürbiskernen her,…read moreMarmeladen wie Schoko-Kirsch-Chili oder Kürbis Orange mit Mohn Zimtblütenmus,.... Wir mischen unsere Tees, mahlen Gewürze und es gibt schöne Dinge für die Küche zum Beispiel aus Emaille.

From the owner: Das Wissen um die natürliche Heilkraft von Pflanzen, Gewürzen, ätherischen Ölen und Tees zur…read moreGesunderhaltung von Körper und Geist hat eine lange Tradition. Darauf aufbauend steht Herbathek® für ein zeitgemäßes Konzept aus traditioneller "Kräuterapotheke", Naturdrogerie, und einem vielfältigen Bio-Sortiment für gesundheitsbewusste Menschen und Institutionen. Herbathek® hält in Deutschland das umfassendste Sortiment an biologisch erzeugten Heilkräutern und Naturheilmitteln, Kräuterflüssigextrakten, ätherischen Ölen, Nahrungsergänzungsmitteln auf biologischer Basis, sowie Naturkosmetika und Gewürzen bereit.

Great Chilli shop. Fantastic service. You can try the sauces before you buy them. They stock…read moresauces, sweets, spices, drinks, oils, cook books and much more, fab place to get gifts or just to spice up your life in general lol. Oh I just remembered I bought some habanero chilli seeds to plant! Must do that.

For being a part of the Alexa mall, the storefront of Pfefferhaus is a bit off the beaten path. In…read morefact, it's not even inside the mall, making it difficult to find, unless someone is randomly walking by, or actively seeks it out. Regardless, whoever does stumble upon this place is privy to a gem of a store. It's definitely a speciality place, and not necessary to be visited by anyone who isn't into hot sauce. But since I am, the boyfriend thought it appropriate to bring me here after he happened upon it a week or two earlier. The inside is spacious and well-organized, with different kinds of hot sauces and chili extracts lining the walls. Sauces are divided by varieties and countries, with stickers marking the approximate amount of heat. I was impressed to see things like Dave's Insanity Sauce, and various Mexican sauces (and even Salsa Verde!) but didn't seem to find any Tapatio, although luckily my stash from abroad has not yet run dry. You can taste the hot sauces as well, and we had some medium jalapeno and habanero ones, as well as a delicious cranberry hot sauce. Seriously, the different kinds available are pretty amazing. The owner/manager is a friendly guy who speaks both German and English, and gave us some samples of habanero and chipotle for the road. Also, in addition to the sauces, there are other "heated" items here, such as spicy chips and chili sodas. Pretty interesting and kind of novelty-esque. While I may not be so into those things, at some point, I'll definitely be back to check out more hot sauces.

You like baking but you hate to buy all the ingredients and just use a little bit of them?…read more Than this is perfect for you. All you need is already in a prepared bottle and you just need to add some water or milk and maybe an egg and butter. The instructions are easy to understand and you even can follow them if you're not so good at baking. Currently they have a variety of breads, cookies and milk rice. But also salts and spices. Really good idea and I am looking forward to try it.

From the owner: Hinter dem Namen maître philippe verbirgt sich ein Käsegeschäft mit einer extravaganten…read moreWeinauswahl. 1994 gegründet, wird der Laden vom Chef Philippe Causse und seiner Tochter Anaïs geführt. Philippe kann auf eine lange Erfahrung in der Weinbranche zurückblicken und hat ein Händchen für gute Tropfen. Dies schlägt sich in einem überzeugenden Sortiment nieder, von dem die Kunden begeistert sind. Die Philosophie von maître philippe ist einfach und einleuchtend: Verkauft werden nur Bauernkäse aus kleinen saisonalen Produktionen und Weine, die uns selbst schmecken.