Charlottenburg, an inner city district in the western part of Berlin, is famous for many things – the Gedächtniskirche for example and, of course, not least for the shopping boulevard Kurfürstendamm, where almost all the major fashion houses have a store. Yet it is also famous for the quiet streets leading off it. The fantastic old buildings with amazing flats have something of Paris, but also a typically Prussian feel! Peering through an open doorway, you’ll see full 19th century opulence with fountains in the entrance hallways, stuccoed ceilings and carved art nouveau staircases. Wonderful book and furniture stores, small perfume, fashion and hat boutiques, restaurants and cafés all line the generously wide streets with their majestic trees.
Nestled in the heart of Knesebeckstrasse, the area between Kurfürstendamm and Savignyplatz, you’ll find the most wonderful little café, with an even more wonderful name: “What do you fancy love”. Owner Jean-Philippe serves opulent homemade cakes, seriously fresh juices, incl. ‘Botox me’, `Eat me” or `Kiss me` and also probably the best coffee in town. Nowadays it is a bit of a hot spot where lots of different kinds of people come and go: from hipsters to business folk and yes, even children! Kids are very welcome here and they all love Jean. The tiny café space, Jean’s human kindness and his delicious food are really one of a kind and his coffee makes my day. In the afternoons ‘What do you fancy love’ turns into a gathering place for Charlottenburg’s Yummy Mummies. This is possibly also due to one of the best kids fashion stores in Charlottenburg ‘Übermuth Kindermoden’ being right next door! Or perhaps its because it only takes a few steps in the direction of Savignyplatz, to reach a lovely playground dotted with birch trees where the kids can get together and hang out.
So, while your best friend is taking care of your child, you can whisk off to two of my favorite bookstores near the playground: ‘Marga Schöller’ which also offers a huge selection of English books and ‘Bücherbogen’ at Savignyplatz, which is famous for their range of art, travel & lifestyle books. To gently brush away your “guilty conscience” at having lost yourself in the amazing world of books, take your little one for an ice cream at ‘Schmidts Eiscafé’, also opposite the playground – and if you’re still feeling guilty after that (either find a therapist LOL ) or just take your child home. Once they’ve safely arrived in the land of dreams, kick back and jump back into one of the fascinating books you bought earlier!
