Berlin’s summer season has begun, inviting exploration of its many outdoor cafés, beer gardens, and restaurants. The author recently translated ‚Urban Oases,‘ a German book featuring 37 beautiful open-air spots across the city. This curated collection highlights hidden gems in courtyards, parks, or by lakes and rivers, offering historic charm, magnificent views, and peaceful nature.
The book vividly describes each venue with colourful details, photographs, and personal interviews with creators and chefs. Many locations are accessible by public transport, providing experiences away from typical tourist trails. ‚Urban Oases‘ is available in Berlin bookshops for €18, serving as an excellent guide to the city’s unique outdoor retreats.
Just mention the word Berlin and an image of cool cafés and bars springs to mind. Places where you can chill out and in the words of the ‘Cabaret’ song, ‘leave your troubles outside’. Here, life is beautiful – especially if the sun is out.
Kink at Pfefferberg (Prenzlauer Berg)
The summer season has just kicked off in the German capital. The annual May Day riots are over and it’s time to head for all the wonderful garden cafés, beer gardens and outdoor restaurants on offer. Most of the best are described in a book which I recently translated from German. Its English title is ‘Urban Oases’ – a curated collection of beautiful open-air spots where you can enjoy a drink or a meal while soaking up historic charm, magnificent views or the peace of nature. These oases can be found in hidden courtyards, in quiet parks or on the banks of lakes or rivers – or even on the deck of a ship.
Café at Bootsverleih Schlachtensee (Zehlendorf)
Restaurantschiff Patio (on the Spree in Moabit)
In working through the 37 chapters of ‘Urban Oases’, I found that I have already recommended a many of the cafés and restaurants in my previous blogs, but there are new ones too that I am eager to try. Some are in and around the city centre, others are further out, but accessible on public transport and definitely worth the trip if you want to experience Berlin away from the tourist trail. I loved the writing style of the German author, Susanne Leimstoll, and have tried to keep her light tone in my translation. Each venue is brought vividly to life, not only through colourful description and beautiful photographs, but by including her personal interviews with the creators and chefs.
Zenner (Treptow)
‘Urban Oases’ is available at all Berlin bookshops for €18. Well worth every cent!
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