Wednesday Bar Check No. 1: Klunkerkranich

Looking for something a bit different this weekend? Maybe something a little bit less popular, a little bit more out of the way? Good, because boy do I have something for you!

What a view! Is Berlin your favourite Euro-capital yet?

 The Klunkerkranich isn’t your average Berlin bar. Sure, it’s a bit quirky, it often has live music, and it has its fair share of hipsters, but how many bars in Berlin do you know that are on a rooftop? Overlooking the city? That only cost 3 Euro to get into, and are accessed by walking through a deserted car park? Not many? That’s what I thought.

Opened recently by the wonderful folk associated with another of  Berlin’s excellent nighttime establishments (Fuchs und Elster), Klunkerkranich is a great after work stop off, or a great place to start a night of epic proportions. Due to its 12pm curfew, it’s not going to be your new all night haunt, but that’s what you’ve got the bar “Ä“ for, just down the road.  

Catch a live show after work or just come and enjoy the ambience!

After finding your way up through the parking decks of the Neu Kölln Arkardien, wander through the wooden garden beds before going through the gate to the main bar area. Grab a drink at the well stocked bar (and well priced, considering the location), sit back on the wooden terraces and take in the sights of the sun setting over Berlin. Not bad huh? Don't go telling too many of your friends though, or it'll get way too full!

Just a heads up, but it can get pretty cold up on top once the sun goes down, so if you want to be able to comfortably enjoy the eclectic variety of live music, make sure you're dressed for the occasion! If somehow your hipster crusade 

clothing has left you in the lurch, blankets can be rented from the bar for a 2 Euro deposit. 

They also have a cool garden set up in the area before the bar, which is nice
for a wander when the bar area gets really hectic!

It's also worth noting that when you get too cold or the joint starts to slow down for the evening, your entry stamp will also get you into the aforementioned Fuchs und Elster. It can be a bit of a trick to find, as its well hidden in the cellar of another bar (which is often semi closed by the time the paart really gets started). It's worth a look if you like electro swing, and they do great cocktails (like, really really good. The bartenders here definitely know what they're about) that never seem to cost as   much as they say on the menu. 

That's all I've got for tonight folks, if you give it a try let me know. Once again, i didn't have a camera with me, so these images are borrowed from Klunkerkranich's Facebook page, which can be found here. 

Restaurant Check: Kopps Berlin

Picture this for me, if you will. 5pm on a Thursday afternoon, and a 20-something Australian living in Berlin is sitting at work in a techno-start-up (tourists and start ups, am I sounding cliché yet?). “Oh shit” he realizes, “tomorrow is date night!”. And of course, the scamp had made no reservation. What a muppet.

Now imagine this muppet is me.

“Damn!” I thought! I really needed to have thought about this earlier! We do a monthly “fancy” night out, and it was our first one since we’d gotten back from our last trip. I had to make a good start. And, of course, like most important things, I’d forgotten about it. And it was my turn to choose the location. Frantic googling ensued. Like, a lot of frantic googling.

You see, both my girlfriend and I are vegetarian, and a little bit cheapskate. So I had to strike the balance between “night to remember” crossed with “not heinously expensive”. Which can be difficult, but luckily, Berlin is a city like no other, and I came up with Kopps. Kind of an uninspiring name huh? Don’t worry, the place is amazing.

Using their online reservation system was a breeze and I received the conformation email momentarily.

Phew! Crisis averted. Work finished, out the door. Off to #Catch Casper secret show, crash out.

Date night arrives. Nerves shortly after. What if this place is no good? What if she thinks its too expensive? Oh man, did I make a massive mistake? Should we just get falafel?

But 8 o’clock saw us on the U-bahn to Rosenthaler Platz, and without to much getting lost we made it in the front door.

Snazzy Entrance. 

We were greeted promptly and politely by the staff, who advised us that if we'd like to wait briefly they could prepare a nicer table for us. After a [very brief] wait we were shown to a window booth. To be honest the decor felt more casual than the prices on the menu would have suggested, but the service was excellent and we ordered Grilled Basil Tofu with new potatoes, cherry tomotoes and home made mozzerella, and Pumpkin Seed Ravioli with cold carrot salad.

We were here at night, so it looked a little different,
but this image give you an idea how compact the interior is.

After ordering we had plenty of time to observe the other guests and enjoy our drinks (the home made jasmine ice tea is an interesting flavor, worth a try if you like ice tea!) before our meals came. The clientele was quite mixed, an older Asian gentleman and his wife, several couples (varying levels of fancy) and several small groups chatted quietly. Although the tables were relatively close together, the restaurant was fairly quiet and the muted hum of conversation was not at all unpleasant (I’d been a bit worried about this as I’d read in a review during my frenzied googling that it could be quiet loud).

Fantastic presentation.

The meals arrived with one of the (I have to mention again) very professional staff, and boy did they look good. Looking at my Pumpkin Seed Ravioli, there were beautiful proportions on the plate, great colours and fantastic smells. I didn’t have a camera with me, so I pinched these pictures off their website, but trust me, the meals look just as good in real life. 

To be blunt, at first bite I was a bit confused. It tasted good, but nothing like I'd expected. Not mind blowing by any stretch of the imagination. It wasn't until I combined the ravioli with the carrot salad that i realised the chef's genius. The flavours just sprung, combining wonderfully to create a unique culinary experience. The nuttiness from the filling melded with the sweet flavours from the carrots to make for something wonderful. 

The basil tofu was equally good, again utilising the accompanying vegetables to their fullest potential. 

By the time we were finished we were both of the same opinion: we'd need to come back! The excellent service and great food left no doubt. I would thoroughly recommend Kopps to any vegetarian (or even non-vego) looking for a good night out. Yes, it is a bit expensive, but the quality of service was really top notch, as was the menu. Worth a look if you're ever in Berlin and fancy a culinary adventure!