One may not think so but but Berlin is truly a great place to go shopping. We mainly shopped in the old Eastern side (around Mitte), since the most interesting boutiques could be found from there. The best shops were all around the Rosa-Luxemburg Platz, so that’s definitely a good place to start. I really liked a store called Apartment (don’t let the upstairs gallery like open space with a pink cube fool you, the actual store is located downstairs) and it’s side store Cash which sells second hand and second season high fashion (I got my Ann Demeulemeester horse riding boots there for a really great deal!). Andreas Murkudis and Ulf Haines are for those interested avant garde and minimalist designers (I scored an amazing Ann Demeulemeester silk top from the latter).
For men I highly recommend checking out Darklands; a very dark and minimalistic boutique with excellent service (many thanks to Campbell!). They carry artisanial/avant garde designer goods from the likes of Julius, the Viridi Anne, Damir Doma, CCP, Boris Bidjan Saberi and my friend’s label Obscur. If you’re more into mid-priced fashion with a minimalistic aestethic, COS is the place to go.
However, if you want to visit the West side and are a commercial fashion lover, Kurfurstendamm (or simply KuDamm) shopping street will be something to see. My favorite place there didn’t have actually anything to do with fashion, as it was the the food department of
KaDeWe, one of the biggest department stores in Europe.
If arts and culture are more your thing, Berlin has a lot to offer: just follow the banana figures to spot out the best art galleries around the city. For those interested in magazines and periodicals, Do you read me? offers about the every publication you can imagine covering arts, fashion and interior design. For record hunters I would recommend checking out the Record Store (Brunnenstrasse 186) or Mr Dead and Mrs Free.
When you’re caught by thirst or hunger whilst shopping, don’t worry, cute coffee shops are almost around every corner and food is fairly cheap even in the fancier restaurants. If you want to try something local and moderately priced with an athmosphere to remember, head to Glärchens Ballhaus (Auguststrasse 24) in Mitte. The area also hosts great Italian, Asian and German restaurants (walk around Gippstrasse/Auguststrasse). For vegan/vegetarian friendly food, the best place can be found from Kreuzberg and it’s called Yellow Sunshine. They have about the best burgers in town (even if you are a meat lover),so I would definitely check this place out.
Due to the location of shops and nightlife, I recommend getting a hotel from the Eastern side of the town.
Unfortunately we didn’t have time nor energy to check out he famous club scene of Berlin but I think that it will be covered during our New Year’s trip – more than it’s actually necessary. Can’t wait! Also, auf wiedersehen Berlin, mein Liebe!
Interested in more Berlin travel tips and places to visit? Check these handy guides out:
– Check out also Essi’s guide (part 1, part 2, part 3) to Berlin (in Finnish)
– My shopping recommendations from Tyylitaivas (in Finnish)
– The indie guide to Berlin is also a great source for finding good stuff in the city (in English)
Flux. 