IMAGES:^ GETTY;^ ZOESPAWTONbuilding that once housed an apothecary.
The original cornicing, dark-green leather
banquettes and wooden cabinets filled with
wine glasses and antique potion bottles lend
the interior an elegant feel. Irish-born chef
Alan Micks, who runs the kitchen both here
and at the Michelberger Hotel’s restaurant a
couple of miles east, tells me that at Ora they
“source local when it feels right. Quality is
number one, and local is not always the best”.
I scan the menu, a neatly printed, single
A4 sheet of seasonal dishes and pre-lunch
snacks. There’s a starter of zander crudo
from the Baltic Sea, served in narrow,
translucent strips with charred and pickled
cucumbers and ragged-edged shiso leaves
from the Michelberger’s own farm. “With
our vegetarian food, we try to keep it
hyperseasonal, and our aim is to have one
ingredient from the farm on each plate,”
says Alan. For my main, it’s slices of roasted,
chargrilled pumpkin accompanied by puy
lentils, their combined earthy, nutty sweetness
offset by salty pecorino, a pumpkin-seed pesto
and a handful of nubby, pickled chanterelles.
Outside the window, Kreuzberg life unfolds:
on the opposite side of Oranienplatz, a protest
is in progress. Beyond, the huge stainless-steel
ball of the Berlin TV Tower glints silver in the
sunshine, its red-and-white antennae poking
through passing wisps of cloud.
On my last morning in the German capital,
I head for breakfast with cookbook writer
and activist Sophia Hoffmann at plant-filled,tile-clad Isla Coffee Berlin, in Neukölln, whose
shelves are lined with bottles of natural wine
and cups made from recycled coffee grounds.
A queue of Sunday-morning coffee-seekers
has already begun to snake out the door.
Over bowls of homemade granola with
blackberries, fried sage leaves and yoghurt,
we talk about how the city’s approach to food
waste and produce has changed in recent
years. Does Sophia think this is all part of a
committed movement or a fleeting trend?
“Since I published my first book in 2014, the
conversation has changed,” she says. “This
sort of thinking is more mainstream.” Along
with her business partner, Nina Peterson,
Sophia is planning to open her own certified-
organic, low-waste, socially sustainable vegan
restaurant, and doesn’t feel the need to prove
either herself or her concept anymore. “People
already understand they should consume
fewer animal products,” she says. And if
the rest of Berlin’s plant-based, low-waste
experiences are anything to go by, she might
well be on to a winner.MORE INFO: Visit Berlin. visitberlin.de
German National Tourist Board. germany.travel
HOW TO DO IT: Eurostar runs from London St Pancras to
Brussels. From there, Deutsche Bahn runs services to
Berlin, via Cologne. eurostar.com bahn.com
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Cured, boiled ham hock
traditionally served with
sauerkraut and pease pudding.
This is hearty stuff — leave
room in your itinerary for
a post-Eisbein nap.CHICKEN GEMÜSE KEBAP
Expand your doner kebab
horizons with a chicken,
cheese and vegetable version,
sandwiched into an oval
Turkish flatbread.GHERKINS
Spreewald gherkins are a much-
loved product from the state of
Brandenburg. Try them in beef
roulades or alongside a grilled
cheese sandwich.SENFEIER
Hard-boiled eggs in a creamy
mustard sauce and served with
potatoes. This is a nostalgic
childhood favourite for
many Berliners.KOUIGN-AMANN
Although this flaky, buttery,
sugary pastry hails from Brittany,
there are excellent examples in
Berlin. Hunt one down and enjoy
with a coffee.Five food finds
Ora, a restaurant set
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