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BEST OF BERLIN<br />
BY THE EXBERLINER EDITORIAL TEAM.<br />
Best mid-week performance fix<br />
Open mics are one of those win-win-win situations<br />
– bar owners get a reliable crowd on an<br />
otherwise sluggish evening, Berlin’s inexhaustible<br />
supply of earnest musical amateurs gets<br />
an outlet and audiences get a free show. As<br />
live venues that actually pay their musicians<br />
(like Intersoup, see page 48) meet their demise<br />
one by one, the city is seeing an open stage<br />
explosion, especially in Neukölln, where dimea-dozen<br />
bars dilute weeknight traffic. Craving<br />
the spotlight yourself? You’ll find three options<br />
on Wednesday nights alone, the newest being a<br />
singer-songwriter night at OBLOMOV launched<br />
in March by Geraint Jean and Olivier Bernard, a<br />
pair of British and French lads. Already known<br />
for its popular monthly klezmer session, the cosy,<br />
candlelit 40-capacity room fills with the pleading<br />
strains of folk crooners and acoustic guitar<br />
slingers every second and fourth Wednesday of<br />
the month. For those seeking a more professional<br />
experience, the surprisingly huge café<br />
PRACHTWERK (photo), opened last year, offers<br />
a decent sound system and a real stage. The<br />
line-up also favours singer-songwriters, but it’s<br />
more regimented than Oblomov – make sure to<br />
sign up in advance if you want to play. For those<br />
who don’t want to fly solo, there’s the more<br />
under-the-radar jam session at LITTLE STAGE.<br />
Hosted by African slam poet, rapper and allaround<br />
good guy Jay C. Patsson, it’s the kind of<br />
low-pressure scenario where a part-time musician<br />
can dust off a neglected instrument and<br />
comfortably accompany the rhythm section, or<br />
even take a seat behind the electronic drum kit,<br />
without fear of judgement. While the musical<br />
level is sometimes inconsistent, the vibes are always<br />
positive. AB Oblomov, Lenaustr. 7, Neukölln,<br />
U-Bhf Schönleinstr., open stage every other Weds from<br />
20:00; Prachtwerk, Ganghoferstr. 2, Neukölln, U-Bhf<br />
Rathaus Neukölln, open stage Weds from 20:00; Little<br />
Stage, Jonasstr. 1, Neukölln, U-Bhf Karl-Marx-Str.,<br />
open stage Weds from 21:00<br />
Best great Danes<br />
It might be the next step in Mitte’s inevitable transformation<br />
into Little Scandinavia, but at least new café EAST & EDEN<br />
isn’t run by the usual too-cool-for-school Nordic twentysomethings<br />
– at age 47 and 52 respectively, Danish owners<br />
Ulla Skaaning Mathiesen and Orla Damgaard left behind<br />
established careers as architects and interior decorators in<br />
Copenhagen to fulfil a lifelong dream of working abroad. On<br />
arriving, they immediately set up partnerships with the locals:<br />
Bonanza coffee roasters, recent tea startup TeaTales and a<br />
certain tarte baker whose name they won’t reveal (only that<br />
he’s based out of Moabit). He’s the one behind the delicious<br />
quiche (€6.90 with a side salad), served in generous rounds<br />
with a moist interior and crisp crust. The meat version comes<br />
with Serrano ham, sun-dried tomatoes, leek and parmesan,<br />
but we preferred the less orthodox, sweet-salty vegetarian<br />
one with Asian-spiced feta cheese, spinach and dates. If<br />
you’re craving a real Danish experience, end your lunch by<br />
picking up some fancy liquorice from high-end manufacturer<br />
Johan Bülow (€7-12/150-170g) and – truly a rarity for a Berlin<br />
café – swiping your EC or credit card. SA East & Eden, Torstr.<br />
141, Mitte, U-Bhf Rosenthaler Platz, Mon-Fri 8-18<br />
PHOTO BY: FRANCESCA TORRICELLI<br />
4 • MAY <strong>2015</strong>
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