We're captivated by the casual, shabby glamour. About a decade ago, the mayor of Berlin, Klaus Wowereit, famously pronounced the city "poor, but sexy." Our Sunday 'Fruhstuck' (the city's languid, leisurely breakfast tradition) is at vibrant graffiti-festooned Kastanienallee, the perfect place for that phrase.
The street, bristling with cafes, grungy bars and edgy stores (including a high-fashion boutique named 'Who Killed Bambi?') offers a wide range of fruhstuck options. The basics, however, remain the same: baskets of bread, a range of jams and that world-wide breakfast staple — Nutella. I pick 'An einem Sonntag im August' (On A Sunday In August) because, well, with a name like that, who wouldn't. With large picture windows that let in a flood of sunshine, lighting up the peeling paint, grubby furniture and walls covered in untidy scribbles, it's unexpectedly charming.
Between tall chai-lattes, we discover their signature dish: Milchreis, warm, sweet and comforting. Our chirpy blonde waitress tells us that like most German kids, she grew up on breakfasts of hot milchreis. Wrinkling her nose, she adds that she's not a fan. We're hooked, however, by its soothing texture, created by patiently cooking rice with creamy milk that's been flavoured with a dash of vanilla. It's topped with a generous sprinkling of cinnamon. Simple, but still sexy.
