Five Elephant

Five Elephant is a speciality coffee roastery and bakery whose first café opened in December 2010 on a quiet stretch of Reichenberger Strasse in Kreuzberg. It has since become one of the best-known names in Berlin's coffee scene, with further cafés in Mitte, Prenzlauer Berg and at the Neue Nationalgalerie, but the original Kreuzberg café still has a loyal following among locals.

Two things bring people here: the coffee and the cake. Five Elephant roasts its own beans in Kreuzberg, and the café serves espresso drinks and filter coffee made with them. The cheesecake is the most famous item on the counter, a rich, creamy cake that many visitors make a point of trying, and it is sold whole to take away too. The bakery also produces other cakes and pastries, which vary through the day and the seasons.

The café is small and relaxed, with a mix of locals, students and visitors, and benches outside when the weather allows. It suits a mid-morning coffee or an afternoon break with cake while exploring Kreuzberg, and it is a good choice for couples and solo travellers. On weekend afternoons it can be full, so be prepared to take your order to go and find a bench by the Landwehr Canal or in Görlitzer Park.

The Kreuzberg café is open Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm and on Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 6pm, and the café notes that hours may vary on public holidays. Popular cakes can sell out later in the day, so come earlier if you have your heart set on the cheesecake. If you enjoy the coffee, bags of beans are available to buy.

Kreuzberg has a strong café culture, and Five Elephant is a good example of the neighbourhood's relaxed, independent style: no rush, no formality and a focus on doing a few things very well. If you are building a day around the area, start with coffee and cake here, then walk to the market hall, along the canal and on towards Neukölln. The café is also a sensible choice on a grey day, when a warm drink and a slice of cake are especially welcome.

The café is between Görlitzer Bahnhof and Schönleinstrasse stations, both about ten minutes' walk away. Görlitzer Park, Markthalle Neun and the Landwehr Canal are all within a short walk, making it easy to combine with a morning at the market or a walk through the Wrangelkiez and along the canal towards the Maybachufer.