The Barn

The Barn is one of the names that put Berlin on the map for speciality coffee. The company roasts its own beans and has grown from a single café into a group of coffee bars across Berlin and beyond, and its café on Auguststrasse in Mitte is one of the most convenient for visitors exploring the galleries and boutiques of the Spandauer Vorstadt.

The coffee is the focus. The Barn is known for light roasts that bring out the fruit and sweetness of single-origin beans, and the menu usually offers espresso drinks alongside filter coffee made by hand, with several origins to choose from. Staff are happy to explain the differences if you are curious, and if you like what you drink you can buy bags of beans to take home. There is a short selection of cakes and pastries to go with your coffee, but this is a coffee bar first rather than a place for a full breakfast.

The café suits coffee enthusiasts, solo travellers and anyone wanting a quality break between sights. It is small and simple in design, so it works better for a stop of half an hour than for long laptop sessions, and it can be full at busy times on weekend mornings. If you prefer espresso-based drinks with plenty of milk, ask the barista for a recommendation, as the light roasts taste different from the darker coffee many people are used to.

The Auguststrasse café is open Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm, Saturday from 9am to 6pm and Sunday from 10am to 6pm. The Barn has several other cafés in Berlin, including on Schönhauser Allee, at Potsdamer Platz, near Hackescher Markt and on the Kurfürstendamm, so check the website for the one closest to your plans and for any holiday changes.

Berlin's speciality coffee scene grew quickly in the 2010s, and the city now has many independent roasters, but The Barn remains one of the easiest places to see what that movement is about. If you plan to visit several cafés during your stay, try the same drink at each, such as a flat white or a simple filter, to compare styles and roasts. It is a pleasant way to explore different neighbourhoods at the same time.

Auguststrasse is a few minutes' walk from Oranienburger Strasse S-Bahn station and from Rosenthaler Platz and Weinmeisterstrasse on the U8. The street is lined with contemporary art galleries and is home to the KW Institute for Contemporary Art and Clärchens Ballhaus, while the Hackesche Höfe and the Scheunenviertel shops are close by.