A MINIMALIST LUNCH CLASSIC
The entrance is so subtle you easily miss it. After entering the backyard in Berlin’s Mitte district the buildings with the bright concrete facade and huge windows catch your gaze immediately. Next to the office of David Chipperfield Architects, the Kantine was built for employees but is open for (and loved by) everyone.
Behind the huge glass doors is a sleek, minimalist interior design heaven. Clean lines, raw, exposed concrete, and so much light. Despite the concrete dominating the interior it seems almost soft, with sun and light flooding the bright, open space, a soft breeze slowly moving the thick, greenish curtains in front of the many windows. A long marble bar is separating the open kitchen from the places to sit and eat.
So, the interior is impressive, but is the food doing it justice? Yes! Well, it is a canteen, so you might be a bit biased, but we can assure you, the food is delicious. What clearly is canteen style are the self-service and menu, which is small and simple: Three main dishes, some starters and sweet treats and coffee. Everything is honest, healthy and fresh, suited for both vegetarians and meat lovers. And there is always bread (freshly baked in the small kitchen each morning), olive oil, and tap water – for free.
All this comes at a great price and with friendly and professional staff. They are open for breakfast, lunch, and coffee. A simple concept, but carried out with a love for detail and quality, from the architecture and interior to the ingredients and food down to details as simple as the glasses, dishes and cutlery that were specially designed for Kantine. In warmer days enjoy your lunch outside in the quiet backyard, underneath a canopy of leaves, where it feels like a sanctuary far away from the buzzing Mitte streets.
Everything seems to be just right about this place, it is exactly what you have in mind when the name Chipperfield is dropped: simple, but great.
Joachimstraße 11, 10119 Berlin Mitte
Monday – Thursday 8.30-5pm, Friday 8:30 – 7pm