5 Days in Berlin for Couples

Think romance is dead? You’re probably just suffering from a crisis of imagination. Berlin might not exactly scream amour but, with a little forethought, there’s no reason the two of you can’t make such a culturally attractive city your Paris or Rome. Just do it soon, before it’s inevitably ruined by an uninspired Woody Allen movie.

Day 1

Have breakfast at A.Horn in Kreuzberg. Their fresh-roasted muesli will subdue any skepticism you have about ordering cereal in a restaurant. It’s also right across from the Landwehr Canal, where the Berlin kayak tours begin. For adventurous couples, there are few better ways of seeing the city than in a two-person boat.

You’ll have worked up quite an appetite by the time it’s over. Follow the northern border of the park until you reach the Teehaus at the English Garden for food and refreshments in one of Berlin’s quainter locations. While you’re in the area, check out Bellevue Palace and the Bismarck Memorial, then climb the Siegesӓule (Victory Column) for spectacular views over the park and beyond. Go for a stroll around the Rose Garden before heading to Café am Neuen See for yet another scenic beverage, this time by Tiergarten’s largest lake.

The Café serves great food, but if you’re not hungry yet, head back to the station via the free Open Air Gaslamp Museum (better if the sun’s already set!) and soak up the ambience at Tiergartenquelle. You’ll probably want to stay for a few drinks longer than planned.

Day 2

Return to Kreuzberg for a spot of shopping around Oranienstrasse and grab a light lunch at healthy eating deli Anaveda or Com A, arguably Berlin’s best sushi place. Then check out the Museum of Things – a peculiarly curated exhibition of … well … junk, but also a look at the history of everyday design.

Head to Viktoriapark and admire the view from the banks of its man-made waterfall. Have dinner and drinks in the beer garden at Yorckschlӧsschen nearby. If you don’t fancy staying for the live jazz (Wednesdays and weekends from Friday to Sunday), go watch a film at Kreuzberg’s Open Air Cinema instead.

Day 3

Hungover? Book a spa day at Vabali or Liquidrom. If you’re planning to sweat out the booze, however, just remember that this is Germany, so don’t expect to get away with wearing a bathing suit in the sauna! Alternatively, save a few quid by heading to Badeschiff – a floating swimming pool in the River Spree.

As with many cities, Berlin’s food scene is slowly succumbing to the Koreans! Among the restaurants to have emerged in recent years, Kimchi Princess is ostentatiously the ‘coolest’. But on the other side of the Oberbaum Bridge, the smaller, though no less excellent Seoulkitchen offers several creative interpretations (try the ramen burger!) alongside the more traditional bibimbaps and table-top BBQs. Otherwise, venture deeper into Friedrichshain for Maru, where you’ll find a refreshingly nonsense-free menu, although you might struggle without some basic German.

Day 4

Head southwest to Potsdam for a meander around the picturesque Prussian city on Berlin’s outskirts. You could just stroll hand-in-hand around its scenic parks, waterways, and palaces, but if you really want to see the sights – and better yourselves with a bit of a history lesson – book a tour.

Seek out Waikiki Burger for a quick lunch, saving your euros for a blind dinner once you’re back in the capital. Mitte-based Unsicht-Bar is a dark restaurant where, unable to see your food, taste and scent take center stage.

Day 5

Grab breakfast at Friedrichshain’s Louise Chérie Café, and, if it’s a weekend, check out the market at Boxhagener Platz. Then head to Gardens of the World to savor the rest of the sunshine. This collection of gorgeous themed gardens was created by the East German government so that their travel-restricted citizens could still enjoy a glimpse into other cultures.

Afterwards, take a train across town towards Spichernstrasse station to catch a dinner and cabaret show at Bar jeder Vernunft. Don’t worry if your visit doesn’t coincide with an English performance as there’ll be plenty of showboating slapstick and song to complement the German banter.

Once that’s over, go for cocktails at Rum Trader nearby. Just don’t take offense at the owner’s old-school Berlin arrogance, especially if you dare order a caipirinha! Snobby? Certainly, but you can afford to be when you’re running one of the gems of the city’s celebrated bar scene.

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