After a childhood spent baking alongside her mother, Skandy honed her skills with the help of books and blogs. Eventually, she took her official baking exam and opened Plants & Flours. Along the way, she fell in love with plant-based baking, crafting indulgent treats using only minimally processed ingredients – just plants and flour. Here’s where she likes to dine…
When I was completing my baking apprenticeship, I interned at Domberger Brot-Werk. Florian Domberger is serious about quality bread and you can taste that with every bite; the Beutebrot, Röstbrot, Brezeln and Rebstöckle are my favourites.
When I was a student, my friend and I used to visit Barcomi’s regularly between lectures. The café has maintained high standards for decades and the same goes for Cynthia Barcomi’s cookbooks, which are meticulously tested and virtually foolproof. As a baker and café owner, I find it all so inspiring. Living and working in Wedding, I’ve come to love many spots in the neighbourhood.
When I work in the bakery, I prefer a light lunch, and Laris Love Food is perfect for this, with organic ingredients that make for fantastic plant-based bowls packed with grains, legumes and vegetables. I like ordering a medium portion of the “Kreuz und Quer” bowl which lets me try a mix of everything she’s offering that day.
Cozymazu is a sweet Taiwanese restaurant serving feel-good dishes like peanut noodles with smoked tofu and cucumbers, homemade lemonades and an amazing coconut and brown sugar rice pudding.
A budget-friendly place in the area I like is Sarajevo, a Balkan spot that’s more meat-heavy, but their staff says the potato burek is vegan – and it’s absolutely heavenly: rich, creamy and crunchy.
Just outside of Wedding is Flying Roasters, a friendly, unpretentious neighbourhood café with great coffee. I like picking up a batch of their Fire Finch roast for filter coffee at home. You can also find my chocolate chip cookies here.
Of course, there are many fully plant-based eateries I enjoy around Berlin. One of my best recent finds is Lia’s Kitchen in Kreuzberg, where I had their blue cheese burger with grilled onions – unreal. Even the side salad was unexpectedly delicious, packed with dried fruit and pecans.
For brunch, Sfera in Neukölln is a creative spot; I love their brioche and potato salad sandwich.
Al Catzone serves my favourite vegan pizza. I’ve eaten my way through nearly the whole menu, but the Helmut – a dreamy white pizza with potato – keeps calling me back, best paired with a Radler, which they craft with Italian lemonade.
And to close out, Zerö Kebab is the newest addition to the plant-based döner scene and it’s just as fatty and juicy as the original, with authentic sauces and fresh, crispy salad.
- Visit Laura Skandy’s café Plants & Flours, Cornelius-Fredericks-Str. 8, Wedding, details.
