Along the northern edge of Gesundbrunnen district Soldiner Kiez West stretches east to west from Wollankstraße to Provinzstraße, bordered in the south by the M13/50 tram line along Osloer Straße and in the north by S-Bahnhof Wollankstraße, just shy of Pankow, with the Panke River running through its centre. Here are some of the best places to eat and drink in this underrated neighbourhood.
Last year, Wedding-based Kawa Roastery rebranded as Utopia Coffee under new ownership, continuing its reputation as the go-to spot for the best coffee in the Kiez. They brew with beans from We Roast Coffee, a roastery from Charlottenburg that commits to sustainable sourcing. You’ll also encounter quality bakes, like creamy cheesecake and pillowy cinnamon rolls. The café is small and pleasant, with shelves of beans, coffee tools to browse and a stamp card that’ll keep you coming back.
Nearby, Christoph Wohlfarth has been putting his name on chocolate – literally. His eponymous Wohlfarth Schokolade, a fixture in Soldiner Kiez West since 2020 (founded in Berlin in 2010), prioritises low-waste and organic ingredients, crafting everything from elegant pralines to chocolate salami on site. Year-round, visitors can sip on made-to-order hot chocolate (vegan options available) in seven styles. But the showstopper is the Göttertrank: a blend of roasted Ecuadorian beans, raw cane sugar and seven warming spices worthy of its “drink of the Gods” name. Perhaps most impressively, the shop sells seven-inch chocolate vinyls: all playable, taking inspiration from the Berlin inventor Peter Lardong who developed the chocolate record as Wohlfarth makes them today. You’ll find classics like the Beach Boys on deck and can sample a snippet in store or even order a custom pressing.
Around the corner lies Hank Chinaski, the name paying homage to Charles Bukowski’s literary alter ego. The café-bar stays open all day and long into the evening, bustling in the mornings with plates of Turkish menemen and hearty bagels before shifting into a lively bar at night. At its core, Hank Chinaski thrives on live music, hosting open mics and local artists covering everything from blues to electronic, plus monthly poetry and storytelling readings – all of which can be tracked on the cafe’s still-active Tumblr.
At the southern edge of the Kiez along the M13/50 Osloer Straße/Prinzenallee tram stop sits Curry und Chili, home to the city’s spiciest currywurst, served with hand-mixed mayo, homemade ketchup and crispy fries. The real thrill are the 10 escalating hot sauces, ranging from a mild 11,000 to a practically unfathomable 7,000,000+ Scoville units. Milder palates can stick to the sweet and spicy Level 2, Habanero BBQ or try Level 4, Garlic Bomb, for a flavourful kick. Those who conquer all 10 levels within six months earn a spot on the Wall of Fame, becoming a true legend of the Kiez.
- Utopia Coffee, Drontheimer Str. 1B / Wohlfarth Schokolade, Soldiner Str. 39 / Hank Chinaski, Koloniestr. 32 / Curry und Chili, Prinzenallee/Osloer Str.
