London Vegan Food Guide + Video
It was almost three years since we went back to London and it was a joy to return. Rob and I used to live there as many of you know and have been spending time with his family there every year since until the pandemic hit of course. While this time was a little different as we needed to do quite a bit of work on our Berlin and Bremen videos and posts we still had time to eat a lot of good food luckily.
In the video you can see some of the restaurants we visited in motion as well as the city in spring time. The best time to visit any place if you ask me! And in this post I will round up the new places we tried and want to pass on to those of you who might be visiting the city or are living there even but haven’t discovered them yet.
London really has become so heavenly for vegans. One of my favourite things to do when I come back is to go explore all the new items in the supermarket and I would recommend this to you as well. My most precious find this time was a chocolate bar with a mint fondant filling from Swiss brand Rhythm 108 (I know, not very British) that tasted exactly like after eight. If you are not visiting supermarkets when visiting new places I hope you start after this. Not only can you find delicious gems but you can also learn a little about the food culture of the country your in.
With that said let’s dive into our food experiences from our visit and don’t forget to press play on the video for the full experience!
We visited dishoom for breakfast. Rob’s family goes often and not just for breakfast but we had never come along before. Rob ordered The Vegan Bombay which is like an English fry up but with an Indian twist and I had the vegan akuri which is just like a tofu scramble. The food was good but I must admit I was a little jealous of Rob’s order. Unfortunately his plate wasn’t really gluten intolerant tummy friendly so not for me but maybe for you – it really was very good. Next time I am going to try their date and banana porridge, yum! I definitely won’t change my drinks order though because Dishoom’s vegan masala chai is divine. So good in fact that we brought their tea blend home with us.
We had been to Wave before, you can see our first visit here, and were looking forward to going back. It is a lovely vegan cafe in Hackney tucked away from the hustle and bustle in a little alley. Everyone in Rob’s family used to love their vegan lox bagel but since we first visited they’ve changed the recipe and now I think we’d rather come here for a hot drink and some treats. That’s not to say that the food is not good but it’s not what we remember from those first visits. The cakes and cookies however as good as ever and I really enjoy their turmeric latte. The atmosphere in this place is something special as well. It is not the typical London interior but rather reminiscent of Bali or at least how I imagine Bali having looked at many photos on Pinterest, ha! Basically it’s a little oasis to chill out in with a cookie in one hand a latte in the other.
If you are vegan yourself and are going to visit one place on this little list of mine then this should be it! Unity Diner is a non-for profit all vegan restaurant created in association with Earthling Ed. For those of you who don’t know who Ed is he’s a vegan activist and content creator with an inspiring and thought provoking youtube channel. He also started a Surge sanctuary with lots of rescued farm animals. The profits from the restaurant goes towards animal rights work and the sanctuary as I understand it which would have me going as often as I could if I was living in London. Good food and helping better the lives of animals all in one sounds ideal to me.
Sometimes when we imagine a non-for profit place we don’t imagine a place like Unity Diner but something smaller and less exciting. I am happy to say that this place is in a great location, has a lovely interior, seats many people, has lovely staff and does both great drinks as well as food. It appears you can have it all in London and that what makes me so excited!
The food is classic dishes and diner fare but with a vegan twist of course. I thought the food would be heavy and a bit greasy reading the menu but it was actually super fresh and didn’t feel heavy at all! The best thing we had were there tofish bites. They are a starter take on the kind of fish you would get with a regular fish and chips order but made from tofu and they were sooo good. Apparently tthey won a prize for this creation and I can see why because the taste and texture were something else. Definitely a must try like our waiter recommended!
We also had the caesar salad which was delish as well as a vegan “lobster” roll made with mushrooms and their grilled corn on the cob. Next time we’re going to try a burger for sure because everyone around us were ordering them and we’ll definitely order the main version of their tofish and chips. We hear desserts are good as well!
Side note: Just opposite Unity Diner you can find another vegan place serving Scandinavian food called Dauns. We went in quickly just to check it out during our visit but hope to return to try their Sunday roast with a Scandi touch next time! You can also buy some Swedish groceries here.
Clapton Country Club make a good vegan Sunday roast and is tucked away down an alley making it a lovely place to enjoy a Sunday afternoon. The outdoor seating was buzzy and very nicely set up with tables that can seat many and the indoor space was actually super nice. It was a huge room with very high ceilings and lovely rustic long tables and there was even live music! When it comes to the food basically everyone but me had their vegan wellington and were very happy with their choice and I had the quinoa stuffed butternut which was okay but nothing to write home about as such. To be honest I’m really there for the roasted potatoes and veg drenched in gravy anyway and those were delicious!
Mallow was a place that I had heard lots of good things about all over the internet and was really intrigued to visit. It is in some way connected to the Mildred’s restaurants which we’ve always enjoyed visiting when in London, it’s been one of our go to’s really. So we had high expectations for Mallow which is located in the bustling Borough Market. Unfortunately we didn’t love the food we had at Mallow but I can definitely recommend the mocktails and the mushroom tempura. The latter is worth a visit alone and had a delicious dipping sauce made with passion fruit. It sounds odd but tastes oh-so-good! I can also recommend the creme brulee with pistachio crumble and apricot on the side. Again that was really good so all in all it was a little hit and miss. Some things were very good and some things just didn’t live up to the expectation really.
The restaurant space in itself is really lovely and the light in the upstairs dining hall is fabulous. I don’t want to think that some of our experience food-wise was representative of Mallow as a whole and I would still like to recommend it for it’s lovely location, space and those delicious mushrooms.
Rob’s brother and his wife booked this place for us to visit one evening and they’ve got good taste! This place has some seriously delicious dishes and I can recommend anything with mushrooms. The stir fried water spinach makes another great side dish but I think the sliced “fish” in hot chili oil took the prize for both best and most original dish. It reminded me of mackerel in terms of the texture and richness so if you were ever a fatty fish lover then this is the dish for you.
By the time we left the Islington spot was positively heaving with people so I think it’s safe to say that this place is worth a visit and you won’t regret it!
Plates is another spot Rob’s brother and his wife took us all to and again it was one of the best food experiences from our visit. We had a five course tasting menu as is custom at Plates and it didn’t disappoint. The menu changes with the seasons and I hope we can visit again some time to enjoy the plant forward creativity of chef Kirk Haworth. The menu is also gluten free from start which of course suits me and my sensistive stomach very well so to all my gluten intolerant and vegan friends out there this is definitely a place for you!
Our favourite dishes from our visit was a potato dish with seaweed caviar and crispy shallots which really reminded me of Swedish traditional flavours as well as the dessert with vanilla, strawberry, rhubarb and matcha that came like a little cloud bursting with jammy goodness on the plate. It was both a feast for the eyes and palate!
Groceries to Check Out
To finish this post of recommendations I just want to mention some places you might want to check out for goodies to take home or just browse for foodie fun. Personally I always enjoy visiting chains like Planet Organic and Whole Foods because we don’t have big speciality food stores like that in Sweden and it’s so exciting to see all the vegan and gluten free foods and try some too.
I also really enjoyed browsing more local organic shops like Figs and Grain on Broadway Market where you will also find lovely independent book stores as well. The Saturday market is also lovely here and you can enjoy all sorts of yummy street food as well as buy the best olives from Borough Olives. We also enjoyed a visit to the Victoria Park food market on a Sunday where again there’s lots of great street food as well as ingredients to cook at home. We had a delicious Venezuelan arepa from La Pepia during our visit and don’t miss out on checking out I Am Nut Ok vegan nut cheeses.
In addition I always love to visit asian grocer Longdan to check out all the different noodles and sauces. They even had vegan steamed buns ready to pick up as a snack which Rob would have loved to have if he wasn’t so full from all the other food we’d already eaten on the day we walked into the shop. Next time!
With that said I think I’ve exhausted my tips for this time but luckily there are many more guides on the internet to find more vegan delights in London. And they really are many at this point! We always enjoy our time eating our way through the city and we hope you will too if you go.
Malin x
48 Hours in Bremen: Vegan Food, Speciality Coffee and History
In paid collaboration with Germany Tourism, program kindly put together by Visit Bremen.
A few weeks ago Rob and I packed our bags and traveled to Germany on the night train. You can read all about it and our trip to Berlin in this post. From there we traveled by train with Deutsche Bahn early in the morning to Hamburg and onward from there to Bremen. A city that has served as a cultural and economic hub for Germany throughout history, as one of the hanseatic marine trading cities in the North of the country. It is full of history and gorgeous architecture which ever way you turn your nose.
To start from the beginning we enjoyed a sustainable journey by train both to Germany itself and within the country. Train has always been a favourite mode of travel of mine, as it always takes a scenic route, offers a lot of comfort and the ability to walk around, as well as pretty quick travelling times despite being on land. We traveled first class on this trip thanks to Germany tourism and enjoyed lots of leg room and table service. Always look out for deals, because occasionally 1st class seats can be the same price as 2nd! We didn’t actually use the table service, as we brought breakfast from the train station, but we were pleasantly surprised to see a whole lot of vegan options in the menu of the train canteen. And I mean a whole lot when I say a whole lot, probably half the menu if not more was vegan friendly.
Once we arrived in Bremen, a relatively unknown city to us, there were many more pleasant surprises awaiting. So let’s dive into what we got up during our 48 hours in Bremen, starting on the first day arriving at about lunch time!
#feelgoodgermany #germanytourism #visitbremen #enjoybremen #bremenerleben
Day 1: Checking In, Walking Tour of the Historic Town Centre and Dinner by the Weser River
We started our day in Bremen with a tram ride to the hotel, the first of many throughout our stay. We were in walking distance of pretty much everything we got up to, but when our feet got tired this was a lovely and convenient mode of transport. The trams themselves are frequent, the tram system suits the old time charm of the city very well and it is lovely to look out the window and see the city from a comfortable seat.
Our first journey took us to an early check in at our hotel H+ Hotel Bremen which is located very close to the old market square and the cathedral in the historic centre of Bremen. H+ Hotel was very crisp and clean and the location was really convenient. The area is not the hippest in town but it is located in probably the most beautiful part, definitely very quiet at night and a good base for exploring the city. Our room had a view of the cathedral spires and lots of natural light flowing in through big windows. It really was a very nice way to wake up the next morning. The breakfast was good for vegans too, despite the hotel not being notified, but more abut that a little further down.
Once we were all checked in we took a tram to a busy street called Sielwall, from which we walked over to Nora’s Deli. Nora’s is an all vegan restaurant serving brunch, lunch and dinner with a focus on whole plant foods. As we arrived on a Sunday we enjoyed the brunch menu and ordered the farmer’s breakfast, which was reminiscent of an English breakfast, and the spelt pancakes with peanut butter and homemade raspberry jam. The food was yummy and hit the spot after a few hours on the train. The atmosphere was very relaxed and low key even though the techno beats seemed to have followed us from Berlin to Bremen, albeit this time at a different volume thankfully. I would definitely recommend a visit to Nora’s if you visit Bremen, it was one of the best vegan meals we had in the city. Unfortunately a couple of vegan places were closed during our visit however so we cannot measure it against other popular places like Vengo and Vegefarm. Maybe some of you have been and could let us know in the comments? What I do know is that all these three places are located in close proximity to each other in the Viertel which basically means “quarter” which is probably the most buzzy and hip part of Bremen.
Once we were full and happy we walked back to our hotel to meet our tour guide Ewa who was actually Swedish but ended up giving the tour in “swenglish” as Rob is still learning the language. Either way Ewa is one of the guides from Bremer Touristik Zentrale, the official tourist agency in Bremen, and she took us for a fun and informative tour around the historic centre of Bremen. We learned that during the many wars and occupations in Germany Bremen remained for the most part an independent city and that is pretty impressive considering that it founded in a much contested area of Germany around 1200 years ago. We also learned a lot about it’s importance as a hanseatic trading city and how that it has changed over time, along with innovation in transport methods and globalisation. Most fascinating to me though was learning about the many buildings, and their various histories, around the old market square or the Domsheide as it is called in German.
The two buildings you probably notice first as you enter the square are the town hall, Bremen Rathaus, and St Peter’s Cathedral both with a very rich history. The town hall is actually the only building on the square that remained entirely intact during bombings in the second world war, making it a very rare building full of original features. This has awarded it protection as a UNESCO world heritage site. It is a very ornate building and it is most certainly worth getting a knowledgeable guide like Ewa to point out all the interesting details about the many figurines.
Ewa was also able to tell us many factoids and show us many funny little details in the cathedral. For example she talked about how it had been occupied by many different forces trying to take control over Bremen over the years and how it had been looted of many of its original features. How it had been changed and added to many times and about the ceiling that is so beautifully painted in many different styles. She also showed us a very small mouse carving in the wall which I challenge you to find on your own, as well as a very funny looking elephant carved in wood by a man a very long time ago who had never ever seen an elephant. It really was a joy to experience this part of Bremen with someone as seasoned as Ewa.
We also walked through Böttcherstraße which is about 100 metres long and full of interesting architectural features and art work. It also houses two museums, one being the Paula Modersohn-Becker Haus early expressionist art museum which was warmly recommended to me by many of you. The other, Ludwig Roselius Haus, shares artifacts and history about the man who had the street and its buildings made to his taste. The street also hosts many small shops with souvenirs and handmade goods like traditional Bremen hard sweets and soaps.
Finally as it started raining for the fourth time that day we parted ways with Ewa and as soon as there were only droplets in the air we walked down to the Schlachte Weserpromenade. It is a river side walk way next to the Weser which runs through Bremen. It is a lovely promenade with many bars, restaurants and biergartens. Perfect for a warm spring evening and all through the summer.
Our destination on the promenade was MA where we had a dinner reservation. The place has a really fun and quirky interior with lots to look at and the menu is extensive. For vegans there are about three options or so for dinner and we ordered a burger and a roasted veg bowl with rice and hummus. The food was not a revelation but hit the spot after a day out and about. On the other hand the drinks were lovely and I especially liked the fresh herb tea with sage, ginger and lemon. Perfect to warm up after the rain. In general I think drinks are really good in both Berlin and Bremen, even for someone who doesn’t drink alcohol. There is always a nice lemonade, iced tea or mocktail on the menu and they are, in my experience, never too sweet and with a fun twist. So we enjoyed our drinks and filled our tummies at MA before heading back to the hotel for a good night’s sleep.
Day 2: Speciality Coffee Workshop, Viertel Tour and Rollos
On our second day in Bremen we woke to the gorgeous light through the big windows of our hotel room and headed down to the breakfast restaurant. Unfortunately the staff had not been notified that we were vegan but there was plenty to eat despite this. Lots of bread, muesli and cereal, soy milk, margarine, fruit of course and four different kinds of vegan pâtés. There was also lovely tea and the whole atmosphere was old school in a nice way with tea pots and bread baskets. It’s safe to say we ate well and were fueled for the day.
After breakfast we took a short walk to Johann Jacobs Haus where we met up with Osama, Arved and Andreas who welcomed us to a coffee workshop. Jacobs coffee is a well known brand in Europe and stemmed from the same family as the Johann Jacobs specialty coffee house where we had our workshop. The difference is that at Johann Jacobs Haus the coffee is made in small batches and with utter passion and precision that specialty coffee needs.
Osama was our teacher for the day and it soon became clear that he was extremely knowledgeable and dedicated to his craft as a barista. He, as well as the other guys too, knew every answer to any question we could possibly come up with. He showed us how to make the perfect pour over, gave us a coffee tasting that taught us to taste the different notes of coffee and even let me brush up on my latte art skills (which are rather slim by the way). The hours spent learning with Osama and the guys felt like hanging out with friends but with the added benefit of all their expertise. As someone who doesn’t drink coffee, or even like it very much, even I was eager to taste what we made as I learnt so much about the process and different experiences of tasting they so carefully explained.
While we spent most of the day downstairs in the flag ship store we were also lucky enough to see the roastery and regular workshop space a couple of floors up. It has the most beautiful view of Bremen rooftops (and the rooftop itself an even better one) and the most wonderful smell of course. All the beans sold in the store are roasted in the bright and airy space and this is also where the roasters taste and make decisions about what beans they want to work with. They choose their partners carefully and care about the working conditions of the farmers growing the beans as much as about the beans themselves.
On any given day you can order a pour over or espresso at Johann Jacobs Haus coffe shop and buy their beans to take home as well. You can also find lots of coffee brewing gadgets in the store and get all the help you need to find exactly the right gear for your preferences. Honestly this is the place to go with any coffee related question! For those of us who prefer tea they also have a couple of options brewed to perfection. I dare say I had my best ever cup of Earl Grey here. Then upstairs you can book a workshop to learn how to brew the best cup of coffee you ever did make at home as well as team building and group events. I really loved my day with the guys at Johann Jacobs Haus and wholeheartedly recommend a visit if you are serious about your coffee or want to learn more.
After our workshop we took a tram to Juli Liebt Kaffee to experience more of the coffee shop culture in Bremen. As Bremen was always at the forefront of coffee roasting in Europe we enjoyed seeing the modern day coffee culture from a different angle. At Juli Liebt Kaffee the interior is more bohemian and the atmosphere is very relaxed. It is set in a lovely area of Bremen called the Viertel, more on that later, which makes it a perfect spot for your morning coffee or fika with friends. Rob enjoyed his probably fifth cup of the day here while I had a yummy matcha latte. We also had a small lunch of avocado and hummus toast. Unfortunately we just missed the breakfast menu which looked yummy with a few vegan options. I guess that gives us an excuse to come back some day!
Once we had people watched through the big windows for a bit our guide for the rest of the afternoon Pierre picked us up to properly show us around the Viertel. He told us all about the history of the area which has been going through the gentrification we see changing neighbourhoods in most cities around the world today. The area is still a melting pot of cultures though and the home to some of the most frequented cafes, restaurants and bars in Bremen. As the sun was shining Pierre wanted to start by taking us to one such popular place and we were game as we heard ice cream was on the menu. We walked for less than five minutes and found ourselves at Eislabor. An experimental ice cream parlour with lots of vegan options that seemed to be really popular with the locals. We tried four flavours, my favourite being the blood orange, and enjoyed the sorbets in the spring sunshine as we walked on.
Something really enjoyable about Bremen is that it has a rich history and there is much to learn, but also that there is this counter to the historic centre in the Viertel. You have two entirely different atmospheres to enjoy just a stones throw away. On top of that there is so much beauty. There are many original buildings still in Bremen to enjoy. In the Viertel there is also a duality of its own where some streets are rather posh with beautifully restored facades and on other streets there is street art and posters for local events all over the walls. This makes for rather dynamic scenery as you meander around like we did with Pierre.
We ended our tour at a very popular street food place with Middle Eastern heritage and a Bremen touch. It is called Arabic which you find on the address Sielwall 5 and there they serve something called a rollo. Being vegan I’m not sure I understand the full extent of this dish but it is a classic in the city and I heard something about a kebab wrap but with cheese. We ordered the vegan option though which was called the falafel but I’m not sure it actually had falafel in it. It did have a yummy hummus though and fresh veggies all wrapped in a thin flatbread that had been toasted to make it a little crisp. Living in Malmö I have had my fair share of falafel wraps though and I might be partial but I think I prefer our home town special.
After we thanked Pierre who was a splendid guide who showed us around with a lot of gusto we walked down to a little restaurant I’d seen during our walk. Trust me to spot any place serving a South Indian dosa which is one of the items on the menu at Vegano. The place is confusingly not actually entirely vegan but vegetarian and serves various Indian fare. I recommend getting simply a plain dosa which comes with sambar, a yummy and spicy soup, and some chutneys to dip the pancake into. A great snack when you need to rest your feet and refuel.
Once we had eaten our second course we thought we’d check out Fehrfeld, a bar one of you lovely readers had recommended, but unfortunately it was closed on a Monday. So we set out to the next recommendation Wohnzimmer, a cosy bar modeled after a living room, but as we arrived we felt completely in lack of rest and sleep so we decided to take the short tram ride back to our bed at H+ Hotel and rest up for the next day.
Day 3: The Schnoor, Heimathaven Speciality Grocer and Lunching at Markthalle Acht
Having enjoyed another lovely hotel breakfast we decided to walk down to the oldest neighbourhood in Bremen called the Schnoor. It is only a few streets located close to the river and a very short walk from our hotel. We arrived early enough that nothing was really open but this also meant that it was only us and a few early risers there to walk the streets. The buildings were very narrow, tall and a little crooked which added so much charm to this area. We enjoyed window shopping in the arts and crafts boutiques that reside in the Schnoor but then we remembered an anecdote Ewa, our guide from our first day, had told us about the narrowest street in Bremen being somewhere there. So we set out to find it and I think we did but I cannot for the life of me remember the name and for this I am sorry. You’ll just have to get Ewa to give you a tour when you go. Either way this is a must see when in Bremen!
Next we headed back to the Viertel and to speciality grocer Heimathaven. Located in an original colonial goods fitted store built in 1903, this place takes you back to when food stuffs were bought over the counter. At Heimathaven you can still find imported goods of the best quality stacked along the beautiful and very tall wooden shelves from the early 20th century. Some stand outs for me was their selection of olive oil, the vegan Goodio chocolate and their homemade berry and vanilla jam. For Rob the gin shelf, which was very extensive, the interesting beer selection and locally roasted coffee beans was even more so. What’s lovely at the store is that they are happy for you to taste the products before buying. Rob tried local schnapps from Nork and we both enjoyed the house made jams. It was a lovely foodie experience and I’m pretty sure there is something for everyone at Heimathaven.
After exploring the abundance of culinary delights we were ready to eat some more, so we headed back towards the historic centre and to Markthalle Acht. The markthalle is a food court of sorts with stalls of food vendors from all corners of the world. The atmosphere is buzzy around lunch time and then calms down before picking up again in the evening. The space is very bright thanks to the many sky lights and altogether it’s rather hip looking with lovely wooden tables and retro chairs. If you are in Bremen on Thursday there is live music in the market hall from 6 pm and on fridays from the same time you can catch a DJ playing lofi here.
In the end it was really hard to choose from the large selection of vegan options at Markthalle Acht, in fact pretty much every stall had vegan options. There was Ukrainian, Mexican, Korean, Ghanian, Chinese, German of course and the list could go on. In the end we enjoyed a plate of the Ghanian bean stew, jollof rice and plantain from Mataa’s as well as the mapo tofu with rice from The 5th District. Both were really yummy and the best food we’d had in bremen so far. So good in fact that we came back for dinner later before leaving the city and tried some other dishes. That time we ordered Korean japchae from Maru and wanted to get some dumplings from Ukrainian Bab’ Maria but unfortunately our full stomachs couldn’t accomadate. Either way the japchae was delish and I saw others eating the Ukrainian fare and it really looked lovely too. To finish off our meal we enjoyed some vegan ice cream from Chunks by Koro. They offered some really wonderful and creamy vegan ice cream flavours based on traditional German flavours like black forest gateau and Mozart kugeln. All in all our visit to Markthalle Acht was a huge success and we’d definitely come back again!
Tips from Locals: Cafes, Restaurants and Bars
As with any short trip you can’t do it all but I thought I’d end this post with some tips we got from the lovely locals we met during our stay as well as from Charlotte over on instagram. First things first is that there is an area of Bremen that was mentioned to us a couple of times which we didn’t get the chance to visit and that’s Neustadt. Charlotte had many tips for that area and here they are:
Yellow Bird Coffee – Good coffee and good vegan options
Cafe Pour Pour – Again good coffee and vegan carrot cake close to a cosy park
Fratelli Miccoli – Pizza place with vegan options
Kuß Rosa – Restaurant with an ever changing menu and good vegan options, Charlotte’s favourite
Beyond all of Charlotte’s lovely recommendations Arved from Johann Jacobs Haus also told us about his favourite bars so here they come:
Brill No. 6 – Delicious looking cocktail bar close to the historic centre
Lemon Lounge – More delicious cocktails, this time by the Weser river in Schlachte
Blauer Fasan – Even more delicious cocktails just a stone’s throw away from the old market square
Heldenbar – Good selection of craft beer located in a small art cinema house
With these generous tips from people who know the city far better than me I will leave you and if you go to Bremen I hope you feel well equipped to have a good time after reading. Also don’t forget to press play on the video up top to see it all in motion!
Malin x
48 Hours in Berlin: Vegan Food, Walking Tours and Gardens
In paid collaboration with Germany Tourism, programme kindly put together by Visit Berlin.
After two long years of hunkering down in our flat, we took our first trip abroad to the wonderful Berlin. It’s a city we’ve visited many times before but are always happy to return. Berlin, the capital city of Germany, is huge and has so much to offer. Despite having traveled here more times than I can count on one hand, there is always a new area to explore, a different sight to see and a new restaurant to enjoy. This is what I love about Berlin along with the gritty atmosphere and abundance of vegan delights.
Berlin has long been considered the best city for vegans, and while it now has more competition for the title, there is still something special about the city. They have their own vegan supermarket chain called Veganz, vegan shoe shop heaven Avesu and a whole bunch of eateries for any occasion and budget. I’ve covered some of this previously in this post and this one too if you want more after reading this one.
During our visit this time we had a schedule kindly made for us by Visit Berlin and enjoyed trying things we might not have thought to do on our own. I’d say we now have a greater understanding of the city and gathered a bunch of new gems to share with you all so let’s dive right in!
#feelgoodgermany #germanytourism #visit_berlin #berlinized #berlinforfuture
Travelling to Berlin by Night Train and Where to Stay
There is one train that connects Sweden to continental Europe directly and that is Snälltåget which covers rails all the way from Stockholm to Berlin. It is a night train with cosy little compartments that can sleep up to six people, a restaurant carriage that serves food and drinks between Stockholm and Malmö which then becomes a little kiosk during the night and of course offers a sustainable way of travelling.
We boarded the train in Malmö but you can hop on at several different stops in Sweden between Stockholm and our starting point. The departure time for us was 10 pm-ish which is pretty much my bed time so that was a perfect coincidence. So we got on the train, looked out the window as we left the station and then made our beds to snuggle into. It took a moment to fall asleep as these trains are a little old and you definitely feel a few bumps and hear a few noises but eventually we did and when we awoke we were in Germany. Snälltåget stops in Hamburg as well as Berlin which was the final destination for our journey. We arrived at 9 am which gave us the whole day to enjoy the city, another bonus of travelling by night train!
Once we arrived to Berlin Hauptbanhof we took a quick stop at the Tourist Agency to pick up our Berlin Welcome Cards. If you’ve visited any major city in Europe you probably recognise this concept. The Welcome Card gives you unlimited access to public transport, a ride on the hop on/hop off tour bus as well as discounts on multiple museums and attractions around the city. If you are a tourist who likes to get busy and visit many sights then this is definitely a great way of easing the hit to the travel budget.
With our welcome travel cards at hand we walked over to our bus stop to grab the M85 which took us to the curb right outside our home for the next two nights LuLu Guldsmeden Hotel. Guldsmeden is a chain of hotels which originate from Denmark that has an air of cool about them and focuses on sustainability details throughout. The sheets and towels were made from organic cotton and of course the hygiene products were as well and came in large sizes for sharing rather than the regular single use bottles. Even the key cards had been thought through and were made from bamboo.
The interior of the lobby and restaurant is about to change but was already lovely so I’m sure it’s only going to get better and the bedrooms were inspired by Bali interiors. The hotel work closely with traders in Bali who make the furniture and gorgeous art work dotted around the hotel. I kind of wanted to sneak one of the pieces into my suitcase but half of it would’ve been stuck out so I thought better of it, ha!
Day 1: Sustainability, Bike Tour and a Vegan Feast
After a hot shower at our hotel we were ready to explore, so we grabbed the u-bahn to Re’bike to meet our tour guide Emil from Green Bike Tours. Re’bike is a meeting point for the tours but you can also rent bikes there for your own private use for 8 euros per day which is very reasonable. We were kitted out with bikes and helmets and with Emil at the helm we set out to see the city with our sustainability goggles on.
Emil shared interesting factoids about Germany’s and Berlin’s sustainability goals as well as issues the city is facing when it comes to green practices. A positive that stuck with me about the city is that 40% of it is covered in water and green space where parks and other green spaces take up 33% of the cities surface. Emil told us that this makes it the greenest city in Europe. Having been to Berlin previously we have very much enjoyed the parks around the city during our visits which make for a great communal living room in the warmer months.
I liked the fact that the tour covered many facts about the city but also some practical advice of places that might be of interest to a sustainability interested visitor of the city. For example we stopped at Markthalle Neun which is one of few food market halls in Berlin that survived the second world war. It’s a food market first and foremost with a lot of specialty and local food items, cooking equipment and interesting temporary stalls but it also has a few sustainability programs running as well. It’s especially fun to visit on a Thursday when there’s a street food market on in the hall with food from all over the world.
Of course a visit to this market was right up my alley but the next stop was almost even more so as we stopped of at Original Unverpackt. A store that focuses entirely on sustainability products relating to the household and package free foods. It is a place where you can refill your jars and bags with all the foods you would get at the supermarket but without the waste that comes with supermarket packaging. I especially loved how many package free beauty and hygiene products you can find at this store.
Once we had finished our tour we had a little rest at the hotel before we got dressed up to visit vegetarian cocktail bistro Bonvivant. The Schöneberg district is home to this swanky restaurant which offers a tasting menu of 4 or 6 courses that can all be made vegan with minor adjustments. At Bonvivant drinks are their thing so instead of a wine pairing there is a cocktail pairing to go with the innovative dishes. There is even a fabulous non-alcoholic pairing menu which I can wholeheartedly recommend. I have never had such interesting non-alcoholic cocktails.
The food at Bonvivant is sourced locally and the menu follows and changes with the seasons. Chef Nikodemus Berger told us about their foraging excursions to nearby parks where they find wild garlic, rose petals and fir tree shoots. They use these ingredients both in their food and drinks at the restaurant which lends for really interesting and fresh flavours.
Some of our favourite dishes were lightly battered jerusalem artichoke with pickles and vegan beurre blanc, a layered potato dish with wild garlic as well as the dessert which had the most lovely combination of beetroot ice cream, rooibos tea foam and an absolutely fantastic tuille. If you are looking for a dinner experience which takes your taste buds on a walk about in German terrain with creative drinks that will surprise you on the side then this is the place for you!
Day 2: Hotel Breakfast, Gardens of the World and Vegan Food Walking Tour
After a seriously delicious sleep at the hotel we rose to a feast of a breakfast prepared fresh by the resident chef. While the kitchen and dining room at the hotel is undergoing some updates they pulled out all the stops to make us an interesting and yummy breakfast. There was cooked spinach and green beans, potato salad, a green salad with hazelnuts, soy yogurt with fruits and muesli, vegan croissants with freshly made apple compote and bread galore as you’d expect in Germany. And yes, we rolled out of the hotel onto our next adventure!
Which happened to be a public transport journey of about 45 minutes to reach the Gardens of the World or Garten der Wält in German in the Marzahn area of the city. An area that was heavily bombed during the war and rebuilt post war as part of the GDR (German Democratic Republic) which resulted in a rather stark look with rows of apartment blocks. In the midst of this concrete jungle we find a huge green park with little gardens inspired by different countries around the world. But before I tell you more about the gardens I want to give a little appreciation to public transportation in Berlin.
We found it so easy to get around using the different trains, buses and trams available to us through our Berlin welcome card and thoroughly recommend taking advantage of the system when visiting the city. You even get a view on some of the u-bahn lines which is the equivalent to a subway in other cities as it’s build above ground here and there. From the windows you can often see the many beautiful murals that decorate buildings dotted around the city. There is also the s-bahn which covers more ground to connect the sprawling city and when there is a gap you’ve got a bus or tram to get you to where you need to go. Apart from this it is also a pretty bike friendly city and you can definitely cover a lot of ground on two wheels as we discovered the day before.
Anyway! The Gardens of the World is a fun fair for anyone who loves parks and gardens. You can spend hours exploring the different countries represented here through lush plants and traditional architectural features. We especially enjoyed the Chinese garden with the beautiful tea house as well as the Middle Eastern inspired garden with its gorgeous tiled plaza. There really is something here for everyone though and I am sure that families with children would have a great time in the park.
During our visit there was the annual Japanese cherry blossom festival that is a big event with stage performances and even a cosplay fair. We were lucky enough to see many interesting characterisations during our day at the gardens as well as a whole lot of gorgeous blooming trees of course. We also enjoyed some onigiri from Nigi who had a market stall at the fair as well as some fusion kimchi tacos. On any other day there are not that many options for lunch at the gardens but you can find a vegan soup at the Warung Bali restaurant.
I almost forgot to tell you about probably the most stand out feature of the park which is their cable car which will transport you up the hill to a look out view called the cloud. While the cloud is not part of the entrance fee to the gardens the cable car is and if you are into different modes of transport it’s definitely worth a go and again I think kids would love it. Personally I was a bit scared as it was very windy on the day of our visit but most people would say I’m scared of everything so it’s nothing to base your own experience off of, haha!
Once we were back in the city we took a quick stop at vegan supermarket Veganz to stock up on all the treats before heading to the Neukölln. When we arrived we took a short walk through this buzzling area which reminds us of our own home town area in Malmö as this is a place that really feels like a melting pot of different cultures and influences. Finally outside a chain sports store on Karl Marx Straße we met our guide Holger from Fork and Walk Tours and we embarked on our four stop (actually five in the end) vegan food tour for the night.
The tour took a slightly different shape than it would normally as it turned out we’ve visited a few of the regular stops previously. Holger wanted us to have novel experiences so he tailored the tour to us which was lovely. Otherwise there is a program for the regular vegan food-walking tour that has more stops and covers a lot of food cultural specialties in Berlin including drinks as well as some anecdotes about the history of the city.
Our guide Holger was incredibly knowledgeable about Berlin’s history as well as food culture and spots. It really was a joy walking with him. The first place he took us to was tucked away in a relatively unknown neighbourhood called Richardkiez. The restaurant; Aviv 030 is run by a handful of passionate owners not much older than me which gives the place a rather lovely atmosphere. The interior is very Berlin I would say and by that I mean it is good looking without trying too hard, or at least it looks like it didn’t try to hard if you know what i mean. Either way it really was a beautiful place full of friendly staff in a neighbourhood that felt a little hidden from the hustle and bustle of the area at large.
The food was Israeli and delicious. We had the smoothest most airy hummus, deliciously savoury oyster and king trumpet mushrooms on a herby jerusalem artichoke cream as well as grilled red cabbage with tahini, coriander gremolata-ish and herb oil. The bread was super fresh, house made and light as a pillow and this Holger said is the true marker of a good place and I tend to agree. I loved the food and atmosphere at Aviv and wholeheartedly recommend it if you are visiting Berlin.
But that was only the starter because when we had taken a little pit stop in the jungle rest room of Aviv, yes rest rooms are really a thing in Berlin and crazy too, we caught the u-bahn to Schönleinstraße where we found hole in the wall currywurst kiosk Ketels Wurstspezialitäten. Holger told us the story of how currywurst was invented post war as British soldiers influenced a woman working in a sort of fast food kiosk to create this concoction of sausage, tomato sauce flavoured with worcestershire sauce and curry powder. It is a Berlin classic and while it is not entirely my cup of tea I must say that the vegan sausage at Ketels is delicious and it is always fun to try a local institution of a dish.
After Ketels we just swung around the corner to Tsu Tsu for a Japanese classic in the form of kara-age. Kara-age is Japanese style fried chicken and at Tsu Tsu you can try it vegan style. It is again a tiny little place but very stylish with light wooden paneling and red details throughout. The vegan fried chicken was yummy and worth a taste if you are in the area. It does contain seitan so for all my gluten intolerant friends this place is unfortunately not for you. I am pretty certain also Ketels sausage contains gluten just to let you all know.
The last stop on our tour took us up Oranienstraße which is very alive and kicking at night and home to many bars and eateries. We stopped at Goldies for some more fried food and this time it was french fries done with an abundance of delicious toppings. the place is run by two guys who used to work in a michelin starred restaurant in sleepy Volkswagen who decided to do something entirely different and so Godies was born in the heart of the Kreuzberg night life scene. However Goldies closes at 10 pm so it’s a place to hit up before you go to the bars rather than after making it a nice and chilled atmosphere to enjoy.
Goldies has three vegan options for their decadent fries: Odessas beeten, el gringo loco and the truffle. We tried the first and last in that order and had a very good time eating this last part of our dinner experience in the shape of a walking tour. Odessas beeten is topped with beetroot, vegan sour cream, dill and is probably as close as french fries will ever get to salad. The truffle was on the other hand probably as fancy as french fries will ever get with fresh truffle shaved over a mayonnaise dipping sauce. I am glad we didn’t order all three options because our tummies were entirely spent after these two plates but this means we can come back and try the Mexican inspired el gringo loco combo next time.
At the end of our meal Holger suggested we finish with a drink and gave us a few options on where to go. Did we want a sophisticated cocktail bar with a Berlin twist or would we rather visit a local institution with a rather eccentric interior a la Berlin? Well I thought let’s do as the Romans or in this case the Berlin residents and go for the latter and so we took our tired feet and walked over to Roses. The walls were pink and furry, ornaments of varying amounts of kitsch everywhere and the atmosphere surprisingly friendly and relaxed. Of course there was the obligatory Berlin techno beat and even though I don’t particularly like techno or drink alcohol I enjoyed myself completely. Going to Berlin I think one must have some sort of night life experience seeing as this is one of the top things the city is known for so it seemed just right that this is how we should end our visit.
Bye Berlin and Hello Bremen
The next morning, after a sleep that was way too short in my humble opinion, we packed our bags and set off back to Berlin Hauptbahnhof to catch our train to Hamburg and then on from there to Bremen. Before I leave you and this post about our 48 hours in Berlin I wanted to let you know where you can get some vegan breakfast in the central station if you like us end up train hopping through this station.
First of all there is a supermarket called Rewe tucked away in a quiet area of the station where you can get lots of vegan goods, both prepared wraps and sandwiches as well as everything else you can get in a supermarket. We also found some onigiri in one of the little shops that unfortunately can’t remember the name of but it seems onigiri is a thing in Berlin. What I really want to let you know though is that you can find the best selection, even if a little sparse still, of prepared food at backWERK as well as at Pret A Manger. We got tea with soy milk, an avocado and sundried tomato sandwich as well as bircher muesli at backWERK and it hit the spot even though it wasn’t necessarily a culinary experience of note.
With this I will leave you for now. Don’t forget to click play on the video to see the whole trip in motion and my in the moment reactions to our program. Our next video and post will be from Bremen, a German city with an entirely different flavour, so see you there!
