Mein Haus am See | Art and Coffee 24/7

How about a Panini at 4:30 a.m? Mitte's residents and late-night revelers need to settle for dodgy döner joints no more. Mein Haus am See (My house by the Lake – referring to a song by local reggae-hero Peter Fox) has smartly cashed in on a major market niche. But the place isn't just packed at night. A hearty breakfast menu and special lunch offers have been drawing crowds, too.

Though you may initially feel like you've stumbled into a Skandinavian deluxe furniture exhibition, rest assured, this is indeed a café. The assortment of cups and plates and people lounging around ample chairs in front of raw walls and Cut-Out Graffitti art will attest to that.

There's definitely a play on the transition between public and private spheres going on and it's most evident in the furniture. You're supposed to kick back and there's a desire to bid defiance towards the digital Boheme gathering across the street at St. Oberholz. Which doesn't mean you won't glimpse your share of laptops around during the day, before coffee gives way to beer and cocktails only to reboost a couple of hours later, in the midst of a keen Berlin sunrise.