KaDeWe 6th Floor
Author: Anothertravelguide.com1 COMMENT
Built in 1907 by the Jewish entrepreneur Adolf Jandorf, KaDeWe or Kaufhaus des Westens (the Western Department Store) is one of the largest among similar stores in Europe - a 7-storey temple of consumerism. And yet, it's neither the haberdashery nor the anti-wrinkle creams that makes visiting it worth your while. The greatest pride of KaDeWe is the sixth floor, its gourmet department otherwise known as the Food Hall. It sells every possible delicacy you can think of and has separate fish, oyster, salad, meat, lobster, sausage and other sorts of bars - 33 little gourmet islands side by side. Everything is very fresh and prepared right in front of your eyes. A separate bar offers nothing but bouillabaisse, the Provençal fish stew/soup, in countless variations; it costs from EUR 10 upwards, depending on what sorts (and quantities) of sea creatures you wish to see on your plate. And then there is the oyster bar where they serve at least 10 different variations, including oysters au gratin: settle down at the bar or any of the nearby tables, order a glass of wine and enjoy excellent oysters, cosy ambience (in the company of like-minded gourmets) and life buzzing around you (including a selection of outlandish characters). Berliners have had the tradition of coming here for their Saturday breakfast since the times of the Berlin Wall; it is still alive today - the Sixth Floor is relatively empty on Saturday mornings, so you can have a nice chat with the chefs and generally start the day in a pleasant sort of way. Do keep away on Saturday afternoons; the place is jam-packed, it is quite hectic and you won't get any pleasure out of the experience.
21-24 Tauentzienstrasse
10789 Berlin