More Pizza? Of course

As one of the Stockholmare told me about Berlin on their New Year’s celebratory visit to Berlin; this is a city where if you want pizza at 15.00 in the afternoon or a 5.00 in the morning, you can find it. I am actually giving my stomach a break from the past three months’ pizza over-indulgence but I have this month been twice to a pizza place worth mentioning.

The place is on Bleibtreutstrasse, near Ku’Damm, in Western Berlin and is called Ali Baba. True, that name doesn’t resonate of pizzaness and, in fact, I believe that they also sell kebabs. The pizza may not be the most delicious, but it is pretty good and for its low price definitely worth it. Plus it is the whole appeal of the place that does it for me. Just some steps away from Ku’Damm where lots of money will have been flying out of your wallet and where the atmosphere is a bit stiff, Ali Baba appeals with its laidback and slightly shabby décor, no fuss service, big cheap beers och the possibility to relax and take your time. The choice of pizza is, if not endless, pretty long. They also do mini pizzas. Where next?

Weihnachtsmärkte in Berlin

Christmas markets in Berlin, in Germany in general, are great. A highlight of the winter, they offer warmth and brightness in the form of strong and hot glühwein (yum yum!), crowds, many well prepared and organised stands and food, lots of food… You buy Weihnachts decorations and gifts here (but be warned, some are very tacky). The two best ones, I think, are Weihnachtsmarkt at Schloss Charlottenburg and Weihnachtszauber at Gendarmenmarkt. But if you have a look through this link you’ll see that there are many more: www.berlin.de/orte/weihnachtsmaerkte.

Welcome to Gendarmenmarkt for 1 euro!

All the lights and the small huts are very welcoming. Stands everywhere with warm food and drinks or many many sweets and cookies.

Sweet almonds at Schloss Charlottenburg

The cute lebkuchen hearts of course, overwhelming in their presence and psychedelic look (seeing as Swedish pepparkakor are more, much more, modest in appearance):

Eat Me, Love Me

One thing is for sure, the Germans love their meat, in particular pork meat. Being a Swede I have an understanding for this, but being a vegetarian I can’t partake in the feasting, although I was at times tempted by the smells that were overwhelming. Instead I chewed on a Brezel that quickly went cold… Just have a look at this (all at Schloss Charlottenburg):

Meat meat meat

What a carnage!

Sausages in all sizes

And of course ready to eat, warm sausages…

Which sausage would you want to eat?

Dating back from the late Middle Ages, the Christmas Markets have most probably their origins in Germany, Alsace and Austria. The tradition has grown in commercial purpose and now is very much about selling, buying and perhaps not so christmasy attractions (swings that spin round and round to annoying music, small ferries wheels, and so on). They have also become more sophisticated in Germany with mini restaurants, art being sold and chalets that look like small shops. I never expected to find crystal chandeliers at a Christmas market:

Crystal chandeliers

I love the pre-run to Christmas

I Love Pizza

I have an insane addiction to pizza. Almost as bad as the one I have for popcorn… Opposite my house in London I had the perfect place (my heart skips a beat when I think about their pizzas and I am salivating) so I now need my Berlin pizza places. For one it is much cheaper to eat a pizza here, actually make that much much cheaper (ah London, I finally escaped your voracious pricing of really everything). I have eaten at three great pizza places here so far (I have eaten at more pizza places than that but only three are worth mentioning because, to be frank, my memories of the others have disintegrated, heavily shadowed by those three).

The first one is the cheapest, Pizza Room on Warschauer Strasse (in the middle, on the right side if you come from the South). You get ein stück pizza for only 1,50 euros, and one slice is pretty filling. The dough is thin, the garnishing fresh and it’s quite small and not so busy. Very good for a quick, cheap meal on the go before going out in the East (where the best club and bar action, in my humble opinion, is).

Then, yesterday evening, I discovered another Pizza Slice (or Mini Pizza as my B calls it) place in the West – Dolce Pizza near Nollendorplatz, on Maassenstrasse. I found this thanks to several Berlin guides who all insisted that it is the best pizza on the go and I have to agree! It was Sunday evening but it was very crowded anyway. One slice is 2,00 euros and it is pretty filling. I am tempted to walk over there now, yum yum!

Can't get enough pizza slices

The last place I want to mention is also in the West, it’s a restaurant this time, called Petrocelli. Again, thin crust, taste strongly reminiscing of Italian pizzas (not that I have actually been to Italy but what I imagine it should be like), nice and fresh ingredients and again, affordable (but for a Londoner at the moment everything in Berlin seems affordable). They have restaurant on Motzstrasse and one on the Ku’damm. You can take away but sometimes it is nice to just sit down and enjoy a nice pizza at a restaurant.

Hmm what shall I have for dinner…