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The Sorrows of the Non Smoker in Berlin
Great News!
From January 1, 2008, there is a law obliging all restaurants, bars, clubs etc., to have a main non-smoking section. They may - if they want to - have a separate room for smokers. Most businesses we have visited have simply decided to ban smoking, with few not respecting the law: fines and enforcement will only begin in July 2008. In any case, this list of the righteous who have been true to non-smokers before the ban is still here, but you can add almost any restaurant in Berlin.
The original article:
One of things that would strike you, if you come to Berlin from the rest of Europe, from North America or from Israel, is the number of smokers in Berlin. With about 30% percent of the Berliners smoking, it is unfortunately a well-rooted habbit, and even the moderate smoker would suffer. Things are getting painfully better in Berlin, and perhaps restaurant would be required to allocate non-smoking space starting in 2008.
However, don't let those smokers ruin your time in Berlin. First of all, know your rights - it is not allowed to smoke in public places, or where a non-smoking sign is posted. You can also ask for nichtraucher place. International chains (Tony Roma's, Starbucks, and Maredo), have already allocated non-smokers' spaces.
Like international chains, hotel restaurants are also a good place to find non-smoking restaurants. All of the restaurants, bars and cafes at Hotel Estrel (Sonnenallee 225) have non smoking zones. Among other things, they have a German/International restaurant (Sanssouci); an Italian (Portofino) and a Pan-Asiatic lounge (Sun-Thai), which is excellent. The prices are a bit high for Berlin (11-17 Euros for the main dish) but the food is excellent. They also have a nappy changing and breastfeeding area. In any case, I've complied a list of totally smoke-free places in Berlin, and plan to add more, once I've visited them. Consider it also a list of baby-friendly places in Berlin: the first rule of baby-friendliness, is not to expose them to fumes. I have commented, where appropriate, regarding other aspects of baby-friendliness. If you are the owner of a non-smoking place in Berlin, please contact me. - Beth-Cafe - Tucholskystr. 40. Jewish cafe (Glat Kosher). Closed on Saturdays and Jewish holidays.
- Another good place in Mitte is Mittendrin (Sophienstr. 19, 030-28497740). It serves very good West- and Southwest German food (the speciality of the house is Flammkuche, Tarte Flambee, a sort of "Pizza" with bacon and sour cream on it). Both could be well integrated into Nadav Gablinger's Jewish Berlin tour. An addition by one of our faithful visitors: Susuru. The name of this strictly non-smoker Japanese restaurants means "to slurp", and indeed, the food there - according to our source - is excellent. Rosa-Luxemburg-Strasse 17, 10178 Berlin (Mitte)
- In Wilmersdorf, Weisse Elefant (White Elephant), Wegener Str. 1 - 2, is a restaurant project that offers employment to people with various mental and physical problems, and neither serves alcohol nor allows smoking
- In the trendy Prenzlauer Berg, Mia - Pappelallee 58 - is - as far as I know - Berlin's first and only completely smoke-free cocktail bar. Surprisingly for a cocktail bar, Mia is also baby-friendly in the suitable hours (no high-chairs, though. This is a lounge, not a Kindergarten!). See their website: http://www.cafe-mia.de/
- In Kreuzberg, Cafe am Ufer - Paul-Lincke-Ufer 42 - has a relatively large non-smoking zone. It is, however, a cafe, and the food is pretty average.
- Also in Kreuzberg, Antep Sofrasi - Kotbusser Damm 36 - is a wonderful Anatolian Restaurant and fast-food stand, serving soups, kebaps, grilled meat, and salads. One can smoke in the small "Imbiss", but the large dining hall is smoke-free. Baby friendlyness: toilets are small (though clean) and have no nappy-changing table; public breastfeeding is not encouraged in Turkish/Anatolian restauants. Both of these restaurants could be visited as part of The Kreuzberg Tour
- Another highly recommended Keuzberg place (though it is not completely smoke-free, only has a non-smoking space) is Kuchen Kaiser (Oranienplatz 11-13). This veteran German restaurant (originally established in 1866) caters every taste: the vegetarian, the hamburger-lover, the Schnitzel lover (naturally!), and as its name tells, it has a wonderful selection of cakes. This is one of the only restaurants in Berlin that besides being Baby/children friendly, is also accessible for wheelchairs and has English-language menues. Could be also integrated into the Kreuzberg tour.
- On the other end of Kreuzberg, "Kreuzber 61" area, the tiny Barcomi's Coffee House, Bergmannstraße 21, with home-made wonderful cakes (especially recommended: cheese cake) and coffee, roasted there. Could be integrated with The 1968/Student Movement tour.
- In Alt-Treptow, Aretia - Kiefholzstr. 1 Ecke Lohmuehlenstrasse - Turkish-Mediterranean restaurant with live music every now and then. They have business lunch, Sunday brunch and a deal of coffee and cake for 2.5 Euros. Average prices for Turkish restaurants. Nonsmoking zone and children play corner.
- In Schöneberg, in the Akazienstr./Eisenacher Str. "Kiez", TeeTeaThé (TTT), Goltzstr. 2, is a tea house with literally hundreds of types teas (OK, also coffee and chocos, for those of you who cannot stand teas). Food is not too bad either (the gnocchi with the shrimps is, as Monty Burns always says, excellent). Desserts/chocolates are not made there, but are good nevertheless; also sells bags of customised tea. Could be integrated into the Rock'n'Roll tour (and thank you Patrick for the tip!)
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