Witty Stories

Standing alone in the greenery of Perelsplatz, this 1909 half-timbered cottage was originally built as a watering station for horses. Today, the slate-roofed structure serves a different kind of traffic, though the pace hasn’t quickened much since the days of horse-drawn carts. With its green shutters and curved roofline, the building looks like an illustration lifted from a storybook, sitting somewhat unexpectedly in the middle of a Friedenau park. The interior is tight – barely 30 square meters – and holds little more than the service counter and a glass display case. Consequently, the experience is almost entirely defined by the terrace. Tables spill out among the rose bushes and the old stone trough that remains in the garden, creating a setting where the noise of the city is dampened by the surrounding parkland. It is a quiet spot, used mostly by locals reading newspapers or families pausing their walks through the Blumenpark. The menu is kept manageable and classic, avoiding complex trends in favor of reliability. You will find a rotation of homemade cakes – often berry tarts or a solid lemon-carrot slice – alongside brownies and simple sandwiches. The offerings shift with the weather, serving ice cream when the park is in bloom and switching to Glühwein once the temperature drops and the outdoor seating requires a thicker coat.