La CaFE LaCOSTE.
HIDDEN IN BERLIN
Written, designed and Photographed by Daria Pyshna.
Written, designed and Photographed by Daria Pyshna.
Updated: April 13th, 2023
Even though Berlin has many excellent specialty coffee chains like “Bonanza” and “Five Elephant”, there is one spot in particular that my partner and I always gravitate towards. It is a small Cafe inside a Lacoste Concept Store in the heart of Berlin Mitte, Neue Schönhauser Straße 8. In collaboration with “Man Versus Machine” independent Specialty coffee roasters, Lacoste was able to create an alluring and conceptual coffee space within their ordinary store. When you walk in, you can’t help but notice the bright green furniture and decor that somehow feels oddly minimalistic and concise, despite it being incredibly bright.
The fact that the coffee roaster’s logo also appears in the shape of a crocodile’s head, like a cherry on top, makes perfect sense, and doesn’t make the customers question their surroundings. Having understood that Lacoste’s choice of coffee beans was partly based on the brand’s identity, I was a bit skeptical going into it. But I was wrong… The taste of the coffee itself made all the components of this space come together in a harmonious dance, creating an atmosphere I wanted to return to.
After enjoying our morning cup at Le Cafe Lacoste countless times, we finally tried a V60 made with La Murralla, Geisha beans from Columbia. (The beans that everyone hunts for in the coffee world).
It was sweet, floral, and citrusy, but they didn’t blow me away like other Geishas I have tried in the past. Wanting to give it another shot, I bought a bag to experiment with different recipes at home. Although Geisha, Columbia beans have a flavor profile that usually would suit my pallet the most, I was more impressed and surprised with the other choice I picked up.
Sami Chelbesa, Ethiopia was a great available option from Man Versus Machine. More often used for espresso, I decided to give it a coarser grind and use it for V60. The notes of butterscotch combined with the floral tones created a balanced yet strong cup of filtered coffee that I never wanted to finish!
Of course, the overall experience would have been the same without the person behind the counter. There, we met an excellent barista @lesonshine, who was open to answering a lot of my annoying questions and sharing his brewing knowledge. I was lucky enough to get a handwritten recipe from him, which was a great addition to my V60 recipe collection. No one has ever given me as detailed of a recipe as he did.
Overall I feel like you should pay a visit to this interesting little cafe if you are ever in Berlin. The location couldn't be better. The design is bright and modern, fitting the atmosphere and the concept of the store. The barista is knowledgeable, skilled, and open to good conversations. And the coffee, of course, is roasted to its careful but proper limits with a small but mighty selection of beans.
