Berlin: “It's like a village without being a village”
I first came across The Barn during covid, when the company pivoted to an aggressive online strategy. When I was in Berlin last summer, The Barn was high on my list of places to visit, and it was a pleasure to speak recently with Ralf Rueller, who in 2010 founded what has become one of the world’s most significant specialty coffee businesses, with locations throughout Berlin as well as in Mallorca, South Korea, and Dubai.
Ralf knows coffee—has helped define it in our world today. In his Filter guide to Germany’s capital, Ralf highlights the parks, bakeries, and river walks that make up some of his favorite things to do in Berlin.
Filter: What do you like to do for fun around Berlin?
Ralf Rueller founded The Barn Coffee Roasters in Berlin in 2010. Photos courtesy of Ralf Rueller
I travel a lot and love to walk around to explore cities. Compared to other major cities in Europe, Berlin is very spread out and it's much better to use a bicycle here to get a feel for it all. Right now we have snow, and my favourite thing to do is to hang out in cafés or to check out new retail spaces in the slightly more hidden backyards of Berlin. Food is everywhere and good bread is a massive global trend. I loooove bread—especially after having lived in London for many years, it became a habit to find a good bread supply. So recently I have been checking out the new bread places that have opened up. My favourite is called Sofi. It is tucked behind Hackescher Markt in Mitte.
Favourites:
Bread: Sofi
Ramen: Cocolo
Beer: Mikkeller
Vietnamese baguette: Banh Mi Stable (Berlin-Mitte). Best is pork belly!
Restaurant: Michelberger Hotel (Local Food)
Shopping: Berlin Mitte, around Hackescher Markt / Münzstraße
Filter: Where do you like to take guests visiting Berlin?
I would probably go to the Brandenburg Gate and start walking along the river until I hit Oberbaumbrücke. That's a long walk (circa 1 hour). There is a great sourdough pizza place, Zola, just before the Bridge. Depending on the time of the day, I have two options at the bridge: #1 Turn left and walk up Warschauer Straße towards Friedrichshain (young-ish neighborhood with bars and cafes), passing Michelberger Hotel (my favourite restaurant in Berlin). Or #2 cross the bridge to the right and dive into Kreuzberg / Neukölln to explore the alternative scene there with many food options.
Filter: Do you have any quiet corners you gravitate toward?
Any spot along the river will do. I like Tiergarten (that's our “Central Park“—it's easy to take the bicycle, put out a blanket (in the summer—right now we have snow….), and have a picnic. In some spots you can barbeque.
Filter: What touristy things in Berlin are worth the hype?
With heavy history weighing on Germany, you must explore some of the historic sights and museums: Jewish Museum and the Memorial and the Eastside-Gallery for the Wall.
Arts: My first café (“The Little Barn“) is right in the heart of the Gallery district. I would definitely recommend checking out the many art galleries in the area.
Music: I think that the Berlin Philharmonie has a spectacular acoustic; perhaps buy tickets in advance. Oh, and also check out any live concert. I have seen Lady Gaga and Beth Ditto in Colombiahalle, before they became more mainstream. You find small venues like that easily.
Filter: What do you like to do to get out of Berlin?
Berlin is surrounded by many lakes. I have two favourite things to do:
#1 Krumme Lanke / Schlachtensee: Two lakes that are connected. You can reach them on public transport in under one hour. Great walks, great swimming. I have a share in a treehouse there to get out of the city from time to time.
The treehouse at Krumme Lanke and Schlachtensee. Photo by Ralf Rueller
#2 Spreewald: Can be reached by train in one hour. It's great cycling and canoeing in the summer. Famous for its pickles and the forest. Stay over one night at Michelberger Farm (that’s where they grow the fruits and vegetables—they recently added rooms to stay overnight).
Filter: How did you end up in Berlin and in the coffee scene there?
After I lived in London, I moved to Berlin to change my professional life. A close friend asked me to help out in his delikatessen (mainly in the kitchen), and I started learning (and loving) gastronomy. A lot reminded me of my childhood: guests, cooking, open house) and I love building a community with coffee and good pastries.
The coffee scene in Berlin had a gap: There was not quality here. So I filled that gap, fully focusing on coffee quality, single origin coffees, sharing knowledge and raising the bar in terms of serving standards. A lot has happened since then, but it needed someone to show where coffee can be taken in terms of flavour and experience.
Photo by The Barn Coffee Roasters
Filter: Can you share about your experience starting and running The Barn?
I did what I tell everybody to do. It worked then and it is still important: Focus on what you like. Everything else is a distraction.
So, I never looked at the market or what I thought people would buy. If you do something really well and you focus on it: there will be others that will like it too!
I do believe in specialization and to push yourself to get better at what you are doing. That makes the marketplace so much more interesting, it makes products and (hopefully) service better and it makes you, the barista or cafe owner, a happier person. Because you can turn your passion into your profession.
I find it most rewarding to be connected to my community, both in coffee-producing countries and in my cafés. I love talking about coffee experiences with people that come visit. I love visiting my customers abroad. The most thrilling thing is being recognized for the efforts and that our coffees are appreciated by so many. I have a responsibility not to disappoint my customers.
Filter: What makes Berlin feel most like home to you? Why do you think that is?
Berlin is very easy, non-judgmental and open. It is not densely populated—oftentimes you sit in a café and nobody is passing by and there is no heavy traffic like you have in New York or London. It's like a village without being a village. You have very international neighborhoods, and they are mostly on the east side of the city. In Berlin Mitte, where I live and where most of my cafés are, you hear no German language when you walk down the pavement. Not to complain: but I wish more people would make an effort to learn our language. It is beautiful.
Filter: If you could move to any place in the world just for the coffee scene, where would you move, and what shop would be the biggest reason?
I used to live in Japan many years ago. I still feel that my journey in Japan has not ended. On my recent trip to Japan, I felt that strong connection again. Not that I have any plans: But I would probably retire one day in Japan, have a little shed in a backyard, and make coffees for my customers. I find that very fulfilling.
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The Barn operates 13 cafes across Berlin, Seoul, Mallorca, and Dubai.
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