Laura Harker profiles one of Prenzlberg’s funkiest coffee shops…
It was back in 2009 that Ralf Berlit and Manuela Berger decided to break with their traditional corporate catering jobs and turn their ground floor Friedrichshain office into a cafe.
After discovering Third Wave coffee culture, which at the time was mostly unheard of in Berlin, they decided that its sustainability and quality matched their own ideal philosophy of what food and drink should be, and took the gamble of opening No Fire No Glory in Jessnerstrasse.
When ownership of the Friedrichshain building switched hands, the café was forced to move out, but – thanks to an offer from one of their regular customers – relocated in 2011 to its current site in Rykestrasse, Prenzlauer Berg.
Now one of the key members in the Berlin Coffee Society, (a group of six of the city’s top coffeehouses that includes such stalwarts as Café CK, Five Elephant Coffee, Bonanza Coffee Roasters, Double Eye and Godshot Coffee Club), the second iteration of NFNG continues the couple’s commitment to serving barista-grade coffee in a design-friendly yet unpretentious environment.
The huge wooden counter is the first thing that stands out in the café’s main room; manned by a friendly, international team of baristas, it features a slew of neatly arranged and (mostly home-made) sandwiches, croissants and cake, all gently lit by low-hanging designer lamps.
The interior’s emphasis on woods and metals feels like a refreshing change from the shabby-chic aesthetic of many Berl…