Alltime Berlin: Pancakes and English Vibes on Uhlandstraße

All I actually wanted that day was a cinnamon roll. Instead, I ended up sitting with three pancakes, mascarpone, and a latte macchiato in a café that, for a moment, made me forget I was in Berlin at all. But let’s start at the beginning.

A quick bit of context: we usually travel as a pair. This time, however, I (Gina) was on my own - Oli was in Berlin for work for two days and I came along. While he worked, I had the day to myself. So this time it’s just me talking to you.

Since we hadn’t checked into the hotel until around 2 a.m., my day started accordingly late. So I had breakfast at a time when most people were probably already mulling over coffee and cake.

The night before, I had only briefly looked up where I could get breakfast the next day and settled on Café Pik. I was really craving cinnamon rolls and was somehow already fully in autumn mode. What I hadn’t checked during my late-night planning: the opening hours.

So the next day I set off and walked roughly 2.5 kilometres across Berlin - only to end up standing in front of a locked door. Closed for the day. Great.

Breakfast is a sweet affair for me

After that “breakfast”, I had actually planned to head to the Tiergarten, so I decided to simply walk back in that direction and keep my eyes open for a café along the way.

You see, breakfast is a tricky subject for me. Rolls with cold cuts and cheese won’t get you anywhere with me in the morning. I clearly belong to the sweet faction. Pancakes, waffles, cinnamon rolls - that’s the way to win me over much faster.

And that’s exactly why I was pretty relieved when suddenly the Alltime Berlin caught my eye on the way back.

A lucky find with a strong English factor

I had never heard of the Alltime before. It was genuinely a lucky find. Even from outside, the interior caught my attention, and something about it pulled me straight in. So I figured: just take a look and see if you can get breakfast here.

Inside, I was sold pretty quickly. The old sofas, the books, the typewriter, and all the little details instantly reminded me of our trips to the UK. It felt a bit like sitting in a cosy pub somewhere in England - and I loved that feeling straight away. Right in the middle of bustling Berlin, it was somehow just lovely.

I was greeted warmly, took a seat, and was handed the menu. And then I spotted them: pancakes. The failed cinnamon-roll mission was pretty much forgotten at that point.

Three pancakes and a new combination

On the menu, the pancakes come with fruit. But since I’m a bit picky about fruit and don’t like everything, I simply asked whether I could have them with strawberries only. That was no problem at all.

What I got was three pancakes with strawberries and a strawberry-raspberry sauce. On the side came small bowls of mascarpone and maple syrup. And I honestly had never come across mascarpone with pancakes before. Why not, though? The combination was absolutely delicious, and I’d order it again in a heartbeat.

The strawberry-raspberry sauce wasn’t my thing - I simply don’t like those little hard raspberry seeds. The portion, on the other hand, was far too big for me, and I managed about half of it. Both of those are of course on me, not on the café. I definitely enjoyed the pancakes, which I had ordered with a latte macchiato.

A little peace and quiet in the middle of Berlin

What made my visit extra pleasant was the calm. When I arrived at the Alltime, as far as I remember there were only guests at one other table. Later they left too, and suddenly I had the café completely to myself.

I wouldn’t conclude from that that the Alltime is always this quiet. I was probably just there at the right time that afternoon. But for me, after the long walk and right in the middle of otherwise bustling Berlin, it was perfect.

In the end, I stayed for about an hour and a quarter. Quite a lot longer than I had planned with my spontaneous “let’s see if they have something to eat here”. The Tiergarten, by the way, never happened. After my involuntary 2.5-kilometre detour to a closed café, I’d had enough of walking - and then it started raining too. So I headed back to the hotel.

Conclusion: I’d come back

I didn’t get my cinnamon roll that day - but instead I ended up at the Alltime Berlin pretty much unplanned. Until that moment, I didn’t even know it existed.

Instead of cinnamon rolls and the Tiergarten, I suddenly found myself sitting in a café that, with its old books, sofas, and countless little details, instantly reminded me of England. I discovered pancakes with mascarpone for myself and got to escape the hustle of Berlin for a while. And yes: I’d come back. For the pancakes just as much as for the atmosphere. It was simply proper cosy.

Want to discover even more food spots in Berlin?

If you'd rather not wander through Berlin on the off chance of stumbling across something tasty, you can also explore the city on a guided street food tour. You'll visit various food spots and work your way through Berlin's food scene.

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Visitor information

Out of a failed cinnamon-roll mission came my favourite café discovery of this Berlin trip. Just walking in here spontaneously is absolutely worth it.

Reservation

I hadn’t made a reservation, I just walked into the Alltime on a whim. On my afternoon visit, there was very little going on.

Service

The Alltime offers table service. The service during my visit was very friendly, and my special request was handled with no fuss.

Address

Uhlandstraße 52, 10719 Berlin (DE)

Instagram

@alltime.berlin

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