Planet Berlin: Coffee with a design taste

In Berlin these days it's not difficult to drink good coffee. But when the Norwegian coffee connoisseur Kristian Moldskret opened his first espresso bar in the city, it was different. In 2010 when he opened his first independent coffee shop in Prenzlauer Berg, it was one of the city's first third-wave espresso bars.

Norwegians are the second-highest per capita coffee drinkers in the world, beaten only by neighbors, Finland. No wonder that Norwegians demand a fine cup of joe, and prefer it lightly roasted to bring out the subtle flavors, and served black.

Moldskret has discovered over the years that coffee quality depends on the bean. He attaches great importance not only to using quality equipment such as a high end coffee grinder, but also to good roasting. Depending on the harvest, he buys green coffee beans before having them roasted optimally in Berlin.

The Oslo Kaffebar in Felleshus, the pan-Nordic embassy bordering the Tiergarten, is also a Scandinavian design treat. With light woods and simple lines, it fits perfectly into the architecture of the award-winning joint embassy headquarters. Incidentally, the coffee bar has a big and bustling sister cafe at Nordbahnhof station.