Dedicated to the intractable coffee addiction: caf é ORA Cafe in Berlin's century-old pharmacy

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The cafe, renovated from a century-old building, retains the partial decoration of its predecessor, the Pharmacy Bureau, and is located in a corner of the street in Berlin. It retains the "Apotheke" sign, which makes people curious to find out.

European buildings often have old houses that have existed for more than a hundred years. These buildings with time to write down history are common to the local people, and people come and go by these beautiful behemoths, as if they are the most natural scenery in life. After walking on such a street for a long time, the stories behind these houses do not seem too strange; just as interest in such images gradually waned, until the appearance of "Oranien-Apotheke", I couldn't help but stop. "Apotheke", which means "pharmacy" in German, found himself looking at an old pharmacy, and the abrupt beauty of the thick gray walls that did not quite match the scenery of the nearby streets began to make people curious to find out.

The elegance of standing on the corner

The name of the big pharmacy on the outer wall, "Oranien-Apotheke", is shelved there. If you just pass by without paying attention, you will think that some old pharmacy is still in operation. The predecessor of CAF É ORA is a pharmacy built in 1860 and one of the oldest existing pharmacies in Berlin; the figure of the old pharmacist is mixed with the building concrete, so time condenses here. Looking closely at and talking to this soul, I am amazed that it still retains the elegance and charm of the 19th century. Co-operated and planned by filmmaker Lukas Schmid and photographer Christoph Mack; the two exquisitely preserved the spatial details of a hundred years later and continued them to this day with a new attitude.

Old space, new air.

In the vast space of the old pharmacy, the decorations high on the ceiling, as well as hundreds of glass and enamel medicine cans, dark wood medicine counters, secret knowledge of pharmaceutical research, experimental tubes, and other equipment, are all in place; the glass medicine cans are written in Latin, which is now lost, and it is quite interesting in contrast to all kinds of wine and wine containers below. Countless drawers of medicine cabinets are placed in another corner, and the wooden cabinets exude a calming effect. Most of the furniture and objects are preserved as if their history were preserved, and you can even see the use of traditional beaker kettles, as well as natural dark wood and flowers, to maintain the atmosphere of the pharmacy in the space.

The best medicine to cure cravings

Lukas Schmid and Christoph Mack changed the original medicine counter into a coffee bar, and casually added tables, chairs and benches around. On the medicine cabinet next to the bar, the exquisite cakes and desserts seem to be placed inadvertently, but they fit without disobedience. Apart from immersing in the conversation between CAF É ORA and the old pharmacy, cinnamon bread (Zimtschnecken) is the most famous. With the aroma of cinnamon bread coupled with authentic raspberry preserves, homemade milk breakfast, fresh fruit, yogurt, and mouthwatering Benedict egg toast, with colorful soft drink or mixed wine, German respect for brunch has long been famous.

A coffee addiction that is hard to quit

It's also a good party choice here at night. It is a cafe during the day and a bistro at night, with beer, cocktails and neon lights flashing through overlapping pharmacies and figures. It's hard to leave without a coffee addiction in Berlin. If you are addicted to coffee, you can come to this old pharmacy to relieve your addiction, but if you can't extricate yourself from antiquities or travel, it will only make you more addicted.

Info │ CAF É ORA

Oranienplatz 14, 10999 Berlin Kreuzberg

Opening Hours: Mon-Sun/ 09:30 am-01:00 am

Text / Chujiang

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