Bar Italia, Berlin

Deceptively titled, Bar Italia is renowned more for the excellence and authenticity of its coffee than its range of cocktails. In Mehringdamm, an area packed with flamboyant and tourist-heavy bars, cafes and restaurants, Bar Italia comes across as refreshingly restrained. Minimalist in décor and lightly furnished, with only enough seating inside for around ten people, there is little to do other than to settle down with a newspaper and Italy's most popular hot drink. This does not necessarily signify a fleeting visit. Bar Italia's service is so friendly and unhurried that locals are seen to calmly idle away hours of their time over an espresso and a slice of cake. -Thomas Miodrag

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