Zazza

Angenehmes Café direkt am Zickenplatz, schöné Lage aber mittelmäßiger Service. Keine Alkohol.

Typischer Vintage-​Style, trotzdem nicht so extrem verhipstert. Sehr guter Kaffee aus eigener Röstung in den verschiedensten Varianten. Sehr leckere Kuchen und vielversprechendes Frühstück (noch nicht probiert). Im hinteren Raum ist es etwas dunkel, aber kuschelig (könnte aber noch gemütlicher sein, die Wände sind etwas kahl). Personal ist immer sehr nett.

Very good coffee and nice cakes.

hier kann man schön mit blick nach draußen am hellen großen fenster sitzen, aber es ist im winter sehr zugig. ein windfang (z.b eine schwere decke?) wäre ja prima für den kalte tage. der capucchino ist gut, aber schon gehoben im preis (2,50). Es gibt allerlei süßes und ein paar salzige sachen ab 2 euro aufwärts; außerdem frühstück und sandwiches.
es liegen tagesspiegel, spiegel und die süddeutsche zum lesen
aus.
und es gibt noch einen gemütlichen, wohnzimmerartigen hinterraum.
notebooks werden toleriert.

Zazza is a nice addition to the neighborhood. At first glance through the window, it could be any other café in the Graefekiez/​Kreuzkölln area: espresso machine, vitrine with baked goods, eclectic furniture… But, as soon as you walk in, the smile of the owner –whose nickname is the café’s name and also a language from eastern Anatolia– tells you the place is something unique. It feels contrived to write, but on my first visit, I really did feel like he was welcoming me as a guest to his house (so much so that I was almost obliged to search for a hidden camera …). I’ve returned several times since then and always enjoyed the same service, from everyone working there.
That personal and welcoming tone somehow carries over to every angle of the business: the cabinets behind the counter look like they could be in a cozy cottage, all the tables and chairs and the sofas in the backroom (if a bit awkwardly scattered) seem personally chosen and invite tucking in with a book or for long lounging conversations, the stereo hums oldtime jazz or turkish folk music in the background, every cappuccino has art in the foam, and they seem to have every imaginable milk type available to suit a customer’s needs.
The café is still new-ish…who knows, perhaps this attention to detail will vanish with time, but I doubt it — the mood set and the quality of the cakes and coffee (Zazza is also a bean roastery, you can buy bags to take home) carry all the hallmarks of a great business. I’ve yet to try the breakfast (e.g. scrambled eggs with turkish sucuk sausage, bircher muesli, croissants, savory or sweet mixed breakfast plates…), but the various cakes –from cheesecake to mousse to streusel– seem to already have devoted followers on Sunday afternoons. I’m definitely one of them: sitting in the row of theater seats at the front, looking out on the park through the big front window, eating the ‘orient orange’ cake and sipping a cortado it’s hard to imagine a better end to the weekend.