Berliner Adventures

 London, February 2026

Dearest, 

How are you? How long it is since we spoke, I hope you're well? I visited Berlin this weekend to visit one of my dearest friends and what a wonderful time I had. The last time I went to Berlin, I was still studying at the Royal Academy and quite frankly hated every second of it, the RA and Berlin. We spent our days walking through a dreary and dreadfully ugly east Berlin, Brutalist blocks (they should all be razed to the ground), joyless streets and even worse 'art' you know, the one you need to understand. Well you know me, I don't want to understand any of those things, I want to look at something beautiful and fall in love! Boys or otherwise... But this time everything was different, I'm different, life is different. So there I was, on a plane after ten years of asking me (yes, its true), on my way to Berlin to see him. I pretended it was my first time to the capital and even though the days of the Weimar republic are long gone, I pretended it was sort of like that, in a way in few little corners of town perhaps, and much to my delight, I wasn't wrong. 

Upon arrival I just knew the way to my friends house, apart from that I had no idea where I was, just that I was in Berlin. After climbing about twelve flights of stairs with my not inconsiderably filled suitcase I managed to reach the penthouse of a rather fantastic 19th century mansion block and I was finally reunited with one of my dearest friends! 

The days quite frankly flew by. A mix of meeting wonderful people, a parade of beautifully cut clothes in a finely decked out belle etage shop and an everlasting stream of champagne. I've been hardly ever introduced to so many people in a such a short amount of time with such a warm welcome from every single one of them. I began to warm to Berlin and Berlin to me, faster than I realised. Aperitifs at my friend's belle etage salon, and out on the town after a stream of champagne and endless conversations with photographers, salon pianists and more, most of it in my best German, although I did struggle a bit. How excited I was but the best was yet to come.

After a second aperitif in a brasserie style restaurant, you know how much I love a brasserie, we walked the freezing streets, thank heavens my coat was lined with fur to keep out the cold, to a little jewel box of a bar. It was tiny, intimate, buzzing, elegant, packed with rather interesting people and blue with smoke. Yes you read that correctly. The bar is hidden, a hidden door, with a peephole to only let in certain people, and we were of course one of those. Coats were taken by the charming proprietor, hands were shaken and kisses exchanged with people one heard about from stories and Instagram and the music and smoke hit me, all at once. This was the Berlin I had been looking for, nestled in a tiny smoke filled bar, where 30's music played and the cocktails, well probably the best cocktails in Berlin if not Europe! My first one, topped with champagne and accompanied by a menthol cigarette was a hit followed by something richer and darker and laced with my favourite, Maraschino cherries, I got more since they are my favourite. Conversations with a Salon pianist from far away in an impeccable Savile Row cut flannel suit that resembled mine, whispered conversations on the banquette in the corner with a few others with what felt like a dozen more cigarettes. And the best thing about it? No phones were allowed, we talked and smoked until it was time for our next venue and our bills were written out on thick monogrammed card and fountain pens, I was in awe. 

The wonderful thing about Berlin, the bars hardly ever close, so we were in no rush to go anywhere whatsoever. A taxi ride away was a fabulous bar, large, tall ceilinged and veritably packed with people on a Friday evening. More introductions were made and my dearest friend made sure everyone was on parade for my visit, along with the best table in the house, with him, I didn't expect anything less. More people, more cigarettes and more conversations, you must think me boring and repetitive, but I assure you it was not! A carrousel of people, music, champagne and a brandy Alexander or two until it was finally time for bed.

Next morning, fearing I'd be fragile, but feeling better than expected it was time for breakfast and more fine clothes and a photoshoot. The photographer was wildly talented, regardless if the models were rather good and I was introduced a rather wonderful and wildly talented shoemaker, razor sharp welts, slanted heels and spit-shine finishings of chiselled toecaps. They day flew by, once again. Aperitifs were served alongside cheese, thank heavens and more people trickled in to join our little party as I almost had come to expect. Supper was next, after a frosty walk along the icy streets of Charlottenburg to a typical place. The restaurant gloomy, dimly lit, busy and walls packed with photographs of people who had visited over the years, alongside menus of the past when one paid in pfennigs and faded hunting scenes painted on the dark walls. We ordered, proper German fare, sausages, lots of mustard, potatoes and much to my delight, the ever delightful Schnitzels, which as you know are the way to my heart. After our first glass of Riesling, it was time for a break, a cigarette break in the smoking room. We entered the delightfully yellowed smoking room through saloon doors where a brightly lit cigarette machine greeted us in the corner and along with my 'Berlin Babysitter' we enjoyed a pre supper cigarette and chinwag. The Schnitzel didn't disappoint, nor did the conversation with the boys about practically everything from silk sock, doeskin gloves to the Ball Season in Vienna, sadly to be missed this year. After kaffee und nachtisch we paid, in cash and made our way through the icy streets again to our lovely jewel bar, at my request. 

The mood? The same, slightly less packed, still smoky and the music delightful. Coats were whisked away, drinks were served, I never ordered anything of the menu, I'm not sure there even was one...  I was simply asked what flavours I liked and after a while the dreamiest concoction arrived, laced with a cherry, or four. Cigarettes we lit for me, hands were kissed comme il faut, and all the gallantries one expects of what looked like Prussian officers in their civies, but their civies were impeccably cut flannel suits. After a few drinks 'for pudding' we wanted something light so the unvermeintliche champagne was served as more people joined, and to ultimately to make our way again to the other bar of last night. We arrived in stream of people and were escorted to our table through the crowd. A bell rang every time someone ordered 'Champagner mit Wodka' to honour a much loved singer from Berlin and a favourite of mine. I thought this gesture was simply too touching to be believed and naturally a drink followed. When we finally made our way home, in the wee small hours of the morning we decided to play Wagner at full force, for the rest of Charlottenburg to enjoy as well, I might have sang along a line or two accompanied by a late night snack and one more cigarette. 

Next morning we slept in, thank heavens and relived last nights adventures. My friend and I walked along the icy grey streets of Berlin. It was bitterly cold, which I loved, but it felt at one point like my cheeks were frostbitten! We walked through town and past the Holocaust memorial which looked striking against the grey sky, covered in ice and snow and on to The Brandenburger Tor, which was a lovely thing to see being a tourist after all. Lunch followed at the wonderful Adlon hotel, a bastion of old fashioned glamour, although done up well, and warmed up by pots of tea and conversations. After a lengthy and delightful lunch we walked along der Reichstag and Unter den Linden in the cutting cold along the streets of Berlin where I really got a feel of the city. 

Berlin is not a beautiful capital in the traditional sense of the word, two world wars and a long division which ended not so long ago have certainly left their traces and scars on the face of Berlin. So you need to forgive the harshness of some of the streets, the crudeness of most of the buildings as I feel it sometimes might still be finding its feet between the few surviving streets of the old world, now long gone and the few remaining buildings that stand between then and now. For me it was a magical experience. Yes, different from my usual experiences, which made it so much fun I guess. Berlin wasn't debauchery really, even though it may have sounded like it, it was the people, the places (the wonderful drinks and music) and the atmosphere that made it feel so special to me. 

Especially thanks to all the effort of my great friend in particular who managed to change my mind about this city and showed me it's people and it's secret places and you know, I actually can't wait to visit again.

Hope to see you soon dearest and avec tout ma tendresse,

F. x