Page 54 - WHERE BERLIN MAY 2017 LOW RES

ESSENTIALS | THE GUIDE
ASK THE CONCIERGE
Nobody knows the city better than your expert concierge.
Benjamin Mönkemöller from Hotel de Rome is here to help.
www.lcdg.org
What does your perfect day look like?
My perfect day starts with a big breakfast at (Admiralstr. 1-2).
Hallmann & Klee (Böhmische Str. 13),
followed by a bike ride through Berlin,
taking in music shops such as Bis auf's
Messer (www.bisaufsmesser.com), Coretex
(www.coretexrecords.com), and Dodo
Beach (www.dodobeach.de) and going
past the magnificent Rum Depot in
Schöneberg. Then dinner at my
favorite Italian, Maselli (Nostitzstr.
49), and live music in
Kreuzberg at SO36, Cortina
Bob, or Urban Spree.
Where do you take your
own visitors?
It depends on who they
are, but I always take my
guests to Tempelhofer Feld
and the Maybachufer
markets. A beer at Ankerklause
(www.ankerklause.de) is also a must.
What are your insider tips for Berlin?
If you like Vietnamese food, definitely visit
the Dong Xuan Center (www.dongxuan-
berlin.de) in Lichtenberg for the best and
most authentic pho (noodle soup).
Zigarren Herzog am Hafen (Stralauer Allee
9), with its walk-in humidor, great drinks,
and excellent espresso served on the
sunny terrace is also great.
What do you do after work?
I like to meet friends for a cool
54 W H E R E B E R L I N I M AY 2017
Quartiermeister beer at Südblock
Tell us about your hotel.
The Hotel De Rome building is the former
headquarters of Dresdner Bank. The old
vault now houses a swimming pool, and
the old teller area is now a big ballroom.
The five-star hotel stands for
exceptional hospitality, tasty food,
and first-class facilities.
What is your wildest
experience as a
concierge?
Once, a guest had an
especially obscure
request: a balloon filled
with live butterflies for a
kid's birthday. We had to
decline, of course.
A German specialty?
This is obvious: Currywurst with
fries! And do not forget your beer!
How is Berlin different from other cities?
Berlin is simply different – it always happens
differently than you think. You either hate it
or love it.
A romantic suggestion?
To relax, definitely Vabali Spa (but mid-
week!), or Cecilienhof park in Potsdam.
Images: The Ankerklause bar in Kreuzberg; a bike in TO AND FROM CENTRAL BERLIN
the park; Vabali spa. Inset: Benjamin Mönkemöller.
USEFUL INFORMATION
Emergency numbers
Police, call 110 free from any phone.
Berlin Police hotline, T: 030.46644664.
Ambulance or fire, call 112 free from any phone. ANKERKLAUSE: © WOLFGANG BORRS; VABALI SPA: COURTESY OF VABALI SPA; BIKE: © ISTOCK.
Medical Services, T: 030.310031.
24h Pharmacy: Hauptbahnhof Apotheke.
T: 030.20614190. S Hauptbahnhof.
Emergency dental services, T: 030.89004333.
Poison hotline, T: 030.19240.
National emergency number for on-call
medical service, T: 116117.
Berlin lost and found office, T: 030.902773101.
BERLIN AIRPORTS
Berlin Tegel (TXL)
Approx. 10 km (5 miles) northwest of the city
center. www.berlin-airport.de. T: 030.60911150.
TO AND FROM CENTRAL BERLIN
By bus: Buses 109 or X9 to Zoologischer Garten
run every 10 mins, taking approx. 20 mins. The TXL
express bus to Alexanderplatz via Hauptbahnhof
runs every 5–10 mins, taking. 25 mins. Single
tickets cost €2.80 and can be bought on board.
By U-Bahn: Bus 109 or X9 connects to the U-Bahn
system at Jakob-Kaiser-Platz. Bus 128 links to the
U-Bahn at Kurt-Schumacher-Platz and runs every
10 mins, taking approx. 25 mins. Tickets cost €2.80.
By taxi: Regular cabs take 10–20 mins to city
center. Approx. €20–€35.
Left luggage: Service center in Terminal A (ground
floor). T: 030.41012315.
Berlin Schönefeld (SXF)
Approx. 20 km (12 miles) southeast of the city
center. www.berlin-airport.de. T: 030.60911150.
By regional train: Deutsche Bahn-operated
RE7 or RB14 to Ostbahnhof, Alexanderplatz,
Hauptbahnhof, and Zoologischer Garten. RE9 to
Hauptbahnhof via Südkreuz and Potsdamer Platz.
Trains take approx. 45 mins. Tickets cost €3.40.
By S-Bahn: Trains S9 and S45 to Hauptbahnhof, via
Ostkreuz and Südkreuz respectively, run. every 20
mins, taking approx. 1 hr. Tickets cost €3.40.
By U-Bahn: Bus X7 and X11 to Rudow station
connect with the U-Bahn system and run every 10
mins. Journey approx. 1 hr. Tickets cost €3.40.
By (night) bus: Arrivals between midnight and 4am
Mon–Fri can take bus N7 to central areas.
By taxi: Regular cabs take approx. 30 mins to city
center, costing €30–€40.
Left luggage: At the multi-storey car park P4.
T: 030.60911150.
GETTING AROUND
Public Transport
www.bvg.de.
Fares
Buy tickets from machines in the station, and be
sure to validate them in the posts next to the
ticket machines. Single tickets cost €2.80; or save
by paying €9 for four single-trip tickets, which you
can validate as you need. If traveling fewer than
three train stations or six bus or tram stops, buy
a short-trip ticket for €1.70. Day tickets cost €7
for unlimited travel until 3am the following day,
or if you are traveling with others, a small group
ticket will get up to five people unlimited travel for
€19.90. For those staying longer, a pass valid for
seven days may be a better value at €30.