THE BARN Ku'damm — Restaurant in Berlin

Here is an in-depth review of The Barn Kudamm: The location is slightly hidden in a quieter passage right next to Kudamm, offering a pleasant contrast to the bustling street.

In the afternoon, sunlight directly hits the outdoor seating area – very nice. The interior, as is typical for The Barn, is minimalist, but this branch leans towards a sterile and soulless design: the lighting casts unattractive shadows on the cold walls, and the space becomes uncomfortably dark towards the back. On the positive side, the custom-made wooden furniture and large windows stand out (though some might say it resembles an airport terminal).

Aesthetically annoying: The Barn tries to sell many products to customers, giving the shop a mini-department store vibe, which detracts from its focus. The staff is young and generally very friendly, almost always offering smiles and positive vibes. Compared to other Berlin branches of The Barn, this one almost feels familial – very positive!

Now for the product: The coffee quality heavily depends on the baristas' experience level, making it inconsistent. You can generally expect solid quality depending on who’s in charge, but with some luck, the coffee can be excellent: complex flavors, great texture, and crema. One issue we noticed is that drinks like hot chocolate (also consistently good to very good) are sometimes unavailable, indicating a need for supply chain optimization.

The selection of cakes and snacks is small but decent – you can indulge without much hesitation. However, items are often slightly too sweet, and savory options are underrepresented. Prices are very high but now standard in Berlin's specialty coffee scene.

Summary: 3 stars for ambiance, 5 stars for staff, 3.5 stars for coffee (sometimes even 5 stars, depending on the barista). We enjoy visiting, partly due to the pleasant clientele (though not very diverse – mostly creatives, business professionals, and students) and because The Barn has become a...

Tldr: For me, the Barn continues to be the pinnacle of the Berlin "hipster" coffee shop. And this new location is basically everything that the Barn does well, distilled to its essence.

For the basics: The location is excellent, in absolute central Ku'damm, in a side street between two buildings. So, touristy area but in a nice spot. The shop is big and airy, with a nice minimal design. The tables are on the verge between uncomfortable and alright, as expected with Berlin coffee shops. But definitely workable for 30 relaxing minutes with a book, and some people watching outside. The coffee, as usual, is excellent. For me, the Barn is the only place that I'm consistently having amazing coffee. The people working there (December 2024) were pretty friendly.

Of course, the coffee can also feel pricy to a lot of people, but for me it's worth it, most of the times.

The almond-chocolate cake is an all time classic, to go with your flat white.

So, now, about some history: The Barn used to have a shop at the nearby Kranzler Eck building, the one with the weird circular roof.

It was an interesting Barn and had a nice view, but its style was almost "off-brand" and it used to be very uncomfortable to sit at (inside).

Now that they moved to this new location, I think that it's almost only a...

Was invited here by a dear friend who relocated here from Köln this past 31 October 2025. Nassim convinced me to try a sour espresso bean. Ella took the time to share her experience and suggested her favorite which is from Rwanda. OMG! What an experience! By the way, it was a busy day and the symmetry between the staff was flawless. Ella checked in with us and we purchased second coffees with the Apple dessert and the lemon poppyseed cake which were delicious. Ella greeted us when her shift ended and then Helena took over. Talk about great tandem care! It was Halloween and she was giving Wednesday Addams energy. That impressed her because that’s who she was dressed as! Learned that both ladies are from the States, as am I. We returned on 2 November and Ella was present again with Santiago. Just the two and yet, they handled customers with such ease and delight! And the genuine smiles! The culture here in our lovely country sometimes does not lend to personable service but, perhaps it can be augmented just a bit because happy staff translates to happy customers and a business that continues to flourish. Please see the value of Ella, Helena and Santiago, along with their coworkers from Halloween and may your business continue to grow because of the choice to maintain the gifts of their presence in...