I am in love with Berlin’s elevated railways. These lines are such a joy to ride for the wonderful urban views they offer. The Berlin Stadtbahn (city rail) was completed in 1882 and runs east-west right through the city centre. It is a major visual presence in many of the capital’s iconic sites, crisscrossing the cityscape in a range of viaduct styles. A ride on the Berlin Stadtbahn from Ostkreuz to Westkreuz gives you a continuous stream of awesome sightseeing from your carriage window. All the details are in ‘Ticket to Ride’, the first chapter of my guidebook, Berlin Unwrapped. But the pleasure of the Berlin Stadtbahn is not just confined to its views. Some of its viaducts were built as a series of brick arches and each arch is large enough to contain rooms, many of which are now used as either shops or restaurants. One even houses the GDR Berlin Motorbike Museum.
Empty S-Bahn arches near Zoo in 2009
DDR Motorrad Museum on Rochstraße
In winter, the restaurants under the Berlin Stadtbahn arches are cosy retreats, with dim lighting and industrial charm. In summer, there are usually tables outside, perhaps opposite a park or with a riverside view. Inevitably, they are also right next to the viaduct, where a train clatters overhead every minute or two. There is something strangely comforting about this urban soundscape; it creates a bubble in time and I can sit for hours in such places, just watching and listening. The German word for arches is ‘Bögen’, which denotes anything bow-shaped and there are plenty of restaurants in the Berlin S-Bahnbögen to choose from. The ‘Ampelmann’ restaurant underneath the viaduct between Museum Island and Hackescher Markt Station is one of my favourites.
The Ampelmann Restaurant at 159 Stadtbahnbogen
You may think that a place named after the dumpy East German traffic light men, who achieved cult status and spawned such popular souvenir items, might be a bit übercommercialised, but this restaurant serves delicious fresh food and has a great location. On summer evenings, you can stretch out on a deckchair, with cocktail in hand, and look out over the River Spree towards the Berlin’s monumental museums and cathedral. My recent trip to the Ampelmann was for breakfast and I can rate the omelettes and the stone-baked bread highly. The historic railway arches beckoned as a welcome refuge from the cold morning air and the waitress even lit a small wood fire by the window.
Breakfast under the Ampelmann ‘Bogen’
Summertime scene at the Ampelmann
On the other side of the Spree, between Friedrichstraße Station and Museum Island, just a stone’s throw from Angela Merkel’s apartment, is another series of S-Bahnbögen along Georgenstraβe. Here, I can recommend the historic ‘Restaurant Nolle’, featured in my blog from 29 May 2016 about the nearby Admiralspalast. Follow this link for more details of The Nolle’s origins.
The Nolle in the 1920s
A modern S-Bahn train emerging from Museum Island
Further along, past the antique shops, at 5 Georgenstraβe, is ‘Deponie No.3’, another restaurant with old Berlin style. There’s plenty of wood and nostalgia here, plus some quirky décor. Its name, which means ‘disposal site’ or ‘dump’ in English, apparently stems from the fact that 25 years ago, in GDR times, these arches were used as a ‘Deponie’ by the National Volksarmee.
Collectors’ items at the Deponie
These days, the Deponie is a popular haunt for locals and University students and has a wide menu which includes tasty, authentic German dishes at reasonable prices. The choice of beers and wines is pretty good too. My last visit was on a sunny May afternoon and we had lunch in the large courtyard at the back, overlooked by a regular procession of red and yellow S-Bahn trains running above us. The service was welcoming and we will soon be back – maybe on a Saturday evening for a shot of Berlin atmosphere in the large, candlelit bar area or late on a Sunday morning to tuck into the excellent buffet brunch after a night out in Mitte.
Blue skies at the Deponie
