Goldadelux, Kreuzberg

Hi, it's Katya again. Someone has to eat Berlin's food so the rest of you know where to go.

Today we're talking about sabich — the beloved breakfast of Iraqi Jews traditionally eaten on Shabbat.

The story begins in Tel Aviv in the 1960s. An Iraqi immigrant named Sabih Halabi opened a small food stand near a bus terminal. His recipe was simple: fried eggplant, boiled egg, salad, potatoes, tahini, and harissa tucked into a pita. Convenient, filling, and deeply satisfying, it became one of Israel's most iconic street foods.

Fast forward to Berlin.

A five-minute walk from Kottbusser Tor brings you to Erkelenzdamm, where a beautiful corner building still carries an old "Obst Gemüse" sign above the entrance. Somehow, despite being in the heart of Kreuzberg, the atmosphere feels surprisingly calm. The area still carries traces of the Berlin many people fell in love with years ago — relaxed, slightly scruffy, and effortlessly cool.

This is where you'll find Goldadelux.

Ordering couldn't be easier. There is a classic sabich with egg, a vegan version without it, and a variation featuring a tofu patty instead. A short menu is often a good sign.

While waiting for your food, you'll probably notice the music. The owner has an unusually good taste in electronic records, and more than once I found myself reaching for Shazam before my sandwich arrived.

Then comes the sabich itself.

It's excellent. Soft, rich, and almost impossibly cohesive. The textures seem to melt into one another: silky eggplant, creamy egg, tahini, vegetables. As you work your way through the pita, the flavours unfold in layers, ending with a subtle onion note near the bottom.

What makes it memorable is how completely everything comes together. The sauce is perfectly balanced, the pita impossibly tender. By the final bites, you can no longer tell where the bread ends and the filling begins.

For eight euros, it's one of the most satisfying lunches in Berlin.

We followed it with dessert. The French toast felt like something from a childhood fantasy: warm brioche with a caramelised crust, soft in the centre, topped with an enormous cloud of house-made whipped cream that melted faster than I could photograph it.

Possibly the best €6.50 you'll spend all week.

Goldadelux opens at noon, making it ideal for a late breakfast, a relaxed lunch, or the kind of weekend recovery meal that quietly fixes everything. Expect a short wait for your order. There are a few small tables outside if you're lucky enough to grab one, but the food is worth the visit either way.

Some places succeed through complexity. Goldadelux succeeds through restraint — and a very, very good pita.