Five Elephant

In Kreuzberg, Five Elephant embodies what Berlin's specialty coffee stands for: directly traded beans, artisanal roasting, and a cheesecake almost as famous as the coffee itself. Since 2010, the roastery has shaped the Berlin coffee scene with a consistency you can literally smell in the backyard on Glogauer Straße.

Five Elephant: Where Berlin Coffee Culture Began

Hidden in a Kreuzberg backyard, Five Elephant was one of the city’s first specialty coffee roasteries. Its opening in 2010 came at the right time: an American-influenced approach met a growing number of curious Berlin coffee drinkers. The company is led by Sophie and Kris Schackmann, whose passion for quality has significantly shaped its success. Today, Five Elephant operates four cafés in Berlin, with its home base at Reichenberger Straße 101 remaining the central hub to this day.

The coffee is carefully roasted in the in-house roastery on Glogauer Straße and then served right next door. Many coffees are roasted for espresso, while the roastery offers various varieties for filter coffee, plus omni-roast coffees for both preparation methods. The selection ranges from caramel-mild espresso from Guatemala to herbaceous-fruity coffee from Burundi.

Direct Trade, Transparent Roasting

The owners prioritize high quality and ensure that the raw goods come from fair trade and are produced sustainably. The goal is for as few intermediaries as possible to profit from the coffee, so that more profit remains with the coffee farmers. Direct sourcing, sustainable partnerships, and transparency are the fundamental principles of Five Elephant. The roastery sources its green coffee from various growing regions in Latin America, as well as from Burundi and Ethiopia.

Many visitors’ attention is drawn not only to the coffee but also to the famous cheesecake, which almost rivals the espresso as a reason to visit. A good reason to take some time for the journey to Kreuzberg.