Berliner Teesalon

On Stuttgarter Platz in Charlottenburg, Kristine and Thorsten Maerz run a specialty tea shop that focuses on unflavored teas from Asia, from high-mountain Oolong from Taiwan to Pu Erh from plants over a hundred years old. Kristine Maerz regularly conducts tastings for 18 Euros per person. The Berliner Teesalon is not a café.

Berliner Teesalon: Specialty Tea Shop on Stuttgarter Platz

The Berliner Teesalon is located at Stuttgarter Platz 15, directly on the station forecourt in Charlottenburg. It is run by Kristine and Thorsten Maerz, and it is above all one thing: a specialty shop. Behind the wooden counter, large metal tins are lined up, an old-fashioned scale portions out the teas, and the advice is reserved yet precise. There is expressly no serving of tea in the sense of a café, but depending on operations, a tea at the counter may be possible.

The assortment focuses on unflavored teas from Asia. These include high-mountain Oolong from Taiwan, Rock Tea from Wu Yi Shan, Ti Kuan Yin and Single Bush Oolong, as well as Japanese green teas, for which the shop provides analyses of radioactivity levels for viewing. A dedicated cabinet is devoted to Pu Erh, from wild-grown leaves to Gushu from plants over a hundred years old. The accessories are functional rather than design-oriented: teapots from Yixing, porcelain and clay, cups and tea boats.

Tea Tastings at Berliner Teesalon

The second part of the concept are the Saturday afternoon tastings, led by Kristine Maerz herself. A tasting lasts approximately two and a half hours and costs 18 Euros per person. After an introduction, eight to ten teas are sampled, some with multiple infusions, accompanied by fruit and pastries for neutralization. All participants receive a list of the teas with space for their own notes, and for each infusion, background information on the growing region and processing is provided.

The themes range from a journey through oxidation levels to special tastings like „Japan High End”, which typically cost 38 Euros. In seminars, three to four rounds of six to eight teas each are tasted in direct comparison. Closed groups can book the salon privately, for which the shop recommends an inquiry two to three months in advance. And one request applies to all: please refrain from wearing perfume or strong aftershave before a tasting, as both can impair the nose’s ability to discern subtle differences.