Kissabō

Kissabō: Japanese Tea Bar in Prenzlauer Berg

The tea bar is located on Kopenhagener Straße, a few minutes from Schönhauser Allee station. Plum-colored noren hang at the entrance, behind which a room with exactly sixteen seats begins. The name combines the Japanese Kissaten, the neighborhood tea and coffee house, with the character for chamber instead of shop. Gosia and Marcin Chelkowski opened Kissabō in February 2026 after moving from Szczecin to Berlin.

The room is decorated in earth tones, with a custom-made oak tea bar, a communal table, a tatami area, and Noguchi light sculptures. Guests choose their own tea bowl from the shelf, including Raku and Hagi ceramics from Japan and Europe. There are clear house rules for etiquette: speak softly, do not photograph anyone without consent, wait quietly at the door if it’s crowded. Payment is by card only. Groups are limited to four people.

Matcha, Gyokuro, and Handmade Wagashi

The teas come from gardens in Kyoto, Shiga, Nara, and Shizuoka, including from the Nakai Organic Tea Garden in Wazuka, the Hattori Tea Farm in Kikugawa, and Ippodo Tea. The matcha is stone-ground, comes from the first harvest, and from a single garden each. A bowl of Usucha costs 7 Euros. The menu also includes Gyokuro, Sencha, Genmaicha, Hōjicha, and Kamairicha, with a pot of Gyokuro being infused three times.

In addition, there are wagashi, handmade daily in-house, including Mochi, Daifuku, and Dango. If you bring more time, book one of the tea sets at the counter, which last an hour and start from 22 Euros. The Daifuku is usually sold out by early afternoon. Once a month, the bar opens for so-called Still Hours before regular operation, and on two evenings a week, the room can be privately booked for an Omakase with up to five guests. Japanese craft objects are also for sale on the shelves, including tea caddies from Kaikado and rotating ceramics from Kyoto.