A Rustic Modern Hangout in Berlin

A find from LA designer and world traveler, Cynthia Carlson: Lokal in Mitte, Berlin.

German cafe owner Maren Thimm and her American partner, Gary Hoopengardner, had initially set up a temporary restaurant called Kantine in the courtyard of British architect David Chipperfield’s Berlin office (with the promise that Chipperfield could always get a seat). Then Chipperfield received permission to build on his firm’s lot, so the couple took Kantine’s floorboards with them and opened Lokal, a permanent cantine serving locally sourced ingredients.

Photography by Cynthia Carlson, except where noted.

Above: Mismatched chairs at a recycled wood table made by German architect Katja Buchholz. Photograph via Lost in Cheeseland.

Above: The painted tabletop. For variations on this theme, see 5 Favorites: Tables Transformed by Stencils.

Above: Tapered glass pendant lights hang over more tables designed by Buchholz. Hoopengardner himself finished the whitewashed walls and stone flooring and painted a group of chairs white.

Above: Open shelves behind the counter display Lokal’s own preserves.

Above: Pink tulips paired with spindly branches. Photograph via Foodie in Berlin.

Above: For big groups, tables are pushed together and neatly surrounded by white chairs. Photograph via Lost in Cheeseland.

Above: Live piano music, which had been a popular feature at Kantine, has carried over to Lokal, where an alcove is just big enough for an upright.

Above: Mismatched chairs lend a casual note. Photograph via Foodie in Berlin.

Above: Fur throws and candles add warmth. For more information, go to Lokal. Photograph via Foodie in Berlin. 

If you like the look of Lokal, see our Reclaimed Wood archive, and for similar chairs, consider The Windsor Chair Revisited. Heading to Germany? Allow our City Guides to lead the way.

N.B.: This post is an update; the original story ran on October 11, 2012, in our Oktoberfest issue.