Brut is the first French Hessian-Vesper bar in Berlin. Where a lot of the bars in Berlin don’t open until 8pm this is an early bird, opening its doors at 6pm, which is nifty because it gets so busy that you’ll want to rock up ASAP in order to get a perch. This place is pretty small and serves up incredible sharing plates of German cured meats, select French cheeses and crackling sourdough prepared by local, boutique bakeries… delish.

Heavy wooden benches are cushioned with folded, tartan blankets for comfort, giving this relatively small bar a more countrified atmosphere than Berlin’s used to. They don’t do cocktails but what they do have is a seriously impressive wine list with bottles from small French vineyards as well as Germany’s own burgeoning wine industry.

Because these guys serve food you can’t smoke inside, which is refreshing in a city of grey smog. Eat cheese and drink wine pausing only for slices of German sausage, don’t mind if we do.