The leaves on the tree in this photo will reveal that I have intended to mention Marietta's for some weeks now; your favorite local cafe/bar is just the sort of thing to keep up your sleeve, in life as in blogging.

I have to say that if on entering you see the front room - dimly lit by a few small candles, lamps, and the light from the generous but north-facing windows, with its soft pale moss retro chairs and black kidney-shaped tables and light lemon walls - is full, then it might be better to go somewhere else. (I find the back room, almost windowless and filled with low-slung brown sofas and chairs, a bit grubby.)

In the front, though, you've got the decor and you've got the windows to watch everyone walk up and down Stargarder Strasse, and you can watch the waiter or waitress potter about behind the bar, and reflect in leisure over whether you'd prefer the toasted Fladenbrot filled with feta, cucumbers and tomatoes or if a simple coffee will suffice you, before going up to the bar to order. The menu is not extensive, though the breakfasts (served all day) are very generous, and there are usually a couple of homemade cakes on the menu (for instance rhubarb streusel or Zopfkuchen), along with a soup, perhaps, and the sandwiches, and the usual nibbles of olives and suchlike. But it is very much a cafe/bar as well, so eating is not mandatory, and it's the perfect place to linger over postcards or just daydreaming. Thanks to complaints from the neighbors they no longer have DJs in the evenings, but the music they play is usually very good.

Marietta's, Stargarder Str. 13 (map)
(Note that the place isn't as ridiculous as its animated website makes it appear.)
Tel. + 49 30 43 72 06 46
Open Mo-Thu 10 am to 2 am, Fri-Sun 10 am to 4 am