Happa

"What were your first impressions when you arrived? From the gritty Kreuzberg street, you enter into a bright, warm room with walls the color of salmon—quite the contrast to most dark, moody eateries in these parts. Another room in the back glows in a cheery yellow. Unframed black-and-white portraits of smiling African women dot the walls—photos of Rwandan coffee makers who partner with Happa to supply their (quite delicious) beans, grown and produced entirely by women. It's all a harbinger of the personal, intimate approach taken by this friendly, sustainably minded restaurant. What’s the crowd like? The dinner crowd is by-and-large German, and a little on the older side. They’re here to partake in chef/four-time vegan cookbook author/activist Sophia Hoffmann’s organic, low-waste cooking. There’s a palpable buzz at getting a table—these five-course menus are only served eight times a month. At lunchtime, when there’s a rotating à la carte menu, the crowd reflects more of the surrounding neighborhood: younger and edgier, looking for satisfying food with fair prices. What should we be drinking? Drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, are Happa’s strong suit. There’s a tightly curated list of organic wines by the glass (one sparkling, one white, one rosé, one red), and an equal number of drinks with no booze, like “If It Were Summer Now,” a fresh, flowery combo of elderflower, juniper, bergamot, berries, and tonic. At dinner, go for the beverage pairing; it’s a steal at €26 ($28) for either alcoholic or non-alcoholic options. Main event: the food. Give us the lowdown—especially what not to miss. The all-vegan food is very homestyle Alpine Bavarian, with many dishes adapted from family recipes. Hoffmann sticks to a low-waste approach here, using the entire vegetable from top to root; since opening in November 2022, the Happa team says they’ve saved nearly four tons of food from going to waste. The five-course dinner menus rotate once each season—expect comforting dishes like cabbage rolls with local legumes and Mom’s apple strudel with vanilla sauce—while lunch menus change weekly. And how did the front-of-house folks treat you? Happa employs only female or non-binary staff, all extremely passionate about the restaurant’s mission. While Hoffmann cooks, her co-founder Nina Petersen runs front of house. Before the multicourse dinner, they explain their approach and what diners will see on their plates (in German only, unless requested). What’s the real-real on why we’re coming here? Come for a post-yoga lunch with your friends, or for a laid-back dinner with your environmentally conscious relatives visiting from out-of-town. Happa is far from a traditional fine-dining restaurant, and that’s the point—it’s simply a meal with a strong point of view that you can feel good about eating." - Liz Humphreys