R/D is one of the Berlin coffee sceneโs newest faces. Although most cafes in the city seem to be popping up in either Kreuzberg or Neukรถlln, R/D opened its doors in Mitteโs Silicon Allee, a tech startup space, in late June.
Steve Morris, the co-owner and manager of R/D, is also part of the nearby Oslo Kaffebar. Morris began his coffee career back in his native Scotland, where he was a barista until moving to Berlin in 2011. It was here that he dove head-first into the world of coffee, after drinking a cup of Bonanza (then known as Local Heroes) with his girlfriend. It was a sort of epiphany. โWe’d literally never tried anything like it,โ Morris says. โIt was a weird yet wonderful sensation to feel so excited and curious about a cup of coffee. A few weeks later we stopped in their small coffee shop on Oderberger Straรe and it was there that my eyes were opened to the world of exceptional, artisan coffee.โ He joined the Oslo crew shortly after and eventually partnered with the cafeโs founder, Kristian Moldskred, to open R/D.
Opening in Mitte at Silicon Allee isnโt the only defining factor at R/D. The cafe is also unique in its offerings. The menu has coffee, of course, but patrons will also find beer and wine, along with cakes made in-house and buttery croissants driven directly from Paris, all of which match the quality of R/Dโs coffee.
โWhilst beer and coffee are two completely different products,โ Morris says, โthe production of craft beer and specialty coffee is usually the result of passion merged with a commitment to maintaining high-quality standards. Rather than focusing on purely ramping up profitability by any means possible, these people strive to find ingredients of the highest quality and develop their ability to create amazing products, which are merited on how great they taste as well as how environmentally friendly they were to source, farm, ship, and prepare.โ
R/Dโs alcoholic and caffeinated menus meet in the Moonlight Coffeeโa twist on a White Russian cocktail that mixes local vodka and milk with coffee.
R/Dโs interior caters to those looking for a nice place to work. Inspired by Japanese design, the sleek, airy space is adorned with wood and paper. โWe looked at Japanese interior design a lot,โ Morris says. โOur collective obsession with Japanese design stems from [its] approach to tradition and craftsmanship. The use of wood and paper results in a very calming surrounding, which is perfect for creating an environment [where] people can spend a lot of time in practicing, learning, relaxing, and socializing.โ
As for R/Dโs kit-out: โWe love Kees Van Der Westenย espresso machines,โ Morris says. โAt R/D, we have the newest Spirit Triplette. It’s a three-group dream machine that makes brewing amazing espresso very easy for any talented barista. Our grinders are a Mahlkรถnig EK 43 for filter and a Mazzer Kold for espresso, which we’re still having fun experimenting with. It’s developed to help baristas cope with busy coffee environmentsโits grind is incredibly consistent and it’s ultra quick and quiet too.โ
In the future, Morris looks forward to working with his peers in the Berlin coffee community. โWe’ll cooperate with a number of local and international roasteries to host some cool events at R/D,โ he says. โMy business partner, Kristian, lives in Oslo, Norway and has close ties to Tim Wendelboe and Supreme Roastworks. Having those folks in R/D would be a dream come true and it’s something we’ll push for. We’ve had fun brewing their coffees in Berlin for years now so it’ll be amazing to host them in the building.โ
While forthright about most things R/D, Morris was a bit mysterious about the meaning of the cafeโs name, although he did say it echoes “research and development,โ being in Silicon Alee. Some hardscrabble journalism, however, suggests its email address may give us a better idea. R/D indeed.
Tatiana Ernstย (@TatianaErnst) is a Sprudge staff writer based in Los Angeles. Read moreย Tatiana Ernst onย Sprudge.