With a couple of chores completed on a cold Berlin January morning, and compacted snow crunching underfoot, I switched on HappyCow and headed for the nearest eatery. The Sanctuary sounded ideal: a vegan Italian patisserie, just nearby in Mitte, offering a balanced mix of sweet and savoury delights.
Walking inside I was momentarily speechless at the array of treats in front of me. Vegan options in Berlin are easy to find, but this felt overwhelmingly special. I chose a takeaway box of four pastries, picking a mix of sweet and savoury.
The savoury options – a cheese and ham croissant and an aubergine parmigiana pizzetta – were exceptional. The pastry was perfectly crisp, while the fillings were soft, rich and flavourful. I particularly loved the aubergine, with its deep, tomato-filled crust topped with a sprinkling of baked vegan mozzarella.
The sweet offerings were equally indulgent. A plant-based cannolo siciliano was a rare treat: a crisp, bubbly tube filled with soft, whipped custard. The pistachio cream doughnut was a delight too – split down the middle, filled with layers of light and dark crème pâtissière and topped with crushed pistachios.
Drawn in by the smells and warmth more than I expected, I lingered over a frothy oat latte in the small but perfectly Berlin-cool café section. Sufficiently revived, I then wrapped up and stomped back out into the winter frost.
Bardo Burner 