Confiserie Orientale

A sweet new Turkish shop in Mitte…

Photo by Paul Sullivan

Observant Mitte regulars may have noticed a new Turkish shop appear recently on Linienstrasse, just across the road from popular bar-restaurant Schwarzwaldstuben.

While ‘Turkish shop’ in Berlin traditionally means a new restaurant or imbiss, Confiserie Orientale is about as far away from a run-of-the-mill kebab stall as it’s possible to get. The store sells high quality Turkish Delight (or Lokum, as they’re traditionally known) alongside diverse Marzipan products made with almond, pistachio and fruits.

Before you yawn and let your attention wander, you should know that that these particular sweets are not the sickly, overly saccharine, mass-produced stuff you’ve probably experienced in the past. Nuh-uh – these are hand-made, high-quality confections imported from a world renowned manufacturer in Istanbul called Cemilzade.

Cemilzade has a long and distinguished history. The company was started back in 1883 by Udi Cemil Bey, who as well as being an able confectioner was also allegedly a talented composer, lute player and hafiz (a person who has committed the Koran to memory).

Bey lived and died in Cairo but upon his death, his sons Mehmet Ali and Nurettin returned to Turkey and established a shop in Kadikoy, Istanbul.

Today the company is still run by the same family (third and fourth generations) and Confiserie Orientale is their only official outlet in the whole of Europe. The shop is run by Istanbul-born Berlin intercultural-communicator Sevgi Guerez, who has taken her role as European ambassador for the company seriously, along with Berlin-based designer Claudia Medrow.

Eschewing Oriental kitsch for the upmarket, arty minimalism of her immediate neighbourhood, Medrow has created a space every bit as sophisticated and appealing as the goods on sale, from the subtly whitened floorboards to the furniture she specially commissioned to resemble the 100 year + Istanbul originals.

The main room consists of just a couple of chairs, a white wooden shelf featuring beautifully packaged collections of the Good Stuff and a cabinet-cum-counter that hosts a tiered platter of samples for customers to try out.

The flavourings include rose and almond, mastic and marzipan and it’s a foregone conclusion that you’ll soon be scanning those shelves for something delectable to buy. Fortunately, with prices ranging from a reasonable e4.00 (100g) to e9.50 (250g), you won’t leave entirely bankrupt.

Unless you’re buying something as a gift (ribbon-wrapping available) or want to share your treats around at home, we recommend you take a seat in the adjacent room – equally chic with white wooden tables, the lightest hint of Asiatic kitsch in the gold tiled stripe along the back wall and a long bench with cushions to relax on – and savour your Delights with a cup of authentic Turkish tea (served from a Samovar) or coffee.

Confiserie Orientale

Linienstrasse 113

10115, Mitte

Tel: 030-60 925 957

Open: Tue – Fri 11 – 20, Sat – Sun 11- 18

via Confiserie Orientale | Slow Travel Berlin.