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*****CLOSED SINCE 30/04 REOPENING DATE UNDETERMINED*****
Tajikistan tearoom is an unexpected slice of central Asia in the midst of Berlin. The tearoom was built as a Tajikistan pavilion at one of the Leipzig trade fairs in the 1970s. After the trade fair ended, the pavilion was donated by the Soviet Republic of Tajikistan to their East German hosts. The pavilion then moved to the first floor of Berlin's Palais am Festungsgraben.
The tearoom's lush interior is decorated entirely in a classical Persian style, with carved wooden pillars and thick Persian carpets. Tea and food are served on low wooden tables which are typical of central Asia. Guests sit on the floor, stretched out on comfortable cushions, and visitors are required to take their shoes off before stepping onto the carpet.
Like the country for which it was named, the Tajikistan tearoom is a place where Persian and Russian cultures mix. An old map of Soviet tourist resorts hangs above the counter. And while the selection of tea is oriental, the food on offer is Russian, and a silver Russian samovar - a metal container used for heating water - sits in one corner.
Found in the dead center of Berlin, yet well hidden from most tourists - the Tajikistan tearoom is an excellent place to get refreshed in the Russian summer.
