Sofi

Conceived in collaboration with Danish chef and restaurateur Frederik Bille Brahe, Sofi embraces the craft tradition of baking on a quest to right some of the wrongs of industrialized food production. Beginning with grains sourced from some of the best small organic farmers in Northern Europe, Sofi’s bakers work to recover and preserve the true flavors of these ancient grains, from the wild, piquant flavors of Emmer to squishy champagne rye. With experience in some of the world’s top bakeries and kitchens, Sofi’s small international team of young bakers works by day in an open-plan production site at the heart of the bakery, where visitors can watch them rolling out dough and working the ovens.

Alongside three rotating bread varieties—a box-fermented, mixed-wheat Berliner Loaf, a rotating Daily Loaf and a Danish-inflected Rugbrød—Sofi offers a selection of loaf cakes, cookies and pastries. These range from flaky cardamon-orange Morning Buns to the Handwerker, a typical Danish cheese bun with whipped butter, as well as chocolate sourdough cake, twice-baked croissants and fresh baked Italian focaccia. Batch-brew coffee, artisanal tea, freshly pressed juice and kombuchas are sourced locally from small manufacturers. Over time, the menu will grow to include breakfast dishes as well as a staff meal-inspired vegetarian lunch from the bread oven. More than a bakery, Sofi aims to be a community hub and a supplier of fresh bread to a selection of Berlin restaurants.

Sofi’s interior was designed by Danish architects Mathias Mentze and Alexander Vedel Ottensten in collaboration with Dreimeta. The vinyl red floor and delicate yellow-hued walls recall the colors of the courtyard, while the bespoke furnishings of solid elm wood with walnut detailing include larger pieces such as an oversized bread rack and communal table and smaller, movable items including stools and benches that were crafted by Rammelisten, a small woodwork studio based just north of Copenhagen.

Colorful glazed ceramics by Studio X, hand-crafted cups by Danish artist Kasper Hesselbjerg, vintage cutlery and a flower collaboration with artist Danh Vo underline the architect duo's detail-oriented approach. A shelf separating the bakery and guest areas displays a range of the team’s favorite products for guests to take home: ceramics, coffee, tea, natural wines and flour from the Danish Kørnby mill.