I'll admit: When I first saw Café Kollwitz, I thought to myself: Aha, a café... here? It's rather reserved from the outside – almost as if it didn't want to be discovered. A good tactic, because once you've been in, you'll be back. And again. And again.
Inside, it's really cozy. Candles, lovingly decorated corners, a bit of a living room vibe – especially on gray autumn days, you just want to sit down, order a tea, and pretend you never have appointments again.
The cakes? Dangerously good. And vegan and gluten-free – which you can't taste (which is a compliment in this case). I've even heard guests ask, surprised, after the third bite: "What, that's vegan?!"
The drink selection is fantastic! From chai latte to hot chocolate to refreshing iced tea – they've got it all. I don't drink coffee, but my friends swear by it. And if there's no swan-shaped milk foam, oat milk is free. Water too. You hardly see that anymore.
But the real star here isn't the cake. Not the coffee. Not even the stylish interior. It's the people.
Chris, the owner, who greets guests with a smile, occasionally plays the ukulele, or has a joke ready. And Nina, who, with genuine enthusiasm and genuine warmth, does everything she can to make you feel welcome. You rarely find such hosts in Leipzig's café scene.
And then there's Nala – the fluffy Australian Shepherd, who greets everyone with a look that says, "You're welcome – and if you give me some of the cake, you'll be even more welcome." She patrols the shop in a friendly manner, requests petting, and probably knows more regulars than Chris himself.
The bottom line: Café Kollwitz is more than a café. It's a place where you leave not only full, but also somehow satisfied – sometimes with cake, sometimes with dog fur on your pants, but always in a good mood.
Definitely go!