PlanetEye

I must admit I’m not the world’s biggest fan of KaDeWe (pronounced Car-Dee-Vee). I know that the Kaufhaus Des Westens has the reputation for being THE big department store here, the one where every visiting American would run to to grab those tax-free bargins before their return flights. I know that in the hey-day of the early department stores, when Macy’s in NY and Galeries Lafayette in Paris were huge and unique and something worth trekking to, then KaDeWe held it’s own. But now? With all the other mega stores around the place does KaDeWe have much outside the usual to offer?

Well there are in fact a few specialties, and not just for those with pockets lined in gold who can afford to browse the designer labels. I’m talking about the food level. Here you can find a couple of American food brands tucked away in a corner near the fish. It’s where I sneak too whenever a Reese’s Pieces crave gets too much for me to fight, or an expat has put me on pumpkin pie duty for their Thanksgiving celebration. 

For the English, it stocks Christmas Puddings and marmalade. And, a tip from me – when you’ve given up on ever finding some really thick cream in this country, go over to the dairy section, scrape your pennies together and grab yourself a little jar of clotted cream. They have it, and sometimes your freshly baked scones deserve the best, especially if a little bit of homesickness has struck.

One final suggestion, and this straight from the lips of a Frenchman I dined with the other night: the oyster bar on the food floor has the best oysters in the city. So if you’re looking for a little action, maybe cruise your date through KaDeWe to get the evening rolling.