Cafe Sibylle has been serving the proletariat hot coffee and homemade cake for over 50 years. Originally known as the Milchtrinkhalle, this cafe was one of the first eateries established along the newly christened Stalinallee and a watering hole for residents of the monumental “workers’ palaces.” The avenue was renamed after Stalin fell out of favor, but the cafe continued to be a popular spot to enjoy an ice cream while watching the tanks roll by on East Berlin’s annual May Day parades.

The parades down Karl-Marx-Allee are now made up of sightseers instead of T-34’s, but the cafe remains a neighborhood favorite. Now showcasing a small museum of communist-era relics, Sibylle also displays information about the avenue’s history, the building of the apartment blocks and daily life in East Germany. Stop by for a hot drink with some sweet confection or procure a replica of Stalin’s ear for your desk.