REWE — Supermarket in Friedrichshain, Berlin

This is a branch of REWE inside the East Side Mall in Friedrichshain, and the first thing you notice is size: the aisles run long and the shelves carry a wide spread of products, from cheese spread to around a hundred types of beer. It is a full shop rather than a convenience counter, and it sits a short walk from Frankfurter Tor station.

For a midday stop, head to the Picadeli salad bar, a Swedish-style self-serve counter where you build your own bowl. The lunch counter next to it turns out hot food, and the bakery side earns its place with the bread selection in particular. Pick up bread early if you want the full range, since the bakery shelves thin out by mid-morning.

Self-checkout lanes do most of the work here, and they make a quick run for a drink or a snack fast. The bakery items at the self-checkout do not all carry pictures, so you may need a hand matching a code to a loaf. There is seating by the deli area if you want to eat your lunch on the spot.

Prices stay low for what you get, and a normal basket lands somewhere between €10 and €30. The meat and sausage counter is worth timing: it can be covered and put away well before the posted closing time, so arrive earlier in the evening. Pre-packaged meat sits alongside it and costs less.

One thing to plan around: the queues at the staffed lanes grow when only a couple are open. Come for the range and the salad bar, use the self-checkout, and keep the visit simple.