On June 16, 2025, Be an Angel e.V. proudly received first place in the S-Bahn Berlin and Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg (VBB) Environmental and Social Project Award. The jury selected Meet & Eat as the winning initiative, granting €10,000 in support to continue fostering dialogue and cultural exchange in Berlin. This recognition is more than just a financial contribution—it is a public acknowledgment of how powerful shared meals can be in building bridges between communities.
Berlin is a city of encounters, shaped by history, migration, and diversity. Yet, tensions and prejudices still exist, especially toward young refugees arriving from conflict zones. Meet & Eat responds to these challenges by creating a safe and inspiring space where refugee teenagers and Berlin youth cook, eat, and talk together. It is in these conversations—between pots of simmering spices and plates shared at long wooden tables—that real understanding begins.
Launched by Be an Angel in 2019 and relaunched in response to rising xenophobia, Meet & Eat takes place in the restaurant Kreuzberger Himmel, in Berlin’s Yorckstraße. The restaurant, itself a symbol of integration and resilience, is operated by a team of refugees from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Iran. With capacity for 90 guests, Kreuzberger Himmel has become a hub where cultures meet beyond bureaucracy, politics, or charity stereotypes.
Every Monday, when the restaurant is closed to the public, up to 25 teenagers gather in the kitchen and dining room. Groups of three to five refugee hosts—often young people themselves—plan a menu inspired by their home countries. Together with Berlin participants, they prepare starters, main dishes, and desserts under the guidance of a professional chef.
The cooking is only the beginning. After the meal, conversations unfold around a chosen theme. Sometimes it is lighthearted, such as Iraqi pop music. Other times it touches on deeply personal and controversial issues: the meaning of family, the hijab, sexuality, or the painful realities of racism. Nothing is off the table, and the dialogue is moderated not by teachers or officials, but by peers who share their own stories.
Food has always been more than nourishment. It is memory, identity, and connection. Across cultures, the act of eating together has symbolized trust and belonging. By placing food at the center of dialogue, Meet & Eat disarms prejudice and opens pathways to authentic conversations.
For young refugees, this is a chance to present their culture with pride, rather than being defined solely by displacement. They become hosts, teachers, and storytellers. For Berlin teenagers, it is an opportunity to look beyond headlines or stereotypes and connect with peers as equals. Together, they discover that integration is not a one-way street but a shared journey.
Founded in 2015 at the height of the refugee crisis, Be an Angel e.V. has been supporting refugees from the first day of arrival. What began with emergency aid—medicine, housing, food—has grown into holistic support: from asylum procedures and school enrollment to vocational training and cultural integration. The organization has always worked on equal footing, rejecting charity narratives in favor of partnership and empowerment.
The opening of Kreuzberger Himmel in 2018 was a milestone. The restaurant created jobs, introduced Berliners to Middle Eastern cuisine, and served as a platform for authentic encounters. Meet & Eat emerged naturally from this environment, turning the restaurant into a classroom without walls.
