Café Tender Buttons

Enjoy exclusive coffee specialties in our Café Tender Buttons on the upper floor of the Kestner Gesellschaft.

Photo: Raimund Zakowski

At the Steintor, there has been a place of gathering and relaxation for some time now, and not only for visitors of the Kestner Gesellschaft. Whether you are enjoying a coffee with a piece of cake, or lunch at the varied (vegan) menu, the open façade with window glass allows you a direct view of the Goseriedeplatz.

The name Tender Buttons comes from the collection of poems of the same name by the American author and art collector Gertrude Stein (1874-1946), which was published in 1914 and is considered a masterpiece of lyrical cubism. The founding of the Kestner Gesellschaft just two years later can also be located in the zeitgeist of the avant-garde. Tender Buttons is divided into three chapters: Objects, Food, and Rooms. The poems deal with the everyday, but Stein's experimental use of language allows for various interpretations, often negotiating the subliminal theme of sexuality. Massimo Giuntoli produced a kind of musical version of Stein's Tender Buttons with his piano soundtrack, which can be heard in the café.

The Tender Buttons Café was initiated by Adam Budak, Director of the Kestner Gesellschaft, and is run by the Café V17 team on workdays. On weekends, the Kestnergesellschaft's own Tenderbuttons Weekendshift takes over. Follow us on Instagram and don't miss out on our delicious specialities. Curious to find out more? Then let us surprise you and drop by!

Opening hours: Tue - Thu, 12 am - 3.30 pm, Fri, 12 am - 4.30 pm, Sat, Sun, 11.30 pm - 5.30 pm, closed on mondays.

Lunch: Tue - Fri, 12 am - 3 pm.

https://www.tenderbuttons.cafe/


Newsletter

Subscribe to our newsletter! We will inform you regularly about our exhibitions, events and digital offers.