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Although Grossberg had been living in Sommerhausen since 1921, he always considered himself a Berlin artist. In 1926, he signed a three-year contract with Karl Nierendorf, a gallery owner in Berlin, and in 1929 he joined the Verein Berliner Künstler (Berlin Artists' Association). In Sommerhausen, however, he never really seemed to fit in.

During his time in the capital, he produced numerous watercolours, including the present sheet, 'Café Berlin'. The scene consists of several elements, with the viewer being assigned a fixed place: we are seated at the front of the table, facing a woman and a child. This is likely to be Tilde Grossberg and her daughter Eva. The café is slightly elevated, and on the left a balustrade curves past the tables, separating the different areas of the picture. In the background, there is a construction site with a high-rise building that is probably being demolished. Part of the brick-coloured façade is still standing, while in other parts only the steel skeleton of the building's core remains.

The Berlin watercolours clearly demonstrate the importance of colour to Grossberg. Unlike his paintings, which often feature very precise, cool brushstrokes, here he uses the painting materials more freely, experimenting with the possibilities of thin watercolour paint. The underlying brushstrokes and contours always remain clear and precise.