Part of any great travel experience is what you eat, and thankfully Berlin has a wide range of excellent restaurants for you to try, regardless of your budget. Here are some of our favourites, from burger joints and pizza ovens to Michelin-starred fine dining establishments:
You don’t have to leave Berlin to travel the world: the city’s home to an array of cuisines, from traditional German grub to international fusion at W-Der Imbiss
Tommi’s Burger Joint
Having seen off the fast-food big boys in his home country of Iceland, Tommi Tomasson brought his Burger Joint to Berlin in 2014 and it was soon established as a local favourite. Tommi spent more than 30 years working out how to put together the perfect burger and it’s the combination of Scottish Angus beef patties, seedless bun and high quality toppings that make his creations some of the finest examples of the art.
Where: Invalidenstraße 160; £
W-Der Imbiss
For well over a decade, hungry foodies with an eye for fresh, fast and reasonably priced food have headed to Kastanienallee to the W (an upside-down McDonald’s logo) – Der Imbiss. The highlight of the menu is the naan-bread pizza, baked in a tandoori oven and then topped with a range of fresh ingredients. They call this food Indo-Mexi-Cal-Ital, while most of the happy customers simply call it delicious.
Where: Kastanienallee 49; £
Naan-bread pizza: an original and delicious take on Indian and Italian food by W-Der Imbiss
Stranero
Pizza is everywhere in this city, but despite what a delivery boy might tell you, not all pizzas are created equal. Some of the best in the city, with a perfect mix of crust and a range of traditional toppings, can be found at Stranero, in the oft-ignored neighbourhood of Wedding. Something of an insider tip, regulars continue to flock to this welcoming place for the pizza, the wine and the friendly atmosphere.
Where: Liebenwalder Straße 11; £
Regulars continue to flock to Stranero for the pizza, the wine and the friendly atmosphere
Adana Grillhaus
The district of Kreuzberg is famous for many things, not least the mix of locals that, in the words of the Adana Grillhaus owners, were the “Swabian conscientious objectors and Turkish migrant workers” who settled there back when this was West Berlin. More than 30 years on and the Adana remains packed tight with Kreuzbergers of all stripes enjoying the Turkish specialities – especially the meats grilled over charcoal – and ever-friendly service.
Where: Manteuffelstraße 86; ££
Monsieur Vuong is an institution in Berlin, for good reason
Zur letzten Instanz
Berlin’s oldest restaurant began life as a gin mill in 1621 and over the many years has served all sorts of clientele, including Napoleon on his way through the city. Zur letzen Instanz remains a favourite for many Berliners because of its commitment to local cuisine served in its traditional, atmospheric rooms. Try the pork knuckle or meatballs with caper sauce, washed down with a half-litre of local pilsner.
Where: Waisenstraße 14-16; ££
Monsieur Vuong
Monsieur Vuong is an institution in this city for good reason. This is traditional Vietnamese cuisine made with care and fresh ingredients, in a dining room that is decorated in primary colours as bold as the flavours on the plate. They don’t take reservations, which is why you’ll often see queues coming out the door during busy times. But be patient, as the food is certainly worth the wait.
Where: Alte Schönhauser Straße 46; ££
Monsieur Vuong often has queues coming out the door, and for good reason: their traditional Vietnamese dishes are well worth the wait
The Bird
For more than 10 years, this New York-style bar and steakhouse has been serving up meaty treats for the residents of Prenzlauer Berg. The décor at The Bird is bare brick, the atmosphere unpretentious, but it certainly takes its meat seriously, grounding the burger patties of steak-quality beef each morning and importing its corn- and grain-fed Black Angus steaks from the US. Just don’t order your meat well done.
Where: Am Falkplatz 5; ££
Zenkichi
In recent years it feels like there is a Japanese restaurant opening on every corner, as Berliners develop a taste for sushi, sashimi and ramen, but the leader of the pack is Zenkichi. Here, the attention to authentic detail can be felt throughout, from the food to the décor to the imported Japanese tableware. Go for the tasting menu to get the full show – regulars rave about the black cod, pork belly and silken tofu.
Where: Johannisstraße 20; £££
Weinbar Rutz
There was a time when Berlin was regarded as something of a culinary backwater. Not anymore, and one of the pioneers of 21st century fine dining in the city was the stylish and elegant Weinbar Rutz, combining an almost unbelievable wine selection with Michelin-starred cooking from Marco Müller. Regarded as one of the best chefs in Germany, Müller’s tasting menus draw their inspiration from nature and aroma to create an unforgettable dining experience.
Where: Chausseestraße 8; £££
Facil
With two Michelin stars, chef Michael Kempf has created a menu of modern, avant-garde cuisine at Facil that has drawn serious foodies from around the world to the 5th floor of the five-star Mandala Hotel on Potsdamer Platz. There, huge glass windows look out over a bamboo garden. A small number of lucky souls get to taste Kempf’s seasonal menus and the focus is on local products and individual flavours.
Where: Potsdamer Straße 3; £££
Foodies from around the world gather to get a table at modern, avant-garde Facil