Would appreciate restaurant suggestions for two nights in Berlin - one with a view of the city and another within walking to the Philharmonic near Potsdamer Plz.

For a pre-symphony meal I would recommend Facil, or Lutter & Wegner. A little further a way is Quadriga inside the Brandenburger Hof.

For a view of the city, there is a brewhouse on top of a building at the Sony Center, or at the Fernsehturm (TV tower). Not great food but good views.

For restaurants in Potsdamerplatz:

1. Facil: high end mediterranean cuisine with one Michelin star on the fifth floor of Hotel Mandala. The center glass roof can slide open to allow dinner guests to enjoy the stars (al forno dining). Food & service are good and high end, but yet not super impressive.

2. Diekmann in Weinhaus Huth: decent refined german food fare. Nice personalized service.

3. Lutter & Wegner between Sony center & the Ritz Carlton, one of my favorites, elevated german bistro cooking. I usually go for the special dishes of the day.

4. Momseneck: lower priced standard german fare with classic german dishes. No table cloth. A couple doors down from the Arkade shopping mall, neighbor of Diekman.

I personally don't like eating inside the Sony center which is an overcrowded overdone tourist central and enclosed modern courtyard with too much electronic artificial gizmo, it makes me feel like I'm in Tokyo.

For a high end restaurant with a view:
Hugo's at the Intercontinental Hotel, famous chef with one michelin star

I totally agree with DAX's recommendations.

For a view, I would add Käfer on top of the Reichstag. If you have a reservation number you bypass the line in front of the Reichstag and you enjoy gorgeous views (most spectacular at night). Decent food, refined German fare.
http://www.feinkost-kaefer.de/ht_de/...lin/berlin.php

If you want go top-notch, however, my vote goes for Hugo's.

An insider's tip is lunch at Fischer's Fritz (Gendarmenmarkt, in the Regent hotel). 2 Michelin-star cuisine at 39 Euros for a fabulous five-course meal. (For dinner, however, you lose a fortune.)
www.fischersfritzberlin.com

I second Traveller's recommendation of Fischers Fritz even though it's in Gendarmenmarkt (10 euro by taxi to the Philharmonic). Dinner cost & food quality are comparable to Facil, however the service is more formal & better so dress accordingly . It is a bit more rigid & traditional in a good way and also more of a seafood restaurant. The name comes from a tongue breaker: Fischers Fritz fisches frescher Fisch which is easily translated into English by removing all the letters c.