Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Berlin long weekend

pixie,

so it's Berlin and not the Baltic Sea, I suppose!

Regarding travel: Being a European resident, I am not eligible for and thus unfamiliar with the Eurail Passes. However, having taken a look at their website, the ICE trains are listed under "featured trains". I guess there's hope! I also hope somebody with true expertise will join in on this here.
Just FYI: The regular one-way fare on Deutsche Bahn's Berlin-Hamburg route would be EUR 58.00.

Regarding accommodation: In general I think there are three sections of Berlin that are attractive for tourists:

Charlottenburg is the center of West Berlin around Kurfuerstendamm. While busy, it does have a grown neighbourhood feeling about it, particularly prevalent in the side streets.

Mitte is the center of East Berlin. It is indeed, as suggested by Seamus, bustling with tourists, high-end shopping has popped up around Friedrichstr. and Unter den Linden.

Potsdamer Platz is in bewtween the two areas mentioned before. It was formerly located smack- dab in the center of the death strip separating the two city halves and has been erected from scratch. It still has an artificial feel about it, but is interesting IMHO.

If you would indicate an approximate budget for hotels, I might have some suggestions for places worth looking into.

A place I keep recommending is the Radisson SAS, a newly built and modernly designed 4* in Mitte. It is close to Museum Island and the hip area around Hackesche Hoefe. You can often book it at EUR 99.00 (prepaid HotDeal rate) through their website - and it's a steal at that. I don't think it is worth the EUR 180.00 they are otherwise frequently asking.

If money's no object, the Grand Hyatt on Potsdamer Platz has been voted Hyatt International's best hotel - and for a reason. The decor is modern and not stuffy as one would expect in other Grand Hotels. The bathrooms are huge with separate shower and bathtub and also separate WCs. Their rooftop health club sporting a pool, saunas and work-out facilities is state-of-the-art and has views over West Berlin.

For bars, a lot would depend on where you are staying as the city comprises a vast area.

In Charlottenburg, I like Bar Hefner on Svignyplatz (Kantstr.).

In Mitte, there is the (for Berlin outrageously expensive) Newton Bar on Gendarmenmarkt - or look into Oranienburger Str., lots of a bit more low-key hang-outs.

For restaurants, I shall repeat some of my recommendations of a few favourites of mine, which I just recently listed on another thread here. But again, which ones you frequent would likely depend on where you are staying in the city:

Should you be staying in Mitte or East of that:

Lutter & Wegner has several outfits all over town (please note that the one on Schlüterstr. is peculiarly not associated with the rest of them) and is expanding nationwide. Even though they have formed a mini-chain, it is far from bad. The location on Gendarmenmarkt is the one I like best. The fare is a mixture of refined German and Austrian. They are also known for their wines (for which they are also a retailer).

http://www.lutter-wegner-gendarmenmarkt.de/

Gugelhof is a rustic Alsatian place in the hip neighbourhood of Prenzlauer Berg. Bill Clinton dined here once with former chancellor Schroeder, which is how the place got some notoriety. Still, the food is quite good and I like its atmosphere.

http://www.gugelhof.de/start_englisch.html

Bocca di Bacco on Friedrichstr. is an excellent choice for Italian fare, but it comes at a price. The quality is good, though.

http://www.boccadibacco.de/eng/index.html

Aigner is the restaurant of the Dorint Sofitel Hotel on Gendarmenmarkt. It also serves some Austrian style cuisine, is fairly reasonably priced and has pleasant surroundings.

http://www.aigner-gendarmenmarkt.de/...en/index2.html

Borchardt is the preferred hang-out for Berlin's in-scene. It features French to (again) Austrian style cuisine and has a nice courtyard. It is located just off Gendarmenmarkt on Französische Str. no. 47.

Pan Asia is a stylish cross-over Asian place. The seats aren't the most comfortable, but the food is good - and it is located in the stylish and hip shopping area of Hackesche Hoefe. Look for the red sign a bit reminiscent of the former Pan-Am logo.

http://www.panasia.de/restaur/restaur1.htm

Monsieur Vuong is still all the rage and does not take reservations. The menu is small (really small) but the Vietnamese dishes are said to be authentic. Located on Alte Schönhauser Str. no. 46.

http://www.monsieurvuong.de/mvweb/en/index_main.html

Should you be staying in Charlottenburg:

Meinrad is located on Wielandstr. no. 38 nearby Schlüterstr. It has a rather unspectacular design, but its Austrian food (a style of cuisine that is white hot currently in Berlin) is very well prepared and comes at affordable prices. It has received rave reviews recently and I find it recommendable.

Nu is a stylish Pan-Asian eatery on Schlüterstr - and Charlottenburg's equivalent to the aforementioned Pan-Asia in Mitte. The interior design is notable for its Manga-cartoon style and much more intimate than Pan-Asia in Hackesche Hoefe. The food is interesting and well prepared. Prices are reasonable.

Tapas is located just off Savignyplatz on Grolmanstr. no. 52. and offers just what its name suggests. Nothing fancy, but nice for what it is.

Ottenthal is located on Kantstr. near the Berlin outfit of Stilwerk, an interior design shopping mall.
The cuisine is Austrian, too, and quite good.

http://www.ottenthal.com/start_restaurant.html

Should you be staying at Potsdamer Platz:

Diekmann im Weinhaus Huth is set in the only older building in the area and offers French inspired cuisine and a good wine list. Their original outfit, BTW, is located in Charlottenburg on Meinekestr. no. 7, which is quite good, too, and offers a refuge from other tourists, as it is mostly frequented by a local crowd (not valid for the outfit on Potsdamer Platz). The Charlottenburg location is slightly more expensive, though.

http://www.j-diekmann.de/restaurant_...tz/index1.html

Vox is the Grand Hyatt's hotel restaurant and offers Asian influenced cuisine prepared in an open show kitchen and served in a slightly sterile environment. Pricey. However, the Hyatt also has a Bistro Dietrich facing out to the Musical Theater on Potsdamer Platz which offers nice lunch specials. A jolly good club-sandwich or burger plus cold beverage and a cup of coffee will set you back only around EUR 9.00 at lunch time.