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Berlin has plenty of unassuming neighborhood restaurants serving old-fashioned German food but happily, the dining scene in this thriving city has expanded to incorporate all sorts of international cuisine, as well as healthier, more contemporary versions of the German classics.
As in many other destinations around the world, eating locally sourced and organic food is more and more the rage in Berlin. Restaurants now understand that although they could import ingredients from other European countries, there are plenty of fresh farm resources closer to home. Look for the name Brandenburg, for instance, before Ente (duck) or Schwein (pork) on a menu–-it's the rural area just outside of Berlin. In spring, definitely look for the weisser Spargel, white asparagus from nearby Beelitz, which is all the rage, showing up as a main course with a variety of sauces, in pastas, soups, and even desserts.
When it comes to international cuisine, Berlin options run the gamut. Italian food is abundant, from relatively mundane pizza and pasta establishments to restaurants offering specific regional Italian delicacies. Asian restaurants, in particular, are popular, as is Turkish food, especially the beloved döner shops selling pressed lamb or chicken in flat-bread pockets with a variety of sauces and salads—always great for a quick meal, and a perennial late-night favorite. Wurst, especially Currywurst—curry-flavored pork sausage served with a mild curry ketchup—is also popular if you're looking for a quick meal on the go.
Old-fashioned German and especially Berlin cuisine is getting harder to find these days, as most restaurants aim to attract customers by reinventing the classics in the so-called Neue Deutsche Küche (new German cuisine) movement. But real, old Berlin classics are still lurking around town if you know where to look. Berlin's most traditional four-part meal is Eisbein (pork knuckle), always served with sauerkraut, pureed peas, and boiled potatoes. Other old-fashioned Berlin dishes include Rouladen (rolled, stuffed beef), Spanferkel (suckling pig), Berliner Schüsselsülze (potted meat in aspic), Hackepeter (ground beef), and Berliner Leber (calves' liver with cooked apples and onions).
Weekend brunch buffets are popular in Berlin and restaurants all over the city get crowded with patrons lingering over the meals.
It's worth noting that Berlin is known for its curt, slow service, except at high-end restaurants. Also keep in mind that many of the top restaurants are closed Sunday, and sometimes Monday as well.
Though Berlin’s awash in Neapolitan pizza places, this sweet neighborhood spot bucks the trend with innovative topping combinations on a soft yet chewy sourdough crust. Sophisticated seasonal pizzas, such as charred broccoli and buffalo mozzarella or bacon with cauliflower and Swiss chard, please kids and adults alike, while the fine selection of cocktails, wine, and beer gives the adults even more to appreciate.
By day, this is a quiet café reminiscent of a classic Viennese coffeehouse (the name means \"Old Europe\"), with shabby but trendy decor, and fashionable Mitte-ites chatting and paging through newspapers and magazines. At night, it turns into a comfortable but bustling neighborhood pub serving classic Berlin dishes, just crowded enough to look like a scene but never too packed.
The menu changes daily at this celebrity meeting place—the location near Gendarmenmarkt makes it a popular power lunch spot for politicians and influential people, though the food and service are not what you'd expect from the high prices. The setting is wonderful, though, with high ceilings, plush maroon benches, marble columns, and an Art Nouveau mosaic that was discovered during renovations. The cuisine is French-German and there are generally several fish dishes and oyster choices on the menu, as well as carnivore classics like veal schnitzel or beef fillet. The courtyard garden is lively in warm weather
In the grand Berlin tradition of reinventing historical spaces, this lovely wine bar and Italian restaurant has taken over a former stamp shop (“Briefmarken” means “stamps” in German) on beautiful Karl-Marx-Allee; you can pick a regional Italian wine off the shelves (also preserved from the stamp-selling days) or leaf through the extensive list. Accompany your choice with antipasti like fresh mozzarella with speck, broccoli rabe, and marinated artichokes, or one of the daily menu of fresh pastas.
Within view (and earshot) of the elevated U1 line, Café Morgenland is a relatively unremarkable neighborhood haunt on weekdays but on weekends it devotes an entire room to the extremely popular brunch buffet, which means table space can be scarce. The Turkish-inspired dishes (an ode to the home country of many a Kreuzberg native) are a delicious alternative to the more traditional brunches served elsewhere in Berlin.
There are plenty of places in Wedding for a quick falafel or döner but if you're looking for something different, head to Café Pförtner, at the entrance to the Uferhallen on the Panke canal. The squat, brick café space may be small, but Pförtner makes good use of what there is, adding long tables out front in good weather and, in a nod to the Uferhallen's previous incarnation as a BVG garage, turning a brightly painted bus into a dining area next door.
In a city full of Turkish restaurants, Defne stands out for its exquisitely prepared food, friendly service, and pleasant setting. Beyond simple kebabs, the fresh and healthy menu here includes a selection of hard-to-find fish dishes from the Bosphorus, such as acili ahtapot (spicy octopus served with mushrooms and olives in a white-wine-and-tomato sauce), as well as delicious meze and typical Turkish dishes like \"the Imam Fainted,\" stuffed eggplant with tomatoes, peppers, onions, mushrooms, and pine nuts.
The menu is all about meat, of course, with several beef cuts available from the grill---tenderloin, rib eye, or entrecote---along with lamb chops, chicken, and sometimes a Berlin-style calves' liver (with apple, onion, and potato puree). The burgers are popular, too. Service can be slow and sometimes brusque.
In a city that's unfortunately full of mediocre pseudo-Asian restaurants that serve bland versions of curries, noodles, and rice dishes, Hot Spot stands out for its daring and authenticity. The menu features recipes from the provinces of Sichuan, Jiangsu, and Shanghai, and the freshest ingredients are guaranteed; mala dishes (numbing and spicy) are a specialty here, and the excellent selection of German wines—particularly Riesling—goes well with the spicy food.
This Dutch Quarter restaurant captures the essence of old-world France with its rustic decor and bistro classics, including Breton-style fish soup and coq au vin. The small outdoor area is the perfect spot to people-watch and enjoy a glass of wine on a sunny afternoon.
Venture to Schöenberg's far southern reaches to find one of the most talked-about pizza-focused Italian joints in Berlin (there's a second location in Prenzlauer Berg), which serves up Neapolitan-style pizza along with tempting appetizers such as eggplant in tomato sauce with Parmesan and arancini (stuffed rice balls). There's a lovely outdoor terrace that attracts a young, lively crowd when the weather's nice.
In a city where it seems as if 10 new restaurants open every day, this Spanish and Portuguese tapas spot has been spared much of the hype, but that's a good thing: Marqués serves high-end, inventive food and Mediterranean wines, without pretension. The menu is extensive, so talk it over with friendly staff, who will advise and serve you delights like sizzling plates of chorizo, and salted, fried pimientos de padron, the small, green, Spanish peppers. To sate a larger appetite, try the beef fillets or pasta with mixed seafood—a rarity in land-locked Berlin. The cocktail bar in the basement serves stellar creations.
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