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Berlin's city center offers innovative food at restaurants both hip and cozy, trendy and non, at any price point, but don’t expect a quiet meal. Half the fun here is mingling with the crowd and indulging in the see-and-be-seen atmosphere.
Opened in 1913, this former club has a new life as a trendy restaurant serving well-prepared German classics; dine inside amidst the soaring ceilings and peeling walls, or when the weather's nice, outdoors in the lovely courtyard. Try a three-course seasonal menu or opt for tasty flammkuchen, potato rösti, or schnitzel, washed down with a well-mixed signature cocktail such as a Clärchens (tequila, currant, lemon, sugar, and mint).
The name might have you thinking something different, but this is actually a vegetarian fine-dining restaurant that serves fantastic food (it's above what used to be a club called Cookies, owned by a nightlife mogul by the same moniker, now home to an eatery called Crackers); the chef steers away from "easy" vegetarian dishes like pasta and stir-fries and instead focuses on innovative preparations. The entrance, too, is misleading: the only access is via a dingy alley between the Westin Grand Hotel and the Komische Oper next door, but once you're inside the vibe is industrial-chic, and the service is friendly, casual, and fun.
Known for having one of the best breakfasts in Berlin (think avocado toast and toasted brioche with berry preserves), the filtered coffee at Distrikt is far from an afterthought, with beans chosen from some of Europe's top roasteries. Tea lovers aren't left out with a fine selection from Kreuzberg's Companion Coffee & Tea, served up with a scrumptious choice of cakes.
In a clean and modern Scandinavian-styled space done up in woods and light colors, chef Silvio Pfeufer combines local German dishes with global influences (think pike perch served with finger limes and veal tongue with black truffle and parmesan) on his six-course tasting menus; there's also a separate menu for vegetarians. Pair your meal with a fine selection of wines from Austria, France, Italy, and Spain, or opt for their house-made non-alcoholic drink accompaniments.
This lovely restaurant, hidden in a courtyard off a quiet residential street, is both elegant enough for a special occasion and homey enough to be a favorite local haunt. Local ingredients are used whenever possible on the inventive menu, and the restaurant is best known for its slow-cooked meats for two: choose pork or lamb, along with fresh vegetable-focused side dishes.
This cozy Mitte spot has two different spaces: the bustling and sometimes drafty front room with high tables where walk-ins are seated, and a darker, more romantic back room for those who remember to reserve ahead—as you should. The short but well-thought-out menu includes small and large antipasti plates of grilled vegetables, olives, cheeses, and meats, as well as unusual pastas like a tagliatelle with crawfish in a lemon-mint sauce, or one with pine nuts and balsamic-roasted figs. Chestnut-filled ravioli with pears is a favorite in winter. The lunch menu, with an appetizer and a pasta dish for only €8.50, is a great deal, especially for the area.
In the renovated Ehemalige Jüdische Mädchenschule (Old Jewish Girls' School), this deli-style café serves delicious versions of Jewish deli standards along with regularly changing vegetable-based salads and mains. The space, with wood floors and tables and low, deep purple banquettes, is trendier than any traditional deli.
The locavore obsession is taken seriously at this trendy spot that uses only the most local ingredients in the simple but sublime preparations that come from the open kitchen and are served at a long, shared counter. One 10-course menu is served each evening (dietary restrictions can usually be accommodated) and everything—from the bread and butter through several vegetable, meat, and fish courses—is gorgeously presented and delicious.
The perfectly crafted and creative haute cuisine at the Michelin-starred Reinstoff, prepared by renowned chef Daniel Achilles, focuses on both rare and traditional German ingredients but gives them an avant-garde twist and often playful presentations. Diners choose either five-, six-, seven-, eight-, or nine-course menus (à la carte is only by special request), either with or without wine pairings, and the relaxed but professional service and quietly refined atmosphere make this one of the most enjoyable dining experiences in the city. It's expensive but worth it. The wine selection is heavy on European wines.
The narrow, unassuming facade of the only three-Michelin-starred restaurant in Berlin, tucked away on a sleepy stretch of Chausseestrasse, belies the elegant interior and stellar food you'll find inside. "Inspiration" tasting menus of six or eight courses make the most of ingredients like lobster, trout, or veal and combine unusual items like black radishes and mushrooms, or asparagus and wild violets; you can find more casual and heartier fare at the Weinbar downstairs.
Sparsely decorated, with a collection of handmade bowls behind the counter, the focus at this Japanese izakaya is solely on the food; there are just 10 seats around a small counter where you can watch chef Shiori Arai at work. The 11 to 13 exquisitely presented seasonal courses fuse local German ingredients with Japanese technique and can be paired with a small but smart selection of sake for some of the most authentic Japanese cuisine in town.
One of Berlin's original third-wave coffee joints, this tiny café in the heart of Mitte’s gallery district serves up superlative hand-brewed coffees (always served black) and espresso drinks with trendy add-ons like oat milk, alongside a small but tasty selection of baked goods and sandwiches. There's limited indoor seating and laptops are banned, so this is a better place to sit outside when the weather's nice or to get your coffee to go.
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.
This tiny and hip 20-seat eatery serves inspired French cuisine in rotating seven-course menus (with two optional additions) celebrating a mix of seasonal regional and international ingredients. If you can't get a reservation here, try the sister restaurant next door: the larger and slightly more casual 3 Minutes Sur Mer.
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
Tucked into a courtyard behind the bflat jazz club, this elegant restaurant benefits from fresh ingredients, expert cooking, and an enticing exotic tea list. It has a lovely location; the outdoor space is adorned with paper lamps and canopies. You'll find the usual suspects, like fresh summer rolls and skewered meats with peanut sauce, but there are also some excellent original dishes, like the pickled Vietnamese eggplant and the rice "burger" with smoked tofu and lotus root. Brunch is served on the weekends.
The narrow, blink-and-you-miss-it ramen joint Cocolo has had it right for years; the noodle kitchen is packed almost every night of the week and has gained a devoted following—and it doesn't take reservations, so prepare to wait in line. Tasty pork-based broths come in flavors like creamy tonkotsu with pork belly, salty shio with smoked chicken, or rich niboshi shoyu with fish stock, pork, and veggies.
Under the arches of the S-bahn tracks connecting Friedrichstrasse with Hauptbahnhof, Habel am Reichstag seems unassuming from outside, but inside you'll find old Berlin elegance melded with industrial chic: leather banquettes, crystal chandeliers dangling from the arched brick ceilings, and rumbling trains overhead. The no-nonsense waiters serve local classics, like lamb, Wiener schnitzel, weisser Spargel (asparagus), and Knödel (dumplings) with mushrooms and ham. There's a huge wine selection.
This beautiful, wood-paneled restaurant is spacious but almost always crowded. It's located right in the middle of the action at bustling Hackesche Höfe, and a solid place to eat German food while doing some excellent people-watching. The clientele is a fun mix of tourists and locals, which gives the place a vibrant, lively atmosphere; when the weather is good there are tables outside in the courtyard, too.
This popular restaurant, located on the corner of one of Berlin's prettiest streets, serves locally sourced dishes like Brandenburg wild boar, lake trout, or venison on stylish long wooden tables to an equally stylish crowd. The unfussy German standards are favorites with local gallerists and shop owners, and on warm weekend nights the place opens up to the street, beckoning passersby with the cozy sound of clinking glasses and the low hum of conversation.
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