8 Best Restaurants in Berlin, Germany
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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.
Estelle Dining
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.
Markthalle Neun
Thanks to the efforts of local activists, this century-old market hall was saved from becoming a chain supermarket and instead turned into a center for local food vendors, chefs, wine dealers, and brewers. From Monday to Saturday, a large and rotating variety of food and drink is on offer for lunch and all afternoon; Tuesday to Saturday finds the weekly market with tempting food products for sale, from fruits and vegetables to bread and fish (with an expanded market on Friday and Saturday); and the space also hosts a dazzling array of rotating events, so it's best to check what's on before heading there.
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Beba at Gropius Bau
Anchored by an indoor vertical garden filled with vegetables and herbs used in many of its dishes, this casual eatery inside the Gropius Bau museum focuses on ancient Jewish recipes from around the world. Choose from a selection of organic vegetable-forward mezzes including labneh (strained yogurt) with challah bread, cauliflower with herbed tahini, and zucchini latkes, finished off with tasty cakes baked by renowned Berlin pâtissière Cynthia Barcomi.
Fine Bagels
Located inside the bookshop Shakespeare & Sons, Fine Bagels is their in-house coffee shop and bakery. They serve hand-rolled and boiled New York–style bagels (don't miss the Zaatar-spiced bagel) and other traditional Jewish pastries, breads, and cakes.
Jones Ice Cream
In her airy, brick-walled shop, ice cream maker extraordinaire Gabrielle Jones whips up small batch ice cream, sorbet, and frozen yogurt in tempting flavors like lemon and blueberry jam, whiskey and pecan, peanut butter and glazed bacon, matcha and white chocolate, and salted butter caramel.
Malafemmena
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.
Rosenthaler Grill und Schlemmerbuffet
Döner kebab aficionados love this bright, casual spot for the delicious food—the fact that it's in the middle of the city and open 24 hours a day is an added bonus. The friendly staff expertly carve paper-thin slices of perfectly cooked meat from the enormous, revolving spit; if you like things spicy, ask for the red sauce.