The German capital has become a gourmet metropolis - with a lot of passion and heart and unusual ideas
Having breakfast at Benedict until 10pm. Dine at Coda, where they only serve desserts. Or enjoy classic German cuisine in the form of fine tapas at PeterPaul. Berlin wouldn't be Berlin if it didn't reinvent the world a little bit when it comes to culinary arts. But it's not just exciting restaurants with innovative concepts that have made the metropolis on the Spree a destination of choice for foodies. It's also the variety: from the classic currywurst to international street food to specialty restaurants of every color and nationality - Berlin has everything your heart and stomach could desire. And it's also a great place for fine dining: the German capital now boasts a total of 18 one-star eateries and five two-star restaurants, as well as one three-star gourmet temple.
Star cuisine
Of course, Berlin's starred chefs all have their very own signature - from vegetarian to deconstructive Austrian to Nordic. Fazit, Horváth and Lorenz Adlon Esszimmer, for example, have been awarded two stars in Berlin. Bandol sur Mer, Einsunternull and Restaurant Prism are among the restaurants with one star. And the Rutz in Mitte even has three Michelin stars.
Typical for Berlin is that you can find great restaurants not only in the city center, but actually in all Berlin districts. The app Going Local Berlin helps you discover hot spots of the Berlin way of life - cultural as well as culinary - in Zehlendorf, Friedrichshain and Moabit. Countless kebab stands, including vegan versions, curry sausage stands, and snack bars that reinterpret classics like boulette or knuckle of pork - you'll find it all on almost every street corner. Berlin has long been the kebab and street food capital of the country.
Street Food Thursday at the beautiful Markthalle Neun in Kreuzberg and Street Food Auf Achse on Sundays at the Kulturbrauerei in Prenzlauer Berg are good places to go for guests who like casual indulgence. There, you can stroll from stall to stall and first get a taste of the exciting world of tasty little things. The Arminiusmarkthalle in Moabit, which was built over 130 years ago, is also architecturally unusual and exciting from a culinary point of view, with its many market stalls and gourmet craftsmen. Inside, it almost reminds one a little of a church. It's a great place to stop by for lunch and a stroll.
Which cuisine would you like today?
No matter where you are in Berlin - you will experience how international the city is also in culinary terms. People from all over the world live here and of course they have brought their home cuisines with them - and many chefs, career changers and creative people let you share their cooking skills. So in Berlin you have the free choice between various Asian cuisines, Arabic specialties, Israeli, French, Italian, Spanish, Swabian, Bavarian, Polish restaurants. In addition, there are fine wine taverns as well as the traditional corner pubs, where you can eat from simple good to fine. What is still missing? Cafés for breakfast, beer gardens for sitting outside, microbreweries for beer tasting and weekly markets where you can get all kinds of snacks.
Vegan restaurants
It's also exciting that Berlin has also become a kind of capital for vegan and sustainable cuisine. Especially in Mitte and Prenzlauer Berg you will find many restaurants where the menu is completely free of animal products - or where you at least have a wide choice of vegan dishes. Take a look at Kopps, Lucky Leek or Brammibal's Donuts, for example. And there are also restaurants in Berlin that cook strictly regionally or use rescued food.
Berlin is just a lot of fun with its contrasts, its many trends and its casual, experimental cooking culture. The best thing to do is to let yourself drift and just try the next deli on the corner, where the bagels and freshly squeezed juices look good. Or grab a falafel on the fly. And another time you look for a cool trendy or starred restaurant of your choice, make a reservation and go out for a nice fine dining experience.
Cover image: Summer evening at Ludwigkirchplatz in Wilmersdorf © Visitberlin.de/Dagmar Schwelle
Berlin is exciting at every meter: there is a former airport converted into a leisure area, there is a glass dome of the parliament, there are the memorials of the Berlin Wall and the Holocaust Memorial. Lots of culture and lively neighborhoods. And for refreshments? Currywurst, of course. Or maybe a star restaurant. Anything goes in the capital. Our tips for your Vacation in Berlin.
