Germany | A Foodie's Guide to the Best Spots in Berlin

Berlin is a unique city with a mish mash of cultures and history, so it comes as no surprise that it's foodie scene follows suit. From classic street food to modern brunches and everything in between, there's something to keep everyone's taste buds happy. Even if you're vegan, you will love eating in Berlin!

Plant filled entrance to House of Small Wonder, Berlin

Berlin's Best Brunch Spot

House of Small Wonder - Surprisingly we only ate out for breakfast on one morning during our time in Berlin, but wow I'm glad we chose House of Small Wonder for it! A beautiful plant filled entrance with this gorgeous spiral staircase leads to a bright, breezy dining space upstairs.

Sunny side up with potato gratin at House of Small Wonder

The menu takes influence from Japan with flavours such as wasabi and miso, and even features vegan sushi. We opted for more classic breakfast dishes - two eggs sunny side up with a deliciously creamy potato gratin and Mediterranean salad was my choice, along with a perfectly made matcha latte. However the homemade biscuit benedict is the must try dish at House of Small Wonder! Crunchy yoghurt biscuits, like savoury scones, are filled with ham and topped with poached eggs and an incredible wasabi hollandaise sauce.

Biscuit benedict at House of Small Wonder in Berlin

They don't take bookings at House of Small Wonder but fortunately we found it pretty quiet when we visited on a Tuesday morning. I believe they get busy at weekends though so be prepared to wait!

Johannisstraße 20, 10117 Berlin

Sour beer at Brewdog Berlin Mitte

Where to drink in Berlin

Brewdog Mitte - Coming from Aberdeenshire, it's hard to ignore a Brewdog sign when you spot it in another country! They've recently opened a brewery and taproom in Berlin but it was their original Mitte bar we visited. An extensive tap list of Brewdog classics features, alongside some German guest beers. I sipped my sour beer in the beer garden out the back surrounded by dogs. Bliss! 


Gordon drinking beer at Cafe am neuen see beer garden

Café Am Neuen See - Speaking of beer gardens, Café am Neuen See in the city's Tiergarten park is a must visit! Set by a lake and surrounded by trees, it's a beautiful location and the perfect place to relax on a sunny afternoon. They serve beer, wine and soft drinks and there are separate restaurants next door too. We actually moved to the restaurant's terrace so I could order an Aperol Spritz - they don't let you take them across to the beer garden!

Aperol Spritz at Cafe am neuen see

Just a word of warning from one innocent little tourist to another - we got a surprise when we stumbled across a lot of nude sunbathers in one part of the park, trying to find Café am Neuen See! Be prepared ;)

Lichtensteinallee 2, 10787 Berlin

Cafe Cinema alleyway Berlin
Street art at Cafe Cinema Berlin

Café Cinema - The location of this casual cinema themed bar is the real reason to visit. Down an unassuming alleyway you'll find a plethora of street art dominating every inch of the walls. Café Cinema's outdoor seating makes the perfect spot to admire it all while sipping on a pint or a crisp G&T. It's only about a 15 minute walk from Brewdog Mitte so you could easily tick these two off in one afternoon.

Rosenthaler Str.39 - 10178 Berlin

Passionfruit caipirinha at Spreegold Berlin

Spreegold - With it's rooftop terrace at Bikini Berlin (a well known shopping/leisure complex) this is an ideal place for a couple of cocktails watching the sun go down. My passionfruit caipirinha was a treat! I also hear it's great for brunch, and with three locations in Berlin you're bound to find a Spreegold easily enough in the city. You should note that the Bikini centre is only a short walk - through the zoo! - from Café am Neuen See, as recommended above.

Spreegold Stores, Budapester Str 50, D-10787 Berlin

The Monkey Bar at 25hrs hotel

Monkey Bar - Also at Bikini Berlin, is the gorgeous Monkey Bar. So called because of it's views over Berlin Zoo's monkey house. Located on the 10th floor of the gorgeous 25 Hours Hotel Bikini Berlin, this bar is a must visit. We made our way here late afternoon and had no issues getting in, however they sometimes close for private events so check their website first.

Rafiki cocktail overlooking Berlin Zoo from the Monkey Bar

The menu is eclectic with a range of classics and more unique mixes, all made with the best quality spirits, fresh fruit and herbs, and homemade ingredients. I went for a Rafiki - a blend of gin, lemon, rhubarb and rosemary - but you know, mostly because it was called Rafiki! I would have opted for the Angry Alpaca if the addition of chili essence didn't scare me off...

Budapester Strasse 40 / 10th floor, 10787 Berlin

Cinnamon sugar and peanut butter fudge from Brammibals donuts
Me sipping a matcha latte at Brammibals Donuts

Best Places to Grab a Coffee in Berlin

Brammibal's donuts - Speciality coffee is served in cute little pink cups in this fully vegan café, and their matcha lattes lived up to my high expectations... but you're really here for the donuts. Vegan donuts. In every flavour imaginable! Gordon kept it classic with a cinnamon sugar dough ring while I went for chocolate peanut fudge, which was unreal by the way! We visited the Potsdamer Platz location but there are 3 Brammibals in total in Berlin.

Alte Potsdamer Straße 7, Potsdamer Platz Arkaden, 10785 Berlin

Iced coffee and pink lemonade from Five Elephant

Five Elephant - For laidback, slightly hipster vibes get yourself to Five Elephant. They roast their own coffee which you can enjoy at either their Kreuzberg or Mitte cafes, where you'll also find the best cheesecake in Berlin. An iced coffee and homemade pink lemonade were exactly what we needed to cool us down in the 30 degree summer heat.

Reichenberger Str 101, 10999 Berlin

Gordon outside Roamers, Berlin
Green tea at Roamers Coffee & Booze

Roamers Coffee & Booze - Imagine you're driving down a dusty Californian highway, and you stumble across a little wooden shack in the desert serving coffee and eggs, a bearded barista playing country music on his beat up guitar... that's Roamers. 

Rustic decor and plants at Roamers Berlin
Coffee at Roamers Berlin

Except it's a rustic, plant filled coffee shop in the middle of Berlin. And the music is actually old school Kings of Leon from the speakers. I could have hung out here all day! Alas, a wee green tea and a latte in a glass later and we were on our way.

"You're only here for a short visit. Don't hurry, don't worry. And be sure to smell the flowers along the way"

Pannierstrasse 64, 12043 Berlin

Pork bao bun at Street food Thursday, Markthalle Neun

Berlin's Street Food Scene

Berlin is big on street food. We ended up tucking into some incredibly tasty dishes from street food stalls every day, which also meant we ate pretty cheaply. If you're there on a Sunday during summer, you have to check out Thai Park - an unofficial pop up Thai street food market in Preußenpark! Unfortunately we weren't there for the weekend but here's a few must try street foods we did sample...

Currywurst and fries from Curry36

Curry36 - Think of German food and sausages will probably be the first thing to come to mind. Currywurst actually originated in Berlin itself, so it's only right that you sample some while you're there! Pork sausage is fried, sliced and topped with a delicious mix of ketchup with curry powder.

Curry36 is one of the best known places to try currywurst in the city and luckily for us there was one in the train station right across from our hotel. They also do a vegan version, which I can highly recommend! The sausage had a different texture of course but tasted just as good as the original. You absolutely have to order some fries with mayo while you're there too! (Unless, you know, vegan...)
Hauptbahnhof, Europaplatz 1, 10557 Berlin
Doner kebab in Berlin

Doner Kebabs -  Did you know kebabs are a big deal in Berlin? I didn't, until I watched this IntAffair video on YouTube! Apparently the doner kebab was invented by Turkish immigrants in Berlin after WW2. I'll confess I can't remember the name of the place we got our kebabs from but it was on a street corner near Alexanderplatz.

We both opted for chicken doner, which was served in a huge, crunchy toasted flatbread and packed full of salad with a spicy hot sauce contrasted by a fresh herb topping. Quick, easy, cheap and absolutely delicious! Mustafa Gemüse Kebab is one of the most popular Turkish grills so check it out if you can, but be prepared to queue.

On just about every street, Berlin

Burgers, beer and cheese fries from Burgermeister
Cheeseburger from Burgermeister in Berlin

Burgermeister - Located in a disused and converted railway toilet (yes, really!) is the greatest burger I've ever had in my life. A classic cheeseburger for me, a bacon cheeseburger and beer for him and a side of ridiculously good cheese fries to share cost us less than 20 euros. Be prepared to queue but don't worry, it's worth it!

Skalitzer Str. 136 · 10999 Berlin

A stall at Markthalle Neun's Street Food Thursday
Momo Nepalese dumplings at Markthalle Neun

Markthalle Neun - For the ultimate street food experience in Berlin, get to Markthalle Neun on a Thursday night! From 5-10pm Street Food Thursday pops up at the market with an eclectic offering of exotic food from all around the globe. 

Mama Shabz stand at Markthalle Neun
Gordon eating dumplings at Markthalle Neun

We tucked into vegan momo (Nepalese dumplings) with a fiery "mint" sauce, takoyaki (Japanese octopus balls), some mochi ice cream balls in all different flavours, pork belly bao buns and Chinese dumplings too! My top tip? Go with an empty stomach!

Chinese dumplings at Markthalle Neun
Heidenpeters Framboise at Markthalle Neun

Keep an eye out for Heidenpeters craft beer bar while you're at the Markthalle. Tucked away in a quiet corner, we took a break from all the eating to enjoy a few beers. I highly recommend the Framboise!

Eisenbahnstr. 42/43, 10997 Berlin-Kreuzberg

Takoyaki octopus balls at Markthalle Neun
Markthalle Neun entrance, Berlin

Without a doubt the German capital was one of the best foodie cities I've visited, and I'm sure we only just scratched the surface. It's one of those places you could visit again and again, and still find something new, but if you're visiting for the first time 4 days in Berlin is ideal. If you have any restaurant recommendations of your own, let us know in the comments below!

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Berlin Foodie Guide

10 comments:

  1. Urgh Burgermeister! That place is an absolute dream. There was also a Vietnamese place in Kreuzberg called Green Rice I went to about once a week when I lived there, such good food!

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    1. ah I had a few Vietnamese places on my list to try but ran out of time!

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  2. Absolutely loved this post! I'll have to definitely keep this in mind when I eventually visit Berlin because those doughnuts look DELISH.

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    1. Glad you enjoyed it! The doughnuts alone are worth the trip ;)

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  3. I shall have to add these to my 'to try list' as I've been to Berlin twice but only had the Doner Kebabs! If you ever go back I highly recommend booking a few of these... http://squibbvicious.com/2017/05/where-to-eat-in-2/ :) xx

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    1. ooh that brunch at Silo looks amazing! Thank you! x

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  4. cage cinema looks amazing! i've been to berlin and I remeber I loved everywhere I went to eat or drink<3 beautiful city!

    Cate ღ 35mm in Style

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    1. I feel like the city is so big we could easily find another 100 places for this list!

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  5. We went to the House of Small Wonder too and WOW it was amazing! Such nice idea to have the Japanese flavours :)

    Love,
    K | www.ginandbiscuits.co.uk

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    1. It's so good right?! I was worried it was one of those places that just looks good on Instagram but glad the food lived up to expectations as well :)

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