History

Berlin's Kartoffelsalat tradition diverges sharply from southern German versions: the Berlin form uses no mayonnaise, instead dressing waxy potatoes with hot stock and vinegar while still warm so they absorb the dressing. The technique dates to 19th-century Prussian kitchens and remains the orthodox Berlin Imbiss accompaniment for Buletten, Currywurst and Schnitzel. The Charlottenburg-style adds chopped pickles; the working-class East Berlin variant skips them. Borchardt and Lutter und Wegner serve the cucumber-potato variant (Gurkenkartoffelsalat) with their Schnitzel; bakeries and butchers sell take-away tubs daily.

Common allergens: Mustard

Make it at home

Yield Serves 4Hands-on 15 minTotal 45 minDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 800g waxy potatoes (Sieglinde or similar), boiled in their skins until tender
  • 200ml hot chicken or vegetable stock
  • 60ml white wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 medium white onion, finely chopped
  • 3 tablespoons sunflower oil, salt, freshly ground black pepper
  • Optional: 2 gherkins finely chopped, 1 tablespoon chopped chives

Method

  1. Boil the potatoes whole in their skins 20 to 25 minutes until just tender; drain.
  2. While still warm, peel and slice into 5mm rounds. Spread in a wide bowl.
  3. Whisk the hot stock, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper.
  4. Pour the warm dressing over the warm potatoes, gently toss, let stand 5 minutes for absorption.
  5. Stir in the chopped onion and oil. Rest at room temperature 15 minutes minimum (better at 30) before serving.
  6. Optional: fold in chopped gherkins and chives at the end. Serve at room temperature, never cold from the fridge.

Tip from the editors. Slice the potatoes warm, not cold; warm potatoes absorb dressing, cold ones repel it.

This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.

Where to eat kartoffelsalat

Kartoffelsalat in Berlin

Borchardt ★ 4.3

Berlin brasserie€€€mitte

Borchardt on Berlin's Franzoesische Strasse has cooked the city's reference Wiener Schnitzel since 1992; the 1850s dining room runs 200 covers and a political lunch.

Signature: Wiener Schnitzel, Kalbsleber

Order: The Wiener Schnitzel with potato salad; the calf's liver Berlin-style is the long-running second pick.

Tip: Lunch from 12:00 is easier than dinner. Book four weeks ahead by phone.

Franzoesische Strasse 47, 10117 Berlin

Lutter und Wegner ★ 4.2

Berlin brasserie€€€mitte

Lutter und Wegner on Berlin's Gendarmenmarkt has cooked traditional Wiener Schnitzel since 1811; the wood-panelled room runs Sunday classics and the long lunch.

Signature: Wiener Schnitzel, Sauerbraten

Order: The Wiener Schnitzel with cucumber-potato salad; the Berlin sauerbraten in winter.

Tip: Sunday lunch from 12:00 is the easier seating than weekday dinner. Book two weeks ahead by phone.

Charlottenstrasse 56, 10117 Berlin

Henne ★ 4.4

kreuzbergUntil 23:00, kitchen closes 22:00

Henne Alt-Berliner Wirtshaus in Kreuzberg runs its single dish, a half-roasted milk-fed chicken with kraut salad and rye bread, through the evening. The 1907 room is the most atmospheric late dinner in Berlin.

Try: Half a milk-fed roast chicken with kraut salad

Leuschnerdamm 25, 10999 Berlin

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