The counters in Berlin worth queuing for: bread, pastry, and the morning ritual.
Bakery counters in Berlin worth queuing for: levain breads, laminated pastry, regional bakes and the morning ritual.
Zeit fuer Brot on Berlin's Alte Schoenhauser Strasse has baked organic sourdough loaves and the city's most cited Zimtschnecke since 2009; the queue runs.
Tip: Saturday queue is 30 minutes deep from 09:00; weekday mornings have walk-up service from 07:00.
Worth the queue: Zimtschnecke (cinnamon roll)
Alfredo Sironi's bakery counter inside Berlin's Markthalle Neun in Kreuzberg bakes Italian sourdough breads; the pane casareccio and focaccia run.
Tip: Closed Sunday with the market. Friday and Saturday from 09:00 are the busy windows; loaves sell out by 14:00.
Worth the queue: Pane casareccio
Brotgarten on Berlin's Seelingstrasse in Charlottenburg has baked organic German breads, rolls and Pfannkuchen since 1986; the New Year's Eve Pfannkuchen.
Tip: Closed Sunday. The Pfannkuchen from October through Silvester is the seasonal headline; bake out by 12:00.
Worth the queue: Berliner Pfannkuchen
Brammibal's Donuts on Berlin's Maybachufer in Neukoelln bakes vegan donuts in 12 rotating flavours; the Boston Cream and the pistachio anchor the case.
Tip: Sells out by 14:00 weekends. The flavour rotation drops Fridays; check the website for the weekend list.
Worth the queue: Boston Cream donut
Fine Bagels on Berlin's Warschauer Strasse hand-rolls bagels in the kettle-boil-then-bake New York style; the lox bagel with smoked salmon, capers and red.
Tip: Closed Monday and Tuesday. The lox bagel sells out by 13:00 on weekends; arrive before 11:00.
Worth the queue: Lox bagel
Albatross Bakery on Graefestrasse in Kreuzberg bakes naturally leavened sourdough loaves and pastries from a small open kitchen; the country loaf.
Tip: Open seven days 08:00-18:00. The kouign-amann sells out within an hour of opening on weekends.
Worth the queue: Sourdough country loaf
Le Bon on Berlin's Boppstrasse in Kreuzberg bakes French-style viennoiserie at the level of any Paris boulangerie; the croissant aux amandes and the pain au.
Tip: Closed Monday. The Saturday morning queue runs 20 minutes deep from 09:00; arrive before 09:00 for the full case.
Worth the queue: Croissant aux amandes
Florian Domberger's Domberger Brot-Werk in Berlin Moabit bakes naturally leavened sourdough and German rye breads from its main Essener Strasse bakery.
Tip: Closed Sunday. The Moabit main bakery is the room's quietest window for weekday afternoons; the rye is best sliced for the next morning.
Worth the queue: Rye sourdough (Roggenmischbrot)
Round and Edgy on Berlin's Maybachufer in Neukoelln bakes 100 percent vegan NYC-style cookies and banana pudding all day; the Choco Chunk Sea Salt.
Tip: Warm cookies pull from the oven through the afternoon; the canal-side bench takes the overflow when the counter is full.
Worth the queue: Choco Chunk Sea Salt cookie
Soluna Brot und Oel in Berlin Schoeneberg bakes organic Berlin-style sourdough loaves, the Bauernbrot and the dark rye are the room's signatures.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. The Bauernbrot sells out by 12:00 weekends; pre-order by phone for a guaranteed loaf.
Worth the queue: Bauernbrot
Sofi in the Sophie-Gips-Hoefe courtyard off Berlin's Sophienstrasse bakes ancient-grain sourdough loaves and Danish pastry under Danish chef Frederic Bille.
Tip: Closed Monday. The almond croissant sells out by 12:00 weekends; arrive before 10:30 for the full case.
Worth the queue: Double-baked almond croissant