Bistros, trattorias and the everyday places where Berlin actually eats.
Bistros, trattorias, taverns and neighbourhood rooms: the mid-tier places where Berlin actually eats.
Long March Canteen on Berlin's Wrangelstrasse cooks the city's reference dim sum with hand-folded dumplings from an open kitchen; the bar runs natural wine.
OrderThe dim sum platter for two, the mapo tofu, and the steamed-fish special of the night.
TipNo reservations. Arrive before 19:00 weekdays or wait 45 minutes at the bar.
Katz Orange in Berlin Mitte's former 19th-century brewery cooks the slow-roast Candy on Bone pork shoulder that put the room on the map; the garden.
OrderThe Candy on Bone pork shoulder, slow-roasted 12 hours, for two diners.
TipThe garden in summer is the room's best seating. Book three weeks ahead via the website.
Crackers on Berlin's Friedrichstrasse occupies the former Cookies Club space behind an unmarked door; the open kitchen plates modern-European mains.
OrderThe beef tartare to start, the wagyu burger with truffle fries, and the seasonal fish of the day.
TipRing the bell at the unmarked door and walk through the kitchen to the dining room. Book a week ahead on the website for Friday or Saturday.
The Duc Ngo's 893 Ryotei on Berlin's Kantstrasse cooks Japanese-Peruvian izakaya plates and runs a sushi counter; the dining room serves until late.
OrderThe yellowtail sashimi with yuzu-truffle, the black-cod miso, and the chef sushi omakase.
TipBar counter for omakase is the best seating; book eight weeks ahead via the website.
Lutter und Wegner on Berlin's Gendarmenmarkt has cooked traditional Wiener Schnitzel since 1811; the wood-panelled room runs Sunday classics and the long.
OrderThe Wiener Schnitzel with cucumber-potato salad; the Berlin sauerbraten in winter.
TipSunday lunch from 12:00 is the easier seating than weekday dinner. Book two weeks ahead by phone.
Borchardt on Berlin's Franzoesische Strasse has cooked the city's reference Wiener Schnitzel since 1992; the 1850s dining room runs 200 covers.
OrderThe Wiener Schnitzel with potato salad; the calf's liver Berlin-style is the long-running second pick.
TipLunch from 12:00 is easier than dinner. Book four weeks ahead by phone.
House of Small Wonder on Berlin's Johannisstrasse cooks a Japanese-American brunch in a leafy spiral-staircase room; the okinawan taco rice and eggs benedict.
OrderThe okinawan taco rice bowl with avocado; the eggs benedict with miso hollandaise.
TipNo reservations, walk-up only. Arrive before 11:00 on weekends or wait 60 minutes.
Mogg reopened January 2026 inside Kalle Halle on Karl-Marx-Strasse in Neukoelln; the New York-style brine-and-smoke pastrami program runs at a counter window.
OrderThe pastrami sandwich on rye with mustard and pickles; the matzo ball soup in winter.
TipCounter-only service inside the Kalle Halle food court; busiest at lunch.
Hummus and Friends on Berlin's Oranienburger Strasse runs a fully kosher vegetarian Israeli kitchen with hummus, falafel and sabich; the room seats 50.
OrderThe hummus plate with extra olive oil and warm pita; the falafel sabich with egg.
TipKosher-certified, closed Friday evening to Saturday evening. Lunch from 11:00 is the easier seating.
Marktlokal inside Berlin's Markthalle Neun in Kreuzberg has cooked seasonal regional plates from market produce for over a century; chef Bjoern Persson.
OrderThe fish of the day from the in-house counter; the wood-fired flatbread with seasonal toppings.
TipOpen during market hours plus Thursday Street Food Thursday evenings. Walk-up only; arrive before 19:00 Thursdays or wait at the bar.
Joseph Roth Diele on Berlin's Potsdamer Strasse cooks daily-changing German plates in a wood-panelled room named for the 1930s Vienna author.
OrderThe Koenigsberger Klopse with capers; the beef goulash with bread dumplings on Friday.
TipNo reservations, walk-up only. Closed weekends; arrive before 19:30 weekdays to skip the queue.
The Bird on Berlin's Am Falkplatz has cooked dry-aged ribeye and burgers in a New York-style room since 2008, the bourbon list runs to 60 bottles.
OrderThe 300g dry-aged ribeye with truffle butter; the New York cheesecake for dessert.
TipNo-frills, cash-friendly, loud. The 22:00 second seating is easier than the 19:30 wave.
Blomeyer's Kaese on Berlin's Pestalozzistrasse in Charlottenburg runs a counter-style cheese shop and deli built around German raw-milk producers.
OrderThe raw-milk Scherenschleifer with sourdough; a regional cheese board for two with farm butter.
TipCounter-only, no reservations. Closed Sunday and Monday. Tasting boards run mid-afternoon when the counter quiets.
Monsieur Vuong on Berlin's Alte Schoenhauser Strasse has cooked the city's reference Vietnamese pho since 1999; the menu is one chalkboard, the room runs 60.
OrderThe pho bo with rare beef; the summer rolls with peanut sauce as a starter.
TipNo reservations. Arrive before 12:30 or 19:00 to skip the queue; cash and card accepted.
Henne Alt-Berliner Wirtshaus on Berlin's Leuschnerdamm has cooked one dish since 1907: a milk-fed roast half-chicken with kraut salad and bread.
OrderThe half-chicken with the kraut salad and rye bread; the only choice on the menu.
TipClosed Monday. Bookings two weeks ahead by phone; ask for the original 1907 dining room when booking.
Max und Moritz on Berlin's Oranienstrasse has cooked Prussian tavern classics since 1902 in the original ceramic-tiled dining room; the Klopse and rouladen.
OrderThe Koenigsberger Klopse with caper-cream sauce; the beef rouladen with red cabbage in winter.
TipClosed Monday lunch. The original 1902 dining room is the seating to book; phone two weeks out.
Cocolo Ramen on Berlin's Gipsstrasse has cooked the city's reference tonkotsu ramen since 2008; the broth simmers 18 hours, the noodles are pulled fresh.
OrderThe tonkotsu ramen with chashu pork and the soft egg; the karaage chicken as a starter.
TipNo reservations. Arrive before 19:00 weekdays or expect a 30-minute wait at the bar.
Vöner in Friedrichshain carves vegan doner from a spit of house-made seitan; one of Berlin's first plant-based doner kitchens, with vegan currywurst.
OrderThe vöner with the full salad load; the special fries are the side to get.
TipCounter-order, no reservations. Open daily from midday.
Lokal on Berlin's Linienstrasse in Mitte cooks a short daily menu of seasonal Brandenburg produce; the Spargel and Rote Gruetze are the calendar anchors.
OrderThe Beelitzer Spargel with hollandaise in Spargel season (late April to June).
TipShort seasonal menu changes frequently. Spargel season runs late April to 24 June only; book a week ahead for that window.
Michael Kempf's FACIL on the fifth-floor glass courtyard of Berlin's Mandala Hotel cooks a two-star French-Mediterranean tasting; the summer terrace.
OrderThe four-course business lunch at €90; the langoustine and the lamb stay on the carte year-round.
TipLunch is the easier entry; the €90 four-course business set runs Tuesday to Friday from 12:00.
Guided tour · 3 hours
Taste your way through East Berlin’s transformation. Explore history, street art, and global flavors on a guided food and culture walking tour, vegan-friendly!
Guided tour · 3 hours
Explore Berlin's most exciting historical hotspots, Mitte. Taste delicacies in various restaurants, and hear authentic stories about the district.
Guided tour · 3 hours
Discover the former East Berlin district of Friedrichshain on a guided craft beer tour. Visit microbreweries and brewpubs to try handcrafted beers.