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.
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.
Japanese€€mitte-hackescher
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.
Signature: Okinawan taco rice, Eggs Benedict
Order: The okinawan taco rice bowl with avocado; the eggs benedict with miso hollandaise.
Tip: No reservations, walk-up only. Arrive before 11:00 on weekends or wait 60 minutes.
Jewish deli€€neukoelln
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.
Signature: Pastrami sandwich, Matzo ball soup
Order: The pastrami sandwich on rye with mustard and pickles; the matzo ball soup in winter.
Tip: Counter-only service inside the Kalle Halle food court; busiest at lunch.
Israeli€hackescher-markt
Hummus and Friends on Berlin's Oranienburger Strasse runs a fully kosher vegetarian Israeli kitchen with hummus, falafel and sabich; the room seats 50.
Signature: Hummus plate, Falafel pita
Order: The hummus plate with extra olive oil and warm pita; the falafel sabich with egg.
Tip: Kosher-certified, closed Friday evening to Saturday evening. Lunch from 11:00 is the easier seating.
Modern German, Seasonal€€kreuzberg
Marktlokal inside Berlin's Markthalle Neun in Kreuzberg has cooked seasonal regional plates from market produce for over a century; chef Bjoern Persson runs.
Signature: Seasonal fish, Wood-fired flatbread
Order: The fish of the day from the in-house counter; the wood-fired flatbread with seasonal toppings.
Tip: Open during market hours plus Thursday Street Food Thursday evenings. Walk-up only; arrive before 19:00 Thursdays or wait at the bar.
German€€tiergarten
Joseph Roth Diele on Berlin's Potsdamer Strasse cooks daily-changing German plates in a wood-panelled room named for the 1930s Vienna author.
Signature: Koenigsberger Klopse, Beef goulash
Order: The Koenigsberger Klopse with capers; the beef goulash with bread dumplings on Friday.
Tip: No reservations, walk-up only. Closed weekends; arrive before 19:30 weekdays to skip the queue.