Bandol sur Mer on Berlin's Torstrasse is the 20-cover French neo-bistro that helped invent Mitte's natural-wine grammar; one chalkboard tasting changes weekly.
Signature dishes: Sea-bream crudo, Veal sweetbreads
Must order: The four-course tasting; the sea-bream crudo and whichever offal main is on are the signatures.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. Walk-ins for the counter seats from 19:00; tables need a booking two weeks ahead.
Address: Torstrasse 167, 10115 Berlin
Long March Canteen in Berlin Kreuzberg is the city's dim-sum reference, with hand-folded dumplings from an open kitchen and a long bar pouring tsingtao and natural wine.
Signature: Dim sum platter, Mapo tofu
Order: The dim sum platter for two, mapo tofu, and the steamed-fish special of the night.
Tip: No reservations. Arrive before 19:00 on weekdays or expect a 45-minute wait 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 runs the summer.
Signature: Candy on Bone pork shoulder, Beetroot tartare
Order: The Candy on Bone pork shoulder, slow-roasted 12 hours; the beetroot tartare is the vegetarian counterpart.
Tip: The garden in summer is the room's best seating. Bookings open three weeks ahead via the website.
Dylan Watson-Brawn's Ernst in Berlin Wedding holds two Michelin stars on a 12-cover counter with one nightly seating; ingredients are sourced from named Brandenburg growers.
Signature: Hand-rolled bread, Brandenburg vegetables
Order: The full tasting; chef-led counter only, no a la carte. The hand-rolled bread course opens the meal.
Tip: Tickets-only model via Tock, sold in batches three months ahead. The EUR 350 tasting is the only option.
Cordobar in Berlin Mitte is the Austrian wine bar Willi Schloegl runs near Hackescher Markt, with 700 bottles, small plates of tartare and offal, and a counter that takes walk-ins.
Signature: Beef tartare with rye, Pork shoulder with kraut
Order: The beef tartare with rye, the pork shoulder, and whatever orange-wine pour is on the by-the-glass list.
Tip: The counter takes walk-ups from 18:30; tables book online a week ahead. Closed Sunday and Monday.
Cookies Cream behind a back-alley service door near Berlin's Hotel Adlon holds a Michelin star on a vegetarian tasting menu; the entrance is the dish-pit door.
Signature: Parmesan dumpling, Beetroot ravioli
Order: The six-course vegetarian tasting at EUR 105; the Parmesan dumpling is the room's defining course.
Tip: Entrance is a service door off the alley behind the Westin Grand. Bookings open four weeks ahead online.
Borchardt on Berlin's Franzoesische Strasse has cooked the city's defining Wiener Schnitzel since 1992; the 1850s dining room runs 200 covers and the political-class lunch crowd.
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 the easier seating than dinner. Bookings open four weeks ahead by phone.
