Modern Korean€€€mitte
Dae Mon on Berlin Mitte's Monbijouplatz cooks a modern Korean tasting that pulls in Japanese and European techniques; the chic stone-and-wood room runs late.
Signature: Bibimbap with wagyu, Korean-style charred mackerel
Order: The chef tasting menu; the bibimbap with wagyu and the charred mackerel are the signatures.
Tip: Closed Sunday. Lunch 12:00 to 14:30 weekdays is the easier seating; dinner books two weeks ahead via the website.
Vegetarian fine dining€€€mitte
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.
Signature: Parmesan dumpling, Beetroot ravioli
Order: The six-course vegetarian tasting at €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.
Berlin brasserie€€€mitte
Borchardt on Berlin's Franzoesische Strasse has cooked the city's defining 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 the easier seating than dinner. Bookings open four weeks ahead by phone.
Japanese izakaya€€€charlottenburg
The Duc Ngo's 893 Ryotei on Berlin's Kantstrasse cooks a Japanese-Peruvian izakaya menu with a sushi counter; the dining room runs late. Priced at €€€.
Signature: Yellowtail sashimi, Black-cod miso
Order: The yellowtail sashimi with yuzu-truffle, the black-cod miso, and the chef sushi omakase.
Tip: The bar counter for omakase is the room's best seating; book it eight weeks ahead via the website.
Modern German, seasonal€€€charlottenburg
Sophia Rudolph's Lovis inside Berlin's Hotel Wilmina on Kantstrasse cooks a modern-German seasonal tasting from regional Brandenburg producers.
Signature: Brandenburg vegetables, Seasonal fish
Order: The five-course tasting; the seasonal Brandenburg vegetable plate and whichever river-fish course is on are the signatures.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. The garden in summer is the seating to book; reservations open four weeks ahead online.
American steakhouse€€€prenzlauer-berg
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.
Signature: Dry-aged ribeye, New York cheesecake
Order: The 300g dry-aged ribeye with truffle butter; the New York cheesecake for dessert.
Tip: No-frills, cash-friendly, loud. The 22:00 second seating is easier than the 19:30 wave.