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, the soundtrack runs loud.
Signature dishes: Dry-aged ribeye, New York cheesecake
Must 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.
Address: Am Falkplatz 5, 10437 Berlin
Lutter und Wegner on Berlin's Gendarmenmarkt has cooked the city's traditional Wiener Schnitzel since 1811; the wood-panelled room runs the long lunch and Sunday classics.
Signature: Wiener Schnitzel, Sauerbraten
Order: The Wiener Schnitzel with cucumber-potato salad; the Berlin sauerbraten in winter.
Tip: Sunday lunch from 12:00 is the easier seating than weekday dinner. Bookings two weeks ahead by phone.
Billy Wagner and Micha Schaefer's Nobelhart und Schmutzig in Berlin's Kreuzberg cooks a 10-course tasting from ingredients sourced inside Brandenburg's 200-kilometre ring.
Signature: Brandenburg carrot, Spreewald pike-perch
Order: The full 10-course tasting; no a la carte. Carrot, pike-perch and goose top the list.
Tip: Bookings open three months ahead at 09:00 Berlin time. Closed Sunday and Monday, weekday lunch is rare.
Marco Mueller's Rutz in Berlin Mitte holds three Michelin stars on a Brandenburg-led tasting menu, with a wine-bar floor downstairs that serves walk-ups from 18:30.
Signature: Brandenburg lamb, Trout with horseradish
Order: The eight-course Inspiration tasting with wine pairing; the trout course is the room's signature.
Tip: The downstairs wine bar runs the same kitchen at a third of the price and takes walk-ins; arrive by 18:30.
Tim Raue's two-Michelin-star room near Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin Kreuzberg cooks a chef-led Asian-French tasting; the Peking duck is the city's defining luxury plate.
Signature: Wasabi langoustine, Peking duck
Order: The Peking duck, the wasabi langoustine and whichever pork-belly course is on; Raue's signatures stay on the carte.
Tip: Lunch tasting at EUR 178 is the easier entry vs the EUR 248 dinner. Book four weeks ahead at minimum.
Lode van Zuijlen and Stijn Remi's Lode und Stijn in Berlin Kreuzberg cooks a Dutch-rooted five-course tasting; the wine list runs natural, the room runs 24 covers.
Signature: Whole roast lamb, Smoked eel
Order: The five-course tasting at EUR 89; the smoked eel and whichever whole-roast meat is on are the signatures.
Tip: Bookings open six weeks ahead via the website. Closed Sunday, Monday, Tuesday.
Sebastian Frank's two-star Horvath on Berlin's Paul-Lincke-Ufer cooks a vegetable-led Austrian tasting; the canal-side terrace runs the summer.
Signature: Carinthian dumplings, Goat tartare
Order: The Carinthian-style cheese dumplings and whichever goat course is on; both stay on the tasting year-round.
Tip: The terrace at lunch in summer is the room's best seating. Bookings open eight weeks out at 10:00 Berlin time.
