The old Scheunenviertel: galleries, cafes, the Clarchens Ballhaus dance hall, House of Small Wonder for Japanese brunch, and the cafes around Hackescher Markt.
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 anchor the menu.
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.
Hummus and Friends on Berlin's Oranienburger Strasse runs a fully kosher vegetarian Israeli kitchen with hummus, falafel and sabich; the room seats 50 with a counter.
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.
Curry 61 near Hackescher Markt serves a well-spiced currywurst with a house sauce that leans sweeter than Kreuzberg versions. Vegan wurst available alongside the pork original.
Try: Currywurst
Hummus and Friends on Oranienburger Strasse runs a kosher-certified Israeli vegetarian kitchen with hummus, falafel and sabich at lunch prices under EUR 13. Counter-order, no tipping required.
Try: Hummus plate and falafel pita
House of Small Wonder on Johannisstrasse serves a Japanese-American brunch in a leafy courtyard room with a spiral staircase. The miso hollandaise and the okinawan rice bowl have anchored the menu since 2013.
Order: Okinawan taco rice bowl with avocado; eggs benedict with miso hollandaise.