Since Berlin’s reunification in 1990, a wave of creativity has seen the city become a forward-thinking gastronomic capital, meaning you’re never far from a memorable dining experience. Berlin is one of Europe’s most cosmopolitan cities. The German capital’s diversity is echoed in its vibrant culinary scene, with the best restaurants in Berlin spanning the globe in their offering – from vegan Vietnamese to Japanese-Peruvian fusion.
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Best Restaurants In Berlin, Germany
People who love great, but not necessarily experimental food, will be in heaven at Facil, which does a pretty tasting menu. While there’s nothing earth-shatteringly innovative about the food, it’s all excellently prepared and pretty as a picture, with dots and squiggles of sauces lining the plates. Many of the mains are international—Icelandic salmon, French octopus, Wagyu beef—and paired with seasonal, local veggies. Speaking of that salmon—it’s melt-in-your-mouth, so snap it up when you see it.
A true neighborhood hangout when it opened in Prenzlauer Berg in late 2016, Mrs. Robinson’s has evolved into a real, albeit casual and relaxed, foodie destination (with prices now a bit higher to match). The petite interior is bright and simple, with bare white walls and plain wood tables with either stools or benches. But the coolest place to be is at the six-seat chef’s table—really, a bar at the front where you can peer into the kitchen and watch Israeli chef Ben Zviel in action. Plates are small, fresh, and light, with to-die-for sauces. Preparations seem simple but include surprising flavors, like rose petals in the tomato and stone fruit salad, salted plum accompanying the sashimi with burnt seaweed, and fried chicken and roe with crème fraiche and tabasco honey. Co-owner and front-of-house maven Samina Raza is a warm, bright presence, greeting each guest and making sure all is well.
At Wagner Cocktail Bar, a tiny space across from the Landwehr Canal in Kreuzberg, you can throw back a few oysters (from France, of course) before partaking in simple yet delicious food like artichoke with aioli, and daikon radish with Guinness and buckwheat. The smoked fries, served with miso-mayo and honey, have fans from all over town, while the burrata with poppyseed, prune puree, and ham is a more substantial winner. Don’t leave without sampling the decadent chestnut fondant Chantilly—or, of course, the restaurant’s liquid namesake. This is a calm place to enjoy some drinks, bites, and conversation before heading off into whatever the Berlin night has in store.
Nobelhart & Schmutzig’s 28-seat counter in Kreuzberg wraps around a bustling open kitchen where young chefs, under the watchful eye of executive chef Micha Schäfer, do their thing. The space is exciting and intimate, especially when the cooks take turns serving the dishes and describe not only what you’ll be eating but where it came from: Everything is sourced from producers in and around Berlin. Locavores will be in heaven here and wine-loving friends will swoon—this is a dining extravaganza not to be missed.
Rüya Gemüse Kebap
Don’t waste 45 minutes of your life queuing with the tourists at Mustafas, home of Berlin’s most famous chicken döner kebab. This off-the-grid spot’s extraordinarily delicious chicken döner, a crispy flatbread filled with tender chicken, grilled vegetables, and a fistful of fresh herbs, is at least as good — if not better. It is considered as one of the best restaurants in Berlin, Germany.
Jones
French chef Gabrielle Jones now also has a brick and mortar spinoff of her enormously popular Jones ice cream truck in Schöneberg. The mobile outfit serves Berlin’s most idiosyncratic ice cream creation — scoops of ice cream on a large, U.S.-style cookie. Think: open face ice cream sandwich. Signature creations include her whisky cornflake ice cream on a bacon pecan cookie.
Aprilkind
For your hipster hit of avocado on toast or grilled cheese sandwich (the latter by far the most ordered dish on the brunch menu), Aprilkind in Friedrichshain is the place to go. The mismatched chairs, wooden crates upcycled as bookshelves and dangling light bulbs all give the space a cosy and distinctively Berlin vibe – arty, warm and relaxed. It’s worth mentioning that the eclectic playlist accompanying your drinks and food is always magically tuned to the perfect level – not too loud, not too soft – offering a distracting but never disruptive soundtrack and an ideal atmosphere to work, study or get lost in a good book. Make sure to arrive early on weekends, as tables fill up quickly.
