Restaurants and Bars

Berlin's bars and restaurants have much more to offer than just sausages, sauerkraut and beer. The German capital has become a cultural and culinary melting pot, a place where East meets West and where ancient traditions mix with modern experimentation. The city offers a vast array of international gastronomic delights, catering to all palates and budgets. With over 12,000 restaurants, bars and cafes, you can be sure you won't have to travel far for your next treat!

Before the fall of the Wall, eating in Berlin was regarded as a minor sideline to the more important matter of drinking. Guests wanting to sample a 'typical Berlin dish' could easily be dissuaded by the mere mention of such alleged delicacies as 'pig's ear with yellow peas.' A liquid diet was definitely the safer option.

Fortunately, Berlin's gastronomic landscape has since changed beyond recognition. Gourmets are now spoilt for choice as more and more first class restaurants open their doors to the public. Great food can also be found in many cafes, which offer a selection of national and international dishes at reasonable prices. Budget travelers are well catered for by hundreds of Imbiss fast food restaurants — once the realm of the greasy sausage—but now brimming with Asian and Middle Eastern delights for just a few Euro.

Typical Berlin specialties play second fiddle to international dishes on most restaurant menus. The Turkish community, in particular, has left its mark on the fast food scene and the Doner Kebab is one of the city's most popular and readily-available snacks. Yet Berlin still has its own distinctive cuisine for visitors to sample should they dare. Berlin's fast food flagship is undoubtedly the Currywurst, a sausage sprinkled with curry powder and then smothered with ketchup, served on a paper dish and eaten with a plastic fork at an Imbiss stall. Other traditional Berlin dishes include Boulette, a cross between a hamburger and meatball, Matjes (pickled herring) and Eisbein, a huge, fatty leg of pork suitable only for the most hardened carnivore. Health-conscious Berliners are, however, increasingly rejecting their traditional fatty fare in favour of more nutritious food. This is reflected in the growing popularity of neue deutsche Küche, the German equivalent of Nouvelle Cuisine.

A real Berlin institution is the weekend breakfast, a lavish affair consisting of a selection of cold meats, cheeses and fresh fruit washed down with a glass of orange juice and plenty of coffee. Sunday brunch is a popular social event with Berliners, who descend upon the city's cafes to while away a few pleasant hours with friends and family. Most cafes serve breakfast until at least 4pm - perfect for the hoards of young revellers out late the night before. If you've had breakfast at a more reasonable hour and feel a bit peckish during the afternoon, try some Kaffee und Kuchen - a slice of cake accompanied by a freshly-brewed coffee. A particular speciality is Milchkaffee, lashings of milky coffee served in a large bowl.

Berlin's bars have enjoyed a legendary status ever since the 'Golden Twenties' when swinging Berlin was the most happening city in the world. Neither wartime bombs nor the building of the Wall could alter Berlin's well-deserved reputation as a paradise for drinkers and night-owls. From sophisticated cocktail lounges to dingy drinking dens, from rustic pubs with battered wooden stools to ultra-modern, glass and chrome institutions—Berlin has it all. There's just one thing missing—an official closing time. Each bar is left to decide when to call last orders. Some choose to call it a night at 2a, others when the last guest leaves and still others stay open until dawn. And you'll be amazed how quickly the dawn comes in Berlin!

Beer is the popular choice at many bars, the local matadors being Schultheiss and Berliner Kindl. Other popular brands are Becks, Warsteiner and Jever, yet you really can't go wrong whichever beer you choose. If your beer takes a while to arrive, don't panic! Draught beer takes seven minutes to be poured correctly. Wine connoisseurs will also have a field day at most bars, particularly at the trendier places which are shooting up all over the city. An interesting alternative to wine is Sekt, the German equivalent of champagne, which is cheaper and no less tasty. Cocktail fans should also have no problem locating a decent margarita, although many specialist cocktail bars only start to fill up after midnight.

Berlin is at its best during the summer months, when the cafes emigrate to outdoor terraces and the beer gardens do a roaring trade serving cold refreshments to thirsty locals. Yet with all this alcohol around, Berlin is still no place for drunkards and hooligans. Although their alcohol consumption may be high, Berliners behave respectfully at all times. Waiters and waitresses appreciate tips, although you are not required to leave a gratuity. Tips are generally made by rounding up the bill when paying, plus a little extra if you received great service.

While Berlin abounds with restaurants, cafes and bars, certain places do excel. The following is a brief district-by-district guide to establishments that are particularly recommended. Those who prefer to browse before choosing should head for the areas highlighted in bold print.

Charlottenburg

Chic and up-market. The best restaurants and cafes in the western city centre are found in the side-streets between Kurfürstendamm and Kantstraße as well as in the area around leafy Savignyplatz.

Gourmets with a deep wallet should pay a visit to Ana e Bruno for exquisite Italian, while those on a normal budget could try the legendary pizzas at XXII Apostel. Otherwise head to Tai Ji for some great Chinese, to Le Canard for fantastic French or to Hitit for Turkish delights with an oriental flair. Celebrity spotters will be in their element at Paris Bar, a French bistro better known for its high-heeled clientèle and late-night cocktails than for its food.

Fans of the traditional Berlin Currywurst sausage couldn't do any better than at the Imbiss stand at Amtsgerichtplatz in Kantstraße. The queues are always long, but it's well worth the wait! Good bets for a lazy Sunday brunch are Restaurant 31 and Pasticceria e Rosticceria Italiana. And, if you're looking for a bit of pre-Wall flair, pop into Zwiebelfisch, Diener or Dicke Wirtin - traditional Berlin pubs that haven't changed in years.

Friedrichshain

A popular hang-out for students and young Berliners. Friedrichshain is the last bastion of Berlin's 'alternative' subculture and is the best district to explore if you're looking for hip bars, cool cafes and underground clubs. Most are centred around Simon-Dach-Straße, Boxhagener Platz and Schreinerstraße. But at the rate that new places are opening up, it won't be long before Friedrichshain loses its insider feel.

Check out the spacey Astro Bar , the cocktail lounge next door to Dachkammer, and finish off the evening in Tagung , a popular bar-cum-club intriguingly decorated with East German political memorabilia. If you can still handle breakfast after a long night on the town, Leander and Apotheke have a good selection at knock-down prices.

Kreuzberg

For conservative radicals. Once a haven for punks and anarchists, Kreuzberg has certainly evolved since the fall of the Wall. While you can still savour some of that old revolutionary flavour in a number of bars around Oranienstraße and Wiener Straße, southern Kreuzberg (around Bergmannstraße) is now dominated by chic cafes and exclusive restaurants.

Riehmers Hofgarten, Altes Zollhaus and Medici serve up some of the best 'neue deutsche Küche' in town, while places like Austria and Jolesh are good bets for more traditional fare. Francophiles should head for Le Cochon Bourgeois, while lovers of Mediterranean cuisine should pay a visit to Sale e Tabacchi. Kreuzberg is also home to about 200,000 Turkish immigrants. So when in Rome... the Imbiss stand next to Schlesisches Tor U-Bahn station is widely reputed to have the best doner kebabs this side of Istanbul.

Many of Berlin's most scenic cafes are situated on the banks of the canal at Paul-Lincke-Ufer, the perfect place for a lazy Sunday afternoon brunch. Sit down, relax and watch the world go by from the gardens of Cafe am Ufer or Cafe Übersee, or wait until night falls and mingle with Kreuzberg's young generation in Ankerklause.

If you're looking for a taste of legendary hard-core Kreuzberg, check out the likes of Madonna or Intertank, whereas Roses is a popular spot among the gay crowd. Slightly softer, but still very "Kreuzberg" are Morena and Wiener Blut, both of which are highly recommended. If you're the more traditional type, pay a visit to Yorckschlösschen, a rustic pub with hearty local fare and live jazz on Sundays. And when it comes to tradition, there's nothing like Golgatha beer garden on a warm summer evening.

Mitte

The undisputed centre of Berlin nightlife, packed with bars, cafes, restaurants and clubs. While tourists now outnumber locals in many of the establishments around Oranienburger Straße, at least you won't have to search for long until you find a place that you like. From the sleek Cafe Orange to the wacky Cafe Zapata in Stachelschweine Kabarett Theater, the Oranienburger Straße strip has something for everyone. But if you want to avoid the masses and fancy a bit of local flair, try Cafe Ici or Hackbarth's in nearby Auguststraße. Alternatively, head for Mittendrin in Sophienstraße.

The area around Hackescher Höfe is equally busy. Popular lunchtime venues are Cafe Hackescher Hof and Yosoy tapas bar, evening favourites include the South American restaurant-bar Brazil, while night-owls flock to Cocktailbar Baal or Sage Club. Gourmets can savour the finest new international cuisine at Borchardt and Vau while fans of hearty German food will be in their element at Stäv, Volksgaststätte or Zur Letzten Instanz, said to be Berlin's oldest restaurant.

Prenzlauer Berg

The fashionable, up-and-coming district. Particularly during the warm summer months, beautiful, tree-lined Kollwitzplatz acts as a magnet for tourists who descend in droves on the atmospheric cafes and restaurants that adorn the quaint nineteenth century square.

Locals, on the other hand, prefer to meet at cafes such Anita Wronski and Sowohl Als Auch, or at late-night bars like Luxus Bar. If you wish to drink in a smoke-free atmosphere check out Cafe Mia. Prater is also a popular destination with a fantastic beer garden.

There's good food a plenty to be had in Prenzlauer Berg: check out the breakfast buffet at Li(bi)do or Schall & Rauch, the great antipasti at Il Pane e le Rose, the spicy curries at Mao Thai, the hearty Russian dishes and live folk music at Pasternak or the Kurdish specialities consumed on traditional floor cushions at Miro. For those looking for a quick snack: Zarskes Gaststätte.

Schöneberg

Plenty to do here. Many of the cafes and bars near Winterfeldtplatz and Goltzstraße date back to the 1980s when Schöneberg was the place to go out in West Berlin. Check out cult favorites such as Cafe M and Mutter; try one of the superb cocktails at Green Door.

Schöneberg is also the focal point of Berlin's vibrant gay community, with countless gay bars and clubs located around Motzstraße and Fuggerstraße. Lenz die Bar is popular in the early evening, Tom's Bar , Hafen, Connection or Begine later on.

When it comes to eating in Schöneberg, you're spoilt for choice. Many Berliners come from far afield to breakfast in style at places such as Tomasa, April or Montevideo. Gourmets should head straight to Bamberger Reiter or Fischer's Restaurant for classic and modern German dishes and an enormous selection of wines. Otherwise, try Cheban for great Lebanese, Storch for traditional Alsace cuisine and Baharat or Habibi if you're in the mood for a quick falafel.

Tiergarten

Pricey and not particularly exciting, the southern part of Tiergarten is a popular haunt for businessmen, politicians and visitors staying in the hotels around Lützowplatz. Hotel bars and restaurants naturally dominate the gastronomic scene, the highlight being Harry's New York Bar in the Grand Hotel Esplanade. Guests looking to venture out of the hotel in the evening could try the wonderful Mediterranean cuisine on offer at Am Karlsbad. Alternatively, wine and dine with Berlin's high-society in Paris-Moskau, a first class restaurant with a sumptuous summer terrace and finish off the evening with a cocktail in the Bar am Lützowplatz, Berlin's high temple of drinking.

If you're here on a warm summer evening, take a stroll through the idyllic Tiergarten park to Cafe am Neuen See—one of Berlin's most attractive beer gardens—or to the popular Schleusen Krug on the Landwehrkanal. A real Berlin institution is Cafe Einstein, an exquisite coffee house with original 1920s flair—perfect for a relaxing brunch or afternoon coffee break.

Wilmersdorf

Caters to a young and affluent crowd. The cafes and restaurants around Ludwigkirchplatz heave with students during weekends. See and be seen in places like Cafe Solo or Manzinis, head to Jimmy's Diner for dinner and finish off the evening with a cocktail in the earthy Berlin Bar. If you're just looking for somewhere to relax during the day, try the glorious Cafe im Literaturhaus, a peaceful oasis just a stone's throw from Ku'damm.