Restaurants in Germany
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Burgermeister
It's green, ornate, a century old and… it used to be a toilet. Now it's a burger joint on a traffic island beneath the elevated U-Bahn tracks. Don’t fret, don’t shudder: the plump all-beef patties are top-notch and best paired with fries and home-made dips such as peanut and mango curry.
reviewed
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Zwölf Apostel
A pleasant pit stop between museums, this place beneath the railway arches has over-the-top religious decor and tasty thin-crust pizzas named after the 12 apostles.
reviewed
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Dada Falafel
'Eating is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art'. This quote by a 17th-century French author François de La Rochefoucauld is the motto of this teensy exotic takeaway with attached gallery. One bite of Dada's freshly prepared felafel doused with a tangy homemade sauce and you too will understand why there's always a queue of local loyalists, despite usually perfunctory service.
reviewed
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Dolores
Dolores is a bastion of California-style burritos – fresh, authentic and priced to help you stay on budget. Select your preferred combo of marinated meats (the lime cilantro chicken is yummy) or tofu, rice, beans, veggies, cheese and salsa and the cheerful staff will build it on the spot. Great homemade lemonade, too.
reviewed
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Eisgrub-Bräu
Grab a seat in this down-to-earth microbrewery’s warren of vaulted chambers, order a mug of Dunkel (dark) or Hell (light) – or even a 3L/5L Bierturm (beer tower; €18.90/29.40) – and settle in for people watching. The Monday-to-Friday lunch (€5.90) and the weekend breakfast buffet (€6.90; available 9am to 11.30am) offer great value. It’s a good idea to make reservations (by phone or internet), especially for dinner on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
reviewed
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Schwarzwaldstuben
In the mood for a Hansel and Gretel moment? Then join the other 'lost kids' in this send-up of the Black Forest complete with plastic pines and baseball-capped Bambi heads. We can’t get enough of the 'geschmelzte Maultaschen’ (sautéed ravioli-like pasta) and the giant schnitzel. Everything goes down well with a glass of Rothaus Tannenzäpfle beer, straight from the Black Forest.
reviewed
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Cafe Jacques
A favourite with off-duty chefs and local foodies, Jacques infallibly charms with flattering candlelight, warm decor and fantastic wine. It’s the perfect date spot but, quite frankly, you only have to be in love with good food to appreciate the French- and North African-inspired blackboard menu. Charismatic owner Ahmad or his staff will happily recommend the perfect matching wine. Reservations essential.
reviewed
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Bergwolf
At this favourite pit stop for night owls, the poison of choice is Currywurst, a sliced spicy sausage provocatively dressed in a curried ketchup and best paired with a pile of crisp fries. Hangover prevention at its tastiest.
reviewed
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Jules Verne
Jules Verne was a well-travelled man, so it’s only fitting that a cafe bearing his name would feature a globetrotting menu. French oysters, Austrian schnitzel and Moroccan couscous are all perennial bestsellers. It’s also a great ‘greet-the-day’ spot with substantial breakfasts named after Verne’s books served until 3pm and an entire quality buffet at weekends.
reviewed
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Rosenthaler Grill- und Schlemmerbuffet
One of the best doner kebabs in town. Enough said.
reviewed
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Curry 36
Day after day, night after night, a motley crowd of tattooed scenesters, office jockeys, noisy school kids and savvy tourists wait their turn at this top-ranked Currywurst purveyor that's been frying 'em up since 1981.
reviewed
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Le Canard Nouveau
Turkish-born chef Ali Güngörmüs has deservedly claimed a Michelin star for his intricate dishes, such as turbot with polenta soufflé, duck with apple-ginger purée, and chocolate cake with rhubarb jelly, marinated strawberries and honey-and-sour-cream ice cream. Definitely book ahead. Güngörmüs also runs regular cooking classes, which cost €200 for five hours, including meal and wines.
reviewed
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Café Paris
Within a spectacularly tiled 1882 butchers’ hall and adjoining art-deco salon, this elegant yet relaxed brasserie serves classical French fare like croque-monsieur (toasted ham-and-cheese sandwich), croque-madame (the same, but with a fried egg) and steak tartare (minced meat, but pan-fried, not raw). Its breakfast for two is a splendid feast.
reviewed
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Maultaschen Manufaktur
If ravioli and dumplings had kids, they would look something like Maultaschen, a traditional dish from southern Germany. At this unfussy joint they’re made fresh daily and served fried and smothered in sauce or cheese and paired with potato salad or noodles. The herbivore versions are stuffed either with spinach and mozzarella or tomato and feta.
reviewed
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Kasbah
Take your tastebuds on a magic carpet ride at this exotic salon where owner Driss welcomes each guest with a big smile. Eating here is a sensory immersion that starts with rinsing your hands in rosewater before digging into such tasty treats as flaky b'stilla (chicken-stuffed filo) or tangy tagine (stew). The Moroccan wine is excellent too.
reviewed
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Lamm's
It's old-school, the music is terrible and the service challenged, but after a night of partying, a pile of Lamm's spare ribs is simply the perfect hangover antidote. On weekdays, tourists invade for the lunches (served until 17:00). Awarded an ecoseal from the Bavarian government for minimising packaging, using local and seasonal produce and recycling.
reviewed
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Morgenland
This eastern Kreuzberg multiculti café is a breakfast institution, especially on Sunday when everyone from red-eyed night owls to scarf-draped Turkish beauties invade for the table-bending brunch (reservations a must!). At other times it’s a relaxed café with pan-European food – pasta to lamb to fried fish.
reviewed
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Paros
You'll kick up your heels like Zorba himself after filling your tummy with Greek soul food at this simple yet sophisticated nosh spot. The menu features all the usual suspects (gyros, moussaka, avgolemono soup) but daily specials like veal cutlet grilled on lava rock are worth exploring as well. Opa!
reviewed
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Alte Mainmühle
Accessed straight from the old bridge, tourists and locals alike cram onto the double-decker terrace suspended above the Main River to savour modern twists on old Franconian favourites. Summer alfresco dining is accompanied by pretty views of the Festung Marienberg; in winter retreat to the snug timber dining room.
reviewed
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Vienna
Hidden in a quiet residential street, with an overgrown garden screening its outdoor terrace, this German-Austrian restaurant is renowned Hamburg-wide for its authentic schnitzels, venison and fish. It doesn't take reservations; your best bet for getting a table is to turn up early, at 6.45pm, or late, at 9pm.
reviewed
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Schleusenkrug
Sitting pretty on the edge of the Tiergarten, next to a Landwehrkanal lock, Schleusenkrug truly comes into its own in summer when the beer garden kicks into full swing. People from all walks of life hunker over mugs of foamy beer and satisfying comfort food, from grilled sausages to Flammkuche (Alsatian pizza) and weekly changing specials. Breakfast is served until 3pm.
reviewed
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Seerose
This been-here-forever cafe tempts taste buds with fresh, creative and completely animal-free pastas, casseroles, soups, salads and other healthy nosh. Order at the buffet-style counter, then start salivating at a pavement table or inside amid antique furniture and plenty of plants.
reviewed
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Schiller’s Café
Housed in one of Heidelberg’s oldest residential buildings – the cellar and first floor date from the 1500s – this homey, wholesome cafe serves reasonably priced hot chocolate (more than 60 kinds!), homemade cakes, quiche and wines; most are organic and some are gluten-free.
reviewed
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Monsieur Vuong
Berlin’s ‘godfather’ of upbeat Indochina nosh-stops, Monsieur has been copied many times – the concept is just that good. Pick from a compact menu of flavour-packed soups and two or three oft-changing mains, then sit back and enjoy your leftover money. Amazingly, the quality hasn’t come down despite the never-ending queue. Come in the afternoon to avoid the frenzy.
reviewed
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Bar Tapas
A phalanx of 30 tapas – boquerones (anchovies) to octopus salad to garlic chicken – reports to duty behind glass along the bar of this convivial Iberian outpost. Write down the numbers, then sit back with a jug of sangria and wait for your tasty morsels to arrive.
reviewed