Must-see restaurants in Berlin & Brandenburg

  • Kantini

    City West & Charlottenburg

    This next-gen food court at the stylish Bikini Berlin shopping mall has Instaworthy looks thanks to its mash-up of industrial edge and playful design…

  • eins44

    Neukölln

    This casual fine-dining outpost in a late-19th-century distillery serves meals with a strong native identity, composed largely with seasonally hunted and…

  • Augustiner am Gendarmenmarkt

    Historic Mitte

    Tourists, concertgoers and hearty-food lovers rub shoulders at rustic tables in this authentic Bavarian beer hall. Soak up the down-to-earth vibe right…

  • Si An

    Prenzlauer Berg

    This stylish nosh spot welcomes a steady stream of tousled hipsters, yoga mamas and even the occasional celeb (yes, Clooney was here). The modern-meets…

  • Schoenbrunn

    Friedrichshain

    Watch snow-white swans drift around their pond at this fairy-tale setting in the middle of Volkspark Friedrichshain while tucking into Austrian fare with…

  • Max und Moritz

    Kreuzberg

    The patina of yesteryear hangs over this ode-to-old-school gastropub, named for the cheeky Wilhelm Busch cartoon characters. Since 1902, it has packed…

  • Henne

    Kreuzberg

    This Old Berlin institution operates on the KISS (keep it simple, stupid!) principle: milk-fed chicken spun on the rotisserie for moist yet crispy…

  • Grace

    City West & Charlottenburg

    We don't know if Grace Kelly inspired the name of this glamorous restaurant, but the late princess would likely have felt at home in this cosmopolitan…

  • Joseph-Roth-Diele

    Schöneberg

    Named for an Austrian Jewish writer, this wood-panelled salon time warps you back to the 1920s, when Roth used to live next door. Walls decorated with…

  • Maison Charlotte

    Potsdam

    There's a rustic lyricism to the French country cuisine in this darling Dutch Quarter bistro, no matter whether your appetite runs towards a simple…

  • Ratskeller Köpenick

    Around Berlin

    The olde-worlde ambience at this vaulted cellar-warren in Köpenick's historic town hall is fun, and the menu full of classic rib-stickers (try the smoked…

  • Hasir Kreuzberg

    Kreuzberg

    Mehmed Aygün, the founder of this local family emporium, claims to have invented the Berlin-style doner kebab (served in a pita pocket) back in 1971. The…

  • Muse

    Prenzlauer Berg

    The lovechild of globetrotting Brit-German couple Caroline and Tobias, this rustic-chic neighbourhood bistro doles out border-crossing comfort food…

  • Fischschuppen

    Friedrichshain

    This shop-restaurant combo gets salty flair not only from its big selection of sustainably caught, fresh fish, but also from its ship-cabin-like wooden…

  • Koshary Lux

    City West & Charlottenburg

    This darling snack shack deals in contemporary riffs on North African and Middle Eastern street-food staples. Positively addictive is the namesake koshary…

  • Good Friends

    City West & Charlottenburg

    Good Friends is widely considered Berlin's best Cantonese restaurant. The ducks dangling in the window are merely an overture to a menu long enough to…

  • Kopps

    Berlin

    Kopps was Berlin's first high-end, animal-product-free restaurant and is still holding its own. Locals love the early bird 'Come Together' dinner (€19 for…

  • Duke

    City West & Charlottenburg

    Reservations for the Sunday jazz brunch in the spot where Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald once performed are much coveted, but Florian Gauert's aroma…

  • Tomasa

    Kreuzberg

    It’s not only breakfast that is a joy at this enchanting late-19th-century red-brick villa with a Mediterranean-style garden at the foot of the…

  • Schneeweiss

    Friedrichshain

    The chilly-chic snowy white decor, with an eye-catching 'ice' chandelier, complements the Alpine menu at this fine-dining pioneer in Friedrichshain…

  • Austria

    Kreuzberg

    Mounted antlers and Romy Schneider preside over this hunting-lodge-style restaurant perfect for camping out with a baseball-glove-sized veal schnitzel and…

  • Sticks'n'Sushi

    Schöneberg

    At Germany's first branch of Danish cult chain Sticks’n’Sushi, sushi and yakitori get a creative twist that results in eye-candy small plates like Shake…

  • Lisboa Bar am Boxi

    Friedrichshain

    This colour- and knick-knack-drenched bistro is an inspired Portuguese port of call. Regulars pop by for a leisurely breakfast (served until 4pm on…

  • Mabuhay

    Berlin

    Tucked into a concrete courtyard, this hole-in-the-wall scores a one for looks and a 10 for the food. Usually packed (especially at lunchtime), it…

  • Eatside im Universalhaus

    Friedrichshain

    Not just any old cafeteria, this one's based at the Euro HQ of Universal Music and comes complete with a sunny riverside terrace and unimpeded views of…

  • Monsieur Vuong

    Berlin

    Berlin’s ‘godfather’ of upbeat Vietnamese pit stops, Monsieur has been copied many times – the concept is just that good. They don't take reservations, so…

  • Tapitas

    Prenzlauer Berg

    This darling tapas bar is a top pick on the Gleimstrasse restaurant row. All the classics are there – jamón serrano, bacon-wrapped dates, tortillas etc –…

  • Curry 36

    Kreuzberg

    Day after day, night after night, a motley crowd – cops, cabbies, queens, office jockeys, tourists etc – wait their turn at this popular Currywurst snack…

  • Maselli

    Kreuzberg

    Modern and stylish without going overboard, Gerardo Maselli showcases earthy Pugliese cuisine from the heel of Italy. Flavours are rustic but complex and…

  • Night Kitchen

    Berlin

    This smartly seductive courtyard bistro is often packed to capacity with punters hungry for modern Med spins inspired by the mothership in Tel Aviv. You…

  • The Brooklyn

    Museumsinsel & Alexanderplatz

    You'll have a fine time giving your credit card a workout with the flavour-packed meats (cooked to perfection on a snazzy Montague Grill) at this former…

  • Store Kitchen

    Berlin

    This is the kind of impossibly trendy yet welcoming place that had food fanciers excited the moment it opened inside hipper-than-thou lifestyle and…

  • Butcher

    City West & Charlottenburg

    With its bar and DJ line-up, Butcher injects a dose of hip into the 'hood. It also knows how to build one hell of a burger. Prime ingredients, including…

  • Luise

    Around Berlin

    This cafe-restaurant-beer-garden combo is a Dahlem institution with a long menu likely to please everyone from salad-heads to schnitzel fiends to pizza…

  • Ishin

    Historic Mitte

    The ambience is a bit ho-hum but who cares when the sushi is super-fresh, the rice bowls generously topped with fish or meat, and a cup of green tea comes…

  • Pförtner Cafe

    Berlin

    This artsy-funky cafe occupies the converted gatehouse of a former bus repair station-turned-artist studios. Creative residents invade for rustic lunches…

  • Vineria del Este

    Friedrichshain

    Decked out with a tiled counter and rustic tables, this feel-good local always jumps with foodies hungry for a piñata of Iberian flavours. The kitchen…

  • Bird

    Prenzlauer Berg

    New York meets Berlin at this always bustling expat favourite whose dry-aged steaks, burgers and hand-cut fries might just justify the hype. Sink your…

  • Zum Schusterjungen

    Prenzlauer Berg

    Tourists, expats and locals descend upon this old-school gastropub where rustic Berlin charm is doled out with as much abandon as the delish home cooking…

  • Ron Telesky Canadian Pizza

    Kreuzberg

    Canada might not be well known for pizza, but Ron Telesky is a trailblazer. The team serves up giant slices of pizza, and a chilli-infused maple syrup…