Guía de viaje: Berlín

The roaring twenties, GDR socialism, the punk movement, progressive art, techno—Berlin has been a breeding ground of many a movement, but food culture was never one of them.

The Berlin Wall didn’t just divide the city in two; for over 25 years it in addition cut off East Berlin from the influences of modern food trends. Turned West Berlin into an isolated island—not exactly the best environment for food culture to flourish. Berlin has its fair share of fascinating food tales to be told, of families smuggling prohibited items like coffee, bananas. Veal liver to family members trapped in the East or Americans hoarding food supplies in West Berlin to prevent another Soviet blockade.

Over the last 20 years, the city has developed a truly global restaurant scene, thanks to the creative immigrants that have been flocking to the city from all over the world. Zur Haxe Erich-Weinert-Str. 128 10409 Berlin +49 30 – 42 16 312 Industry Standard Owner Ramses Manneck and his crew have put the Neukölln neighborhood on the city’s culinary map with this new restaurant.

La Soupe Populaire Prenzlauer Allee 242 10405 Berlin +49 (0) 30 44319680 District Mot The city’s coolest Vietnamese restaurant is the perfect place for a night full of cocktails and authentic Vietnamese street food with a modern twist. District Mot Rosenthalerstr 62 10119 Berlin +49 (0) 30 20089284 Bandol Sur Mer Modern and relaxed fine dining are on the menu at this tiny venue in the central Mitte neighborhood.

Doyum Admiralstraße 36 10999 Berlin +49 (0) 30 61656127 Alt Wien If you fancy a truly great Schnitzel twice the size of your plate and enjoy well-cooked Austrian food, then Alt Wien is the place for you. Lokal Linienstraße 160, 10115 Berlin +49 (0) 30 28449500 Cordobar This modern Austrian wine bar boasts a fantastic selection of natural wines, great service, and some of the city’s most interesting food—mostly sharing plates, like the famous blood sausage pizza.

Cordobar Große Hamburger Str. 32 10115 Berlin +49 (0) 30 27581215 Bars Würgeengel Hidden away in a traditionally punk part of town, this classic cocktail bar has been serving up exquisite classics for the past 25 years. It fills up on the weekends, so try to arrive before 10 p.m. to get a table, or visit on a weeknight to avoid the tourists and share a drink with a local.

Würgeengel Dresdener Str. 122, 10999 Berlin +49 (0) 30 6155560 Klunker Kranich Located on the top deck of a parking lot inside a questionable shopping mall, this “alternative” rooftop-bar-slash-adult-playground is the perfect spot for a sunset drink set against the beats of electro swing. Klunker Kranich Karl-Marx-Straße 66 12043 Berlin Kaschk This very centrally located bar is operated by a bearded crew of Norwegians and has quickly turned into one of the city’s prime craft beer spots.

Kaschk Linienstraße 40 10178 Berlin +49 (0) 1578 1979970 Prater Garten A Berlin institution that’s been around for over 100 years, this is the city’s most beautiful Biergarten. Prater Garten Kastanienallee 7-9 10435 Berlin +49 (0) 30 4485688 Maxim Berlin’s—and Germany’s—foremost natural wine bar is a must-visit for fans of the natural wine culture that’s gaining traction throughout Europe.

Street Food Thursday Thursdays from 5pm-10pm Eisenbahnstraße 42-43, 10997 Berlin +49 (0) 30 61073473 Prinzessinnengarten A fantastic urban gardening project where vegetables, herbs, and mushrooms are grown in mobile containers right in the middle of the trendy Kreuzberg neighborhood. Curry 36 Mehringdamm 36, 10961 Berlin +49 30 2517368 Krasselt’s Steglitzer Damm 22, 12169 Berlin +49 30 7969147 Witty’s Wittenbergplatz 5, 10789 Berlin +49 30 2119496 Third Wave Coffee Tour Coffee culture is blooming in Berlin and there are plenty of options for serious bean aficionados. Bonanza Coffee Roasters Oderberger Str. 35, 10435 Berlin +49 171 5630795 Five Elephant Reichenberger Str. 101 10999 Berlin Companion Coffee Oranienstraße 24 10997 Berlin +49 163 1640275 Turkish Market There are plenty of lovely growers’ trades around the city, and one of the most iconic ones is the Turkish market on the Neukölln Maybachufer that happens every Tuesday and Friday.

Maybachufer 10999 Berlin Blutwurst Manufaktur In 2004 the French Confrerie des Chevaliers du Goûte Boudin (The Black Pudding Fraternity of Lovers of Good Food) ordained Marcus Benzer a knight for blood sausage; Benzer is one of the only butchers outside of France to have this auspicious title. The butcher shop is located in the historic area of Rixdorf and has been producing sausages for the last 100 years. Book a jungle room to ensure a room with a zoo view or simply enjoy your morning coffee and a nightcap in the Monkey bar to take in some of the best views of the city.

Michelberger Hotel Warschauer Str. 39/40, 10243 Berlin +49 (0) 30 29778590 Das Stue Hidden away on the outskirts of Tiergarten, this luxury boutique hotel is nestled between the Spanish embassy and one of Berlin’s best-loved beer gardens.