41 Best Restaurants in Berlin, Germany

This currywurst stand in Kreuzberg has a cult following and just about any time of day or night you'll find yourself amid a crowd of cab drivers, students, and lawyers munching on currywurst mit Darm (with skin) or ohne Darm (without skin). Go local and order your sausage with a big pile of crispy fries served rot-weiss (red and white)—with curry ketchup and mayonnaise.

The 100-plus-year-old Kreuzberg stalwart has managed to stick around thanks in part to its most famous dish, which is still just about all it serves: a crispy, fried half chicken. The rest of the menu is short: coleslaw, potato salad, a few boulette (meat patty) options, and several beers on tap; for "dessert," look to the impressive selection of locally sourced brandies and fruit schnapps.

Known for having one of the best breakfasts in Berlin (think avocado toast and toasted brioche with berry preserves), the filtered coffee at Distrikt is far from an afterthought, with beans chosen from some of Europe's top roasteries. Tea lovers aren't left out with a fine selection from Kreuzberg's Companion Coffee & Tea, served up with a scrumptious choice of cakes.

Though Berlin’s awash in Neapolitan pizza places, this sweet neighborhood spot bucks the trend with innovative topping combinations on a soft yet chewy sourdough crust. Sophisticated seasonal pizzas, such as charred broccoli and buffalo mozzarella or bacon with cauliflower and Swiss chard, please kids and adults alike, while the fine selection of cocktails, wine, and beer gives the adults even more to appreciate.

Under the tracks of the elevated U2 subway line is Berlin's most beloved sausage stand. Konnopke's is a family business that's been around since 1930 and, though there are several options on the menu, this place is famous for its currywurst, which is served on a paper tray with a plastic prong that can be used to spear the sauce-covered sausage slices; with French fries and a pilsner, this is one of the quintessential Berlin meals.

This cozy Mitte spot has two different spaces: the bustling and sometimes drafty front room with high tables where walk-ins are seated, and a darker, more romantic back room for those who remember to reserve ahead—as you should. The short but well-thought-out menu includes small and large antipasti plates of grilled vegetables, olives, cheeses, and meats, as well as unusual pastas like a tagliatelle with crawfish in a lemon-mint sauce, or one with pine nuts and balsamic-roasted figs. Chestnut-filled ravioli with pears is a favorite in winter. The lunch menu, with an appetizer and a pasta dish for only €8.50, is a great deal, especially for the area.

Thanks to the efforts of local activists, this century-old market hall was saved from becoming a chain supermarket and instead turned into a center for local food vendors, chefs, wine dealers, and brewers. From Monday to Saturday, a large and rotating variety of food and drink is on offer for lunch and all afternoon; Tuesday to Saturday finds the weekly market with tempting food products for sale, from fruits and vegetables to bread and fish (with an expanded market on Friday and Saturday); and the space also hosts a dazzling array of rotating events, so it's best to check what's on before heading there.

In the renovated Ehemalige Jüdische Mädchenschule (Old Jewish Girls' School), this deli-style café serves delicious versions of Jewish deli standards along with regularly changing vegetable-based salads and mains. The space, with wood floors and tables and low, deep purple banquettes, is trendier than any traditional deli.

Every weekend from spring to autumn, in decent weather, the main lawn at Preussenpark in Wilmersdorf fills up with Southeast Asian families (mostly Thai, but some Vietnamese, Malaysian, and Indonesian) who set up cooking equipment and prepare authentic delicacies like beef noodle soup, skewered fried meat, and spicy green-papaya salad. Come with a picnic blanket, cash, and a lot of napkins, and stay for the afternoon. Sundays in summer are especially popular.

One of Berlin's original third-wave coffee joints, this tiny café in the heart of Mitte’s gallery district serves up superlative hand-brewed coffees (always served black) and espresso drinks with trendy add-ons like oat milk, alongside a small but tasty selection of baked goods and sandwiches. There's limited indoor seating and laptops are banned, so this is a better place to sit outside when the weather's nice or to get your coffee to go.

By day, this is a quiet café reminiscent of a classic Viennese coffeehouse (the name means "Old Europe"), with shabby but trendy decor, and fashionable Mitte-ites chatting and paging through newspapers and magazines. At night, it turns into a comfortable but bustling neighborhood pub serving classic Berlin dishes, just crowded enough to look like a scene but never too packed.

Anchored by an indoor vertical garden filled with vegetables and herbs used in many of its dishes, this casual eatery inside the Gropius Bau museum focuses on ancient Jewish recipes from around the world. Choose from a selection of organic vegetable-forward mezzes including labneh (strained yogurt) with challah bread, cauliflower with herbed tahini, and zucchini latkes, finished off with tasty cakes baked by renowned Berlin pâtissière Cynthia Barcomi.

The name isn't an exaggeration: Bonanza really was one of the first "coffee heroes" to champion artisanal roasting and brewing methods in the German capital. From its tiny home next to Mauerpark in Prenzlauer Berg, Bonanza roasts its own beans, runs a catering business, offers their beans wholesale to customers all over the city, and serves some of the smoothest, tastiest coffee in town; sometimes there are croissants, pain au chocolat, or cookies to enjoy as well, but not always. There's a second outpost in Kreuzberg, at Adalbertstrasse 70, and another in Gendarmenmarkt in Mitte.

Just across from the Nauener Tor, Café Heider has been serving coffee in this Viennese-style café since 1878. In warmer weather, the outdoor seating has views of the gate; the indoor dining room has large bay windows and plush seating. The menu includes both Berlin and Viennese specialties, like Berliner currywurst, potatoes with quark cheese, and a classic Wiener schnitzel. For dessert, you can choose from cakes, ice cream, and the traditional Viennese dessert Marillenknödel (apricot-filled dumplings), which are difficult to find outside Austria. Sunday brunch is served here as well.

A local favorite, this cozy, casual café is open from early morning into the wee hours, making it the perfect spot for everything from breakfast to a light lunch to evening drinks. There’s an affordable daily quiche and salad plate as well as a nice selection of cakes; if the weather is agreeable, find a spot on the sunny terrace, across from pretty Helmholtzplatz park.

Located in a small courtyard off the busy Karl-Marx-Strasse in Neukölln, Cafe Rix is a quiet oasis with a golden ceiling—a remnant from the building's heyday as a dance hall. The café is popular for its extensive menu all day long; on a nice day, stop by for a "Kaffee und Kuchen" (coffee and cake) to enjoy on their outdoor terrace.

Tucked into a courtyard behind the bflat jazz club, this elegant restaurant benefits from fresh ingredients, expert cooking, and an enticing exotic tea list. It has a lovely location; the outdoor space is adorned with paper lamps and canopies. You'll find the usual suspects, like fresh summer rolls and skewered meats with peanut sauce, but there are also some excellent original dishes, like the pickled Vietnamese eggplant and the rice "burger" with smoked tofu and lotus root. Brunch is served on the weekends.

The narrow, blink-and-you-miss-it ramen joint Cocolo has had it right for years; the noodle kitchen is packed almost every night of the week and has gained a devoted following—and it doesn't take reservations, so prepare to wait in line. Tasty pork-based broths come in flavors like creamy tonkotsu with pork belly, salty shio with smoked chicken, or rich niboshi shoyu with fish stock, pork, and veggies.

Located inside the bookshop Shakespeare & Sons, Fine Bagels is their in-house coffee shop and bakery. They serve hand-rolled and boiled New York–style bagels (don't miss the Zaatar-spiced bagel) and other traditional Jewish pastries, breads, and cakes.

In addition to brewing first-rate, quality coffee from beans roasted on the premises, Five Elephant serves some of the best cake in town, including a cheesecake that has become something of a local legend. Inside, the café is bright, modern, and welcoming, usually with cool jazz playing on the sound system. Like most of its coffee-brewing brethren, the café sources its own coffee directly from growers, and makes sure interactions along every step of the chain are fair and humane.

The eclectic mix of oddly matched couches, chairs, and tables in this tiny space create a cozy setting for enjoying excellent coffee and pastries. The latte art and the "godshot" logo on the coffee cups make for some Instagram-worthy photos, too. If you're interested in learning about the tools and practices of the barista trade, brewing and latte art workshops are offered. While these are normally given in German, instructors can accommodate English-speaking students, or you can book a private class in English.

The lines here are often long, but they move fast and the combination of seasoned, salty meat with crunchy salad and warm bread is unbeatable. Most people come here for a quick döner kebab, line up outside on the sidewalk, and order from the window; there's also a good choice of other Turkish specialties.

In her airy, brick-walled shop, ice cream maker extraordinaire Gabrielle Jones whips up small batch ice cream, sorbet, and frozen yogurt in tempting flavors like lemon and blueberry jam, whiskey and pecan, peanut butter and glazed bacon, matcha and white chocolate, and salted butter caramel.

This Mexican restaurant is an unassuming space on Prenzlauer Berg's Danziger Strasse. The young owners (hailing from Texas and Australia) had different ideas of what Mexican food could be, but shared one dream: to bring the authentic cuisine to Berlin. They succeeded, as fans will attest, and the hot sauce is satisfyingly hot in a country known for sensitive taste buds and blandly spiced dishes. The margaritas, made with mezcal, are particularly good—and quite potent.

This bright, welcoming space just off Kreuzberg's Lausitzer Platz serves tasty Catalonian tapas created from locally sourced ingredients that put a bit of sunshine on the plate during the dreary months. The colorful dishes on the daily changing menu are often unique pairings of sweet and savory ingredients, which combine well with the list of Spanish wines. Expect at least one fresh fish dish, like octopus with potatoes and grilled tomatoes; one soup, like the classic Spanish salmorejo (tomato and bread); and a few meat dishes with at least one expertly cooked, juicy steak, best accompanied by a glass (or bottle) of tempranillo.

A casual restaurant, Matreshka offers small candlelit tables among matryoshka dolls on the shelves. The menu comprises homemade Russian and Ukrainian specialties such as pelmeni, blinis, stroganoff, and Russian soups; mix and match the dumplings to sample more of the varieties—and enjoy the friendly service. Many times you'll receive a free sample of one of their specialty vodkas with your entree.

At the tip of the Neuer Garten, Meierei brewery serves classic German beer and local cuisine, with hearty dishes like schnitzel and roast pork knuckle. The outdoor terrace has great views of the lake and boats during the warm weather; the indoor tavern seating has rustic charm.

This hip Vietnamese eatery is a convenient place to meet before hitting Mitte's galleries or bars, or for a light lunch after browsing the area's popular boutiques. There are only a handful of items and daily specials to choose from, but the delicious curries, pho (noodle soup), and noodle salads keep the regulars coming back.

On Kantstrasse---Charlottenburg's unofficial Asiatown---this Thai restaurant serves tasty and affordable dishes with fresh vegetables, nuanced sauces, and, if you request it, the long, slow spiciness that's a rarity in Germany: the menu has a spice ranking system, including Thai scharf, which means "Thai spicy," and means super spicy. It's particularly busy at lunch time.

This casual, colorful spot is tucked into a pleasant, tree-lined, cobblestone street just up the hill from Alexanderplatz. The lunch and dinner menus focus on globally influenced, innovative salads, soups, burgers, and sandwiches, with a few mains like steak frites and chicken tikka masala. On two Saturday nights each month, Muse hosts a local chef or a nomadic supper club; you can reserve a seat to these popular events online.