Where to Eat and Drink in Berlin

Hey guys! I hope your week is going well! I am heading home to Boston later this week to do some wedding planning, and I can’t wait to be with my family and soak up some quality time with my one-year-old nephew, Oliver. He is the CUTEST.

I am back today sharing my list of where to eat and drink in Berlin! I’ve had a lot of fun writing these recaps from our EuroTrip for you, and I hope you’ve enjoyed reading them. Berlin was the second to last city on our trip. You can read about the other cities we visited here: Paris / Amsterdam / Vienna / Prague.

While in Berlin, we stayed in an Airbnb in Prenzlauer Berg, which is a very vibrant and gentrified neighborhood. The streets are filled with young families with strollers, healthy supermarkets, independent bakeries, and boutique shops. It was a fantastic place to stay in such a sprawling city, and I would highly recommend it to any first-time Berlin visitors.

In terms of dining out at restaurants in Berlin, I have two important tips:

1. In most cafes and more casual restaurants you seat yourself. If you wait for a server to seat you, then you will likely end up standing at the front of the restaurant looking like a looney for 15 minutes. If you see an open table, most of the time, it’s fine to just go ahead and sit, and a server will then bring menus to your table.
2. Unlike most Americans, Germans don’t drink tap water with their meals. In fact, most scoff at the idea. While drinking bottled water is common in many European cities, we found that in Germany we received strange looks or pushback upon request for tap water. If you’re not bothered by this, then just do your thing and order tap. If you want to do as the locals do, then go with bottled.

Alright, now let’s get to it! Keep reading for my list of where to eat and drink in Berlin.

Breakfast

Schlomo’s

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On our first morning in Berlin, we woke up exhausted and starving after a long day of travel the day before. Schlomo’s was just what we needed. It was a quick ten minute walk from our Airbnb, and we were pleasantly surprised that the staff spoke perfect English. Schlomo’s makes real New York-style hand-rolled bagels, and the menu offers a wide variety of toppings including cheese, salmon, eggs, tofu, guacamole and more. They’re very accommodating to substitutions, so if you don’t see the perfect menu item, just ask!

What to Order:

Any of the egg breakfast sandwiches. And coffee — unlimited free refills…need I say more!?

 

Pasternak

I can’t say I am very familiar with Russian cuisine, but if Restaurant Pasternak was any indication, then I’m hooked! The restaurant has an old-time feel, with red checkered tablecloths and dark wooden furniture. We visited in the winter, so we sat inside, but there’s also a large outdoor seating area, which I’m sure would be fun in warmer months.

What to Order:

The Russian pancakes with homemade jam and fresh fruit. The homemade jam really stole the show. I wanted to bottle it up and bring it home with me. You also can’t go wrong with any of the egg dishes.

 

Barcomi’s

Barcomi’s is tucked away from the main street, and the entrance looks out onto a quaint little courtyard. The cafe is known for their coffee, bagels, and baked goods — all perfect for breakfast. We started with cappuccinos and split a homemade bagel and gluten-free lemon waffles. Everything was delicious, and by the end we were licking our plates clean.

What to Order: 

Definitely the coffee — you can even buy a bag to bring home. The waffles were a special item, but if they’re on the menu don’t miss them!

 

 

Lunch

Lia’s Kitchen

Lia’s opened at the end of 2016 by a group of Israeli guys who noticed a need in the area for good vegan food. Everything on the menu is 100% vegan, and I am not exaggerating when I tell you that it was some of the most delicious vegan food we’ve ever had. I really appreciated that there was nothing processed about the ingredients in the salad and burger we tried, and there is a lot of attention put into the flavor and texture of each dish. The guys at Lia’s take no shortcuts in creating delicious meat-free meals. I even overheard a few customers inside say that they’re not vegan (like us), but just love the food at Lia’s.

What to Order:

Lia’s Salad and the Chili Bean Burger

 

Zweistrom

Zweistrom is the perfect lunch spot to grab a quick pita sandwich or falafel and hummus. There are about four tables in the restaurant, so it definitely caters more towards pick-up orders. We’ve had a lot of Mediterranean food, and we were genuinely surprised by how amazing this food was. For a tiny kitchen, Zweistrom knows how to pack a lot of flavor into each bite of food.

What to Order: 

The Mixteller platter allows you to try a little bit of everything: hummus, salads, schwarma, falafel, and a variety of dips.

 

Mogg

Mogg makes an incredible pastrami sandwich. It’s lean and juicy, just the way we like it. We didn’t try anything else on the menu, so it’s honestly all I can recommend. But if you’re looking for a delicious deli sandwich, go to Mogg.

 

Hummus & Friends

Hummus & Friends is a short walk from Museum Island, making it a great lunch spot to visit after a long day visiting the museums. Aside from a couple of dishes that contain eggs, everything on the menu is vegan, and many items are also gluten-free. We sampled a bit of everything, and there was nothing we didn’t like. The portions of hummus are large, and I would recommend sharing a few items among friends.

What to Order:

Three Potatoes in the Oven and the Friends Salad

 

 

Dinner

Standard Pizza

Standard Pizza in Prenzlauer Berg serves Neopolitan-style pizza. The dough is crunchy on the outside and soft and doughy on the inside. If you’re a crust-lover, this pizza is for you! We ordered two pizzas because that’s what we saw most other couples doing, but in reality we would have been fine splitting one pizza and a salad. Ask your server for a wine pairing suggestion. They have a unique selection of wines that we hadn’t seen anywhere else in Germany.

What to Order:

While it might sound boring, you really can’t go wrong with the Margherita pizza here.

 

Umami

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We loved Umami so much that we went twice in our six day stay in Berlin. Both nights (a Tuesday and a Friday) the restaurant was packed and there was a bit of a wait for a table. Umami is incredibly popular with locals, and for good reason! The dishes are incredibly flavorful, the service is fast, and the prices are unbelievable. Entrée dishes that would be $15+ in Los Angeles, were only $7-$8 at Umami. The first night we had to get two orders of the Saigon Pancakes (crispy sweet potato pancakes) because we couldn’t get over how good they were!

What to Order:

The Saigon Pancakes, Deep Gold Beef Bowl, and Tongkin’s Roast Duck

 

 

Wine Bars

Weinschenke Weinstein

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Weinstein is a cozy neighborhood wine bar that serves a delicious selection of wines from around the globe. We were particularly interested in German wines, so that’s all we tried. You can sample a wide variety of wines in varying quantities, which is fun if you don’t want to stick to one thing. Weinstein also serves food, but we only ordered fresh bread, which was perfect to soak up all the wine!

 

Cordobar

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Cordobar is hip, trendy, and always busy. The bar opens at 7PM, but on the night we went a line formed outside the door as early as 6:30PM. You can grab a seat at the bar or sit at a table in the main dining area. Wines can be ordered by the glass or bottle. I’d suggest ordering by the glass because there are so many great wines to try! There’s also a small menu that changes regularly, and the items are perfect for pre-dinner or late-night snacking.

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If you have any questions about where to eat and drink in Berlin or need additional suggestions about your stay, feel free to leave a comment below or shoot me an email!

 

Disclosure: In some cases, I received a complimentary meal in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. I would never include any restaurant that I didn’t genuinely love. As always, thank you for your support!