The best restaurants in Berlin
Expert guide to Berlin
From pioneering vegetarian restaurants and MSG-free Vietnamese noodle joints to upmarket kebab gaffs, and pike caviar and pork chin at Michelin-starred establishments, visitors do not want for food in Germany's capital. Telegraph Travel expert, Paul Sullivan, shares his best Berlin restaurants.
Mitte
Rutz Restaurant & Weinbar
With it's copper-coloured interior and large windows, Rutz provides a warm and well-lit atmosphere to sample it's two-Michelin-starred food. Created by chef Marco Müller and his team, the main restaurant menu – available à la carte or as multi-course 'Inspiration' tasting menus – offers refined fish and meat dishes (pike caviar, goose liver, pork chin) matched to wines from one of the city’s best cellars; around 850 listings at the last count. The bottle-lined wine bar serves more casual fare, often with a regional twist, such as Blomeyer’s cheese from Berlin and a delicious Neuköllner schinkenknacker (sausage); the slightly cheaper lunchtime deals are worth looking out for too.
Contact: 00 49 30 24 62 87 60; rutz-restaurant.de
Prices: £££
Opening times: Tue-Sat, 6.30pm-10.30pm (restaurant); 4pm-11pm (wine bar)
Reservations: Essential for restaurant
Best table: If the weather is warm, try for a table on the courtyard terrace
Grill Royal
True, it has a reputation for being popular with local politicians, celebrities and artists, and there’s some eye-catching neon Keith Farquhar sculptures; but it would be a great shame to let yourself be distracted from the food – especially the steaks, which range from Argentine and Australian to German and French, and demand your full attention. Don’t eat steak? The Claire oysters, herbed veal chop or ravioli are equally top-notch, as are the seafood dishes (grilled lobster), the cheese plate for dessert, and the international wine and champagne list, which runs to 1200 bottles.
Contact: 00 49 30 28 87 92 88; grillroyal.com
Prices: ££
Opening times: Daily, from 6pm
Reservations: Essential
Best table: In warm weather, reserve a seat on the marvelous terrace, which overlooks the Bode Museum and Spree
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Cookies Cream
Berlin’s vegetarian scene was sorely lacking when this restaurant opened, hence cheers went out for not only its meatless dishes but also the kitchen's refreshing flair and innovation. Now flaunting a brand new and long-awaited Michelin star, the menu eschews pasta and rice in favour of more interesting concoctions like beetroot gnocchi, lentil-filled kohlrabi and parmesan dumplings. The venue’s loft-style interior, all low ceilings, exposed brickwork and an open kitchen, is a hit with the clubbing crowd, and the chic and dimly lit Crackers bar is worth dropping into for a post-prandial cocktail.
Contact: 00 49 30 2749 2940; cookiescream.de
Prices: ££
Opening times: Tue-Sat, from 7pm (summer). Tue-Sat, from 6pm (winter)
Reservations: Recommended
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Monsieur Vuong
An institution in Berlin Mitte, the tiny but personable Monsieur Vuong offers just a few simple Vietnamese dishes (phos, noodle salads) on its menu and specials board, but it’s almost always completely packed out with locals and tourists alike. The reason? The food is light and tasty – guaranteed MSG-free – there’s a good range of fruit cocktails, exotic teas and beers, and always a palpable buzz inside. People don’t tend to hang around here much, though, making it suitable more for a quick bite before a night out on the tiles or a snappy lunch break during shopping.
Contact: 00 49 30 99 29 69 24; monsieurvuong.de
Price: £
Opening times: Mon-Thu 12pm-11pm, Fri-Sun 12pm-12am
Reservations: Not possible, but table turn-around time is generally quick
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Charlottenburg
Glass
The cuisine, constantly evolving and changing, and themed around Middle Eastern recipes, is intricately presented with interesting and exotic ingredients, like mutton tartare and lobster paired with roses. Run by Israeli chef Gal Ben Mosche, the contemporary joint offers around ten tables in a simple but stylish interior that matches black-and-white tablecloths to grey concrete floors, glass walls and hanging designer chandeliers. It’s possible to order à la carte but with so many delightful surprises and reasonable costs, the five-course menu is recommended – as are the wines from Greece, Israel and Lebanon.
Contact: 030 54710861, glassberlin.de
Prices: ££
Opening times: Tue-Sat, 6pm-12am
Reservations: Recommended
Marjellchen
This restaurant is worth visiting for its atmosphere seemingly untouched by time. Think old paintings on the wall, oil lamps and candles for lighting, and jazz and chanson crackling from the record player. The menu is just as traditional, featuring meat-heavy classics from Pomerania and Silesia like goose, borsch and Köningsberger klopse (meatballs), usually paired with dumplings, potatoes and stewed cabbage, and rich, creamy sauces. Portions are generous, and the gregarious owner is prone to bursting out into song. The German wine list is also well worth exploring.
Contact: 030 883 2676, marjellchen-berlin.de
Price: ££
Opening times: Daily, from 5pm
Reservations: Recommended
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Lon Men’s Noodle House
Blink and you’ll miss Lon Men’s Noodle House, which is tucked in amongst an array of Asian-themed restaurants and outlets along West Berlin’s Kantstrasse. Although it has a rather unassumning exterior leading into an equally basic interior mostly dominated by a busy kitchen with a few small tables, this is the place to come for Taiwanese food. Soups are made with authentic, handmade Taiwanese noodles which are vastly superior to the store-brought versions. Don’t miss out on the exceptional chilli beef wontons nor the soft and juicy steamed duck buns.
Contact: 030 31519678
Price: £ ; Credit cards not accepted
Opening times: Daily, 12pm-10.30pm
Reservations: Not possible
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Prenzlauer Berg
The Bird
Despite the intense competition these days, The Bird is still one of the best places for reasonably-priced, filling, juicy, American-style burgers in Berlin. Burgers are made from freshly-ground, top quality German beef (apart from the excellently-named Lousy Hunter, a vegetarian offering). Also recommended are the steaks, chicken wings, and range of international and local craft beers. The Bird has a few locations these days, but the original in Prenzlauer Berg still holds a special charm thanks to its casual, diner-style atmosphere and communal picnic tables. If you can, it’s worth trying to save some room for the delicious homemade cheesecake.
Contact: 00 49 30 51 05 32 83; thebirdinberlin.com
Price: £
Opening times: Mon-Thu 6pm-12am, Fri 5pm-12am, Sat-Sun 12pm-12am
Reservations: recommended
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Osman’s Tochter
Despite Berlin’s abundant Turkish population, solid mid-range Turkish restaurants are surprisingly difficult to come by in Berlin. Enter Osman’s Tochter, which serves up traditional Turkish cuisine with a modern twist in a smart, charming interior that’s all exposed brick walls, multi-coloured tables and chairs, and overhead lights fashioned from glass jars. The menu is built around the concept of meze-style sharing, spanning dishes like grilled meatballs in yoghurt sauce, lamb chops (to die for) and fish köfte. There’s plenty for vegetarians too, and the Turkish semolina cake is worth saving space for. No credit cards.
Contact: +49 30 32 66 33 88; osmanstoechter.de
Price: £-££
Opening times: Daily, 5.30pm-12am
Reservations: Recommended at weekends
Tables: Try and book a seat outside on the pavement terrace on a sunny day; it’s great for people-watching
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Kreuzberg
Cocolo
The original branch of Cocolo, a tiny ramen spot in Mitte’s Gipstrasse holding no more than thirty people, is today so popular that it’s one of the only restaurants in Berlin that people tend to queue for. Thankfully there is a second, larger iteration in Kreuzberg with more seating, including a spacious outdoor terrace. The brick interior is a little hipper, as are the clientele, but the menu is the same: a selection of four basic broth variations shio (salt), shoyu (soya sauce), tonkotsu (pork bones) and miso (soya paste) alongside smaller dishes like Gyoza fried dumplings.
Contact: 0049 30 98 33 90 73; kuchi.de/restaurant/cocolo-x-berg
Price: £
Opening times: 12pm-11pm Tue-Sun, Closed Monday
Reservations: Usually not needed at the Kreuzberg location
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Friedrichshain
Michelberger Hotel
Occupying a decent swathe of the Michelberger hotel’s ground floor, the Michelberger restaurant has gradually become one of Friedrichshain’s best dining spots. With large windows overlooking the daily bustle of Warschauer Strasse, the open, light-filled ceramic-tiled interior has a suitably Berlin ambience supported by casual, friendly staff. The lunch and dinner menus, created by Irish chef Alan Micks, offer modern European dishes with a local twist and there’s a good spread of fish, vegetable and meat dishes, as well as desserts. Be warned: the devilish black pudding with smoked mashed potato is creamy enough to be a dessert in itself.
Contact: 030 29778590, michelbergerhotel.com
Price: ££
Opening times: Tue-Sat until 10pm
Reservations: Recommended for weekends
