The Ultimate Berlin Food and Drink Guide
Ahhhh, Berlin. I could write so much about how much I love this city (and I probably will in another post), but for today I want to focus on the food and drink, because we boy oh boy did we enjoy some great stuff on our recent trip. Thanks to some ace recommendations from you guys and a bit of Instagram research, we managed to scope out some super yummy grub, coffee to die for and enough beer to cause some serious hangovers. We didn't have a single bad meal the whole time we were there so I thought it was only fair of me to share the love and create the ultimate Berlin food and drink guide. I've split it into three sections for ease - food, coffee and booze.
It's a long one - enjoy! And if you're looking for things to do while you're in Berlin, then make sure you read this post too.
food
Zola, Kreuzberg
We headed here on our first night in Berlin and oh my god it was INCREDIBLE. Hands down one of the best pizzas I have ever eaten! The interiors are cool, the menu is simple and the music is carefully selected to create a fun atmosphere, plus it was very reasonably priced. Choose the pizza with the burrata on it (yes you heard me right) - you won't regret it.
Brammibals, Kreuzberg
Just across the river from Zola is Brammibals, a cute little cafe specialising in donuts and coffee. Everything sold here is vegan but you would never have guessed it - the donuts tasted better than any I've had from Krispy Kreme or the like. This is the perfect place to start your day - 4 donuts will set you back about 10 euros and there is a huge variety of flavours.
Burgermeister, various locations
When I told people we were going to Berlin almost everyone said the same thing - "go to Burgermeister!". It's a fast food restaurant similar to Shake Shack so the food is relatively inexpensive and is prepared quickly. We headed there after a couple of beers and thoroughly enjoyed our burgers, although the chips were definitely not as good as I've had in similar establishments.
Angry Chicken, Kreuzberg
This place was in pretty much every guide book we took with us so we knew we had to give it a try. It's a kind of fast food joint that specialises in Korean fried chicken, burger and bimbimbap and is the little sister of the highly rated Kimchi Princess. We headed there for lunch one day when we were pretty hungover and it definitely filled the spot - the chicken was spicy, tasty and deliciously crunchy!
Transit, Mitte
Our friend chose this restaurant as the place to celebrate his birthday dinner and boy oh boy did he choose well. The menu consists of pan-asian tapas style dishes and there is loads of choice, from thai curries to spicy beef. All of the food we ordered was incredibly tasty (so much flavour!) and the drinks were great too. I would definitely recommend booking though as it was totally rammed, even on a Monday evening.
District Mot, Mitte
I'm a huge fan of Vietnamese food but always struggle to find good places to eat it here in Leeds, so when I saw lots of bloggers recommending District Mot, I knew we had to check it out! The menu is pretty big but I opted for a classic bun cha which was really tasty and Sam's dim sum looked yum too. The decor in here is also incredible - so colourful and fun!
Markthalle Neun, Kreuzberg
berlin food and drink guide markthalle neun
If you've been reading my travel posts for any length of time, you'll know that I love to hunt out a market hall wherever we go, so Markthalle Neun was top of our list. Packed full of food and drink stands, this is a great spot to while away a couple of hours. They host a street food night on Thursdays and regular events too - we attended a sausage and beer festival there which was a lot of fun!
booze
Vögelchen, Kreuzberg
This little cafe bar is located just across the road from Markthalle Neun and is the perfect place for grabbing a relaxed drink. The decor is super quirky and the drinks menu is extensive - it's also incredibly reasonable with an Aperol spritz costing a mere 4 euros!
Hofbräu, Alexanderplatz
This place is a little bit on the touristy side but is good fun if you're in the area. It's a big old Bavarian style beer hall, complete with long tables, waiters wearing lederhosen and a live band. You can also grab food here, but we just called in for a stein of beer (which happened to be much stronger than either of us were expecting!).
Luzia, Kreuzberg
My friend Emily recommended this bar to us and we happened to stumble across it while we were out one evening. It's exactly the kind of bar that I love - great drinks, a relaxed atmosphere and good music playing in the background. It's well located for a night out in Kreuzberg - we spent a fun couple of hours here laughing with our friends and enjoying a little bit too much Jagermeister.
Würgeengel, Kreuzberg
The best thing about going on holiday with a couple of bartenders in tow is that they can always sniff out a great bar to enjoy a fancy cocktail or too. I loved the chilled vibe in Würgeengel and the drinks were really good - I enjoyed an espresso martini and an old fashioned which were both well made and sufficiently boozy.
Kaschk, Mitte
This place specialises in two things - coffee and craft beer. As it was late in the day when we called in we decided to grab a beer each - there was a huge selection, even for a self proclaimed beer expert like Sam. It was a little bit more on the pricey side, but the atmosphere was nice and the bartenders were friendly. You can also play shuffleboard downstairs if that's your kind of thing.
Mein Haus am See, Mitte
Another recommendation from my friend Emily, Mein Haus am See is located just down the road from Transit so we called in for a couple of drinks after dinner. As soon as we walked in Sam and I both remarked that it reminded us of all the bars we love in Williamsburg - it had a very similar relaxed atmosphere going on. We sat up on the steps and enjoyed gin cocktails and a pitcher of beer - it was a really nice place to just catch up with our friends and people watch.
Michelberger Hotel, Friedrichshain
We spent our last night in Berlin having a couple of drinks at the bar in the Michelberger Hotel. This place was so cool and the cocktails we had were delicious - they don't reveal what's in them on the menu, you just choose based on the description of the drink which was fun. We both liked the vibe here so much that we swore to stay at the hotel next time we visit Berlin.
coffee
Companion Coffee, Kreuzberg
This little coffee shop is based within Voo, a super hip concept store stocking brands like Acne, Jil Sander and Wood Wood. We called in here to grab a coffee to go before wandering into the city centre but there were lots of cool looking people holed up in there with there with Macbooks too - a definite freelancer hotspot.
Silo Coffee, Friedrichshain
The lovely Ally recommended this place for brunch and it was like a blogger's dream! Minimalistic interiors, really great coffee and the BEST avocado on toast I have ever eaten (yep, big statement!). Plus it's located pretty near the start of the East Side Gallery so a great spot to grab a coffee before a wander along there.
The Barn, various locations
We visited The Barn on our last trip to Berlin in 2012 and loved it so were keen to see if the coffee was as good as we remembered - thankfully it was! Their little cafe in Mitte is small and always busy, but it's well worth queuing for a cup of the good stuff. All the coffee they sell is sourced sustainably and roasted in Berlin which I'm sure contributes to the great end product.
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So there you have it - the ultimate Berlin food and drink guide. Reading this back I'm surprised that I didn't come back to the UK double the size! Let me know if you've been to any of these places or if you have any more spots to add to the list...
