Food and Drink Picks: Where to eat in Berlin
My own favourite spots, and some I'm very keen to get to
Articles about Berlin’s food scene that don’t mention some or all of the words ‘vibrant’, ‘creative’ and ‘dynamic’ are far and few between. Accurate though these descriptions may be, what such pieces usually fail to acknowledge (my own included: travel features tend to focus on reasons to visit a city, after all) that it’s a relatively young food scene in a vast, sprawling city, which means that to find the really good places to eat, you have to root through an awful lot of very average ones. Randomly popping into a café whilst exploring a neighbourhood might well yield a truly great coffee and pastry experience, but the chances are you’ll end up having a very mediocre one instead.
If food plays an important role in your travels, then a few personal recommendations for cafés, bars and restaurants will go a long way. So, as well as this list of places I’ve thoroughly enjoyed eating and drinking at myself, I’m also sharing here a selection of Berlin restaurants I’ve been (highly) recommended but am yet to go to, and a quick roundup of some of the places that regularly crop up on ‘best of’ lists compiled by trusted food-focused Berlin locals. Consider yourself well equipped with ideas for your next trip to the German capital.
Seasoned Berlin visitors and local residents, please feel free to weigh in with your favourites in the comments - or of course voice objections to my endorsements.