Here are our top 5 recommended restaurants in Berlin.
Toca Rouge
Toca Rouge is owned by the young Chinese master chef Afom, who you can watch conjure magic in the open kitchen from your relaxed dining room table. Afom, a surly man at best, is not one to smile himself – but his food has the happy habit of putting grins on the faces of Toca Rouge diners. Try the Crazy Orange Chicken – sliced, dark meat served with rice and a sesame orange sauce on a bed of unusual Chinese leaves known as Bok Choi, made all the more special when accompanied by a pot of jasmine tea. We love the cheeky name theme on the menu. Look out for Deep Throat Avocado, Five Deadly Venoms and Green White Pool.
Torstrasse 195
10115 Berlin
Tel: +49 30 8471 2142
Station: Zinnowitzer Str.
The Bird
The Bird is Berlin’s standout burger joint. The American steakhouse is located right behind Mauerpark, just by Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportspark. The cooks really know their stuff when it comes to the simple art of throwing a quality piece of beef in between two pieces of bread, and serving golden fries with a bit of mayo. The two dudes who run the restaurant are originally from New York. They’ve established an authentic American vibe – The Bird wouldn’t look out of place in one of Brooklyn’s trendy neighbourhoods. The delicious beef patties, fries and cheesecake wouldn’t be out of place there either.
Am Falkplatz 5
10435 Berlin
Tel: +49 30 5105 3283
Station: Schönhauser Allee
Habibi Imbiss
Habibi means ’my darling’ in Arabic, a word that feels particularly apt this highly beloved (and famous) falafel bar! Here you can find the best and cheapest falafel in the German capital. Habibi Imbiss is open until 3 am every week night and until 5 am at the weekend, so it’s a real draw for night owls mad for falafel, shawarmas, halloumi and hummus. The super friendly staff are always happy to serve up some sweet tea while you wait for your food.
Goltzstraße 24
10781 Berlin
Station: Nollendorfplatz
(photo) HABIBI-IMBISS_AS121597_BERLIN_GUIDE_SCHNEIDER
Kimchi Princess
In a beautifully decorated room that looks like it has been taken straight from the set of an Asian mafia film, the Korean restaurant Kimchi Princess offers delights from the Far East. Sitting on benches alongside long tables, you order a traditional Korean barbecue, and the chef will come to your table and grill it all up in front of you. The clientele is fairly young and the atmosphere more lounge-like, but you do ‘risk’ sitting shoulder to shoulder with people you don’t know. Hip, but relaxed in a well delivered style.
Skalitzer Straße 36/Manteuffelstraße
10999 Berlin
Tel: +49 30 16345 8020 3
Station: Görlitzer
Rodeo Club
The last restaurant on our favourites list is quite unknown. It’s all the more special because it comes with its own nightclub! You can eat your meal in cultivated friendliness and chose to walk home before the place gets too smoky, and the music is turned up. Or, you can stay and experience everything at once: food, a bar and a dance club. The Rodeo Club is situated behind an abandoned warehouse. Food is served in a domed room with 25 metre-high ceilings. And just like in a David Lynch film, the atmosphere is outlandish and stylish. Meanwhile, patrons are a good-looking mixture of young, smart Berliners with crazy hair styles, and the more well-heeled mature set. Individual dishes will set you back between €8 and €25. You’ll pay around for a meal €35. During the evening the tables are discreetly tidied away, ashtrays set out, and the place magically transforms into a nightclub.
Auguststrasse 5A
10117 Berlin
Tel: +49 16 3162 0168
Station: Oranienburger Str.