Our Favorite Restaurants in Berlin: The Local's List

Germany doesn't exactly have a reputation for stellar food, and honestly, if you only eat in Munich or at tourist-facing restaurants, you'd be right to think so. But Berlin is a different beast. Like London, it's so deeply international that calling it a "German food city" almost misses the point. You've got Vietnamese phở better than you'll find in half the cities in Asia (maybe it's still a bit better in Hanoi, though), Turkish street food that makes the famous queues look embarrassing, Italian that our Italian co-author (aka me) doesn't scoff at, and Georgian, Kurdish-Iraqi, and Japanese restaurants that could hold their own anywhere on earth. It just doesn't look like a food capital from the outside, which works in your favor.

Ryan has lived here since 2018 and me since 2022... not visiting, living. This is home base, the city he returns to between trips. We eat out basically every day. That matters, because the best restaurants in Berlin are rarely the ones that show up in a Google search... they're the ones you find by living in the neighbourhoods, walking back from the U-Bahn at midnight, and stumbling into the same place twice because the first time was that good.

Here's what actually gets ordered.

Our Favorite Restaurants: The Map

Food Tours in Berlin

If you want to eat well in Berlin but don't know where to start, a food tour is genuinely one of the best ways to shortcut the learning curve... especially in a city where the best stuff is almost always off the main streets. These three are the ones we'd actually recommend.

Kreuzberg: Culinary Food Tour

This tour starts at Kotti and works its way through Oranienstraße... the same streets covered in the guide above. You'll try original Berlin recipes, cross-cultural crossover dishes, and international delicatessen from one of the most genuinely multicultural neighborhoods in Europe. The history woven in (working class roots, GDR escape stories, May Day marches) makes it more than just snacks. Good option if you want context with your food.

Berlin: Guided Street Food Tour with Tastings

This one stays in Mitte but deliberately avoids the tourist traps... think best-kebab-in-town level, not Mustafa's queue level. Five tastings as you walk, with the guide pointing out local spots you'd never find on your own. Useful for the first day of a trip when you want to orient yourself and eat well at the same time.

Berlin: Downtown Food Tour with 8 Authentic Local Tastings

The most comprehensive of the three, this tour has 8 tastings across the city centre covering döner, Flammkuchen, Käsespätzle, currywurst, local beer, and a secret dish revealed on the day. It does include a stop at Mustafa's (yes, we know), but the rest of the tour more than makes up for it, and there's genuine Cold War history woven throughout. Come hungry.

Best Kebab & Street Food In Berlin

Oase (Friedrichshain)

Oase has been a go-to since 2018. They do wraps rather than the traditional döner in bread, but the sauces are on a completely different level. Order the falafel and halloumi im bröt. Dirt cheap and wildly underrated.

Nefis Gemüse Kebab (Kreuzberg/Neukölln)

For the classic Berlin vegetarian döner without the famous-venue queue, Nefis is the answer. Friendly crew, and the kebab makes Mustafa's irrelevant.

Best Vietnamese Restaurants in Berlin

Berlin has one of the best Vietnamese food scenes outside of Vietnam — a legacy of the large Vietnamese community that settled here after the war. It shows.

Dong Xuan Center (Lichtenberg)

The Dong Xuan Center is the cultural and economic hub of Berlin's Vietnamese community... a massive indoor market with food stalls, imported goods, and genuinely excellent Afghani food on the side. Worth the trip out.

Gotcha (Friedrichshain)

Gotcha isn't strictly authentic Vietnamese, but the flavors are hard to beat and the vibe on Simon-Dach-Strasse in summer is infectious. Even if you don't usually go vegetarian, try the Buddha Bowl 🤩.

Anh Ba Restaurant (Neukölln, Weserstr 6)

Anh Ba — one word: pho. The beef version is so good it got ordered twice in the same week on the first visit. Spicy fruity non-alcoholic cocktails that also hit harder than expected. In the middle of a Berlin winter, this is a full immunity reset.

Best German Restaurants in Berlin

German food gets unfairly maligned, mostly because tourists end up in Munich-style brauhaus spots. Berlin's version is different — and genuinely good.

Kartoffelhaus (Mitte)

Right next to Alexanderplatz at the Marienkirche, Kartoffelhaus is one of the rare Mitte restaurants worth what you pay. The Berlin pork knuckle is its own thing... noticeably different from the Bavarian version. Strictly for non-vegans.

Klinke (Kreuzberg)

Klinke does German tapas — small plates of all the grandmother-recipe classics. Always finish with the Kaiserschmarrn.

Mutzenbacher (Kreuzberg)

One word: Wienerschnitzel. Mutzenbacher does it best in the city.

Schwarze Heidi Fondue (Friedrichshain)

Schwarze Heidi is a winter-only pop-up fondue restaurant. Cozy, intimate, and absurdly Swiss for Berlin. Only open in the cold months — don't miss it if you're here then.

Best Italian Restaurants in Berlin

Having an Italian co-author means Italian food standards are non-negotiable. These passed.

The GRAIN, Berlin (Prenzlauer Berg)

Some of the best Neapolitan-style pizza anywhere on the planet. The GRAIN... the dough is missed daily.

Marco Polo Uno (Lichtenberg)

Marco Polo Uno... cozy Italian trattoria, unfussy and great.

Osteria Sippi (Kreuzberg/Neukölln)

Osteria Sippi... banging aperitivo.

Spumante (Kreuzberg)

Spumante... another excellent aperitivo spot with mysteriously great Greek salads.

Other World Cuisines in Berlin

Lasan Restaurant (Kreuzberg, Adalbertstraße 96)

Lasan is Kurdish-Iraqi, cheap, and the bread alone makes it worth the trip. Order the dip platter (Kuba Teller Sawar). Free tea. And Möbel Olfe, one of the best gay bars in Berlin, is literally right around the corner if dinner runs long.

Gio's Georgian (Kreuzberg)

Gio's Georgian: almost as good as what you'd get in actual Georgia. High praise.

It's a Long Story (Neukölln)

It's a long story does a massive, chaotic Turkish-style brunch. Get it.

Nusantara (Moabit)

If you're already heading to Vabali spa, Nusantara is right there. Indonesian food, excellent bubble teas, and the Longtong — rice and meatballs wrapped in banana leaves — is the dish to order.

Best Food Markets in Berlin

Markthalle Neun (Kreuzberg)

Markthalle Neun is a historic market hall with rotating food stalls and artisan goods throughout the week. Check what's on before you go.

Boxhagener Platz (Friedrichshain)

Saturday mornings only... a neighborhood market with produce, street food, and that unmistakably relaxed Friedrichshain energy.