Bars & Restaurants
Café Frieda, Prenzlauer Berg
This neighbourhood bistro on Helmholtplatz is a reliable spot for good music and outstanding dishes. The croissant with burrata and cascara syrup is one of the better brunches in town, while the dinner menu features vegetables and T-bone steaks from local regenerative farms.
Borchardt, Mitte
It is no coincidence that Berlin’s foremost place to see and be seen also serves the city’s best schnitzel. Visit for weekday lunch and you’ll spot politicians convening in corner booths; while on weekend evenings the scene gets rowdier, with the maître d’ doling out access to the private club upstairs.
Julius Ernst, Wedding
Inga Krieger, Shunsuke Nagaoka and Michelin-starred chef Dylan Watson-Brawn run Julius Ernst in a pared-back space on Nettelbeckplatz. During the day, it is a quiet café serving the perfect omelette and French toast. At night the kitchen kicks into gear with a Japanese-inflected menu starring scallops from Brittany, citrus from Sicily and heirloom produce from Brandenburg.
Bardele, Mitte
In a neighbourhood packed with concept restaurants, this newcomer is refreshingly grown-up. Simply put, Bardele is an upscale Italian trattoria. Take a seat at the bar with a negroni or a glass of lambrusco before moving to the wood-panelled dining room for handmade pasta.
Trio, Mitte
The German capital is remarkably lacking in quality regional cuisine but Trio goes a long way to remedy that. In a street corner reminiscent of an Edward Hopper painting, patrons can enjoy a pilsner and pickles at the bar or a full dinner of backhänchen, goulash or königsberger klopse.
Ari’s, Kreuzberg
Hidden in an unmarked courtyard near Görlitzer Park is this airy, all-day Peruvian-American restaurant. Inspired by New York diners and chef Arianna Plevisani’s hometown of Lima, the menu features chopped-cheese sandwiches, ceviche and buttermilk pancakes, served alongside bottomless coffee or a bloody mary.
Sathutu, Prenzlauer Berg
Lisa Baladurage started this Sri Lankan restaurant to bring the flavours of her father’s home island to Berlin. On the menu are coconut roti with curry-leaf butter and white fish thenga meen – but don’t expect any servings of basmati. “The cuisine has so much more to offer than rice and curry,” she says.
Jones Ice Cream, Schöneberg, Prenzlauer Berg & Kreuzberg
This ice-cream parlour was first founded in Schöneberg by French pastry chef Gabrielle Jones. Berliners couldn’t get enough, resulting in the opening of two more shops in Prenzlauer Berg and Kreuzberg. It’s a tough choice between the carrot cake and strawberry sorbet, though locals know to get the handmade waffle.
Stoke, Kreuzberg
This yakitori restaurant was under construction for years but the tenacity paid off: when it opened in 2025, dinner tables were fully booked for months. Patrons are seated around an open kitchen that prepares chicken-based courses in the wood-fired oven or on the charcoal grill.
Freundschaft, Mitte
This softly lit bar is owned by the founders of Grill Royal and Château Royal. Boasting one of the longest wine lists in town, there are bottles for every palate and budget – from natural reds by Christian Tschida to JJ Prüm’s spätlese riesling – and the snacks are excellent too.
