A great spot for a scrumptious breakfast, robust cortados, or an evening beer is Fuchsbau, right off the Landwehrkanal in kreuzberg. The service isn’t the warmest, but you can sit outside undisturbed for hours drinking their fine brew. The menu is divine, offering fresh salads and sandwiches perfectly prepared. Evenings get pretty crowded at this beloved neighborhood watering hole, but thete’s always enough space for juuuuuuust one more.
Fuchsbau. Planufer 93, Kreuzberg.
Shisha pipes, mint tea, and backgammon are the staples of Horus, the local Egyptian cafe on Hasenheide. The neighborhood’s Arab community spends afternoons and evenings here, toting waterpipes and gossiping. The cuisine is authentic and reasonably priced. You might feel a little awkward if you walk in alone, but the crowd is welcoming and provides an important glimpse into a major Berlin subculture.
Horus. Hasenheide, Kreuzberg.
Forget sweet and sour pork. The best from Shanghai is served at Tang’s, and it’s indeed delicious. (The photo doesn’t do the food any justice.) Particularly the vegetarian stuff is so good that even meat eaters such as yours truly love it.
Tang’s Kantine, Dieffenbachstraße/Gräfestraße
Almost a classic on Berlin’s Vietnamese restaurant map, Onkel Ho easily plays on par with the much more touristy Monsieur Vuong. Located next to Mauerpark in Prenzlauer Berg, it’s a beautiful and quiet place with great food. Dishes range from commonplace Vietnamese to more regional specialties.
Try one of the daily dishes like chicken and crab in leaves on rice noodle salad, or the super fresh summer rolls. You won’t be disappointed.
It’s a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach as everything is cooked in an open kitchen behind glass, so you always know it’s fresh.
Onkel Ho, Gleimstr. 10
You’re lucky to grab a seat quickly at the most bustling Vietnamese restaurant in Berlin. Founded years ago by Dat Vuong (his uncle’s muscular portrait still hangs inside), Monsieur Vuong will delight the senses with its scrumptious daily specials and small but rich set menu. Choices are limited, but for the dishes they do, they do well. Apart from the amazing food, the shakes are worth trying as is the yummy ginger tea.
The area is hipster chic, and the place more expensive than other Vietnamese locales in town, but if you’re looking to splurge a bit and don’t mind waiting 15 minutes for a seat, Monsieur Vuong won’t disappoint.
Monsieur Vuong. Alte Schonhauser 46, Mitte.
Every once in a while you just want to indulge in a vat of greasy, crispy, perfectly prepared fat. Frittiersalon in Friedrichshain will satisfy your cravings - but not your waistline.
Choose a monster burger from their creative menu (walnuts, honey, and gorgonzola or Texas salsa, for example). Their meat is certified organic and the ingredients highly customizable. If you’re veg, fear not. Frittiersalon offers plenty of savory veggie-friendly patties - soy, camembert, and a few others. The fries rock, and you’ll be wanting to try all of the ingenious dips. Seating might be hard to find during peak hours, but the wait is worth it.
Frittiersalon. 104 Boxhagenerstrasse, Friedrichshain.
Falafel is a Berliner food staple, but a place that has mastered the fine art is DaDa Falafel, right off Oranienburger Tor in Mitte. The DaDa Plate (pictured) comes piled sky-high with tabouleh, baba ghanoush, kofta, haloumi, hummus, tahini, and loads of more yummy sauces and mezze. The freshly pressed orange-carrot juice is a treat, and don’t forget to grab a seat in the adjacent art gallery, which lets you take your DaDa Plate inside and peruse the collection.
Prices are slightly higher than in Kreuzberg or Friedrichshain, but in a neighborhood plagued by tacky, tourist filled restaurants, DaDa Falafel is a welcomed retreat.
DaDa Falafel. Linienstrasse 132, Mitte.
Pull up a reading chair and recline in the sun at Goldmarie, a stylish and relaxing kiez-cafe near the number one Sunday chill spot, Admiralbrücke.
Goldmarie offers toasted bagels packed with dried tomatoes and olives, plus creamy and cool iced lattes. Location is prime for hanging out on a warm afternoon or winding down the evening with a quiet drink.
If the weather isn’t cooperating, don’t worry. The soothing golden lights and vanilla floral decals will charm you in the cafe’s interior.
Goldmarie. Grimmstrasse 29 on the corner of Böckhstrasse, Kreuzberg.
Your world turns upside down while admiring the furniture glued to the ceiling in Madame Claude’s gravity-defying bar. Silverware, umbrellas, wooden chairs, and kitchen sinks dangle from above, making you want to do a handstand to set it all upright.
Stop by for a drink and friendly atmosphere, but don’t expect much from the music. The bar has strict orders from the neighborhood to keep the noise down. So much for keeping your arse over the tea kettle.
Madame Claude’s. Lubbenerstr. 19, Kreuzberg.
Smack in Görlitzer Park with all its ruins (old trainstation, former playground derelict fountain…) you’ll find little cafe Edelweiss. The indoors feature two small party rooms for rent, but outside in the sun is where it’s happening.
Görli, as the park is affectionably called by its inhabitants, is not for the landscapingly inclined. Rather, it looks a bit like a shabby, somewhat neglected mess. That said, it’s probably one of the favorite hangout places for students, Kreuzbergers and tourists alike who congregate here to read in the sun or play sports (soccer, baseball, juggling, frisbee and Scandinavian import Kubb are most popular).
And Edelweiss puts you right in the middle of all that. They serve some pretty good full grain guacamole & dried tomato bagels, too. (No photo since I ate it too quickly.)
Cafe Edelweiss is inside Görlitzer Park, near the entrance towards U Görlitzer Bahnhof, Kreuzberg