I blinked, and suddenly three wonderful days in the German capital Berlin were behind me. I walked around a lot, met some really lovely people from the Berlin travel blogger network, saw some cool things and, above all, ate really well.
For me, eating is generally the best part of travelling. Culinary sightseeing, so to speak. Normally, I also attach great importance to trying the typical local dishes. I didn't do that in Berlin. I hope I'm not offending anyone, but well... typical German dishes aren't really my thing. Currywurst and pork knuckle and stuff...
BUT: Berlin has, in my opinion, the largest collection of mega-cool bars and restaurants anywhere. I ate a lot and ate well – purely so that I could introduce you to some really cool Berlin restaurants, of course. For no other reason. Ahem.
Berlin's bars and restaurants – my favourites
Homemade
Simon-Dach-Straße 10, 10245 Berlin Friedrichshain
Mon–Fri, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. | Sat to Sun, 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
On the day of my arrival, I landed in Tegel shortly after 7 a.m. Getting up far too early took its toll, so I was really hungry when I went to my first Berlin (breakfast) restaurant, the chilled-out Homemade im Kiez.
Want to grab a seat outside? You'll have to get there early on nice days. But I wanted to sit inside anyway, because it was still quite chilly outside, and besides a cosy little table, I also had a power outlet for my dead mobile phone.
My vegan breakfast was huge! A plate piled high with salad, fruit, sun-dried tomatoes, tomato pesto, tapenade and jam. Served with toast and a large cappuccino – the perfect way to fuel up for a day in Berlin! I was really pleasantly surprised by the value for money. And of course, there are also non-vegan options for those who prefer not to start the day with just vegetables!
Factory Girl
Friedrichstraße 113, 10117 Berlin
Mon to Thu, 9:00 to 15:00 | Fri to Sun, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Do you know what it's like when you live close to people you haven't seen in ages, and then you bump into them completely unexpectedly in the most unlikely places? That's what happened to me with my primary school friend Pam, who replied to one of my Berlin Instagram posts saying she was also there for the weekend. So we seized the opportunity and met up for breakfast at Factory Girl in Berlin Mitte.
It must be said: these ultra-cool hipster bars are all quite similar. Simple wooden tables with benches, minimalist furnishings but with cool accessories, lounge music and waiters and waitresses who are cooler than I will ever be. AND! Really good food. Unfortunately, in this case, garnished with a swarm of hungry wasps. The nice waitress provided us with a bowl of hot coffee powder, which drove away a few wasps – but then we sat in clouds of smoke with the steadfast wasp colleagues.
Well, anyway, it's summer, so wasps are just part of it. Breakfast was really delicious! My bowl of muesli with lots of fresh fruit was a real hit. I actually wanted to try the signature dish COCO ANJELA afterwards, but unfortunately I couldn't manage anything else after the large portion. But you should always save something for your next visit!
Silo
Gabriel-Max-Straße 4, 10245 Berlin Friedrichshain
Mon to Thu, 8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | Fri 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. | Sat to Sun, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Super-hipster breakfast spot number 3, we're back in Friedrichshain in the neighbourhood. Reservations are definitely recommended here on weekends. Without one, we had to wait a good 15 to 20 minutes for a table. Since it was full, we had to continue waiting at the table, but the friendly waitress pointed this out to us. With Sandra from Tracks and the City and Synke from Synke Unterwegs , the time flew by anyway.
The breakfast selection is clear and very appealing, and vegans will also find something to eat here. I opted for a hearty French toast, which in my opinion had nothing to do with French toast, but was really good thanks to the crispy sourdough bread.
Haferkater
Sonntagstraße 37, 10245 Berlin Ostkreuz
Mon to Fri 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. | Sat 5:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. | 6:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Fans of traditional porridge, take note: Berlin has a place of pilgrimage for you. Haferkater, a small eatery on the edge of Friedrichshain, serves only traditional Scottish porridge (i.e. oatmeal cooked in water) in a wide variety of flavours. I love porridge, but I was sceptical because I cook it at home with milk for the taste. But Haferkater proved me wrong: it was so good. And healthy. And filling. In short: the ideal breakfast for anyone who needs an energy-packed start to the day.
The report and photos refer to the location in Friedrichshain, which no longer exists. There is now also an Haferkater in Vienna, at Vienna Airport!
Klunkerkranich – die beste Aussicht von Berlin
Karl-Marx-Straße 66 (Neukölln Arcaden), 12043 Berlin Neukölln
Mon to Wed, 5 p.m. to midnight | Thu 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. | Fri to Sat, 4 p.m. to 3 a.m. | Sun 4 p.m. to midnight
If you don't know that Berlin's most ingenious rooftop bar is located on the top parking deck of a shopping centre, as I didn't, you end up looking pretty stupid. Because there I am on Karl-Marx-Straße, looking for a place that I only know offers a brilliant view. Where I come from, that's usually on a hill. But Berlin doesn't have any hills, so I was already wondering about that. It took me a while to realise that I had to go up to the 5th level of the car park and then walk up another level.
And it paid off. Not only is the view truly incredible, but the location and the drinks are also a real hit. Now that's what you call a sundowner! A real must when the weather is nice.
Woop Woop Icecream – the coolest icecream of all
Rosenthaler Straße 3, 10119 Berlin Mitte
temporarily closed
I was really looking forward to Woop Woop because I had seen a report about it on German television. About the ice cream shop that mixes fresh ingredients and then freezes everything ready-to-order in liquid nitrogen. So let's go.
Admittedly, my ice cream was good, but not the best in the world. The waffle cone, on the other hand, was really delicious. AND: You simply have to see how the ice cream is made. It looks mega cool! And maybe I should have just gone for mango-mint... 😉
More restaurant tips in Berlin
Anja and Anne from GoOnTravel.de have compiled a list of the favourite restaurants of seven Berlin travel bloggers – the best local tips for Berlin from real insiders!
