Berlin Food and Street Food Guide

Berlin is not a city of grand restaurants. It eats well in the cheaper, quicker, more mixed way: a sausage standing at a counter, a flatbread from a Turkish grill, vegetables and hummus from a Syrian kitchen, a long brunch on a Sunday. The food reflects who has lived here, and the most reliable way to eat is to follow the neighbourhoods.

Street food classics

Currywurst is a steamed and then fried pork sausage, sliced, covered in a ketchup and curry powder sauce and served with chips or a bread roll. It is a post-war invention and the city's proudest snack. Konnopke's in Prenzlauer Berg and Curry 36 at Mehringdamm are famous names; try one and judge for yourself. Döner kebab is the other emblem: sliced meat in a split bread pocket, with salad and sauces. Berlin makes a strong claim to the modern version, which grew out of the Turkish community, and a simple stand will beat most restaurants. Look for a queue of locals and a vertical spit that is turning. Vegetarians should also look for falafel and vegetable dishes, which are everywhere.

Sweet options include the Pfannkuchen, a jam-filled doughnut. Note that elsewhere in Germany a Berliner is the same pastry, but here it is called Pfannkuchen.

Markets

Markthalle Neun in Kreuzberg is a nineteenth-century market hall that hosts regular street food evenings. The twice-weekly Turkish market along the Maybachufer in Neukölln has produce, cheese and snacks, while Winterfeldtplatz in Schöneberg offers a Saturday market with a more local crowd. Check each market's days and hours on its official site before you plan around it.

Neighbourhoods to eat in

Kreuzberg and Neukölln are strongest for Turkish and Arab food; Sonnenallee in particular rewards hungry visitors. Kantstrasse in Charlottenburg is lined with Asian restaurants, and Prenzlauer Berg and Mitte are the places for brunch. Berlin's plant-based scene is wide, so vegans rarely struggle.

What to skip

We would skip the sausage stands and restaurants around the Brandenburg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie and Alexanderplatz, where the setting sets the price and the quality follows. Walk two or three streets away and eat where residents queue.