German Food, Berlin

Not really a restaurant as you can see from the picture!

Those guys are selling grilled bratwurst for less than 2 euros so I'd say it's pretty good value.

Favorite Dish: There is only one: bratwurst but you can have it with or without bread.

Looking for an authentic German restaurant, I was pleased to find Schlögl's. It is conveniently located only a stone's throw from the TV Tower and Alexanderplatz. It is a family-run traditional place serving up hearty German cooking in an old-fashioned atmosphere. The restaurant is decorated with items from a bygone era and has only got about 7 tables inside making it a really intimate place. The family who run it are very friendly and the service is extremely good. The prices are also very good, especially when you consider the portion sizes. I didn't pay more than 15 Euro for my meal and a large Berliner Kindl. For a good hearty meal in Berlin, I doubt you could find a better place than Schlögl's. I highly recommend it and would happily return again.

Mon: closed
Tue - Thu: 12:00 - 23:00
Fri - Sun: 12:00 - 24:00

Favorite Dish: I had two meals here but my favourite was the fantastic Eisbein (pork knuckle) which was cooked beautifully. It was served with sauerkraut, mashed potatoes, boiled potatoes and salad. Very tasty indeed and huge portions! :D

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We had lunch at the Brauhaus Georgbrau which is located in Berlin Mitte in the Nikolaiviertel. The restaurant is pleasantly situated next to the Spree where the canal boats come down on their way to Museum Island and the nearby Berliner Dom. A short walk from the restaurant is the Nikolaikirche, one of the oldest churches in Berlin. In the square just outside the restaurant stands a rather imposing statue of St. George slaying the dragon, perhaps how the restaurant got its name.

We arrived for lunch on a beautiful day in Berlin and hoped to sit outside. There were lots of tables but most were corded off and not available for use; the tables that were open for customers were full. After waiting a bit to see if anything would open up, we headed inside only to find that it was a bit on the full side as well. We did find a cozy little booth next to the front window and door, so we had a nice view. While sitting there, we saw many people do the same thing – look for an open outside table, wait for something to open up, then head inside. On such a gorgeous day, it seemed a shame to have to sit inside.

But the restaurant and the service were excellent. The food was delicious. And Hubby enjoyed sampling the beers at the brewery. His meal was pork schnitzel, served with potatoes, and I had a vegetarian pan that had a wide variety of vegetables in a tomato sauce and served with rice. Everything was very tasty! Prices seemed a bit high for lunch, but we were in Berlin and in the heart of one of the more popular districts. So it was to be expected. Our lunch came to €30.

Our server was quite pleasant – even after we watched her slip and fall off the front steps outside as she was attempting to deliver a tray full of lunches to hungry customers. She was in pain (you could tell from her grimaces when she didn’t think anyone was looking) but she kept on going with a smile for the remainder of our time there.

Would I go back to this restaurant? Yes, I would do that – but hopefully next time we can sit outside if the day is nice.

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Hubby and I ate here before his scheduled train home (I remained in Berlin for another week for my class). It was a brewery restaurant which featured their own beers as well as serving up some good food. One of the highlights for Hubby’s trip to Berlin (or his trip to any place actually) is to visit the local breweries and have a taste. The fact that Hopfingerbräu was in a convenient location for us and the perfect timing for lunch made the stop all the better.

It was a beautiful day in Berlin so we opted to sit outside. The inside was still a bit crowded and the restaurant didn’t mind travelers with their luggage, which was all over place! Our table was initially in the sun but as our meal went on, we found ourselves in the shade and it got a bit chilly. But we enjoyed the fresh air and people watching anyways. And there was a very unique sculpture of a horse beside our table (see my photo).

Our server was efficient and helpful. Hubby was able to sample two of their beers and he had spicy goulash soup for lunch, which was served with German brown bread. I had a really good salad with grilled chicken strips and some white wine. Both of our meals were delicious and filling. Our total bill came to under €23.

And later in the day, after Hubby had boarded his train and I had met my fellow students, I came back with a group who all wanted to try this restaurant. I did not know at the time that we’d wind up at the same place, sitting almost at the same table, and with the same server as earlier in the day! I was still full from lunch so I simply had a drink and a pretzel. The others with me all ordered different meals and they were all very pleased with their food.

As with many restaurants, you can view their menu online at the restaurant’s website (link below). This is especially helpful is the menu is only in German, allowing one to translate and make a decision ahead of time. Although at the Hopfingerbräu and most of the other restaurants we went to in Berlin, menus were available in English.

The restaurant is open daily from 10:30 am until 10:00 pm. You can find it on the top level of shops at the train station.

Would I go here again? Well, since I went twice in one day, I guess I’d have to say yes. I wouldn’t go out of my way to eat here, simply because there are so many other places to try in Berlin. But if I were at the train station and had time, I would choose this restaurant over the many fast food places available.

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After walking around Gendarmenmarkt Square for and hour it was now dark and we walked to the beer hall for a drink and a German meal.

Entering the hall we were informed all tables inside were taken and several tables were available outside on the verandah. Soon seated we ordered and had a drink.

For main meal we both ordered the Munich Fried Veal Sausage with Sauerkraut and glazed onions @ 9 Euros per person, followed by Warm Apple Strudel @ 6 Euros per person. The main meal was excellent, the Apple Strudel was better than I expected.

Would certainly return.

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Located on a quiet, tree lined avenue that is the was a main road to the Charlottenburg Palace, the cafe as a front garden eating area facing the street. The staff were very pleasant and enjoying a Hefe dunkel dark brew in preparation for my visit to the Palace down the street was relaxing. The owner came out and recommended the Speisen Divers, which was a bone-in leg of pig, cooked with skin along with potatoes, sauerkraut, and a pureed root (erbs puree) of some kind, with chunks of ham. The portion was huge and the price was very reasonable at 8.90 e.

beer gardens are more of a south German thing, not really typical of Berlin or northern Germany. But in the lovely neighborhood of Prenzlauer Berg you can find a really pleasant, artsy beer garden, Prater Garten. It has a theater, a club (Bastard) and an enormous beer garden. There's also an indoor restaurant if you are there in the winter, and I like to take friends who visit there, because you can get some genuine German food (wurst, mashed potato rolls, the works) in generous portions and drink beer too before you head off clubbing. Most of the people who go are also neighborhood twenty and thirtysomethings, so it has a nice youthful air.

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The fact that this restaurant is located in the so 1970s looking Europa Center is a first clue on the atmosphere of it. Then the web page .. so beginning of the Internet.
But I read somewhere that the schnitzels they serve there are great so I gave it a try.
The food was indeed great. Very traditional, there was a variety of schnitzels. There was also good beer.
BUT we were by far the youngest customers, all the others were over 70. And there was this peculiar smell in the air, like a hospital or something.
I would recommend it for the food, but it definitely shouldn't be your entertainment for the night!

Favorite Dish: Zigeuner Schnitzel
Bauerschnitzel

To get this straight: In my book, the only thing typically German is to consider almost everything "typically German".

When it comes to dine in a "typically German" restaurant, it is likely, that you will end up in a place, frequented by tourists more than Berliners.

There's a reason why few restaurants serve "typically German" food. This "poor man's" cuisine has lost its attractiveness since wealth has grown somewhat since the end of WWII. Younger Germans (as well as those in the menopause) are more fond of Austrian, Mediterranean, French, Asian and even American food - as long as the respective meals match local taste. In Berlin, locals typically enjoy meals that could be considered "international" but adapted to local taste.

Berlin has never been the epitome of German cuisine anyway. South-west Germany is different: Spätzle, Maultaschen, lentil stew and what not have survived for a reason. But Berlin? Currywurst anyone?

You might think that there has to be a restaurant that focusses on traditional, local cuisine and is not frequented by tourists. There is, and if you don't mind if the restaurant is "upper class", my first suggestion would be "Restaurant Zander", Kollwitzstraße 50 (subway station: Senefelder Platz, Tuesday - Sunday from 6 p.m. on). Zander serves regional cuisine, hence their menue doesn't always read very mouthwatering, but they know what they do. (Main courses: € 20 - 30, 4-course menue ~ € 45).

Right across the street is Guggelhof. Here, the chef focusses on the three-country-corner (Germany, France, Switzerland), most notably the Alsace - which is French, yes ... still ...
Still you shouldn't wipe Gugelhof, less noble than Zander, from your list. And they open on Mondays, too. Ask for their English/French/Italian/Spanish (pick one) menue (Main courses: € 10 - 20).

From a restaurant to a pub: Deponie (see tip). Deponie is no place to really go dining, but being economy class, it is closer to being "typically Berlin". (€ 5 - 12)

Favorite Dish: http://www.zander-restaurant.de
http://www.gugelhof.de
http://www.deponie3.de/

This country pub has a wonderful atmosphere and is very nicely decorated also has a large beer garden and grill for the summer. They brew their own beer on the premises and also have a quality menu.

Favorite Dish: My favourite here is always the ribs with country potatoes. The ribs are not typically German but more to the American style very juicy and covered in BBQ sauce. The menu is not that large but all the meals are good and you get a very generous portion.