The Best Casual Restaurants in Berlin

We're looking forward to coming back again and again and again!Thanks to Billy Wagner's recommendation on this app, we discovered this place. We had one of the best croissants for breakfast ever (with burrata and cherry-coffee syrup) the music was well-selected and the atmosphere was cosy.

Berlin breakfast favourite.This cozy breakfast place with a sunny terrace and fireplace inside (when cold) is a must in Berlin. We usually come for the smoked grated egg yolk and scramble toasts with kimchi and the buttermilk pancakes but the breakfast sandwich is also not to be missed. Enough to fill you up until dinner.

Proper German cookingMissing some proper German cooking in Berlin? In the middle of some of the best shopping streets is Lebensmittel in Mitte. An old grocery store with worn wooden tables and benches, there is proper, trend-free Southern German food with beer, schnapps and wine. Lunch is great, with specials on the black board. Go for a puffy crusted Wienerschnitzel with mustardy potato salad, browned Spätzle-pasta with plenty of cheese and a meaty Schweinebraten with Knödel, sauerkraut and gravy. Order big mugs of beer, a few shots and have a chat with the slightly grumpy staff. G’suffa!

Otto was one of my favourite dinners this year. Highly recommend it to everyone. Each dish was well thought out and executed. Service was friendly. Wine list was great. Music was appropriate and at a good volume. Lighting was appealing. The whole package 5/5! Note: if you don't like tight spaces or sitting close to the neighbouring table, I suggest coming with a bigger crowd. 2 top tables are seated with about 15cm space to the next table. Highlights included the grilled fish main with a delicious house made fish sauce, stock that was served with sturgeon and pickles served with bread. A bottle of Brand Bros wine is always a winner as well.

Small plates with a big heartBarra is my neighbourhood in Berlin and I am very thankful for this. It’s a gem of restaurant that changes their menu based on season. The experience is always consistent, delicious and fun for two or a small group. The wine menu is also well curated to round out your meal.

Simplicity executed flawlesslyJulius in Berlin-Wedding is perhaps most well known for being the off-shoot, more casual and accessible eatery of Berlin’s trailblazing minimilist fine dining restaurant Ernst. Julius offers both a dinner service and a very casual “cafe style” breakfast and lunch service. My recommendation focuses on the breakfast and lunch service which is refreshingly casual, yet the food is nothing less than flawless.The menu is short, with a focus on simple well executed dishes as well as some small plates of cheeses and meats and other produce from the Ernst larder.Highlights from menu are the perfectly fluffy & gooey omelette with cheese or the caramelised French toast with seasonal compote which is a symphony of flavour and texture. The coffee is hand roasted and brewed which makes for a rather unique but perhaps not world class filter coffee - but we’re here for the food so that’s ok.If you’re looking for a simple, yet flawless brunch Julius is your spot.

Authentic Chinese dining experience in Berlin: UUU - Chinese Dining impresses with exquisite dishes.UUU - Chinese Dining, a hidden gem in Berlin's Wedding district, offers a truly authentic Chinese dining experience. With a modest exterior, the dining room reveals an intimate setting with a circular table that seats around 10 guests. Yuhang Wu and Jonas Borchers, the hosts and chefs, take diners on a cultural and culinary adventure through China.The menu consists of eight carefully crafted courses, showcasing dishes from different regions of China. Each course is presented with elegance, served in beautiful porcelain dishes. The flavors are balanced, and the portions are well-proportioned. Standout dishes include the delicate seared scallop with bergamot and Imperial caviar, the crispy Shipin-Tofu with Sichuan pepper and mushrooms, and the flavorful Guobaorou, featuring sweet and sour Marans chicken breast wrapped in puffed buckwheat.The dining experience at UUU is enhanced by the knowledge and enthusiasm of the hosts. Jonas prepares a variety of teas and homemade kombucha, explaining their significance with each course. Yuhang's expertise shines through in the desserts, such as the Thai basil ice cream with coconut foam and soy meringue, and the soft mochi filled with milk tea cream and caramelized pecans.Beyond the culinary delights, UUU - Chinese Dining offers an opportunity for guests to connect with like-minded individuals. The intimate setting encourages conversations and creates a unique and engaging atmosphere.For those seeking an authentic Chinese dining experience in Berlin, UUU - Chinese Dining is a must-visit. Prepare to be captivated by the flavors, traditions, and cultural insights that Yuhang and Jonas lovingly present in each dish.

Finding restaurants that have their own story to tell with enough history to base it on and actively use it in the creation of the menu is hard to find. Horvath is one of those. You can feel the history of the place, from the friendly and smiling restaurant owner Jeannine, the old school and cosy decoration to the vegetable driven menu where a lot of dishes are based on head chefs Sebastian's own childhood is something else. The food is end to end delicious and is executed with a focus on the products as well as the history rather than technical elaborations. Presented simplistic on the plate they are a joy to eat and well worth their 2 Michelin Stars.

A must visit natural wine bar."The" natural wine bar in Berlin. They have an amazing selection. The collection varies from easy to drink to rare to find bottles. It's a must visit.First picture credit: Adam Kimby

There are several good pizza places in Berlin, but nothing beats Standard for "pizza napoletana". Quality ingredients sourced directly from Campania, excellent dough and a 500°C gas-fired oven is all that I need.

KEBAP GOALS at Kwa Kebap with Attitude. ”And then the rotating skewers of agony were blinded by the light from Gipsstraße”. Based on my lunch last week, I’d say Kwa Kebap with Attitude is at 75%, looking forward to them reaching 100% true Turkish meat bliss in the next years.

Comfort grub to share among lunch buddies.FROM MICHELBERGER WITH LOVE. Berlin’s best indie hotel restaurant has a new lunch menu. No more trays. Comfort grub to share among lunch buddies. Putting all other lunches in Friedrichshain in their spot.

Best kebab in Berlin? Best kebab in Berlin? Imren might well be fit for the title at the location in Kreuzberg at Boppstrasse 10, with a busy dining room and a few benches outside. Go for the Döner mit brot with all the sauces, thinly shaved, greasy kebab meat served in a crispy house baked bread with fresh salad. Add a pizza-like lahmacun to share, a bowl of hot lentil soup and a glass of ayran – that salty yoghurt beverage, and some black tea. The other kebab option is the dürüm flat bread roll, which makes a slightly meatier and juicier kebab, minus the crispy bread. There’s plenty of other options, like the adana kebab with grilled skewered minced meat and some sweet Turkish cakes.

Among all the falafel and hummus shops in Berlin, Kanaan might have the biggest following. On a residential street in Prenzlauer Berg, this slightly shabby restaurant serves an Israeli-Palestinian menu. Hummus is the thing here, so for an easy pick skip the falafel and start with the mixed starter plate with filled vine leaves, beet root salad and baba samir. Add Israeli hummus with chopped egg, potato, egg plant, mango sauce and pickles, grab a pita bread and go!

Please try the Köfte Teller and the Spicy Sauce with Parsley Rucola Salad.There were two restaurants in the world which you should try. The old Noma and Izmir Köfte. As the Old Noma is closed, there is only one left to try.

The brewery restaurant Brlo is located in an eerie industrial graffiti-covered neighbourhood. Built from shipping containers that are painted black, the building is surrounded by a massive fence with iron gates. The restaurant has 20 taps featuring craft beers from the brewery. The food offered alongside the beer is… vegetarian! You can combine your own dish by choosing one main ingredient and two sides. Meat lovers need not worry as they also offer a range of smoked meats. An authentic Berlin experience!

Fun and delicious Vietnamese restaurantYou may call it Vietnamese food for dummies, but District Mot is a great place to have an excellent pho soup, spring rolls or grilled Bun Cha pork with cold noodles. The interior is street foody with colorful Vietnamese plastic stools and old furniture. Sure, there are plenty of more authentic Vietnamese restaurants in Berlin, but none as fun as District Mot.