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Dining in Europe > Berlin Berlins bars and restaurants have much more to offer than just sausages, sauerkraut and beer. The German capital has become a cultural and culinary melting pot, a place where East meets West and where ancient traditions mix with modern experimentation. The city awaits with a vast array of international gastronomic sensations, catering to all palates as well as all price classes. And with over 12,000 restaurants, bars and cafés, you can be sure you won't have to travel far for your next treat! Before the fall of the Wall, eating in Berlin was regarded as a minor sideline to the more important matter of drinking. Guests wanting to sample a "typical Berlin dish" could easily be dissuaded by the mere mention of mouth-watering delicacies such as "pigs ear with yellow peas". A liquid diet was definitely the safer option. Fortunately, Berlins gastronomic landscape has since changed beyond recognition. Gourmets are now spoiled for choice as more and more first class restaurants open their doors to the public. Great food can also be found in many cafés, which offer a selection of national and international dishes at reasonable prices. Budget travellers are well catered for by hundreds of "Imbiss" fast-food restaurants ' once the realm of the greasy sausage ' but now brimming with Asian and Middle Eastern delights for just a handful of Deutschmarks. Typical Berlin specialities play second fiddle to international dishes on most restaurant menus. The Turkish community, in particular, has left its mark on the fast-food scene and the "Doner Kebab" is one of the citys most popular and readily-available snacks. Yet Berlin still has its own distinctive cuisine which visitors can try if they dare. Berlins fast-food flagship is undoubtedly the "Currywurst", a sausage sprinkled with curry powder and then smothered with ketchup, served on a paper dish and eaten with a plastic fork at an Imbiss stall. Other traditional Berlin dishes include "Boulette", a cross between a hamburger and meatball, "Matjes" (pickled herring) and "Eisbein", a huge, fatty leg of pork suitable only for the most hardened carnivore. Health-conscious Berliners are, however, increasingly rejecting their traditional fatty fare in favour of healthier food. This is reflected in the growing popularity of "Neue deutsche Küche", the German equivalent of Nouvelle Cuisine. A real Berlin institution is the weekend breakfast, a lavish affair consisting of a selection of cold meats, cheeses and fresh fruit washed down with a glass of orange juice and plenty of coffee. Sunday brunch is a popular social event with Berliners, who descend upon the citys cafés to while away a few pleasant hours with friends and family. Most cafés serve breakfast until at least 4 pm ' perfect for the hoards of young revellers out late the night before. If you've had breakfast at a more reasonable hour and feel a bit peckish during the afternoon, try some "Kaffee und Kuchen" ' a slice of cake accompanied by a freshly brewed coffee. A particular speciality is "Milchkaffee", lashings of milky coffee served in a large bowl. Berlins bars have enjoyed a legendary status ever since the "Golden Twenties" when swinging Berlin was the most happening city in the world. Neither wartime bombs nor the building of the Wall could alter Berlins well-deserved reputation as a paradise for drinkers and night-owls. From sophisticated cocktail lounges to dingy drinking dens, from rustic pubs with battered wooden stools to ultra-modern, glass and chrome institutions ' Berlin has it all. Theres just one thing missing ' an official closing time. Each bar is left to decide when to call last orders. Some choose to call it a night at 2 am, others when the last guest leaves and still others stay open until dawn. And you'll be amazed how quickly the dawn comes in Berlin! Beer is the popular choice at many bars, the local matadors being Schultheiss and Berliner Kindl. Other popular brands are Becks, Warsteiner and Jever, yet you really can't go wrong whichever beer you choose. If your beer takes a while to arrive, don't panic! Draught beer takes seven minutes to be poured correctly. Wine connoisseurs will also have a field day at most bars, particularly at the trendier places which are shooting up all over the city. An interesting alternative to wine is "Sekt", the German equivalent of champagne, which is cheaper and no less tasty. Cocktail fans should also have no problem locating a decent margarita, although many specialist cocktail bars only start to fill up after midnight. Berlin is at its best during the summer months, when the cafés emigrate to outdoor terraces and the beer gardens do a roaring trade serving cold refreshments to thirsty locals. Yet with all this alcohol around, Berlin is still no place for drunkards and hooligans. Although their alcohol consumption may be high, Berliners behave respectfully at all times. Waiters and waitresses should be tipped for good service, with ten percent being the general rule of thumb. Tips are made by rounding up the bill when paying. While Berlin abounds with restaurants, cafés and bars, certain places do excel. The following is a brief district-by-district guide to establishments that are particularly recommended. Those who prefer to browse before choosing should head for the areas highlighted in bold print. Charlottenburg Chic and up-market. The best restaurants and cafés in the Western city centre are found in the side streets between Kurfürstendamm and Kantstraße as well as in the area around leafy Savignyplatz. Gourmets with a deep wallet should pay a visit to Ana e Bruno for exquisite Italian, while those on a normal budget could try the legendary pizzas at XXII Apostel. Otherwise head to Tai Ji for some great Chinese, to Le Canard for fantastic French or to Hitit for Turkish delights with an oriental flair. Celebrity spotters will be in their element at Paris Bar, a French bistro better known for its high-heeled clientele and late-night cocktails than for its food. Fans of the traditional Berlin "Currywurst" sausage couldn't do any better than at the Imbiss stand at Amtsgerichtplatz in Kantstraße. The queues are always long, but its well worth the wait! Good bets for a lazy Sunday brunch are Restaurant 31, Café Richter and Pasticceria e Rosticceria Italiana. And if you're looking for a bit of pre-Wall flair, pop into Zwiebelfisch, Diener or Dicke Wirtin ' traditional Berlin pubs that haven't changed in years. Friedrichshain A popular hang-out for students and young Berliners. Friedrichshain is the last bastion of Berlins "alternative" subculture and is the best district to explore if you're looking for in bars, cool cafés and underground clubs. Most are centred around Simon-Dach-Straße, Boxhagener Platz and Schreinerstraße. But at the rate that new places are opening up, it won't be long before Friedrichshain loses its insider feel. Check out the spacey Astro Bar, the cocktail lounge on the second floor of Dachkammer and finish off the evening in Tagung, a popular bar-come-club innovatively decorated with East German political memorabilia. If you can still handle breakfast after a long night on the town, Leander and Apotheke have a good selection at knock-down prices. Kreuzberg For conservative radicals. Once a haven for punks and anarchists, Kreuzberg has certainly evolved since the fall of the Wall. While you can still savour some of that old revolutionary flavour in a number of bars around Oranienstraße and Wienerstraße, southern Kreuzberg (around Bergmannstraße) is now dominated by chic cafés and exclusive restaurants. Riehmers Hofgarten, Altes Zollhaus and Medici serve up some of the best "Neue deutsche Küche" (Nouvelle Cuisine) in town, while places like Austria and Jolesh are good bets for more traditional fare. Francophiles should head for Le Couchon Bourgeois, while lovers of Mediterranean cuisine should pay a visit to Sale e tabacchi. Kreuzberg is also home to about 180,000 Turkish immigrants. So when in Rome ... the Imbiss stand next to Schleslisches Tor U-Bahn station is widely reputed to have the best Doner Kebabs this side of Istanbul. Many of Berlins most scenic cafés are situated on the banks of Paul-Linke-Ufer canal, the perfect place for a lazy Sunday afternoon brunch. Sit down, relax and watch the world go by from the gardens of Café am Ufer or Café Übersee, or wait until night falls and mingle with Kreuzbergs new generation in Ankerklause. If you're looking for a taste of legendary hard-core Kreuzberg, check out the likes of Madonna or Intertank (gays should head for Roses or the Tunnel Bar). Slightly softer, but still very "Kreuzberg" are Morena and Wiener Blut, both of which are highly recommended. If you're the more traditional type, pay a visit to Yorckschlösschen, a rustic pub with hearty local fare and live jazz on Sundays. And when it comes to tradition, theres nothing like Golgatha beer garden on a warm summer evening. Mitte The undisputed centre of Berlin nightlife, packed with bars, cafés, restaurants and clubs. While tourists now outnumber locals in many of the establishments around Oranienburger Straße, at least you won't have to search for long until you find a place that you like. From the sleek Café Orange to the wacky Café Zapata in Tacheles, the Oranienburger Straße strip has something for everyone. But if you want to avoid the masses and fancy a bit of local flair, try Café Ici or Hackbarths in nearby August Straße. Alternatively, head for Mittendrin in Sophienstraße. The area around Hackescher Höfe is equally busy. Popular lunchtime venues are Café Hackescher Hof and Yosoy tapas bar, evening favourites include the South American restaurant-bar Brazil and Café Cinema, while night-owls flock to Cocktailbar Baal or Sage Club. Gourmets can savour the finest new international cuisine at Blue Gout, Borchardt and Vau while fans of hearty German food will be in their element at Stäv, Volksgaststätte or Zur Letzten Instanz, Berlins oldest restaurant. Prenzlauer Berg The fashionable, up-and-coming district. Particularly during the warm summer months, beautiful, tree-lined Kollwitzplatz acts as a magnet for tourists who descend in droves on the atmospheric cafés and restaurants which adorn the quaint nineteenth century square. Locals, on the other hand, prefer to meet at cafés such as Wohnzimmer, Anita Wronski and Sowohl Als Auch, or at late-night bars like Luxus Bar. Prater is also a popular destination with a fantastic beer garden. Theres good food a plenty to be had in Prenzlauer Berg: Check out the breakfast buffet at Li(bi)do or Schall & Rauch, the great antipasti at Il pane et le rose, the spicy curries at Mao Thai, the hearty Russian dishes and live folk music at Pasternak or the Kurdish specialities consumed on traditional floor cushions at Miro. And for those looking for a quick snack: Zarskes Gaststätte (Greifswalderstr. 228) has possibly the best Currywurst in Berlin and Florya one of the best Doner Kebabs. Schöneberg Plenty to do here. Many of the cafés and bars near Winterfeldtplatz and Goltzstraße date back to the 1980s when Schöneberg was the place to go out in West Berlin. Check out cult places like Café M and Mutter, jive to roots reggae in Slumberland or try one of the superb cocktails at Green Door. Schöneberg is also the focal point of Berlins vibrant gay community, with countless gay bars and clubs located around Motzstraße and Fuggerstraße. Café Connection is popular in the early evening, Toms Bar, Hafen and Connection Bar later on. When it comes to eating in Schöneberg, you're spoilt for choice. Many Berliners come from far afield to breakfast in style at places like Tomasa, April or Montevideo. Gourmets should head straight to Bamberger Reiter or Fischers Restaurant for classic and modern German dishes and an enormous selection of wines. Otherwise, try Cheban for some great Lebanese, Storch for traditional Alsace cuisine and Baharat or Habibi for a quick falafel. Tiergarten Pricey and not particularly exciting, the southern part of Tiergarten is a popular haunt for businessmen, politicians and visitors staying in the hotels around Lützowplatz. Hotel bars and restaurants naturally dominate the gastronomic scene, the highlight being Harrys New York Bar in the Grand Hotel Esplanade. Guests looking to venture out of the hotel in the evening could try the wonderful Mediterranean cuisine on offer at Am Karlsbad. Alternatively, wine and dine with Berlins high-society in Paris-Moskau, a first class restaurant with a sumptuous summer terrace, and finish off the evening with a cocktail in the Bar am Lützowplatz, Berlins high temple of drinking. If you're here on a warm summer evening, take a stroll through the idyllic Tiergarten park to Café am Neuen See ' one of Berlins most attractive beer gardens ' or to the popular Schleusenkrug on the Landwehr canal. A real Berlin institution is Café Einstein, an exquisite coffee house with original 1920s flair ' perfect for a relaxing brunch or afternoon coffee break. Wilmersdorf Caters to the young and affluent crowd. The cafés and restaurants around Ludwigkirchplatz heave with students at weekends. See and be seen in places like Van Dijk, Café Solo or Manzinis, head to Jimmys Diner for dinner and finish off the evening with a cocktail in the elegant Zur weißen Maus or the more earthy Berlin Bar. If you're just looking for somewhere to relax during the day, try the glorious Café im Literaturhaus, a peaceful oasis just a stones throw from Ku'damm. D. Allen Entertainment in BerlinOne could be content talking about entertainment in Berlin and claiming that Berlin is one big entertainment complex in itself. But there are special places and spaces in this entertainment nirvana. My last count of cinemas came up to 95 movie theatres. Apart from multiple multiplexes, Kudamm theatres UFA-Palast and the Marmorhaus are as old as the black-and-white film. An early monumental theatre is the Soviet-style International on Karl-Marx-Straße; for more obscure films try the Acud, where you will often be alone with the projectionist. Don't worry if you feel your German isn't up to it: The Odeon features the latest flicks for the English-speaking diaspora, while the Cinéma Paris services the francophone community. Comedy? Germans? Yes, if you can take some heavy satire, East Berlin is the place to be. From the decades-old Distel to the new Chamäleons late night shows in Hackesche Höfe, go to Mitte for a good laugh. Not that the west hasn't anything to offer, with its traditional Wühlmäuse and Stachelschweine ("The Voles" and "The Porcupines") and the more comedy-oriented Bar jeder Vernunft. Theatre can mean a lot of things in Berlin. Controversial contemporary Anglo-American drama at the Baracke or a light comedy with mass appeal on Kudamm (Komödie am Kurfürstendamm, Theater am Kurfürstendamm). While enfant terrible director Schlingensief insults the audience at the Volksbühne, veteran Claus Peymann reinterprets Brecht at the Berliner Ensemble. International avantgarde dance troops step it up at the Hebbel Theater, acrobats and magicians put a spell on the Wintergarten, while the Grips Youth Theatre interacts with its young audience. Anglophones, check out the Friends of the Italian Opera (sorry, no opera but off-theatre). Berlin is certainly a capital for music lovers, even after David Bowie and Iggy Pop have moved on. Kreuzbergs Junction Bar for Jazz, the Flöz for Blues, SO36 for alternative/punk/rock, Mandingo for Afro-pop, you name it. Big gigs happen at the Arena or the Columbiahalle. Classical afficionados have to make the painful choice between four opera houses -two east, two west- or go straight to the world-famous Berlin Philharmoniker. All too middle-of-the-road? Check out the uncountable alternative cultural centres Berlin is famous for. The UFA-Fabrik is the place to be in summer with its multicoloured festivals. East Berlin has always had its Kulturbrauerei for alternative theatre, art, concerts. A kaleidoscope of modern Chinese art, Cuban parties or readings by writers from developing countries is on the menu of the Haus der Kulturen der Welt. The Pfefferberg concentrates on the hipper, younger multicultural clientele of reggae and rai concerts. You'll probably need a drink and a bite to eat after all this cultural intake. Friedrichhains Simon-Dach-Straße neighbourhood is the funky address. Toast Lenins bust in the Tagung and enjoy other emblems of the not-so-long-gone GDR. Nearby Prenzlbergs Kollwitzplatz is another hangout for the in-crowd. There, Anita Wronski cafe and Pasternak restaurant cater for more sophisticated wining and dining. And if you still want to aim higher, Savignyplatz in western Charlottenburg offers an array of canapés and champagne lunches as well as tasty, affordable Indian cuisine. It is getting late and you want to move your dancing feet? The clubs around Rosenthaler Platz have the remedy. Some tucked away in backyards and with unforeseeable opening hours (Boudoir), some hard to find for lack of a name over the door (Eimer, a bucket hanging outside gives you a hint), but all open till dawn. The Sophienclub quenches the pop, soul and Latin thirst; for large-scale pure techno, move to Leipzigstraßes Tresor. Can't decide up front? Recently opened Potsdamer Platz has a US-style mall set-up plus casino, 3-D Imax theatre, musical theatre, multiplex, fast food places and fancy bars for the earlier night hours. But then, you will always find something going on in the two streets that even Berliners like to love and confuse, Oranienstraße in Kreuzberg and Oranienburger Straße in Mitte, each with a grown mix of restaurants, small shops, bars, movie theatres, and music spots that guarantee a great evening. Dining in Europe > Berlin
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