CITY ESCAPE
Top places to eat in Berlin
B erlin is booming. To add to its deep-rooted creative culture, the German capital is now one of the world’s leading start-up hubs, with a thriving tech industry that’s attracted thousands of new global businesses to the city. Recent immigration has swelled Berlin’s population further, with a large Syrian demographic joining more well established Turkish and Vietnamese communities. The resulting impact of this new international culture on Berlin’s food scene has been dramatic; with scores of new restaurants o ering a taste of new cultures and cuisines, there’s never been a better time to eat out. ‘Since 2009, there’s been huge change in Berlin’, explains Billy Wagner of the Michelin-starred Nobelhart & Schmutzig (nobelhartundschmutzig. com). ‘The city was always hip for Germans but with an increasingly international population, Berlin has been opened up to new ideas and heritage that’s transformed our restaurant culture.’ Nobelhart & Schmutzig is one of a clutch of new restaurants that’s helped Berlin double its number of Michelin stars in a decade, now boasting 26.
Asian-inspired Restaurant Tim
Raue (tim-raue. com) is perhaps the most famous of the bunch, with a spot on the World’s 50 Best list to add to his two Michelin stars. While fine dining has been able to flourish amidst the city’s increasingly wealthy population, there’s plenty more than tasting menus to be discovered: Berliners can now choose from a wealth of Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese, Syrian and Chinese restaurants, among others. One of the best is new lunchtime-only hotspot Liu (Kronenstraße 72), o ering fresh spicy Sichuan noodles (when you get to the front of the long queue).
Berlin is one of the best places for vegan food in the world, with over 50 vegan restaurants and cafés serving everything from doughnuts to doner kebabs. When you add all the restaurants o ering vegan and vegetarian options, the number rises to over 700. Berliners have also embraced street food. Markthalle Neun (markthalleneun.de) is a food hall that opened in 2011 in a historic market building, and has now become the epicentre of Berlin’s streetfood scene. With a diverse line-up of BBQ to sushi, the highlight of the week is undoubtedly Street Food Thursdays, which showcases weekly changing guest traders to a packed local crowd. Berlin has many fantastic restaurants, but it’s still worth doing your research to find the best spots. As well as our recommendations on where to eat, Berlin Food Stories (berlinfoodstories.com) is an invaluable insight into the city’s developing food scene. Don’t turn your nose up at having a kebab for dinner – Berlin has some of the best Turkish food in the world, and the locals love it. Everyone has their favourite spot but it’s hard to go wrong with a köfte
sandwich drenched in garlic and chilli sauce at local institution Izmir Köfte (konakgrill.de).
Where to stay
Hotel Zoo (hotelzoo.de) is in the middle of West Berlin’s premier shopping street, Ku’damm, and makes an ideal base from which to explore the city. Named for its proximity to Berlin zoo, the hotel is a riot of colour and design statements, with animal print rugs, large luxurious armchairs and faux camera flashbulbs in the lifts. Rooms are more relaxed, favouring more neutral colours, but are still supremely comfortable. Breakfast is served in the hotel’s huge GRACE restaurant with a bu et of fruits, cereals and pastries, complemented by cooked breakfasts from the kitchen. Rooms from £109 (designhotels.com/ hotel-zoo-berlin).