Berlin for under £100 a night
THE German capital was chocka-block for the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Wall, but now the crowds have gone it’s the perfect time to go. Spread out across the old East and West sections, getting round this city requires planning (thankfully, public transport is first-rate). One of the joys of visiting, aside from soaking up the history, is simply living like a local and wandering in neighbourhoods away from main sights.
Where to stay Hotel AMANO Grand Central
THIS large, modern hotel makes a brilliant base, just across the road from Berlin Hauptbahnhof, the huge central station. The crashpadstyle rooms have low- slung double beds, good showers and a slick, minimalist feel. Breakfasts are a treat with smoothies, cured hams, eggs and bacon.
B&B doubles from £81 (amanogroup.de)
Grimm’s Hotel at Potsdammer Platz
DON’T let the name put you off — in fact, this fun hotel is themed around the Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales. Expect décor connected to the stories, including patterned wallpaper decorated with wolves, frogs, cats and snakes. Don’t let that put you off either, as it’s all tastefully done. The highlight is a superb sauna with sweeping views at the top.
Doubles from £79; breakfast £12.50pp extra, grimms-hotel.de)
Art Luise Kunsthotel
IF yOu’rE into avant-garde art, and have a bohemian streak, this is for you. One room has a mural of a figure with a plume of books seeming to explode from his head; another features fashion mannequins in negligees; and yet another is themed around Michelangelo’s David. It’s wacky but comfortable, and just across the river Spree from the reichstag.
B&B doubles from £55, luiseberlin.com
Hotel Berlin
THIS massive hotel (700 rooms) is in a big, 1960s concrete building, a short walk south of Tiergarten park. Inside there’s a colourful bar, fresh cut flowers, a little stall selling beers and snacks — and an upbeat atmosphere. rooms have been recently refurbished with a ‘ stay like a local’ theme that features art connected to the city.
B&B doubles from £74, hotelberlin.de; prices can fluctuate.
Where to eat Frea THE motto at this vegan restaurant near rosenthaler Platz is ‘Full taste, zero waste’. Even if you’re a meat- eater, you’ll enjoy the flavoursome dishes conjured up by the head chef Halfdan Kluften: pastas with oyster mushrooms and spinach; lentil ragouts; carrot cake with tangerine sorbet. Two courses from £11.50. All waste is recycled. frea.de Street Food Thursday
FrOM 5pm-10pm each Thursday, food stalls open in Markthalle Neun, a 19th- century covered marketplace in the hip East Kreuzberg district. It’s a crowded, cacophonous place offering Thai curries, Chinese dumplings, pastas, African dishes and even some German food, including ham hock and sauerkraut (£7). A glass of wine is about £3. markthalleneun.de n Witty’s THE flagship Witty’s organic snack stall is on Wittenbergplatz (it’s proved so successful since opening in 2003, there are three more). It’s popular thanks to its super-fresh sausages and sauces. Currywurst is a particular hit, served with organic chilli sauces and mustards (£3.80). Open till midnight. wittys-berlin.de
n Lon-Men’s Noodle House
IN the heart of Charlottenburg in west Berlin, Lon-Men’s is a tiny Taiwanese noodle joint with semilegendary status. At weekends, queues run into the street, but service is super- swift. Chicken noodle soup, sautéed duck and a couple of drinks is £20 for two.
Address: 33 Kantstrasse
n Schleusenkrug
TuCKED away by Berlin Zoo, this is a fabulous beer garden and restaurant. Salads, sausage and sauerkraut, fish soups and chilli con carne are all about £9. A foaming half-litre of beer is £3.90. schleusenkrug.de