Foodie me in Berlin

Guestpost by Irina:

Berlin, Berlin… some say it’s too decadent, others call it Europe’s coolest city. I say come and see for yourself. 😉

 

Either way, I loved it. Not only for the hundreds of super cheap flea markets, thousands of graffiti and a beautiful fall scenery, but also for the vast and super affordable culinary scene.

 

For a foodie like me, Berlin is great. If you only could see my food spots list…

 

As you can imagine, I couldn’t check them all off, but in collaboration with Vienna House I made a list with my favourite ones, so grab a dish of food (otherwise you’ll blame me for making you hungry), take a seat and enjoy:

 

1. If I had to pick a favourite spot, it would definitely be Spreegold. Oh dear! There were so many healthy choices. And they have late breakfast, say whaaaat? 😉 Try the shakshuka de luxe, the breakfast salad, the classic hamburger and the paleo pancakes. Oh, and the vegan chocolate shake and homemade strawberry lemonade. A lot, I know… maybe go with friends, tell everyone to order something different and then you can try even more dishes. Best tip ever, you’re welcoooooome!!! 😉

 

2. Another foodie para, para, paradise is Markthalle 9, la local market in Kreuzberg. Our cool guide, Michael from Secret Tours, took us there, but I’m sure he regretted it shortly after he saw how crazy I went. Food stand here, food stand there… you could spend hours inside the market. He told us it is a growing tendency to Anders-Essen (eat differently) at the Markthallen (this is how they’re called in German) and to buy fresh and local products. I tried the egg waffle ice cream cones for the first time (topped with peanut butter!!!), the famous Portuguese pasteles de nata and some great hot apple cider… good thing Michael let us eat them in the car. I did tell him I am clumsy, I did. 😉 If you’re in Berlin on a Thursday, don’t miss the Street Food Thursday! 😉

 

3. Besides the beloved Markthallen, there are also the typical street food markets like the Bite Club, Mauerpark, Thai Park and Chai Wallahs (Indian Food).

 

4. Now, talking about street food, who knows what’s the typical street food in Berlin? Oh, currywurst you said? Bravo! 😉 Now, next question: do you know how many currywursts are eaten in a year? You’re right again, 70 million it is!!! Dear reader, you’re so smart!!! 😉 I’m not a Wurst (sausage) kinda person, but they say you’re not a real tourist unless you try one. Now, little story: I was waiting in line in front of Curry 36 (the most famous currywurst stand in Berlin) and because the queue was quite big, I got to make some friends. Locals, tourists and even a policeman… yep, food brings you together 😉 And one last anecdote… it is said that during the Cold War there was this sausage seller, Herta Hewer, who, because of the lack of ingredients had to use curry, the last spice she had at home, so this is how she invented the famous recipe. True story or not, don’t go to the Currywurst Museum (yes, Germans have such things), everyone says it is very boring. (again, you’re welcooooome for the tip! Wink wink!)

 

5. A one minute walk from the currywurst stand there was the famous Mustafa Gemüsekebap stand. Every forum, every blog talks about it. It is good, true, but I can’t say that it’s the best. So, listen to @me_and_mango and me and don’t wait in line for 30 minutes, like we did (for a kebap!!! crazy, I know ;), instead go buy a grilled vegetables kebap from another place… sorry Mustafa… 😉 Why is this place so well known? I think because they have a website, while other kebap stands usually don’t. I’ve heard Imren Grill Kebap should also be very good. Now, do you know how many döner shops there are in Berlin? Approximately 1,600!!! More than even in Istanbul. Say what??? How do I know that? Well I thought you’d never ask 😉

 

6. This information and many others were written all over our bedroom walls at the Vienna House Easy Berlin. I love reading random interesting facts about the cities I visit. Good idea Vienna House, good idea 😉

 

7. As I already said, we didn’t have time to go eat all the places on our list, but here are some of them if you want to check them out: The Klub Kitchen, Shiso Burger, Qua Phe, Milja & Schäfa, No 58 Speiserei

 

8. Now, what is a visit to a big metropolis if you don’t visit as many coffee places as possible? My favourite until now is the magical House of Small Wonders. Whoever thought of those spiral staircases is a genius, I think every instagrammer visiting has it on its list. But it is not only that. They have a great brunch, good coffee with cute coffee art in even prettier cups. Every single detail about this café is magical. I’m sure you’ll love it

 

9. Another beautiful place, also quite charming, is Hallesches Haus, a café slash general store. We met there with this cool couple of photographers: Olja and Mauricio and it was super nice. Not only the place, but also getting to meet and asking them so much about photography, right guys? 😉 Oh, and Distrikt Coffee is also very cool, photogenic and has good pancakes. Also worth visiting.

 

10. And last, but not least, Pförtner, a café in a tram. Yep, there is such a thing (and also super difficult to pronounce, right?) I wanted so badly to go there, but we didn’t have any time left, so I hope on our next trip. Other coffee places we didn’t make it to are: Roamers, The Barn, Father Carpenter Coffee Brewers, Tassenkuchen, Ora Café and Kaffeebar among many, oh so many more 😉

 

Yep, that’s pretty much it. Between late wake ups, a big breakfast at Vienna House Easy Berlin and so many places to visit, it is impossible to stop and eat at all these great places. Anyway, this was my Berlin Foodie Guide powered by Vienna House. Hope you liked it. You can download my foodie guide pdf for your visit 😉

 

with love, Irina