12 Best Restaurants in Berlin, Germany

In the historic grand villa of silent movie star Henny Porten, the Einstein is one of the leading coffeehouses in town, and it charmingly recalls the elegant days of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, complete with an artsy, high-brow clientele and slightly snobbish waiters gliding across the parquet floors. Order Austrian delicacies such as Tafelspitz or schnitzel (the small order is plenty large), coffee, and, of course, some cake.

Your childhood dream of having dessert for dinner can come true at this intimate "dessert bar" on a pretty street in trendy Neukölln—except at CODA, many of the desserts are more savory than sweet, and all can be paired with alcoholic beverages, from cocktails to beer to wine. Four- or seven-course menus use very little added sugar or fat in the dishes, but feature plenty of different textures and beautiful presentations to keep things interesting, even for those without a sweet tooth.

Thanks to the efforts of local activists, this century-old market hall was saved from becoming a chain supermarket and instead turned into a center for local food vendors, chefs, wine dealers, and brewers. From Monday to Saturday, a large and rotating variety of food and drink is on offer for lunch and all afternoon; Tuesday to Saturday finds the weekly market with tempting food products for sale, from fruits and vegetables to bread and fish (with an expanded market on Friday and Saturday); and the space also hosts a dazzling array of rotating events, so it's best to check what's on before heading there.

Anchored by an indoor vertical garden filled with vegetables and herbs used in many of its dishes, this casual eatery inside the Gropius Bau museum focuses on ancient Jewish recipes from around the world. Choose from a selection of organic vegetable-forward mezzes including labneh (strained yogurt) with challah bread, cauliflower with herbed tahini, and zucchini latkes, finished off with tasty cakes baked by renowned Berlin pâtissière Cynthia Barcomi.

The name isn't an exaggeration: Bonanza really was one of the first "coffee heroes" to champion artisanal roasting and brewing methods in the German capital. From its tiny home next to Mauerpark in Prenzlauer Berg, Bonanza roasts its own beans, runs a catering business, offers their beans wholesale to customers all over the city, and serves some of the smoothest, tastiest coffee in town; sometimes there are croissants, pain au chocolat, or cookies to enjoy as well, but not always. There's a second outpost in Kreuzberg, at Adalbertstrasse 70, and another in Gendarmenmarkt in Mitte.

Billed as a classic all-day hangout, with selections from the vinyl records lining the walls played by the friendly staff, this more casual offshoot of neighborhood favorite Mrs. Robinson’s serves up coffee, drinks, and French bistro-inspired meals from morning till night. Opt for freshly baked goods—including sourdough bread, made daily—at any time of day, or nibble on retro dishes like Oysters Rockefeller or oeuf à la mayo along with Berlin’s black-clad foodies.

In addition to brewing first-rate, quality coffee from beans roasted on the premises, Five Elephant serves some of the best cake in town, including a cheesecake that has become something of a local legend. Inside, the café is bright, modern, and welcoming, usually with cool jazz playing on the sound system. Like most of its coffee-brewing brethren, the café sources its own coffee directly from growers, and makes sure interactions along every step of the chain are fair and humane.

In her airy, brick-walled shop, ice cream maker extraordinaire Gabrielle Jones whips up small batch ice cream, sorbet, and frozen yogurt in tempting flavors like lemon and blueberry jam, whiskey and pecan, peanut butter and glazed bacon, matcha and white chocolate, and salted butter caramel.

The slightly more casual offshoot of Michelin-starred restaurant ernst, this wine-focused eatery serves coffee, fresh-baked goods, and (yes) wine during the day and more elaborate market-driven prix fixe menus at dinner; dishes are heavy on the organic veggies, plus sustainable seafood and meats, and many have a Japanese slant, featuring accompaniments such as shiso flowers, miso, ponzu, or yuzu. An open kitchen encourages you to watch the chefs at work, while enormous pane windows let you keep an eye on the action on the lively Wedding streets outside.

The dark-wood-paneled walls, parquet floor, and multiple rooms of this bustling restaurant across from Gendarmenmarkt have an air of 19th-century Vienna, and the food, too, is mostly German and Austrian, with game served in winter and classic dishes offered year-round. In the Weinhandlung, a cozy room lined with wine shelves, meat and cheese plates are served every day until late.