Berlin has a total of 26 Michelin stars spread over 20 restaurants and is therefore a star gastronomic capital. Indulge your taste buds at Bandol sur Mer, a French restaurant in the central Torstraße; in the gourmet restaurant Fischers Fritz at the two-Michelin-starred The Regent Hotel, chef de cuisine Christian Lohse offers first-class fish and seafood specialities. Wrapped in an atmosphere of classic elegance, diners can also enjoy an affordable midday menu. The hotel's Michelin-starred restaurant, Stue, offers creative and cutting-edge cuisine of the highest standard with surprising aromatic combinations.

Here are some more recommendations:

- Coda Dessert Bar

- Cookies Cream

- einsunternull

- Facil

- Golvet

- Hugos

- Irma La Douce

- Kin Dee

- Lorenz Adlon

- Nobelhart & Schmutzig

- TIM RAUE Restaurant

Among others...

In the streets of the trendy neighbourhoods, you'll find one café after another. From a lactose-free latte macchiato to a hearty buffet, you can find anything you fancy. Served by attentive waiters or self-service, comfortably seated on spring upholstered seats or perched on a bar stool for a short stay. Breakfast is served seven days a week and, in some bars, even 24 hours a day. For example, at the Schwarzes Café. Welcome to Berlin, the breakfast capital.

Schwarzes Café
Kantstraße 148
10623 Berlin
Telephone: +49 (0) 030 313 80 38
E-mail: info@schwarzescafe-berlin.de
Opening hours: Open 24 hours a day, except Tuesdays from 3 – 10 am

Simply mouth-watering, the speciality of the Imbiss, Berlin's fast-food stalls, can be enjoyed in every conceivable variation. There is even a museum in honor of the "currywurst", the sausage curry. Its invention is attributed to Herta Heuwer, the owner of an Imbiss on the corner of Kant Street and Kaiser-Friedrich Street in the Charlottenburg district.

According to his own testimony, on 4 September 1949 he first offered a cooked and then fried sausage, accompanied by a sauce consisting of tomato pulp, curry powder, Worcestershire sauce and other ingredients. In the "Curry 36"  you can pay tribute to this sausage and its inventor. Today there are many traditional fast-food stalls offering this specialty.

Curry 36
Mehringdamm36
10961 Berlin Kreuzberg
Phone: +49 (0)30 25800 88336
Email: info@curry36.de
Opening hours: Monday to Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Trendy Berlin: Vegan cuisine, sustainable restaurants, and original restaurants.

There are always new trends on the Berlin restaurant scene. Regional and seasonal organic products are currently at the top of the menu. More and more restaurants specialise in vegetarian and vegan dishes or conjure up tasty sustainable dishes.

Whet your appetite and discover the typical Berlin cuisine. Typical dishes of this cuisine are very hearty: Eisbein or pork knuckle served with pea puree. Veal liver prepared in various ways. The Sülze, a jelly containing pieces of meat and vegetables accompanied with chips. Or the popular Frikadellen, pork or veal fillets. You will find these classics in cosy rustic restaurants or in avant-garde restaurants where chefs reinterpret regional dishes.

Breakfast and brunch in Berlin:

House of Small Wonders is, as its name suggests, a place full of fantasy in Berlin where you can expect a very special breakfast and brunch: exotic teas, a variety of coffees, and superfoods. At  Alberts o ALEX the motto is "All you can eat", and after the exquisite selection of food you should leave room for a delicious dessert. Enjoy the variety offered by the capital either with a brunch on Sunday at Café Sieben, with a cappuccino at Brunnen am Prager at Café Engelchen in Wilmersdorf or also at Gottlob in Schöneberg.

Street Food in Berlin

High-quality ingredients, exotic flavours, and a relaxed atmosphere: street food is an indispensable part of everyday life in Berlin. Both currywurst and döner kebab are from Berlin and have long achieved cult status. Berlin's indoor markets have also become street food markets, where you can find freshly prepared delicacies from all over the world. The most famous of the markets is the Markthalle Neun.

Berlin is home to the largest collection of museums in the world and Museum Island has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Located in the heart of the city, it’s home to important historical and artistic sites such as the Old Museum, the New Museum, the Pergamon Museum, the Bode Museum, and the Old National Gallery. More modern museums such as the Jewish Museum and the DDR Museum are also worth a visit. On the first Sunday of every month, admission to Berlin's museums is free, but with the Museum Pass you get free entry to more than 30 museums for three consecutive days. There's no excuse not to enjoy the culture!

Another very interesting option when night falls in Berlin is to enjoy one of its many shows. The Friedrichstadt-Palast theatre, where many stars have performed, is the ideal place for an evening's entertainment. Currently, the ARISE Grand Show is one of the most outstanding shows, where you can experience a mix of emotions that will undoubtedly touch your heart. The Chamäleon theatre in Hackesche Höfe (a Berlin courtyard worth seeing) presents a modern circus with extraordinary stage shows in a historic setting, and at the Admiralspalast you can enjoy an extensive programme of shows, concerts, and musicals.

When the cold weather sets in, ice rinks pop up all over the city. Ice skating is one of the best ways to enjoy the German capital with the whole family. The best ice rinks are Erika-Heß-Eisstadion, Horst-Dohm-Eisstadion, Eisstadion Neukölln, Hohenschönhausen Sports Forum, Eisbahn Treptow-Köpenick and Eisbahn Lankwitz. The last one is a good option to take the fun even further, as it also offers an ice disco for children.

When it comes to winter sports, those that require full contact with the snow are not to be missed. In Berlin, you’ll find numerous ski slopes and toboggan runs that are perfect for a fun family day out. Müggelberge is the most famous skiing area and the Teufelsberg mountain is one of the highest, which is why it attracts the most skiing enthusiasts. For children, the most recommended places are Viktoriapark - perfect for sledging - and the Hahneberg run in Spandau.

Not only can you practise sport, but you can also watch it. Berlin hosts a number of sporting events every year. Experience a football match with the best teams in the DFB Cup or competitions in athletics, cycling and much more.

If shopping is what you’re looking for, Berlin is your destination. You'll find everything from high-end boutiques to small shops selling traditional and artisanal products. And if you'd rather stay indoors with everything you need on hand, there's also a variety of shopping centres.

The shopping street par excellence is Kurfürstendamm, with elegant shops of well-known brands. In the Hackescher Markt and Torstraße area, however, you will find a more casual and modern style. Don't forget the famous Alexanderplatz, which is located in the city centre and is home to more than 180 shops of all kinds. If you visit this great square, take a break from shopping and visit two great attractions that are part of it: the Berlin TV Tower, one of the tallest buildings in Europe and an emblem of the city; and the Weltzeituhr, a clock that displays all the times in the world.

As for shopping centres, one of the most recommended is the Mall of Berlin, in Leipziger Platz, with around 300 shops, bars, and restaurants. Another highlight is The Playce shopping centre with around 90 shops and a large area for traditional German food products.

In Berlin you can also find small shops dedicated to sustainable fashion, such as "Aurelia Paumelle", with its simple, gender-neutral and seasonless fashion; "CharLe", with especially durable and resistant sustainable fashion for children aged 1 to 12; "Ecoalf", a fashion shop by Javier Goyeneches created from recycled materials and upcycling fashion, and more.

The countdown to Christmas is on and this means that Berlin is beginning to fill its streets with Christmas markets which, from the beginning of November onwards, create a magical atmosphere in the city. You'll find markets of all kinds and with a wide variety of themes. Here are the main ones.

One of the most popular is the WeihnachtsZauber, originally located in Gendarmenmarkt. For this year and the next two years, however, it's been moved to Bebelplatz. The market attracts around 600,000 visitors a year and offers live music, acrobatics, and fireworks. In addition, there are many craft exhibitors with products made of wood or glass, among others.

The Spandau Advent Market, one of the largest in Berlin, is located in the historic centre of Spandau around the Church of St. Nicholas. Its main attraction is a large spruce decorated with Christmas lights and a Nativity scene with real animals. This market has up to 400 stands.

The Karlshorst market takes place on the first Sunday of Advent and brings together Christmas traditions from other cultures. Other highlights include the one at Jagdschloss Grunewald, Berlin's oldest castle, and the one at Karl-August-Platz, where you’re sure to find gifts for your loved ones.

Did you know that there are two markets inspired by the traditions of Nordic culture? Kulturbrauerei is dedicated to the Scandinavian world, with traditional dishes, crafts, and entertainment. It pays tribute to the Nordic goddess of light, Lucia, and is housed in a former 19th-century brewery. Try Nordic delicacies such as elk goulash or reindeer salami, not forgetting the salmon potato soup and the wonderful Finnish waffles. To accompany it, try the typical mulled wines such as Swedish Glögg, Finnish Glögi or Icelandic Jolaglögg.

Elsewhere, the Nordische Märchenweihnacht, located at Britz Castle, is another original idea for experiencing Christmas from a different perspective. Here you can find out how the ancient knights and Vikings experienced this time of year and immerse yourself in an authentic adventure set in the Middle Ages. Here, the youngest members of the family can have fun with activities such as archery, axe-throwing or climbing on large Viking ships. And, of course, you can taste different desserts such as gingerbread, baked almonds or apple fritters, as well as different hot drinks. Don't forget to buy original gifts over 3,000 years old!

In Berlin, not only will you find the typical Christmas markets, but also many other options to enjoy the street shopping atmosphere.

There is an ecological Christmas market, called the Adventsökomarkt. Located in Kollwitzplatz, this market has been held on the four Sundays of Advent for more than 10 years. It's a great alternative to the typical Christmas markets, with more than 60 exhibitors of sustainable products such as toys, clothes, and handicrafts. You can also taste the typical culinary delights of the area from farms, livestock, or organic bakeries. It's also an ideal place to visit with children, who can enjoy pony rides.

Further away from the city centre, in the south of Berlin, is the Domäne Dahlem, which is perfect if you're looking to escape the hustle and bustle and get some fresh air in the middle of the countryside. A Christmas market is held every year in this mansion built in 1560. This is another market committed to the environment and society, where more than 50 exhibitors offer handmade organic products such as nougat, marzipan, and cheese. Visitors will also be able to actively participate in various interesting activities, such as candle making and bag personalisation.

If you're looking for a total disconnection from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, take a look at the spas listed below.

Find the ultimate relaxation in the bustling heart of the city. The Vabali Spa Berlin, located just a few metres from the Hauptbahnhof station, is the perfect place to unite body, soul, and spirit. It will be like being transported to Bali itself, with facilities of more than 20,000 square metres and stunning architectural design. Multiple massage and treatment rooms are connected via wooden walkways to the pool area. Discover its sauna designed from organic materials and find happiness with relaxing ceremonies.

The Olivin Sauna in Pfefferberg is known for its unexpectedly beautiful inner courtyard, a bamboo garden set amidst the stately architecture. Even during the winter months, you can relax on one of the sun loungers while admiring the Berlin sky.

For its part, the Hamam Sauna is exclusively for women. These Turkish baths are a great example of oriental wellbeing, and you can benefit from treatments such as Kese (body scrub) or Sanbunlana (foam massage), among many others.

For lovers of water and history, Berlin offers several indoor swimming pools in beautiful locations. An experience like this will recharge your batteries!

Stadtbad Charlottenburg is the oldest swimming pool in the city, and entering it’s like a journey back in time. The Gothic architecture facilities conceal a 25-metre-long swimming pool and another for children, with a slide and a diving board.

Stadtbad Neukölln is considered one of the most beautiful swimming pools in Europe. The architects who built it were inspired by ancient Greek thermal baths, and one of its stand-out features is its great arches linked by seven-metre-high pillars and beautiful mosaics.

The swimming pool at the Europasportpark has a great reputation in Berlin, as it was designed for the 2000 Olympic Games. Today, it’s the venue for many national and international competitions and visitors can swim or dive in several of the pools on the site.

At the Stadtbad Mitte "James Simon" you could spend the day in its swimming pools, but it also has two fitness rooms where you can attend yoga classes. And, after an intense day of sport, make a reservation for a relaxing massage.

What could be more satisfying than a happy stomach while consuming sustainable cuisine? This is something Berlin knows a lot about, which is why it has numerous vegan, vegetarian, organic, zero-emissions restaurants; all of which are well worth a visit.

Cookies Cream is one of the best-known vegetarian restaurants in the German capital, although others such as Bonvivant Cocktail Bistro or Daluma also stand out. The creativity of many Berlin chefs in concocting dishes without animal products is encouraging many people to join in the shift towards a healthier diet. So much so that 2022 was the first year in which two of these restaurants won a Michelin Star: Cordo and FREA. "Full flavour, zero waste" is the motto of the FREA restaurant, whose products come exclusively from organic farmers in the region. In addition, all the waste generated from cooking is composted to feed their own crops.

The Humboldt Forum, an outstanding museum that houses several sustainable restaurants, such as Bistro Lebenswelten, a culinary experience, and Baret, located on the rooftop of the building with spectacular views, are also worth a visit.