The gastronomic landscape in Berlin has thousands of restaurants to offer, so the choice is often not so easy! We have selected some really unusual restaurants for you that stand out either because of their concept, their excellent food, their interior design or a mixture of all of these. Enjoy your meal!
Coccodrillo
The Coccodrillo has also literally been on many people’s lips for years. Without reinventing the wheel, the restaurant offers pasta and pizza as well as meat and fish dishes and antipasti. Authentic Italian soul food is prepared with flair and high-quality ingredients, sourced from friendly producers in Italy. Some of the ingredients, such as the delicious bread from Kreuzberger Brodstätte, come from Germany. The interior impresses with a 60s Italian flair, bright red, vintage posters and a mixture of glamor and sex appeal. Neon tubes whisper messages, leopard statues embody pure passion. A visual experience somewhere between soft porn and space opus.
Coccodrillo | Veteranenstraße 9 | Mitte
Dóttir
The imposing Château Royal Hotel in Berlin-Mitte not only offers over 100 rooms with contemporary art but also houses the Dóttir – a wine bar, restaurant and meeting place for both hotel guests and external gourmets. The restaurant is run by Icelandic chef Victoria Eliasdóttir (sister of artist Ólafur Elíasson). In keeping with the boutique hotel that houses it, the interior of the Dóttir is characterized by a sophisticated fusion of modern and vintage elements. The menu, on the other hand, is characterized by Icelandic influence and includes vegetarian options alongside fine fish and meat dishes with a focus on seasonal and regional ingredients.
Dóttir at the Château Royal Hotel | Mittelstraße 41 | Mitte
Frea
There are many vegan restaurants in Berlin, but none of them can beat Frea when it comes to sustainability. The first plant-based zero waste restaurant serves first-class dishes that are prepared entirely by hand. The ingredients are not only seasonal but also sourced regionally. Here it is important to know where products come from in order to guarantee the highest quality. All the leftovers are then composted and the resulting soil is sent to the suppliers. This closes the circle of food production, utilization and recycling.
Frea | Kleine Hamburger Str. 2 | Mitte
Local
This charming eatery in Mitte is much more than just an ordinary restaurant, even if the simple name suggests it. The restaurant lives up to its name with regional products that set a new standard for German cuisine. The menu offers an excellent mix of down-to-earth and innovative dishes, from pike-perch to a vegetarian pasta creation with Jerusalem artichokes and elderberries. A special highlight: During the meal, you can admire the artworks of Berlin-based artists Andreas Tobias and Gary Hoopengardner, who are both co-founders of “Lokal”. A culinary experience combined with local art.
Local | Linienstraße 160 | Mitte
Market Hall Nine: The culinary multitool
Are you planning to go out with several people and too many tastes clash and you can’t find a suitable restaurant? Then the cozy market hall in Kreuzberg is just right for you. For once, too many cooks don’t spoil the broth! The interior of the old hall consists mainly of small restaurants and market stalls that offer their respective dishes here. They are connected by small alleyways and several seating areas where you can eat comfortably. After everyone has found what they like, they can still eat together thanks to the practical concept, which makes the win-win situation perfect!
Markthalle Neun | Pücklerstraße 34 | Kreuzberg
To the Bone
Wen Cheng – the best noodles in Berlin
Big fat hand pulled noodles are taking over Berlin – at least that’s the slogan of the Chinese Unicorn, which now supplies Berlin with outstanding dishes in three restaurants. As you can see from the battle cry, the noodles here are still pulled by hand and simply taste incredibly good! The menu is deliberately lean: You can choose between two main courses in different versions, each based on the big fat hand pulled noodles . There is also a selection of four side dishes, which are also super simple but extremely tasty. At the same time, you don’t have to dig too deep into your pockets for the outstanding quality: You can get the pasta from around €15, the side dishes from €4.50. The only drawback: it is usually very crowded here and you have to queue a little before you can enjoy your food. There are no reservations either, the crowds are too high for that!
Wen Cheng I | Schönhauser Allee 65 | Prenzlauer Berg
Wen Cheng | Schönhauser Allee 10 | Mitte
Wen Cheng III | Simon-Dach-Straße 22 | Friedrichshain
At 21Gramm you can let your mind wander
In Neukölln you’ll find a very special restaurant-café in a place where you wouldn’t necessarily expect it. On the grounds of a cemetery, you will be served excellent brunch dishes and drinks in the incredibly beautiful setting of a former cemetery chapel. All the classics of the late breakfast await you here, from scrambled eggs and pancakes to breakfast potatoes or beans. Incidentally, the name alludes to the Theory of an American doctor from the early 20th century, according to which the soul should weigh exactly 21 grams. For that alone, it deserves a place among the most unusual restaurants in Berlin.
21Gramm | Hermannstraße 179 | Neukölln
893 Ryōtei
The 893 is a true phantom among Berlin’s restaurants, thanks in particular to its disguise skills. The façade of the restaurant looks like that of a run-down station building, but at second glance it reveals its true face as one of Berlin’s hippest addresses. Behind the opaque window fronts covered in graffiti, 893 offers traditional Japanese cuisine with a modern twist in a dimly lit ambience. In addition to meat and fish creations, the focus is also on exciting cocktails. However, a visit here should be well planned, as the mysterious charm of the restaurant means that it is extremely popular.
893 Ryōtei | Kantstraße 135/136 | Charlottenburg