Ask any traveller where you should go in Europe, and chances are the list is going to include Berlin. While it doesn’t have the name recognition of London or Paris, Berlin is a city vibrant in life and culture. The combination of different cultures with the cheap cost of visiting makes it a prime destination, especially for budget travellers. With so many things to do, one aspect of Berlin that gets overlooked is its vast array of food. From kebabs to currywurst, the city is a foodie heaven, affordable for anybody. If you want to eat and see your way on a city break in Berlin, this guide is for you.
Where to go
While there are plenty of high class (expensive) restaurants around town, the real draw is the street food. There are open-air markets almost every day, with food vendors dotting the streets throughout town. The most exciting event right now is street food Thursdays at Markthalle Neun. Here, every Thursday, all the regular produce vendors are replaced with professional and semi-professional chefs with food as diverse as the city itself. You can sample Taiwanese pork buns before tasting a proper steak pie, and then wash it down with some wine or a beer at the brewery next door.
Some other markets include:
Neukölln
On Tuesdays and Fridays, this market on the banks of the Maybach canal transforms into little Turkey, with delicacies and ready to eat Turkish dishes available. It’s also one of the cheapest markets in the city, and some freshly cooked sweet corn is the perfect company on a stroll through this market.
Eco Market
Saturday is the best day for markets in Berlin, and one of the best places to satiate your sweet tooth is at the Eco Market at Boxhagener Platz. Of course there’s local organic produce and international street food, but the real draw are the desserts. All sorts of homemade cakes and sweets are for sale, enough to satisfy even the sweetest of sweet teeth. As an added bonus, it’s home to a popular flea market on Sundays.
What to eat
Berlin being one of the most diverse cities in the world, there’s food for any taste, and you can sample those wares at any of the above markets. For “local” food, the most famous dish is the currywurst, a sausage that’s steamed, then fried, and seasoned with curry ketchup. Make sure to try it the Berlin way (‘ohne Darm’, without skin). Berlin also has a large Turkish population (the largest outside of Turkey), and it shows in the food. There’s Tadim Lahmacun, a flatbread topped with minced meat, baked, then covered with other goodies (for just 3 euros). Or doner kebabs, meat cooked on a rotisserie served in a flatbread or pita before being filled with other toppings (around 5 euros).
As you can see, Berlin is truly a foodie’s paradise. Throw in the sights and history of this capital city, and you’ve got a trip you won’t forget.
Images by Juska Wendland, mompl and iamkaspar used under creative commons license.