Favorite places to eat and drink
When demanding restaurateurs give restaurant tips, you can usually count on them. It's one of many reasons to note this special list of favorite places on Planet Berlin.
Altes Europa
"One of my favorite places is the restaurant Altes Europa. It's a very vibrant, social place. I'm there all the time – I love the familiar atmosphere", raves Mario Lombardo from Atelier Oblique.
Café am Neuen See
Paula Gouveia from Portugal loves taking a boat out onto the Neuen See. In the summer, you can rent boats from the café located directly adjacent to the Berlin Zoo.
Café Einstein
"The main branch of the Einstein is a Berlin institution - it’s a coffee house where I can just relax," says hatmaker Fiona Bennett from Britain. "In the evening I like to treat myself to artichokes and a glass of champagne."
Clärchens Ballhaus
Chilean Cecilia Fuentes Ibarburu, owner of the South Embassy, is drawn to a Berlin institution after work: "My favorite place is Clärchens Ballhaus, because I love the diversity. This is where young and old, East and West all come to dance."
La Bretagne
Chinese Yanwu Yuan’s favorite place is the Crêperie Le Bretagne which offers specialities such as Breton galettes. She eats breakfast there every morning after taking her son to kindergarten.
Geist im Glas
Fashion label founder Jade Helene Shimmin from South Africa likes to meet her friends at Neukölln cocktail institution Geist im Glas, which is famous for its unconventional gin and whiskey creations.
Herz & Niere
Bin Lee-Zauner and José Miranda Morillo of the restaurant Kochu Karu like the restaurant Herz und Niere, where they can enjoy meat with a clear conscience. All the products are local, and the restaurant always uses the entire animal.
I Due Forni
"I love the pizzeria I Due Forni in Prenzlauer Berg," Lázsló Baksa, owner of the Hungarian delicatessen, Borsó. "They make the best pizza in Berlin."
Khwan
Jeniffer Mulinde-Schmid likes to eat at Khwan, where you can watch chefs prepare their Nouvelle Thai dishes in the restaurant’s open kitchen.
Les Valseuses
Frenchman Romain Dumond enjoys the Bistro Les Valseuses and its French specialities.
Long March Canteen
Mirza Music-Zander of the Unique Factory enjoys the menu at the Chinese restaurant Long March Canteen.
Panke Bar
Ruta Sluskaite-Dittmann likes to frequent the Panke-Bar, a relaxed locale with cocktails and vegetarian meals in her home district of Humboldthain.
Röststätte Berlin
Vietnamese Nam Cao Hoai recommends Röststätte, which offers a great selection of fine coffees as well as workshops for up-and-coming baristas.
Nobelhart & Schmutzig
"Nobelhart & Schmutzig is leading the way in the future of fine dining, with an honest, courageous menu made from local and seasonal products," says Dalad Kambhu. The Thai chef knows what she's talking about, having earned a Michelin Star for her restaurant, Kin Dee.
Schlosshotel
Menswear designer Albert Haziza likes to go for a drink or two at the bar of the elegant Schlosshotel. Albert Haziza knows the owner, Patrick Hellmann, and his father, Alfred, from back in Morocco.
Silo Coffee
Stacy Kent often enjoys breakfast at Australian café Silo Coffee, a popular brunch spot in Berlin Friedrichshain.
Soda Club
"My favorite place is Soda Club in the Kulturbrauerei," says John Al Haddad, a Syrian who imports and sells laurel soaps in Schöneberg. "The people are nice, and I love dancing salsa there."
Tadim
Jazz nightclub owner Sedal Sardan from Turkey likes to head to Turkish restaurant Tadim at Kottbusser Tor for a döner, Berlin’s own fast food specialty that is made from 100% veal.
Voima Bar
"Every once in a while, I visit other bars in Berlin. My favorite is the Voima Bar," says Rik Lusing, the Dutchman who recently opened Beavis Bar, adding that Voima "offers classic cocktails mixed with Finnish ingredients."
W - Der Imbiss
Kristian Moldskret enjoys the vegan fusion dishes at W – Der Imbiss. The meals combine elements from Indian, Mexican, Californian and Italian traditions.
Weinerei
Sanjay Shihora enjoys the Weinerei wine bar with its understated flair. The bar offers an international selection as well as bottles from its own winery. Shihora has been running the Kookaburra Comedy Club nearby for many years.
Zum Biermichel
"I like to hang out at Biermichel at the corner of Rheinsberger Strasse and Brunnenstrasse," says Dietmar Arnold, founder of the Berliner Unterwelten. "It's a refuge for smokers. I know the people who live around there and sometimes we even make a little music together.