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Before the fall of the Wall, eating in Berlin was regarded as a minor sideline to the more important matter of drinking. Guests wanting to sample a "typical Berlin dish" could easily be dissuaded by the mere mention of such alleged delicacies as pig's ear with yellow peas. A liquid diet was definitely the safer option.
Fortunately, Berlin's gastronomic landscape has since changed beyond recognition. Gourmets are now spoiled for choice as more and more first class restaurants open their doors to the public. Great food can also be found in many cafés, which offer a selection of national and international dishes at reasonable prices. Budget travelers are well catered to by hundreds of Imbiss fast food restaurants - once the realm of the greasy sausage - but now brimming with Asian and Middle Eastern delights for just a few Euros.
Charlottenburg
Chic and up-market. The best restaurants and cafés in the western city center are found in the side-streets between Kurfürstendamm and Kantstraße as well as in the area around leafy Savignyplatz.
Gourmets with a deep wallet should pay a visit to Ana e Bruno for exquisite Italian, while those on a normal budget could try the legendary pizzas at XXII Apostel. Otherwise head to Tai Ji for some great Chinese, to Le Canard for fantastic French or to Hitit for Turkish delights with an Oriental flair. Celebrity spotters will be in their element at Paris Bar, a French bistro better known for its well-heeled clientèle and late-night cocktails than for its food.
Fans of the traditional Berlin Currywurst sausage couldn't do any better than at the Imbiss stand at Amtsgerichtplatz in Kantstraße. The queues are always long, but it's well worth the wait! Good bets for a lazy Sunday brunch are Restaurant 31 and Pasticceria e Rosticceria Italiana. And, if you're looking for a bit of pre-Wall flair, pop into Zwiebelfisch, Diener or Dicke Wirtin - traditional Berlin pubs that haven't changed in years.
Friedrichshain
A popular hang-out for students and young Berliners. Friedrichshain is the last bastion of Berlin's "alternative" subculture and is the best district to explore if you're looking for hip bars, cool cafés and underground clubs. Most are centered around Simon-Dach-Straße, Boxhagener Platz and Schreinerstraße. But at the rate that new places are opening up, it won't be long before Friedrichshain loses its insider feel.
Check out the spacey Astro Bar, the cocktail lounge next door to Dachkammer, and finish off the evening in Tagung, a popular bar-cum-club intriguingly decorated with East German political memorabilia. If you can still handle breakfast after a long night on the town, Leander and Apotheke have a good selection at knock-down prices.
Kreuzberg
For conservative radicals. Once a haven for punks and anarchists, Kreuzberg has certainly evolved since the fall of the Wall. While you can still savor some of that old revolutionary flavor in a number of bars around Oranienstraße and Wiener Straße, southern Kreuzberg (around Bergmannstraße) is now dominated by chic cafés and exclusive restaurants.
Riehmers Hofgarten, Altes Zollhaus and Medici serve up some of the best "neue deutsche Küche" in town, while places like Austria and Jolesh are good bets for more traditional fare. Francophiles should head for Le Cochon Bourgeois, while lovers of Mediterranean cuisine should pay a visit to Sale e Tabacchi. Kreuzberg is also home to thousands of Turkish immigrants. So when in Rome... the Imbiss stand next to Schlesisches Tor U-Bahn station is widely reputed to have the best döner kebabs this side of Istanbul.
Many of Berlin's most scenic cafés are situated on the banks of the canal at Paul-Lincke-Ufer, the perfect place for a lazy Sunday afternoon brunch. Sit down, relax and watch the world go by from the gardens of Café am Ufer or Café Übersee, or wait until night falls and mingle with Kreuzberg's young generation in Ankerklause.
If you're looking for a taste of legendary hard-core Kreuzberg, check out the likes of Madonna or Intertank. Roses is a popular spot among the gay crowd. Slightly softer, but still very "Kreuzberg" are Morena and Wiener Blut, both of which are highly recommended. If you're the more traditional type, pay a visit to Yorckschlösschen, a rustic pub with hearty local fare and live jazz on Sundays. And when it comes to tradition, there's nothing like Golgatha's beer garden on a warm summer evening.
Mitte
The undisputed center of Berlin nightlife, packed with bars, cafés, restaurants and clubs. While tourists now outnumber locals in many of the establishments around Oranienburger Straße, at least you won't have to search for long until you find a place that you like. From the sleek Café Orange to the wacky Café Zapata in Stachelschweine Kabarett Theater, the Oranienburger Straße strip has something for everyone. But if you want to avoid the masses and fancy a bit of local flair, try Café Ici or Hackbarth's in nearby Auguststraße. Alternatively, head for Mittendrin in Sophienstraße.
The area around Hackesche Höfe is equally busy. Popular lunchtime venues are Café Hackescher Hof and Yosoy tapas bar, evening favorites include the South American restaurant-bar Brazil, while night-owls flock to Cocktailbar Baal or Sage Club. Gourmets can savor the finest new international cuisine at Borchardt and Vau while fans of hearty German food will be in their element at Stäv, Volksgaststätte or Zur Letzten Instanz, said to be Berlin's oldest restaurant.
Prenzlauer Berg
The fashionable, up-and-coming district. Particularly during the warm summer months, beautiful, tree-lined Kollwitzplatz acts as a magnet for tourists who descend in droves on the atmospheric cafés and restaurants that adorn the quaint nineteenth century square.
Locals, on the other hand, prefer to meet at cafés such Anita Wronski and Sowohl Als Auch, or at late-night bars like Luxus Bar. If you wish to drink in a smoke-free atmosphere, check out Cafe Mia. Prater is also a popular destination with a fantastic beer garden.
There's good food aplenty to be had in Prenzlauer Berg: check out the breakfast buffet at Li(bi)do or Schall & Rauch, the great antipasti at Il Pane e le Rose, the spicy curries at Mao Thai, the hearty Russian dishes and live folk music at Pasternak or the Kurdish specialties consumed on traditional floor cushions at Miro. For those looking for a quick snack: Zarskes Gaststätte.
Schöneberg
Plenty to do here. Many of the cafés and bars near Winterfeldtplatz and Goltzstraße sprung up in the 1980s, when Schöneberg was the place to go out in West Berlin. Check out cult favorites such as Café M and Mutter; try one of the superb cocktails at Green Door.
Schöneberg is also the focal point of Berlin's vibrant gay community, with countless gay bars and clubs located around Motzstraße and Fuggerstraße. Lenz die Bar is popular in the early evening, Tom's Bar , Hafen, Connection or Begine later on.
When it comes to eating in Schöneberg, you're spoiled for choice. Many Berliners come from far afield to breakfast in style at places such as Tomasa, April and Montevideo. Gourmets should head straight to Bamberger Reiter or Fischer's Restaurant for classic and modern German dishes and an enormous selection of wines. Otherwise, try Cheban for great Lebanese, Storch for traditional Alsace cuisine and Baharat or Habibi if you're in the mood for a quick falafel.
Tiergarten
Pricey and not particularly exciting, the southern part of Tiergarten is a popular haunt for businessmen, politicians and visitors staying in the hotels around Lützowplatz. Hotel bars and restaurants naturally dominate the gastronomic scene, the highlight being Harry's New York Bar in the Grand Hotel Esplanade. Guests looking to venture out of the hotel in the evening could try the wonderful Mediterranean cuisine on offer at Am Karlsbad. Alternatively, wine and dine with Berlin's high-society in Paris-Moskau, a first class restaurant with a sumptuous summer terrace, and finish off the evening with a cocktail in the Bar am Lützowplatz, Berlin's high temple of drinking.
If you're here on a warm summer evening, take a stroll through the idyllic Tiergarten park to Café am Neuen See - one of Berlin's most attractive beer gardens - or to the popular Schleusen Krug on the Landwehrkanal. A real Berlin institution is Café Einstein, an exquisite coffee house with original 1920s flair - perfect for a relaxing brunch or an afternoon coffee break.
Wilmersdorf
This area caters to a young and affluent crowd. The cafés and restaurants around Ludwigkirchplatz heave with students during weekends. See and be seen in places like Café Solo or Manzinis, head to Jimmy's Diner for dinner and finish off the evening with a cocktail in the earthy Berlin Bar. If you're just looking for somewhere to relax during the day, try the glorious Café im Literaturhaus, a peaceful oasis just a stone's throw from Ku'damm.
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