The Hottest Restaurants in Berlin right now

There is a particular kind of optimism that settles over Berlin in spring, and it has very little to do with the weather finally becoming bearable. It has to do with new restaurants and the city recalibrating itself to what places are hot and which are not. This spring is no different. We flagged a few places months ago, when they were still in that pre-opening purgatory of permits and pending menus, and if you're wondering what restaurants actually met our expectations and what the hottest tables in Berlin are right now, this is the answer. Behold three restaurants you should have on your to-eat list right now.

Barlevain — Schöneberg

The space on the corner of Akazienkiez that housed Björn Swanson's Faelt has found its second life. Barlevain is the first restaurant from Maximilian Hühnergart and Ana Hernández Götz, a couple not unknown to the Berlin scene: Ana ran front of house and wines at Tulus Lotrek, Max cooked at Facil and spent time as sous-chef at Barra. Together they have opened something that feels both refreshingly unpretentious and quietly accomplished. The menu is deliberately condensed and nothing needs explaining or excusing. Max is simply cooking what he knows, using the flavors he grew up with, and the intelligence of that restraint is what makes the food interesting. The KYS oysters with a homemade tomato hot sauce taste like a gourmet, salty-sea version of your Stammkneipe's Mexikaner (that's a good thing, btw), the house terrine is executed with remarkable competence, and the grilled pork neck skewer is based on Max's Saxonian mother's recipe, pork marinated in nothing more than onion, pepper, and salt, served with pickled onions and it is a million times lighter and tastier than you expect. Cavatelli in onion jus with Bärlauch, a whole plaice with a smashing Frankfurt apple wine beurre blanc, rhubarb with vanilla custard. Proper, no-bullshit cooking with lots of love and a beverage program to match (try the German vermouth).

What is even more interesting: the food at Barlevain quietly says a lot about where the new generation of German chefs is heading. It's a restaurant that feels distinctively German without performing Germanness in its classical form, and without serving a single dish that is quintessentially German — something which is far harder to pull off than it sounds. Go.

Nichi Getsu — Friedrichshain

If you followed our Japanese restaurant coverage from earlier this year, you know that Shiori took the top spot as the best Japanese restaurant in Berlin without much of a contest. Nichi Getsu is the new sushi restaurant from the same team, anticipated in proportion to the reputation this crew has built in the scene.

Rudolfskiez is the slightly odd and disorienting pocket of Friedrichshain just behind Warschauer Straße that has long been a blank on the city's culinary map. Nichi Getsu is about to change that with its recent opening in one of the most beautiful buildings in the whole Kiez. The outspoken mission: to offer one of the best counter-style sushi experiences in Berlin. Currently the restaurant is running a soft opening with a lunch-only format. You have the choice between thick, luscious futomaki rolls to take away, and a stunning sit-down chirashi don menu, which includes a starter, a bowl of exceptional seafood chirashi on sushi rice, miso soup, and dessert to round it off. Even in this preliminary format, it is one of the finest sushi lunches available in Berlin right now. The fish quality is outstanding, the craftsmanship meticulous, the sushi rice so well-seasoned it puts the competition to shame, and nothing feels rushed or approximate. All of this is preparation for an Edomae omakase menu launching in June. Better make the trip to Rudolfskiez before the word spreads too far.

Breda — Kreuzberg

This is the one all of cool Berlin is talking about, and for once the conversation is mighty justified. The crew behind Pinci secured one of the last remaining spots on Paul-Lincke-Ufer (next to Spindler) and turned it into something genuinely spectacular: a restaurant drenched from floor to ceiling in bright orange, cunningly decorated with extravagant furniture, tiny tables, and polished metal bars for you to take a seat and people-watch. The design alone makes this one of the coolest openings in a while, but the energy of the people in it — from the vibrant crew to the exorbitantly good-looking guests — takes this place to ungodly coolness levels.

Breda is Pinci on fancy crack. Think all the vibe, but a food menu that convinces on all fronts. The owners are calling it a trattoria, and it is a step up from Pinci in register and ambition, while retaining the warmth of one of the most popular restaurants in Berlin. The veal tartare, hand-cut and served with herbs and grated bottarga, is exactly what tartare should be: light, airy, and built around depth of flavor rather than richness. The cavatelli with white ragù is one of the best plates of pasta I've had in a very long time. The tuna belly, briefly seared and served on a sauce au poivre, might raise initial fears of feasibility, but as soon as you put one of those lush, cream-sauce-coated tuna pieces in your mouth, all doubts are erased. We visited Breda on the fifth day of service and it ran like a restaurant that had been open for months, which says a lot about how utterly professional this crew is. The team is strong, the room is full, and it is going to stay that way. This is the hottest opening of the summer and it will be a difficult table to secure. You can reserve. Do so. Weeks in advance.

Three openings, three very different registers, all worth your time. Tag us when you've been.

Europe's Biggest Restaurant Festival Returns to Berlin

The RestaurantWeek Berlin returns to Berlin for a 2026 edition with Berlin Food Stories as a media partner.

From June 3rd to 28th, Europe's biggest restaurant festival returns to Berlin with a citywide lineup of restaurants offering fixed-price menus across different formats and price ranges.

The concept is straightforward: guests can book a surprise-style set menu online, with three-course experiences starting at €29 per person and more extensive menus available from €45.

A number of Michelin-starred restaurants are also participating with special festival menus. Over the years, RestaurantWeek has become a good excuse to finally try places that usually sit somewhere between “saved on Instagram” and “maybe next month.”

The participating lineup spans casual neighborhood spots, wine bars and more ambitious fine dining addresses across the city including Estelle, Bundesbüdchen, Zum Heiligen Teufel, Einstein Unter den Linden and many more.

Reservations are available exclusively online via the official platform, where guests secure their booking with a partial upfront payment. The festival menus won’t be available for walk-ins. The full restaurant lineup and booking platform can be found on the Restaurant Week Berlin website.

Alan Micks to Guest Chef at Common This May

Berlin restaurant Common is welcoming its next guest chef: Alan Micks will take over the kitchen for one night only on May 9.

Originally from Ireland, Micks has worked in top kitchens across London, New York, Australia and New Zealand. In Berlin, he’s best known for his long-standing role at Michelberger Hotel, as well as being head chef and co-owner of ORA and Theke.

For the dinner at Common, he’ll present a set menu built around Michelberger Farm produce, in-house cured meats and different styles of pizza.

Seats are limited, reservations can be made via this link.

The Culinary Redemption of the Berliner Kneipe

You’d think a city like Berlin, obsessed with food trends and deeply attached to its neighborhood drinking culture, would be full of gastropubs. Places where you can settle in for a few beers and eat proper German Hausmannskost. But oddly, that’s exactly what Berlin has been missing. The Kneipe, its local pub equivalent, has always been about drinks first, and if you're lucky you might score a sad Stulle or a bag of peanuts if you’re lucky. Proper food and cooking? Not really part of the deal.

Which is what makes Tresen Treff feel like such a small revelation.

Set in Wilmersdorf, this is, on paper, a very classic German Kneipe. There’s a bar up front, plenty of dark brown wooden furniture, a slightly worn back room with a pool table, and the kind of interior that looks like it hasn’t been aggressively updated for decades (thankfully). It’s not trying to cosplay nostalgia; it just is what it is. Or rather, what it was until a young team of chefs saved it from closing in 2025, giving it a second life.

The new team, led by the two friends Josha Kalborg, Laurens Friedl and Julia Bentzien, where the guys used to cook at Biberbau, didn’t gut the place or turn it into some polished, overworked “concept.” Instead, they kept the soul intact, removed the slot machines, put up some art on the walls, and quietly upgraded the one thing Kneipen have historically ignored: the food. And suddenly, you have a Kneipe where you actually can eat. Properly.

The menu reads like a greatest hits of Eastern German comfort cooking: Königsberger Klopse, Rinderrouladen, Buletten, Maultaschen, Semmelknödel even a pulled Eisbein but everything comes in small, shareable portions. Think somewhere between bar food and a tasting menu, minus the ceremony. Prices hover between €6 and €9, which means you can order half the menu, have a couple of beers, and still walk out spending less than what one main course costs in many upscale Berlin restaurants right now.

Tresen Treff is clever without being showy. The chefs clearly know what they’re doing, but they’re not trying to stray from the classic script. The Klopse are light and precise, the Roulade rich and so tender you can cut it with a spoon, and the starter salads actually taste like someone cared. The Berlin version of the slightly vulgar pork knuckle - usually served on the bone with a boatload of boiled fat and skin no one actually wants to eat - has been pulled and is probably the best version of this dish you can get in all of Berlin. There is always a special on the menu, like the extraordinarily well-made pork Sülze I had last time, and the chocolate pudding for dessert is so childishly comforting it will make you feel like you’re eight years old all over again. It’s the kind of food that makes you order “just one more” until suddenly the table’s full.

What really makes Tresen Treff special, though, are the people. Come early and you’ll find the older neighborhood crowd: regulars who treat this like an extension of their living room. One beer, one plate, maybe two, then off home. Later on, the energy shifts: groups of younger Berliners, more rounds, more dishes, louder conversations. Somehow, it all blends together without friction in a unique cross-generational mix.

The hype around Tresen Treff was loud, the “viral Kneipe” narrative spreading over social media like wildfire. But I would argue every bit of hype has been deserved. Tresen Treff is something Berlin genuinely needed. A place that knows how to respect the Kneipe tradition while nudging it forward, gently but decisively.

A year in, the question isn’t whether Tresen Treff works as a concept - it very clearly does. The more interesting one is what happens next. Does this spark a wave of similar gastropub-style Kneipen across the city, or does it remain a one-off? Success like this tends to attract copycats sooner or later, but if there’s one thing Berlin is known for, it’s taking its time.

The Best Steakhouse Burgers in Berlin

With the rise of Goldies in the early 2020s, the smash burger became the dominant form of quality burger in Berlin and across Germany. Their success triggered an avalanche of copycats and suddenly, smash burger joints popped up everywhere, often serving a near-identical formula: thinly smashed patties, plenty of crust, and a soft potato bun.

And to be clear, we’re fans. Smash burgers helped kick off the first real burger hype in Germany and pushed quality standards far beyond the dry, oversized patties that dominated the 2000s.

But hyper trends have side effects and as the smash burger took over, another burger style quietly disappeared: the steakhouse burger. The thicker, juicier patty, the one that actually requires high quality meat, high fat content, and careful temperature control, simply fell out of fashion.

Which isn’t surprising. Smash burgers are easy to cook, hard to mess up, and comparatively cheap to produce. You don’t need to worry much about doneness, and you don’t need large amounts of high-quality meat, an important factor in a market where keeping a burger under ten euros has become a major selling point.

Still, a great burger scene needs variety. And for a long time we kept asking the same question: Will there ever be a steakhouse burger revival in Berlin?

Things started to shift again with the opening of Goldies Bar at KaDeWe, where the team began experimenting with thicker patties and steakhouse-style burgers. Since then, especially in the first months of 2026, the movement has picked up real momentum. Several restaurants have started putting serious, juicy, properly cooked burgers on their menus and we might see the beginning of a movement.

For the first time ever, Berlin now has a meaningful lineup of steakhouse burgers worth seeking out: patties of at least 150 grams, cooked juicy, often medium-rare, and built around the idea that great beef should still be the star of the burger.

And honestly, that shift has made us excited about burgers again. Because as much as we enjoy a smash burger, there are only so many Martin’s potato buns and thin patties you can eat before craving something with a little more substance.

So without further ado: here are the best steakhouse burgers in Berlin. 🍔🥩

• prenzlauerBerg
• Steakhouse
• Burger

The Bird is THE original gangster of Berlin’s burger scene, dating back to the early 2000s when it was among the few places in the city serving burgers made with genuinely high-quality beef. Known for its hefty steakhouse-style patties well above the 250-gram mark, the restaurant helped define the American-style burger joint vibe long before the current wave of specialty spots arrived. For years, one persistent quirk was the use of an English muffin-style bun, a curious match for such massive patties. Recently, however, the kitchen introduced its own potato bun, a change that noticeably improves the balance of the burger. Beyond burgers, it remains a reliable address for steaks and classic buffalo wings.

PRICE: 17 EUR + 1 EUR for Brioche Bun (incl. fries)

• schoeneberg
• Burger
• Bistro
• Diner
• Gastrobar
• Cocktail Bar

Since opening Goldies Bar at the KaDeWe, the Goldies team has been experimenting with a thicker, steakhouse-style burger alongside their better-known smash burger offering. Early versions already hinted at the direction, but the latest iteration, conceived as a homage to the legendary Red Hook Tavern burger in New York, feels the most fully realized. At its center sits a massive 250-gram patty of 60-day dry-aged Angus beef, griddled and shallow-fried in beef tallow for a deeply browned crust. It’s served in a brioche bun baked at KaDeWe bakery, topped with three slices of American cheese and a single slice of sweet Spanish onion. Pickles come on the side, while ketchup and mustard sit on the table, keeping the experience deliberately purist and unapologetically meat-centric.

PRICE: 36 EUR with fries

Check out their website to make a reservation for the limited Dry Aged Burger!

• prenzlauerBerg
• Casual Fine Dining

Frieda is widely regarded as one of Berlin’s most talked-about casual fine dining restaurants, but since early 2026 the kitchen has quietly added a steakhouse burger that reflects the same obsessive attention to detail as the rest of the menu. Built around a 200-gram thick patty of dry-aged Holstein beef sourced from a renowned butcher, nearly every element is made in-house: two slices of Kellerbier cheese, three kinds of onions (raw, crispy fried, and onion aioli) along with black trumpet mushroom ketchup and house pickles. It’s all tucked into a house-baked sesame bun, creating a burger that reads less like a side project and more like an exercise in craftsmanship. Paired with the insane fries cooked in beef tallow, this is sleeper on the Berlin burger landscape.

PRICE: 18 EUR (without freis)

One of the best places in Berlin for Steaks - and don't leave without trying the soft serve or the Steakhouse Burger

• neukoelln
• Deli
• Café

When Mogg resurfaced at Neukölln’s Kalle Halle food court after they closed their Mitte location, most attention went straight back to its signature pastrami sandwiches. But tucked onto the back of owner Paul Mogg’s menu is a different kind of indulgence: the Truffle Steakhouse Burger. Built around a 180-gram luxury beef patty partially made with Japanese Wagyu, it comes in a brioche bun layered with truffle mayo, American cheese, crispy fried onions, and wine-simmered caramelized onions. Compared to the deli’s famed sandwiches, the burger remains something of a sleeper order - an unexpectedly decadent menu item that deserves a lot more attention.

PRICE: 12,50 EUR (without fries)

Come for weekend breakfast and don't miss the excellent Bloody Mary

• wilmersdorf
• Indian Street Food

Not many people know that Gully Burger at The Hoxton, best known for its Indian-spiced fried chicken sandwiches, secretly hides a very different kind of burger on the menu. The Sikh kebab–inspired tavern lamb burger draws on North Indian grilling traditions, translating those flavors into a steakhouse-style format built around a 200-gram beef patty. It’s topped with green pepper relish, American cheese, and Madras aioli and it’s served in a sesame-studded brioche bun that leans generously into the tavern-burger spirit. Compared to the restaurant’s better-known chicken sandwiches, it remains something of an insider order that brings a distinctly different and welcome spice profile to Berlin’s steakhouse burger landscape.

PRICE: 16 EUR

Book a room at the Hoxton for the chance to order Gully Burger room service

• prenzlauerBerg +1
• Burger

Grindhouse entered the Steakhouse Burger game in 2021 with their off-menu US Prime Burger, a double-patty build using 240 grams of beef that firmly pushes it into steak burger territory. The real standout here, though, is the Steak au Poivre burger, available only on Fridays and Saturdays in the Prenzlauer Berg restaurant: A double stack of two 120-gram US Prime patties, topped with Gruyère Cheese, raw onions and mustard, and served in a house-baked sourdough potato bun. What sets it apart is the French pepper gravy underneath, turning the whole thing into something close to a burger-meets-French-dip hybrid, with each bite made for dunking. It is the menu’s most excessive expression of the steakhouse burger format.

PRICE: 19.90EUR with fries

Check out the weekend Brasserie Nights where they offer the "Burger au Poivre"

• mitte
• Bistro

Manhattan meets Berlin at this chic Mitte restaurant inside the Fotografiska Museum on Oranienstraße, housed in the former Tacheles complex. With a dining room, a polished bar, and a rooftop terrace, the space moves between upscale New York brasserie and contemporary Berlin hangout, drawing a crowd that blends suit jackets with sharp streetwear. The menu leans into polished classics, but one of Veronika’s best-kept secrets sits upstairs at the bar: a steakhouse-style burger that quietly rivals many of the city’s dedicated burger spots. This burger features a dry-aged beef patty topped with Beaujolais onions, all tucked into one of the fluffiest and most memorable burger buns in the city.

PRICE: 22 EUR with fries

After grabbing an excellent burger and cocktail at the bar, see if they have any room at their rooftop bar for an unforgettable experience.

From April 15 to 19, chef Szilárd Tóth and his team will bring their take on modern Hungarian cuisine to Kreuzberg, while the Horváth team heads to Budapest for a parallel exchange.

The collaboration is built around a shared philosophy: a strong focus on regional ingredients and a stripped-back approach that prioritizes flavor over luxury products.

Salt’s offer in Berlin:

Tasting menu – 185 EUR
Wine pairing – 130 EUR
Non-Alcoholic Pairing – 90 EUR

For Berlin diners, it’s a rare chance to experience SALT without leaving the city, albeit for a very limited time. Book your table here.

The Best Italian Restaurants in Berlin

Naming the best Italian restaurants in Berlin is a monumental task, borderline impossible if you ask us. The German capital is home to at least a thousand Italian restaurants, which makes Italian the most common type of restaurant in Berlin after Döner kebap.

The reasons are historical: Italian cuisine was the first major migrant cuisine to shape Germany in the 20th century. When “Gastarbeiter” arrived in the 1950s and 60s to help rebuild post-war Germany, many came from Italy. Quite a few eventually opened restaurants, and at the same time, Germans began traveling to Italy for holidays and returned with a taste for pasta, pizza, and dinners full of antipasti, pasta, vino and grappa that stretched late into the evening.

The neighborhood Italian (the Nachbarschafts-Italiener) soon became a cultural institution. For many Germans, going out for Italian food was the first real “restaurant experience”: a small moment of indulgence, a bottle of wine, a plate of pasta that felt just exotic enough to be exciting.

That legacy still shapes Berlin today. On a Friday night, the hardest table to book in the city is often an Italian one. Whether it’s a humble neighborhood trattoria or a more polished dining room, chances are it will be full. Running an Italian restaurant in Berlin is, statistically speaking, one of the safest bets in hospitality.

Here’s the problem: Popularity doesn’t always equal excellence. Because Italian restaurants have been so reliably busy for decades, truly outstanding ones have historically been rarer than you might expect. Fortunately, but with better access to Italian produce, a new generation of chefs, and diners who have become far more discerning, the city has begun to see a wave of restaurants pushing Italian cooking to a much higher level.

One thing to note: this list does not include pizzerias. Berlin has seen a massive pizza boom over the last five years, which we’ve covered separately in our guide to the best pizza in the city.

Instead, this list focuses on the places where you go when you want to sit down, order a proper meal, and experience Italian cooking at its best, from soulful trattoria classics to more refined regional cuisine.

Just one piece of advice: book ahead. These tables tend to fill up fast. And buon appetito while exploring Berlin’s top Italian restaurants.

• charlottenburg
• Italian
• Casual Fine Dining
• Pasta

Enoteca Il Calice easily ranks among Berlin’s most established high-end Italian restaurants and has long been a fixture for the city’s Feinschmecker crowd. The family-run dining room is operated by Antonio Bragato together with his son Louis, with Antonio himself a well-known figure in Berlin’s wine scene, overseeing a meticulously curated cellar while also producing his own wines in Italy. Since late 2025 the kitchen has been led by Danny Benedettini, who has gently nudged the menu in a more contemporary direction. As a result, guests can move between classic Italian signatures, such as tagliolini in a rich butter and cheese sauce topped with shaved truffles, and Benedettini’s more modern compositions, reflecting a kitchen that balances tradition with a subtle sense of evolution.

Get a bottles of the Bragato wine and keep in mind that they a la carte lunch

• charlottenburg
• Italian

Just off Savignyplatz in Charlottenburg, Osteria Centrale stands tall as one of Berlin’s long-established high-end Italian restaurants, known for its Tuscan-leaning kitchen and the well-connected crowd it attracts. Politicians, celebrities, and chefs (including Tim Raue, who counts it among his favorite spots) are frequent guests, giving the restaurant its high-profile atmosphere. Owner Roberto De Santis oversees a cellar focused on classic and often expensive Italian bottles, making it a destination for traditional vintages as much as for food. In the kitchen, the approach remains firmly rooted in classic Tuscan cooking, with high-quality ingredients and a menu where the simpler antipasti and pasta dishes often define the experience.

The Pasta Vongole is one of the best you can get in Berlin

• charlottenburg
• Italian

MINE is a charming, modern Italian restaurant tucked away in Charlottenburg, run by son of Aram Mnatsaknov. Here, traditional Italian recipes are elevated with unique and surprising touches as well prime ingredients, creating dishes that are both comforting and innovative. But it's not just the food that draws diners in - the atmosphere at MINE is cozy and intimate, with warm lighting and charming decor. And of course, the wine selection is not to be missed, featuring a fantastic selection of great bottles from the old world, both classic and more low-intervention.

Get the burrata filled tortellini with truffles, the pasta Vongole and the braised lamb; also check out their superb wine list!

• mitte
• Italian

Nestled on Auguststraße, Bardele is the new Italian hotspot blending tradition with a touch of sophistication. Led by Chef Tyler Hanse and front-of-house expert Giorgia Susbenso, Bardele offers a straightforward yet elevated menu featuring high-end cold cuts, various antipasti, house-made pasta, and hearty secondis. Highlights include the silky fresh ricotta with lemon and pistachios, anchovy toast with briny perfection, and their show-stopping pasta dishes like pumpkin-filled tortelloni with savory ragout.

The chef choice menu offers a great opportunity to try out the menu - but don't miss out on the incredible pasta!

• friedrichshain
• Italian
• Levantine

Located right on the canal near the East Side Gallery, the summers here will be absolutely epic. The concept is modern Italian with a Lebanese/Levantine touch, this means you start the meal with some excellent hummus and then make your way to an impossibly thin and crisp pizza, the point being not to get full and have enough room for the highlights, the pasta dishes and the mains. All the ingredients are of the best quality, service is impeccable and the atmosphere is really nice, more like a restaurant you would expect in London instead of Berlin. Their wine game is also very strong and includes some very interesting and rare bottles. If you haven't guessed by now, the catch is that it is pretty expensive for a “casual” place. So have a look at their online menu before you go.

The ultimate menu hack: Order the butter pasta with fresh caviar!

• schoeneberg
• Italian

Indulge in the art of pasta at Lagalante, a culinary destination in Berlin that showcases a remarkable selection of exquisite Italian dishes. Immerse yourself in the refined ambiance as you savor expertly cooked pastas, paired with an array of delectable sauces and toppings. From rich and comforting classics to innovative and adventurous creations, Lagalante offers a pasta experience that delights both traditionalists and culinary enthusiasts alike. With its dedication to quality ingredients and culinary craftsmanship, Lagalante ensures an unforgettable dining experience where everyone can truly savor the essence of Italian cuisine.

Great place for Italian cooking with a twist!

• kreuzberg
• Italian

A Wranglekiez staple, this Holy Devil slings beautiful Italian staples, rain or shine. Of particular note are their dedication to consistently perfectly cooked seafood and on point pasta dishes.

The Stracciatella and the Bolognese are community favorites.

• mitte
• Gastrobar
• Winebar
• Italian

Pinci, located at the corner of Auguststraße and Große Hamburger Straße, brings the relaxed spirit of a Milanese daytime bar to the heart of Mitte. This stylish, minimalist spot buzzes from morning to night, offering high-quality Italian classics without any frills. The menu changes daily and features simple, honest dishes like silky coppa with hazelnuts, fresh focaccia sandwiches, rotating pasta specials, and vibrant salads-always made with great ingredients and care. Coffee, cocktails, and a well-curated wine list round out the experience, making Pinci a favorite for both quick lunches and laid-back aperitivo sessions. The atmosphere is lively and welcoming, perfect for anyone looking to sip, snack, and soak up a true dolce vita vibe in Berlin.

Drop by in the evening for a Garibaldi or Bellini and pair it with the daily pasta special or a slice of focaccia-simple, satisfying, and pure Italian comfort.

• kreuzberg +1
• Italian
• Pasta

Mani in Pasta is an Italian restaurant with two locations in Berlin, one in Reichenberger Straße and another in Markthalle 9 in Kreuzberg as well. Their menu features a wide selection of homemade pasta dishes and other classic Italian dishes, such as antipasti, bruschetta, and tiramisu. The restaurant uses high-quality ingredients and offers vegetarian and vegan options. In addition to their dine-in service, they also provide take-away and catering services. With a cozy and inviting atmosphere, Mani in Pasta is a great place to enjoy a delicious Italian meal.

Whenever there's a seafood pasta in the daily specials, order it!

• mitte
• Italian
• Pasta

Muret la Barba is an excellent Italian restaurant located in the heart of Berlin Mitte. Its modern and sleek, but also not with wine bottles crawling up the walls and people everywhere. Together this creates a warm and welcoming atmosphere that complements the oh so delicious food. They have one of Berlin's best selection of classic, Italian wines and very knowledgeable staff. This place is a must if pasta is your thing. Don't miss out on the daily specials, and get their early or call ahead of time, this place is no secret and it's always packed.

Make sure to get the daily pasta specials and if you can't finish your bottle of wine, you can take it home with you.

• kreuzberg
• Italian

Breda is the new canal-side opening from the Italian German crew behind Pinci, located on Paul-Lincke-Ufer in Kreuzberg. The striking, orange-drenched trattoria with polished metal counters, art deco-inspired tables, and terraces at the canal's edge is a go-to spot for the Berlin cool crowd. Conceived as a more refined counterpart to the sister restaurant Pinci in Mitte, Breda focuses on a concise menu of Italian plates to share, moving from veal-heavy beef tartare with bottarga to sea bass crudo with rhubarb and tuna belly in sauce au poivre. It's a remarkably polished restaurant, driven by an utterly professional team recruited from across the Berlin restaurant scene. Breda channels the familiar Pinci energy into a more elevated format, pairing high-volume buzz with sharp, confident cooking.

Drop in for drink on the terrace and reserve in advance for a proper dinner

After the traditional corner spot shut down in December 2025 following only a short-lived run by Kaffeehaus Einstein the space is now set for a new chapter. According to reports, Berlin entrepreneur Yoram Roth is taking over the location.

Roth, known for projects like Clärchens Ballhaus and Fotografiska Berlin, had already hinted at a new development in Charlottenburg via Instagram, posting teasers suggesting “something really good” is coming to the area.

Details about the exact concept remain under wraps, but the takeover signals a fresh attempt to revive one of West Berlin’s most iconic restaurant corners.

For now, it’s clear: Mommseneck isn’t done yet.

The Omakase That Grew Up

There are restaurants you admire, restaurants you frequent, and restaurants that quietly attach themselves to your personal history. Shiori belongs firmly in the latter category for me. Exactly nine years ago I wrote my first review on Shiori, just a year after the restaurant first opened its doors. During this decade, countless restaurants have stagnated, become obsolete or simply closed their doors forever. Shiori has done precisely the opposite; it has evolved with such quiet conviction that, when we recently set out to name the best Japanese restaurants in Berlin, it was easy to call it the most profound and singular of them all.

Chef Shiori Arai and his Korean wife Flora opened Shiori in 2016, and from the very start it was clear that this was never going to be just any Japanese restaurant. This was a counter seat omakase, chef’s choice, which is Japanese for “stop fiddling with the menu and just trust the chef" and is the preferred way of serving food by the very top echelon of chefs in Japan.

And yet, while visiting Shiori during the early years, I couldn't help but to leave woith the nagging sense that Arai was driving his Ferrari in second gear. Like many Japanese chefs in Berlin, he seemed spooked by the Teutonic terror of pricing and value for money. So the menu hovered at €70, which even by the measure of those years was absurdly reasonable for a 10+ course tasting menu, and with that came a ceiling. You can’t source the sea’s aristocracy on a budget and you can’t build a brigade when it’s just you and your spouse working until midnight.

Then came Covid, that great gastronomic cull, and something rather special happened. While others were flogging sourdough and slinging DIY taco kits, Shiori & Flora chose to produce chirashi sushi boxes that could have been exhibited at an art exhibition. Wooden crates of jewelled and delicate seafood on perfectly seasoned rice, wrapped in cloths hand-dyed by Flora herself. You didn’t just eat these stunning Chirashi kits; you unwrapped them like smuggled contraband. Opening one felt illicit, ceremonial, hopeful and they remains to this day one of the most profound food memories of Berlin’s lockdown years. They were also further proof that beneath the restraint lay a chef aching to show us everything.

And now, half a decade later, he is doing exactly that.

The post pandemic Shiori is not an evolution, it’s a liberation. A renovated space, more seats, a team in place, and a clear devotion to Kaiseki, the haute liturgy of Japanese dining, where hyper seasonality and produce worship are taken to the ultimate level. And also something Chef Arai is more than familiar with, as his father once operated a Kaiseki restaurant in Fukui, Japan.

The omakase menu at Shiro is now €150 and, more than ever, worth every cent.

Fourteen courses unfold with the quiet confidence of a theatrical performance. A monkfish liver tofu arrives like savoury custard from another dimension, silken and faintly indecent. A seasonal soup that tastes of forests and tide. Then a futomaki roll layered with a small mountain of bluefin tuna belly so lush it dissolves mid chew.

Charcoal grilled king salmon with onion and cabbage proves that restraint can be as thrilling as excess. The sashimi selection, hamachi, tuna, salmon, abalone, shows what happens when Arai is given the means to source properly. A single serving of sukiyaki follows, paper thin slices wagyu kissed by open flame, dipped into egg yolk, pricked with sansho pepper.

I can recommend many fine Japanese restaurants in this city, the Berlin scene has grown up and is today pretty much on par with Düsseldorf, who used to be the ruling destination for top Japanese food in germany. But if you press me, if you demand the single address that delivers the most complete, emotionally resonant, technically ambitious Japanese dining experience in town, there is no hesitation.

It’s Shiori.

And if the pricing proves to be prohibitive for you, check out their Sunday brunch offering where 70EUR will get you breakfast experience close to something you can experience at a high end hotel in Japan.

File Asto Opens Second Spot in Kreuzberg

After making waves in Prenzlauer Berg, File Asto has expanded with a second restaurant and this time in Kreuzberg.

The new taverna on Reichenberger Straße focuses on Greek-style grilled meats and fish, alongside a lineup of classic mezze like taramasalata and fava. Early visits suggest a more casual, high-energy setup, with an emphasis on open-fire cooking and shareable plates.

Opening hours currently run from Thursday to Friday from 17:00, and Saturday to Sunday from 14:00, with both walk-ins and reservations accepted.

Dotori to Close Its Current Location This July

Berlin’s Dotori has announced it will close its current location following a recent decision by local authorities that imposes seating limitations, making it no longer viable to operate sustainably.

In a statement shared via Instagram, the team reflected on the past years as a formative and collaborative journey, thanking guests, staff and partners who helped shape the restaurant and its community.

The final day of service is set for July 18, followed by a closing party on July 19.

Looking ahead, the team is already exploring new opportunities (potentially elsewhere in Europe) while not ruling out a return to Berlin. Plans include pop-ups, collaborations and new formats. At the same time, they are seeking partners or interested parties for the current space, which may be better suited for catering, private events or delivery concepts due to its seating limitations.

More updates on what comes next are expected soon.

Berlin’s Best-Kept Izakaya Secret

The term “hidden gem” is not one I use lightly, but when trying to describe Machiko, it feels entirely appropriate. This highly unassuming restaurant on Kollwitzstraße, a stretch of Prenzlauer Berg more commonly associated with posh market stalls and rosé-sipping locals in polo shirts than with best-in-class Japanese izakayas, is truly one of the most underrated places I’ve come across in years.

For the research phase of the best Japanese restaurants in Berlin, a Japanese friend pointed me towards Machiko and since then, I've become a regular at this gem of a restaurant, without telling anyone about it. Due to her humble, Japanese nature, owner Machiko initially asked me not to share the story about her little enclave, fearing what potential fame might do to the place. But after a year of long discussions during dinner snd earning her trust, we both agreed that now is the time to stop gatekeeping.

Machiko Akazawa, originally from Hiroshima, runs her restaurant with calm authority. There is no theatricality to her hospitality, she moves through the space with the ease of someone who has fed people professionally for years and understands that a good experience is about attention rather than performance. The atmosphere feels lived-in and genuine, and from the moment you walk through the doors, you’re immersed in an unmistakable Tokyo neighbourhood izakaya vibe.

First and foremost, Machiko is about drinking and socializing. Regardless of what your poison is, what you will be served at Machiko will be extra special. The food follows suit with its direct, unpretentious and deeply satisfying nature. The octopus and potato salad is the best example: Machiko's signature dish has a marvellously creamy texture, generously seasoned and laced with garlic, which perfectly balances the tender pieces of octopus. It sounds simple, but it's the kind of dish that delivers the kind of magic that makes you re-order it again without hesitation.

Machiko's marinated squid, glossy and savoury, is a classic, Japanese drinking snack that might seem daunting a first, but which makes perfect sense once you have a glass in your hand. A tin of high quality sardines, gently warmed and served with tomato sauce, captures the kitchen’s philosophy in one plate. There is no attempt to disguise the simplicity. Instead, the focus is on quality and seasoning. Machiko also ages and dries fish in house, serving it grilled or as sashimi with a depth of flavour that belies the understated setting. Even dishes that appear improvised, such a karaage fried chicken folded into a bright kimchi salad or lamb chops coated in curry sauce, reveal a precise and utterly confident palate.

Drinks are not an afterthought but a defining feature of Machiko, it’s a proper Izakaya after all. The selection of artisanal sake, shochu and serious wine bottles is unusually broad for Berlin, curated with obvious care and knowledge. Highlights include a Shochu tomato highball that’s funky, savoury and refreshing all at once, something like a Japanese reinterpretation of a Bloody Mary, stripped of excess and sharpened for serious drinking.

Machiko works best when approached in stages. Order a few plates, choose a sake or highball, let the conversation stretch. Then repeat. The rhythm of the meal, the interplay between small dishes and thoughtful drinks, is what gives the place its pulse. In a dining scene that often gravitates toward spectacle, Machiko offers substance. It is one of the most quietly compelling addresses in Berlin’s Japanese scene, not because it tries to impress, but because it does not need to. From this day the status of Machiko as a hidden gem might be over, but that's the thing about hidden gems: No one deserves to be discovered more.

The Best Japanese Restaurants in Berlin

Looking for the best Japanese restaurants in Berlin? You’ve come to the right place! We've tested over 40 Japanese restaurants and can testify that both in terms of diversity and quality, Berlin's Japanese food scene has over the last years rapidly evolved and can today hold itself against most European cities.

In this guide, you will find the full range of Japanese cuisine in Berlin - from casual and humble izakayas to top sushi spots and high-end dining experiences rooted in kaiseki and omakase traditions. We'll also tell you the best ramen joints, yakitori specialists, and even a few fusion restaurants that pay enough respect to Japanese flavors and technique to be counted as one of the best Japanese restaurants in Berlin

Putting this list together wasn’t easy. Berlin’s Japanese dining scene has grown significantly in recent years, both in quality and variety, and we found no other guide that provides a full picture of the offering. That's why we did it ourselves. Drawing the line between what made the cut and what didn’t meant a lot of serious eating, researching, and arguing. But what we’ve ended up with is arguably the most thorough list of the top Japanese restaurants in Berlin, covering every style, price point, and neighborhood.

What ties these places together is a deep respect for Japanese craftsmanship, from knife skills and dashi-making to sourcing impeccable ingredients and nailing the small details. These are restaurants run by people who truly care about Japanese restaurant culture, and it shows. The two places that really stood out in the quest where the Izakaya Machiko in Prenzlauer Berg and the fine dinning, Kaiseki Omakase restaurant Shiori in Mittte - two projects that truly bring a piece of Japan to the capital.

So whether you’re on the hunt for the freshest sushi in Berlin, the best ramen bowls, or a refined Japanese dinner worth dressing up for, this guide will take you there.

Guten Hunger and Itadakimasu いただきます!

• mitte
• Japanese

Japan Plaza is a Japanese supermarket located beneath the S-Bahn tracks between Hackescher Markt and Alexanderplatz, with a small adjacent lunch canteen. Operated by a Japanese importer that previously supplied restaurants, its selection reflects a supply chain typically reserved for professional kitchens. The standout is the in-store sashimi counter, offering restaurant-grade fish and seafood rarely found in retail settings. While there are ready-to-eat options like onigiri and sandwiches, the focus here is clearly on the sashimi, which defines the shop’s appeal as a source for high-end seafood and cooking ingredients.

Get some raw seafood, some Koshikaru rice, some nori and throw your own high end hand roll sushi party at home

• mitte
• Japanese

OKA Onigiri is a fast-casual onigiri concept founded by Kaoru Iriyama, which opened in 2025 in Mitte on Oranienburger Strasse. The format centers on onigiri made fresh to order, with a broad selection of around 20 savory and sweet varieties. Fillings range from tuna mayo and salmon to ume, mustard greens, sukiyaki beef, shrimp, and wasabi. Designed for quick visits, the space offers counter seating and small tables, with most orders suited for takeaway.

Our favorite is the tuna mayo and ume Onigiri

• prenzlauerBerg
• Japanese
• Sushi
• Izakaya

Sasaya is smack in the middle of a trendy, residential neighborhood of Prenzlauer Berg filled with great restaurants. Serving up some lovely Japanese food, they have been a local favorite for decades. The menu features a variety of dishes such as sushi, tempura and rice bowls, expertely and delicately presented. The atmosphere is great with low Japanese tables, busy but quiet, a prime spot for a date night. The pro move here is to order from the daily specials menu for ultimate freshness and creativity. The lines are long and rarely pick up the phone for reservations, but persevere. It's worth it.

One of the best places in Berlin for Monday lunch - you need to be there at 12:00 the latest or be one of the lucky few who gets them on the phone.

• mitte
• Japanese
• Izakaya

Looking for proper, Japanese Izakaya vibes in Berlin? Then head to Niko Izakaya in Wedding where you get to sit around the counter watching your bites get prepared by very capable hands while sipping on some delicious drinks (the drinks menu is quite extensive). Niko is fun, simple and honest and while we wish that the food delivered on a slightly higher level, just the vibe of the restaurant alone makes this one of the best Japanese restaurants in Berlin. The menu varies a lot, but the small sharing plates can include bar food like Japanese Croquettes, Grilled Mackerel, Pork Belly and simmered fish dishes.

Come for a night of serious, Japanese drinking and dive deep into the highballs and Japanese whiskys

• prenzlauerBerg
• Japanese
• Izakaya

Run by Hiroshima-born Machiko Akazawa, this modest izakaya draws a notable share of Japanese regulars who come to drink, snack and linger. The cooking is direct and deeply rooted in drinking culture: octopus and potato salad, marinated squid, warmed sardines in tomato sauce, and in-house aged fish served grilled or as sashimi. Come alone or with your best friends, dive deep into the incredible sake and shochu selection and let the Japanese rhythm of this place carry you away. Because Machiko is not only by all means the best Izakaya in Berlin, it's one of the most underrated restaurants of the city.

The must-eats include the Octopus Potato Salad, the marinated squid - and a Tomato Shoshu Highball to wash it down!

• mitte
• Japanese
• Sushi

SAN in Berlin-Mitte operates slightly under the radar despite being one of the city’s most consistently Japanese-leaning sushi restaurants. The focus is on a broad yet precise menu spanning sushi, sashimi, and small starters, with an emphasis on fresh seafood and clean execution. A minimalist interior and open kitchen keep attention on the craft, while the structure of the menu allows for both quick visits and more extended meals. Centrally located yet low-key in presence, SAN stands out for delivering one of the more traditional and well-rounded sushi experiences in Berlin. Fun fact: The Karaage Chicken here is so good that it earned the restaurant a spot on the list of the best fried chicken in Berlin.

Go for the Chef's Omakase selection and definitely order a portion of the oustanding Karaage Chicken

• mitte
• Japanese
• Sushi
• Omakase

Tucked inside a Denn’s Supermarket near Nordbahnhof, Otsuka is a compact sushi counter run by Japanese chef Daisuke Watanabe focusing on a simplistic, omakase-style experience. The menu moves through sashimi, nigiri, and occasional maki, alongside tamago and a simple dessert. Fish selection leans on high-quality European catches such as Spanish tuna, Atlantic turbot, sea bream, and mackerel. The rice is carefully prepared and precisely seasoned, forming the backbone of each piece. With only a handful of seats, the setting remains intimate and centered on the chef’s craft.

No alcohol is served and you can't bring your own bottles, so enjoy your tea. Seats can be reserved via Instagram.

• mitte +1
• Japanese
• Izakaya
• Sushi

Check out some of Berlin's best "every day" sushi and rice bowls at Ishin - an exceptional Japanese restaurant chain available at several locations in Mitte and West Berlin. Punching way above their price level, prepare to be captivated by this machine of a restaurant. They are one of the few restaurants in Berlin with enough volume to procure whole tunas, which means the likelihood of you scoring unusual cuts is pretty high. Ishin is a very busy lunch destination and the shops on Mittelstrasse and Bundesallee are the biggest ones with the best offering. Ordering well is essential and the pro move is to avoid the menus and to order small a la carte items instead.

Come for early or late lunch to avoid lines and order the Tuna Toro Sashimi, the Salmon Ikura Rice Bowl, the Uni Maki plus all your favourite nigiris

• neukoelln
• Japanese
• Sushi

Kōki Handroll Bar is a contemporary sushi counter tucked inside Kalle Halle on Karl-Marx-Straße in Neukölln. Opened at the end of 2024, it marks the solo debut of head chef Ruslan Kim, formerly of the Japanese fusion restaurant November in Prenzlauer Berg. The focus is on handrolls, sushi, and sashimi shaped by Kim’s signature style: precise, high-end foundations paired with modern accents and flavors. Recurring elements include truffle mayonnaise, and ponzu, which add a distinct, contemporary layer to otherwise classic compositions.

Chef Ruslan will prepare classical sushi according to your specific wishes - just tell him what you want!

• prenzlauerBerg
• Ramen
• Japanese

Following the reopening of Markthalle Pfefferberg, Kuma Ramen has returned in a prominent front-facing spot, led by German Vietnamese ramen aficionado Tran Nam Nguyen. The focus remains on bold, flavor-driven bowls, including his signature triple garlic tonkotsu, alongside rotating specials that occasionally feature oversized pork rib toppings. Beyond ramen, the menu extends into hybrid territory with his signature tonkotsu French dip bánh mì, combining the structure of the Vietnamese sandwich with a ramen broth for dipping. The result is a compact, highly personal take on ramen that blends intensity with playful crossovers.

Get the ribs. Wear the glove. Don't look up till you're done. And try the Bánh mì!

• mitte
• Ramen

This pop-up slash pick-up slash coolest-ramen-kids-on-the-block outfit, run by German ramen aficionado Christopher Selig, is offering some of the most exciting ramen flavors in Berlin and potentially all of Germany. Bucking the trend of going for a physical space, Chris periodically produces Ramen Kits for at-home consumption as well as holds collaboration series with notable, Japanese chefs. Check his social media for upcoming dates and look for the opening of his first restaurant in 2026.

Get on his newsletter for early-access to the Ramen Kits and event tickets

• friedrichshain
• Ramen
• Japanese

Ramen Bones 3 in Berlin-Friedrichshain focuses on Jiro-Kei style ramen, a rarely seen format in the city, rooted in the cult Tokyo shop Ramen Jiro. The style is defined by its weight and scale: thick, chewy noodles in a rich, soy-based pork broth, topped with hefty slices of chashu and towering piles of garlic, bean sprouts, and cabbage. At Ramen Bones, the whole thing is topped by an audacious slice of American Cheese that melts into your soup, showcasing the maximalist approach to ramen with little compromise. The result is a dense, highly specific bowl that stands apart from lighter ramen styles more commonly found across Berlin.

Unless you are a crazy eater, the normal portion will suffice for you

• schoeneberg
• Japanese

Tori Katsu is a long-standing Japanese-stykle katsu restaurant with roots dating back to 1968, often cited to be the first in Germany to serve the breaded, fried schnitzel-style cutlets. A fixture in the Schöneberg district, it functions as a busy lunch spot with a steady local following. The menu centers on thick-cut chicken katsu, typically served with rice, coleslaw, and a sauce of your choice. Decades on, the format remains unchanged, anchoring the restaurant’s reputation as a durable, no-frills destination for this specific style of Japanese comfort food.

Always order the "Bratensoße" gravy with your katsu

• treptow
• Japanese

Kumami is a destination restaurant in Berlin-Köpenick, run by a Japanese couple and set within a hybrid space that also houses the wife’s clothing label. Guests dine at a small counter, where the chef presents a seasonal, chef’s choice menu built around local ingredients and with a great sake selection to go with it. The approach reflects a personal, almost self-sufficient style, highlights include a trout he has caught himself and prepared using the Japanese ike jime method, with the canoe displayed at the entrance as a quiet nod to the process.

Make sure to order the optional extra dish on the menu

• steglitz
• Japanese

Udagawa in Berlin-Steglitz is one of the city’s longest-running Japanese restaurants, operating in its current location since 1987, before the fall of the Berlin Wall. The menu spans a notably wide range of Japanese cuisine, from small tsumami-style snacks to sushi, sashimi, tempura, donburi, and hot pot dishes like sukiyaki. Probably the only place you can taste such a variety of Japanese food in Berlin. The space retains a distinct late-20th-century character, with wood-heavy interiors that echo its origins and the general vibe of a 90s time capsule. A true legend of the German Japanese scene!

Order the sashimi, unagi and tempura dishes and stay away from the Sukiyaki

• mitte
• Japanese

Ichi is a discreet Japanese restaurant tucked just off Torstraße in Berlin-Mitte, hidden in a cellar space that reveals itself only after a bit of searching. Guests remove their shoes before descending into a low-lit room centered around a large, sunken wooden table and the vibe of this restaurant is truly unique and very Japanese. The kitchen is led by chef Shunichi Nagamine, originally from Miyazaki in southern Japan. He serves a set omakase menu that reflects his background, including regional specialties such as Chicken Nanban, the fried chicken dish closely associated with his hometown.

Make sure to order the Chicken Nanban in case it's not on the menu

• mitte
• Japanese

Shiori is a counter-style Japanese restaurant dedicated to the principles of kaiseki. Guests are seated close to the action, where Chef Shiori prepares seasonal menus with a focus on precision, balance and restraint. The cooking follows the rhythm of the seasons, presenting meticulously composed courses that reflect classical Japanese techniques and aesthetics. The intimate setting places craftsmanship at the centre of the experience, with each dish assembled in front of diners. Shiori positions itself within Berlin’s Japanese scene as a restaurant committed to formal structure, seasonality and the traditions of fine Japanese dining.

Go for the weekly brunch on Sundays where you for 70EUR get a Kaiseki style breakfast that will transport you right to a Japanese countryside hotel

• charlottenburg
• Casual Fine Dining
• Japanese
• Sushi

The Catch is a Japanese-inspired, sushi-focused restaurant in the heart of Charlottenburg and the Berlin counterpart to its Riga sibling. Defined by a sleek, contemporary interior, the space frames an atmosphere that leans intimate while remaining distinctly polished, attracting a cool, West-Berlin crowd. The menu channels a modern interpretation of the Izakaya format, moving between small plates and composed dishes with a clear emphasis on seafood. While not strictly a sushi bar, the selection of creative rolls and precisely cut sashimi forms the core of the offering, built around notably fresh fish.

Go for the crab sushi rolls and the Tuna Belly Sashimi

• charlottenburg
• Japanese

Duc Ngo is definitely this city’s MVP in terms of amazing lunch restaurants (a rare find in 2024) and all of us outside of Charlottenburg live with constant envy of whoever has easy access to Madame Ngo and Funky Fish. Kuchi Kant, his old-school sushi concept Kuchi on Kantstrasse got a SERIOUS facelift in Summer 2024, the restaurant has been spruced up from scratch, but most importantly for us, so has the menu. The new menu is massive, conceptualized by Duc’s Japanese superstar chef Masao, and will you instant FOMO as there’s no way to try everything on it (believe me, you will want to). A great dining experience if you ask us.

If your wallet allows, order the Hokkaido Chirashi Bowl, it is the best the city has ever seen.

• kreuzberg
• Japanese
• Yakitori

Located in Kreuzberg, Stoke the big city restaurant that's redefining open-fire dining in Berlin. Led by Jeff Claudio (Yardbird, Burnt Ends) and Jessica Tan (Relæ Group), this yakitori counter delivers an omakase-style journey through expertly grilled skewers and bold flavors. The custom-built wood-fired grill and meticulously sourced ingredients make each bite a revelation. Complemented by a cutting-edge cocktail and wine program, Stoke is a must-visit for adventurous diners seeking an unforgettable culinary experience.

Make sure to order some of the extra skewers from the a la carte menu and do not miss out on some of the best cocktails in Berlin

• prenzlauerBerg
• Casual Fine Dining
• Japanese

November is a higher-end, Japanese-inspired brasserie from the team behind The Catch and Jolie Bistrot. Set in a striking, design-forward space, it stands out as one of the more visually polished dining rooms in Berlin. The menu draws on Japanese flavors while weaving in elements of contemporary European fine dining, with a strong emphasis on seafood. Positioned as an evening destination, it combines a full restaurant experience with a cocktail-driven atmosphere, catering to diners seeking a more elevated, occasion-style setting in the city. November has truly succeeded in establishing itself in the casual fine dining space and remains one of the most talked about restaurants in its space.

Come in the summer and have a seat at one of the outside tables on the beautiful sidewalk

• charlottenburg
• Fine Dining
• Japanese
• Sushi

If you're in Berlin and looking for a high-end Japanese sushi restaurant, look no further than 893 Ryotei. This restaurant offers an upscale dining experience, with a twist: the exterior is covered in graffiti. A brainchild of renowned restaurateur Duc Ngo, 893 Ryotei is a must-visit for those who appreciate the finer things in life. While the prices are on the high side, the quality of the food and the atmosphere make it well worth it. Especially ths sushi offering belongs to the finest in all off Germany. Whether you're a sushi aficionado or simply looking for a memorable meal, 893 Ryotei is an excellent choice.

Reserve your table well in advance and ask for a seat at the bar. Order from the sushi and raw seafood menu, skip the Nikkei menu items and also get the steak.

• wilmersdorf
• Casual Fine Dining
• Ramen

Le Duc Salon is the private dining project of Berlin restaurateur The Duc Ngo, known for a portfolio that includes 893 Ryōtei, Madame Ngo, Funky Fish, Kuchi and many more. Located in a refurbished Altbau apartment above Madame Ngo, the space has been reworked into a high-design setting centered around a chromed open kitchen and an intimate dining room. Conceived as a flexible pop-up platform, it hosts a rotating series of formats tied to Ngo’s fine dining ambitions, most notably a Japanese-influenced tasting concept under the Le Duc Salon name. In parallel, the monthly Le Duc Ramen Salon focuses on a single, highly detailed ramen interpretation, executed with a lot of love and devotion. One of Berlin's most special dining experiences!

Tickets are extremely limited and you need to follow the Le Duc Instagram account to catch releases

Fundraising & Community Market at Markthalle Neun for Palestine and Sudan

A Taste of Solidarity: Fundraiser & Community Market at Markthalle Neun

On March 22, Markthalle Neun will host A Taste of Solidarity, a one-day fundraiser and community gathering bringing together Berlin’s food scene in support of initiatives in Gaza, Palestine and Sudan.

Organized by the Berlin Gastro Solidarity Network in collaboration with Markthalle Neun, the event runs from 11:00 to 18:00 and transforms the hall into a curated market featuring restaurants, chefs, bakeries, beverage makers and craft producers. Visitors can expect food, drinks and products alongside a full program of panels, talks, film screenings and workshops exploring the intersections of food, labor and global inequality.

A central element of the day is a large-scale bake sale—now in its fifth edition—organized with collectives like Bake Sale for Rojava and Smells Like, offering a wide range of sweet and savory goods from across the community.

Beyond the market, the event aims to create space for discussion and exchange, with speakers addressing the ongoing humanitarian crises and the role hospitality can play in shaping more just systems from ethical sourcing to collective action.

All proceeds will be donated to organizations including Medico International, supporting humanitarian relief and grassroots efforts in Gaza and Sudan.

JAJA to Close Its Neukölln Restaurant by the End of the Year

After many years in Neukölln, JAJA has announced it will close its restaurant by the end of 2026.

In a statement shared via Instagram, the team described the decision as a carefully considered one—not driven by a single factor, but by a sense that it’s the right moment to close this chapter. Since opening, JAJA has built a strong following with its seasonal, produce-driven cooking and natural wine focus, becoming a staple in the neighborhood.

Until the end of the year, the restaurant will continue regular service and invites guests to stop by for a final visit. While the Neukölln location is closing, the team will continue focusing on their countryside project PARG.

More updates on what’s next are expected soon.

How Berlin Food Stories Actually Works

Recently it became clear that something about Berlin Food Stories isn’t as obvious as we thought. During the same week, three restaurant owners reached out, citing that they were “in need of a promotional push” and asking “how much a feature on Berlin Food Stories would cost them”. The messages revealed a profound misunderstanding that has somehow has started to appear more and more often in conversations and social media comments; the assumption that we take money from restaurants, that coverage is arranged, or that placements are somehow part of a deal.

They aren’t.

BFS has always operated very differently from most food media you consume and creators that you follow. But maybe because I’ve been doing this for over 15 years and because I don’t talk about it every day, and because we do publish paid content for brands, people don’t actually have the full picture of how we operate. How could you? The ecosystem around restaurant coverage and content has also changed dramatically over the past decade with rise of the food creator, so it seems like the right moment to explain, clearly and without ambiguity, how Berlin Food Stories actually works.

So here it is, simply.

What is Berlin Food Stories?

Berlin Food Stories is an independent guide to Berlin’s best restaurants. It’s a curated manifesto of the food places in this city that we believe are truly worth seeking out, whether that means a destination fine-dining experience or a tiny street food stall doing something extraordinary. We eat like chefs and live by the principle that an exceptional meal transcends price and setting. Everything you see recommended on BFS exists for one reason only: we loved it enough to report about it.

Who is behind it?

Berlin Food Stories was founded by Per Meurling (that’s me), a Swede who grew up in Germany with a background in cooking and business, and is operated today by myself and a small crew of deeply committed food obsessives. What united us: We are people who plan our days, weeks, and sometimes entire holidays around restaurants and food. People who taste carefully, argue passionately about food, spend their existence around food, who will overcome any obstacle for a great meal and care a great endlessly about the craft behind what ends up on a plate. In other words: professionals with a serious appetite.

How old is BFS?

Berlin Food Stories started in 2012 as a simple WordPress hobby-blog while Per was still working in tech. At the time, Berlin’s food scene was still widely underdeveloped. Per began documenting the restaurants he loved, partly out of enthusiasm, partly out of frustration that the most interesting cooking in the city wasn’t being taken seriously enough and that too much focus was being out on hype. What started as a personal project slowly evolved into the platform BFS is today, but the basic principle has remained exactly the same.

Who is it for?

Berlin Food Stories is first and foremost for people who plan their lives around restaurants and appreciate diversity in food as much as we do. The kind of diners who carefully reflect about ingredients, technique, sourcing, and flavour combinations. The kind of eaters who approach a meal the way a chef might: curious, attentive, and deeply interested in what’s happening on the plate and story behind it. The kind of guest that can look beyond a gritty interior and appreciate a restaurant for its outstanding cooking, but simultaneously can see through a fancy interior restaurant and spot mid and hyped cooking. If food is simply fuel, BFS probably isn’t for you. If hype and looks are more important than substance, than there are other channels to follow. If food is something you travel across a city, country or continent to experience, then you’re exactly who we write for.

What’s the focus?

We care about greatness, not category. That means we apply the same enthusiasm whether we’re talking about a multi-course tasting menu or a single, perfectly executed sandwich. From destination fine dining to humble street food stalls, the question is always the same: Is the food and the experience exceptional? Price, setting, and prestige rarely correlate with true greatness. Some of the most memorable things we’ve eaten in Berlin came from places with plastic chairs.

Do you accept invitations from restaurants?

No. And let me be very clear about this:

We do not attend press dinners. We do not go to restaurant openings.

Our goal and ambition is always to test a new restaurant anonymously. We decide where to eat based on information compiled from multiple sources: Our own curiosity, recommendations from people whose palates we trust, social media and Google review photos and a the accumulated frame of reference from tens of thousands of restaurant meals. If we show up somewhere, it’s because we genuinely wanted to be there. Are there exceptions to the rule? Yes, we’re not the Michelin Guide with the backing of a large corporations - sometimes we accept invites to e.g. events in fine dining restaurants that we have visited before, but these are rare exceptions to make sure we can also report about fine dining. And just in case you didn't know, the Michelin Guide is essentially THE one and only publication in Germany that operates with a budget that enables them to test anonymously and pay their bills. No one else does that, not the mayor newspapers, not the magazine, and most definitely not your favorite food creator.

Can a restaurant pay to be featured?

Absolutely not.

Restaurants cannot pay for placement on Berlin Food Stories. Not now, not ever and they never have been. Our opinions are not for sale, and we never ask restaurants for free meals in exchange for coverage. For certain brand partners (like Uber Eats), we will sometimes publish paid features that include restaurants that we love and recommend in our regular reporting.

How can I get you to come to my restaurant?

Cook truly exceptional food. That’s really it. We get multiple invitations to restaurants every day (apologies if you didn’t get a response for us), but there really is no way to invite us to your restaurant. We spend a huge portion of our time exploring and keeping track of Berlin’s dining scene. When something genuinely great appears, we will find out about it. The best marketing strategy for appearing on BFS has always been the same: Cook something people can’t stop talking about.

Why don’t you post bad reviews?

Because it’s not our mission to take restaurants down. We eat in a lot of places that never appear on Berlin Food Stories. If we visit somewhere and don’t love it, we simply move on and don't make a big deal of it.

Only a small fraction of the meals we eat end up being featured publicly. BFS exists to highlight the places that excite us, not to punish the ones that don’t. That hip new restaurant you see everyone else talking about and not us? Might just be a reason for that.

How does Berlin Food Stories make money?

Our independence is funded through a few carefully chosen channels. We work with brands we genuinely like and use (thanks to Uber Eats, Frische Paradies and the KaDeWe), we sell the BFS Restaurant Gift Voucher, and we offer a premium membership through the Berlin Food Club. Per also takes on the occasional speaker job and consultancy gig. None of these revenue streams involve restaurants paying for coverage. That separation is fundamental to how BFS works.

What is the BFS Restaurant Voucher?

The BFS voucher is a gift card that can be redeemed in more than 50 of our favourite restaurants in Berlin. It allows people to explore the city’s best places while directly supporting the restaurants we believe in.

What is the Berlin Food Club?

The Berlin Food Club is our membership community for serious food lovers. Members get access to perks that include:

- Early access to meals we’ve eaten

- A dedicated Discord server for restaurant discussion

- Exclusive food events

- Insider recommendations and conversations about Berlin’s dining scene

It’s essentially a place where the most obsessive restaurant people in the city can gather and we’re very proud to manage this extraordinary community of food lovers.

Can I work for Berlin Food Stories?

Absolutely!

We’re always interested in meeting true food nerds, people who care truly about the cause of guiding people to the right restaurants and have a special skill that can help develop BFS as a project. If that sounds like you, send us a note.

Still have questions?

DM us, or head to the link in our bio.

Berlin Food Stories has always been built on a very simple philosophy: No invitations. No paid reviews. No takedowns.

Just a deep love for truly great restaurants and a desire to make sure the best ones get the attention they deserve.

Chungking Noodles to Close After Six and a Half Years

After more than six years serving fiery bowls in Kreuzberg, Chungking Noodles has announced it will close its doors at the end of April.

The restaurant was founded by Ash Lee, who first built a following through pop-ups and street food events before opening the small restaurant on Reichenberger Straße in 2019. Her take on Chongqing-style xiao mian—wheat noodles with chili oil, Sichuan pepper and toppings like pork, beef or tofu—quickly developed a loyal fanbase among Berlin food lovers.

Before launching the restaurant, Lee hosted Chinese supperclubs in Berlin and later began serving her spicy noodle bowls at food markets and pop-ups, where they frequently sold out within hours.

In a recent Instagram post, the team reflected on the past years as intense but formative, thanking the community that supported the project from its early pop-up days to the Kreuzberg restaurant.

Chungking Noodles will continue operating until the end of April, and the team is currently looking for someone to take over the space. Until then, there’s still time for one last bowl.

Far From Seoul Takes Over UUU This March

While the team of UUU is traveling in China this March, the kitchen and dining room will temporarily be taken over by Far From Seoul, bringing a Korean-inspired fine dining experience to Wedding.

Initiated by chef Moses Yoon, currently cooking at Nobelhart & Schmutzig, and with sool curated by Soju Halle, the pop-up will present a menu exploring Korean flavors and atmosphere.

Guests can choose between two tasting formats: the Memory menu with 6–7 courses for €85, or the Extended Memory menu with 10–11 courses for €135. Optional pairings include Korean sool as well as a non-alcoholic option.

The residency runs from March 3 to March 28, Tuesday through Saturday, at UUU on Sprengelstraße in Berlin-Wedding. Reservations are required.

Find all of the details and make your reservation here.

Horváth Lowers the Bar(rier): Fine Dining Now at €130

Kreuzberg institution Horváth is making a clear statement this season: fine dining should be more accessible. The two-Michelin-starred restaurant on Paul-Lincke-Ufer has reduced the price of its “Quick’n’Dirty” menu to €130.

The move comes partly in response to the adjusted VAT, but also reflects a broader intention to open the doors a little wider. The menu includes four courses, two amuse-bouches, a full bread setting, petit fours and a water flat rate—streamlined in format, but uncompromising in execution.

Horváth, long known for its modern take on Austrian-inspired cuisine and its quietly cerebral approach to flavor, has been a fixture in Berlin’s fine dining landscape for over a decade. With this pricing adjustment, the restaurant signals that Michelin-level cooking doesn’t have to feel out of reach.

Reservations can be made via the restaurant’s website.

Image via White Kitchen Studios.

Theke Returns to Wedding

After a stint away, Theke is heading back to where it belongs: Wedding. After their winter residendy at Ora the team announced via Instagram that it will reopen its original location on Seestraße on March 23.

The final lunch service at ORA is scheduled for March 14. Then it’s back north.

From March 23 onwards, Theke will once again be serving lunch Berlin-Wedding. Opening hours at the OG location:
Monday to Thursday, 12–4pm
Friday and Saturday, 12–8pm.

Wedding, your lunch plans are sorted.