My Best 5 Burger Destinations in Berlin

With winter and cold weather just around the corner, it is about time to start exploring the varied food scenery of Berlin. A friend of mine which had lived here for a long time and got used faster with the unfriendly winters and rainy summers told me that one of the reasons there are so many pubs and restaurants and bars in this city is the unfriendliness of the seasons. I am not so sure about it, but I can hardly finish my journey through so many food styles and alternatives, and it is a good thing as it is part of my ever growing love for this city.

Since this summer, I started a long research - with more than one tasting for each place - looking for the best burgers joints in the city, and right now I am happy to introduce you to my best 5 places for a veggie - non-meaty treat.

1. Burger Art, Steglitz, Albrechtstrasse 131

This is the place to be not only for burgers lovers but for art lovers too. How could you chose between Hokusai (octopus and salmon), Dali (beef, Irish Cheddar, mayo, eggs and bacon, among others) or Frieda Kahlo (beef, goat cheese, avocado cream, onion, dried tomatoes and cucumber). For the Vegetarian-conscious customers, there is the choice between Kandinsky (with a strong addition of Gorgonzola cheese) and Mihri (my choice this time). Accompanied by some crispy sweet potatoes, my burger was a happy meeting between many different and complementary tastes: eggplant, tomatoes, mozzarella, pesto and zucchini. 

Situated right on the other side of the spectacular Steglitz city hall and the shopping avenue, Art Burger doesn't have too much space indoors, but you can easily take away your treat or adventure outside when it is not raining. The preparation lasts around 15 minutes and a full menu - with a drink - costs around 10 EUR.

2. Loui's Burger, Zossenerstrasse 25 

A couple of minutes of walking from Gneisenaustraße U-Bahn and very close to Markheineke Markthalle, Loui's Burger offers a wide range of burgers, prepared on the spot, and served in an underground space with long wooden tables with some limited number of tables outside. Their vegetarian burger didn't impress me to tears, but the salmon hand-made one was amazing, with the right sauces and many veggies to die for. During the week, there is a special business lunch offer of 6.50, which includes drink, potatoes and a burger, that is totally worthy. A plus for the bread which is always fresh and delicious.

3. Kreuzburger, Linienstraße 74

Kreuzburger in Rosenthaler Platz is everything about burgers. Classical, well done, fast served at a convenient price. If you are visiting this hip area, you can take a break and enjoy one of them. My veggie burger was made of cheese, with cauliflower and salad. My bread was a bit dried, not as fresh as I expected, but the portion of sweet potatoes was big enough to make me forget about this failure. The full menu - with a drink added - can be purchased with less than 10 EUR.

4. Homemade TS Burger, Carl-Schurz Straße 61, Spandau

For all the wrong reasons, Spandau is usually off the beaten travel path, and even locals are rarely going there, although there are so many interesting things to see and explore (coming post featuring this past of Berlin in the making). During my often visits there - among other things, they have a very rich library with top notch books - I discovered a lonely burger joint, where your meals are prepared in the front of you - which might have the disadvantage of smoky oil smell all over your clothes after -, with a friendly and family friendly service - they even have a special box with pencils and colouring sheets for the little ones. The vegetarian offer of Homemade TS Burger includes only veggies, mozarella and haloumi cheese. There are also vegetarian wraps.

My choice was a creamy Mozarella burger with potatoes and a Coke, a delicious and cheesy fast way to finish your lunch.

5. Burgers Berlin, Pestalozzistr. 25 

Charlotteburg-Wilmersdorf area do have a lot of burger joints which might be interesting, but none of them convinced me completely. The problem when you don't eat meat at the restaurant, is that you are often left with some bland, unattractive veggie options, especially available when it comes to burgers. Burger de Ville, for instance, on Ku'damm 22, do have some great menu, but the veggie one was completely unimpressive and when I went there, on a Sunday, a couple of months ago, the place was looking a bit unkept too. My latest discovery is Burgers Berlin, a relatively newly open plance, which has a nice American ambiance, with blues playing in the background and a fast, friendly service. My vegetarian burger was a pleasant surprise too, with a well balanced combination of Italian mozarella, pickled cucumber, onion and a generous portion of ruccola.

If you are visiting Berlin soon and looking for some inspiration about what to do, check this list of 75 Best Things to do in the city.

Where to eat Hong Kong Waffles in Berlin

The famous tasty Hong Kong Egg Waffles can be also tasted in Berlin too. Although the beginning are modest, it was about time that the hip and trend-setter city open the doors to a delicous street food treat. The honeycomb-shaped waffles with egg shaped bubbles, filled with icecream and covered by whipped cream and other toppings of choice are already a popular treat all over Europe, from Camden in London to the town of Poznan, in Poland. 

Let's see what I had in Berlin for now.

Chicken Buzz - Rosenthaler Platz

The first and the best impression of those fantastic waffles was overwhelming because of so many topping choices and so little space in my belly to have them all. Practically, you can fast the whole day and break it with the carb-loaded bubble waffles - mine was a bit burned up on the edges - plus the icecream, plus some fruits - lychee was a perfect fresh choice - plus more toppings - that you carefully write on a piece of paper and handle with your order. Delivered with some Mikado sticks and an Oreo cake. 

They do have a special menu only for those waffles, and the preparation lasts around 5-7 minutes. One treat costs 4.90 Euro and it is worth every single cent of it.

ZUKA Dessertkultur - Emser straße

Zuka is my favorite sweet corner in Wilmersdorf, both during the summer - where you can sit on the benches - or the winter. I am trying to go there at least once the month, for their perfect looking and tasting Macha latte and their exquisite desserts. The last time I've been there I noticed that they introduced the Hong Kong waffles on the menu - at the price of 5 Euro -, at least for the summer time, and hurried up to try them. 

After the previous experience, I was a bit disappointed, because it is completely experimental and limited in topping choices. The dough is tastier, and they do have some interesting icecream choices - my black one isn't sesame as expected, but black vanilla which honestly doesn't sound different of a normal vanilla, except the colour - but otherwise there is not too much to juggle in terms of creative tastes. 

With only two limited choices as for now, I hope that the winters are long enough to allow the waffle experts in Berlin to consider introducing those beauties on their menu. The stronger the competition the better. 

Breakfast chez Benedict in Berlin

As in the case of the afternoon tea, also when it comes to breakfast  Berlin has a long way until it will reach a degree of elegance and refinement comparable to London or Paris. But it is important to keep trying and searching for the best. Thus, when I've found out that the famous Benedict breakfast chain made in Israel has decided to open its branded place in my city, I almost jump of excitement. Finally, the fat generous Middle Eastern breakfast  

Elegantly decorated, with leather couches and luxuriant wall prints, the place reminds of a little French eatery with a touch of British charm and warm customer service. It is situated at the ground level of a boutique hotel at the intersection between Uhlandstrasse and Pariserstrasse, a quiet and posh part of Berlin.

In Israel, Benedict - present in Tel Aviv, Herzliya and Rishon LeZion - offers 24/7 breakfast, but for Berlin, as for now, it is open only until 16.00. The menu was also adapted to the expectations of the German foodie market. What it didn't change is the excellent customer service, which is not only careful to serve you, but to create a certain ambiance that calls you back, whatever your impressions about the food. It has that human touch in so much demand in many of the food places in Berlin, including the high-end ones. 

Too much talk, let's eat. As I am keen to try good Egg Benedicts, I am for a truffle mushrooms version, which is tasty and well done, except that the choice of bread - white and maybe not necessarily fresh, doesn't match. At all. However, the full flavor of truffles which I love a lot, melted with the egg yolk, give my brains a good feeling which make me forget that detail. Maybe the next time there will be a change of bread, I said hopefully to myself and jump to the next order. I love long rich breakfast, you know...

The coconut banana pancakes are not too sweet, soaked in delicious tasting sauces and added some extra natural sugar from the banana. The dough is special, not the usual American pancakes one might expect. The strong cappuccino makes balances the sugar in the blood, but after all, the winter just started and we all need some warm and little sweet surprises. As for me, I would for sure be back this season, to check more of the menu. Because, as you know already, breakfast is my favourite part of the day.

Foodie Berlin: Flakes Corner, in Hackescher Markt

Breakfast is my favourite part of the day, and besides coffee, cornflakes - and cereals in general - are my faithful companions. I particularly love the sweet ones, from the cinnamon covered type to the chocolate small waffles. Thus, when I've found out that over 100 cornflakes boxes - especially those American beauties that it is almost impossible to find in the usual store - are available to try at Flakes Corner since October, I hurried out to take a look and a full spoon. 

The store and eatery is situated on Neue Promenade 9, very close from the S-Bahn station Hackescher Markt. One can choose up to 3 sorts of cornflakes, plus cereals-based shakes. Topics of all sorts - like marshmallows - are available for extra 0.70 EUR. You got a bowl and a little bottle of milk - you can also choose what kind of milk you want, including soy. Energizing cocktails - VitaBoost, orange-based etc - can be also served. 

The overall design of the place is inspired by the 1970s, with a bit too loud music from the same time as a musical background. Expect a lot of plastic chairs and 'nostalgic' decorations on the table, including colourful Rubik cubes. Cornflakes were always fashionable and will always be so making the right choice of cereals doesn't have necessarily to do with the 'old good times'. I bet the GDR -times weren't too cornflakes-friendly either - as it was obviously an American product. The service is friendly and both English and German speaking and quite helpful when it comes to making the right choice for the bowl content.

As for me, I went straightforward for one type of cereals - it was past 13.00 anyway, and I already had my usual fat breakfast - Fruit Loops with marshmallows, soaked in the cold milk. Sweet enough  - with some fruity sensations, and the extra sweetness brought by the marshmallows - to bring me energy to continue my exploration of the Hackescher Markt. When my bowl was empty and had to leave, I had one more look at the many boxes of cereals and promise to come back. Because, breakfast should be a day-long feast, isn't it?

Foodie Moabit

Last year, I've worked for half a year in an area that I hardly visited before: Moabit, although it is just 15 minutes away by bus from the fancy Ku'damm. An area which is changing a lot, with a fantastic mixture of good and affordable food parlours and always a very good and welcoming service.

You do not have to go too far away to find the main foodie attractions, you just have to stroll alongside Turmstrasse and everything is one plate away. One of the first places I fell in love with was Mom's kitchen, where I first ordered a hummus and pita, plus lemonade - because only the Middle Easterners can do the right one. The hummus was unusually sour-sweet and perfumed, with pomegranate, not too salty, but a good treat for the hot summer days. When asked about the special hummus recipe, I was told that this is how it is prepared in Syria, the country of origin of the owners.

Another day, at the same Mom's kitchen, I ordered a plate with goat cheese - one of my top favourite - and a mixture of greens, soaked in olive oil. Maybe it was not that healthy but once in a while, it is good to try something new.

A couple of restaurants away, on the same street, there is a Pakistani half-restaurant, half-canteen, ZamZam, where I tried some veggie delicious samosas, accompanied by yogourth and fresh tomatoes. The mashed potatoes-corn-peas combination was a good match, and the meal was more than satisfactory.

Moabit is also the place of many open markets, many Turkish and Middle Eastern ones where vendors are screaming lound the offers of the hour, but also of a big Asian store, with cheap and fresh products, you cannot find in any parts of Berlin - not even in Neukölln which is becoming little by little too fancy and expensive too. A BioCompany store opened on the same main street warns that Moabit has the potential of a hipster place too, but maybe not the next 2 seasons. When I was looking for some more foodie options - as it was not enough what I was having around my workplace, I was heading to the Arminius Markthalle, for my fish and chips fix. Probably the most authentic in town according to, with an assortment of tasty sauces.

Some Chinese fast foods and small restaurants are also available, bringing more geographical and culinary diversity to the area. My lunch fix once in a while was the veggie rice box at Fam.Dang where you can watch from the other side of the window how the rice is made. Last but not least, you have a steak house - I was told the meals are delicious and well done - and a soup parlour, with every day of the week its soup. Since December, Fam. Dang is neighbouring a colourful donoughts' shop, with various creative frostings.

The delicious Turkish sweets were calling my name, and once in a while I indulged in some small bits of baklava or kanafeh - my favourite sweet in the world that I can eat non stop...till I drop. Every morning, I used to take my special goat cheese ackma pastry - a round bread dough filled with goat cheese and covered by black sesame seeds - from a small shop near my office where people used to welcome me with a friendly smile every time. I even tried once to ask how the dough is made, but they prefer to maintain discretion over the recipe. 

In case I wanted some more Western-style sweets, the Waffly store was my choice also because the service never disappointed me - very fast, as requested to cover my hunger needs for my short office breaks. Looking as an American pin-up store with red leather couches, it offers for around 3 Euro many choices of sweet sauces and fillings for the homemade waffles. One of the best I had in Berlin, and I tried quite a lot in the last months.

My time in Moabit seems very far away now, after all the things happening into my life after the baby was born, but when I look back, my memories of the good working time do always have a good taste and Oriental fragrance. 

Vietnamese delicious lunch at Royals&Rice Berlin

In the last year or so, I become very interested in the Vietnamese cuisine, starting with their special rolls and their oh, so special, coffee. Actually, this coffee can happily compete for my favours with my beloved strong Turkish coffee. Berlin has many Vietnamese restaurants, sometimes one near the other, but finding those special ones takes time and a bit of luck. Today, I started a bit of exploration of the area around Rosenthalerplatz, but instead of keeping straight with my list, I ended up nearby, at a place where I was convinced to stay by the interesting menu.

The entrance to the summer garden of Royals&Rice is through an interior yard you go to through Torstrasse. The outdoor is the perfect choice when the weather allows, with its curtains of vegetation. The indoors area looks acceptable, with minimal design and a lot of space. Some long wooden tables allow more than 40 seats at the same time. Regularly, here are taking place live concerts or some art events. Right now, there is an photography exhibition going on.

Today, I was in the mood to try as many new things as possible. I started with a ginger and cucumber lemonade, more cucumber than anything else, to be served very cold. When it got too warm, the pleasant sprinkling cucumber taste ceased to be pleasant. The summer rolls were special, with many vegetables and coriander, plus some curry rice. An explosion of freshness and natural spices, balanced by the nutty sauce. 

Next on the list: vegetarian udon curry. The noodles were just perfectly matching the rich fresh vegetables and the curry broth. I tried to match every time the udon - eating them with the traditional noisy slurp - with some vegetable and, except the carrots, the pairing went well.

When  saw they have matcha creme brulee, I knew I need to walk more after the meal, but I cannot leave without tasting it. The berry combination was a bad choice, as the berries are corrupting the natural matcha taste. The cream was too much sugary, again killing the natural matcha tea I love so much. The idea was good, the result under expectations, unfortunately.

The prices are moderate and the customer service is friendly.

Overall, it is a 3.5-star restaurant, with chances to reach 4.5-star level easily.