Before jetting off to Berlin for a long weekend, I didn’t truly expect much gastronomically. A few beers and some sausages were what I had in mind. My friend Olga had told me that Berlin had every kind of food imaginable and, of course, I believed her (well, mostly). The problem you see is that I’m stuck here in Spain where international fare is hard to come by and usually quite bad when it is found. There are a few Italian restaurants here and there that aren’t bad and there is one Indian place in Donostia that has decent food. But for the most part I’ve learned to live without chicken enchiladas and margaritas, Pad Thai and panang curry, tikka masala, sushi, pho and spring rolls.
But Berlin was a whole different story! Olga was right! They have everything! And it’s really good! On our first night, we arrived quite late to Berlin and were hungry and tired so we found the closest place which was a kebab stand. Now in Spain I have stopped eating kebabs because they are so gross with mystery meat and not the freshest ingredients. But in Berlin it was a completely different story. The very friendly Middle Eastern man loaded up my kebab with super fresh veggies. It was delicious and cheap! (Sorry no pic though! We ate outside and it was freezing so we ate as quickly as possible!)
The next day we met up with Olga and started sampling some of the delicacies Berlin has to offer. Olga introduced us to Curry Wurst and we fell in love! There are various Curry Wurst street stands throughout the city each with a different number and each declaring their sauce the best. They serve sausages and bratwursts with french fries with their special sauce. Delish!
For dinner that night we tried a local Indian restaurant that is famous in Berlin and it did not disappoint! We ordered enough food for a small army and the best thing about Germany is that you get to take the leftovers with you! If you’re in Berlin, I highly recommend this place. Here’s the info:
And our spread:
We also ate at a lovely Thai restaurant called The Royal Elephant. I (once again) forgot to take pics but it was just as good as my all-time favorite Bangkok Cuisine in Reno, NV.
We also tried a pizza and pasta spot one day which was tasty and cheap. And one of the best things about Berlin is that since there is no siesta you can get food and eat in a restaurant any time of the day. Here in Spain there are very strict eating time: lunch is served from 1:00-4:00 pm and dinner from 9:00-12:00 pm (maybe earlier on weekdays). But in Berlin it was no problem having lunch at 4:30 in the afternoon! And we weren’t the only ones eating at that time! Reminded me of home!
Each morning for breakfast we headed to the nearest Starbucks (I know…I’m a shameless American) but on our last morning we left so early that Starbucks hadn’t opened yet so we had breakfast in the train station. With a wide range of pastries, coffees and juices to choose from it was just as great as Starbucks (minus the creepy German man talking to himself). The hubby had to get one last sausage in his belly before we departed and just couldn’t resist when he saw this:
Apart from all the eating we did, we spent a good amount of time warming up from the German cold in cafes and bars. And of course we drank our fair share of beer.
And since sometimes you need something warmer than beer, tea is a great option. Berlin has a great selection of teas in most cafes and bars but my favorite was this little set they served me one evening.
And the last German treat I had was Gluhwein. It’s delicious spiced, hot wine and on a cold winter day nothing warms you up better than a small cup while walking around the city. You can find Gluhwein stands in different parts of the city (and all of the tourist places). A small cup will run you 2 euros with the option of an extra shot of brandy for 1 euro more.
Have you tried any of the foods or drinks mentioned above? Ever been surprised by the food or drinks a city has to offer?
seasoninspain 