Eating and drinking - The Rough Guide to Berlin - page 186

13

BERLIN OHNE SPECK A GUIDE FOR VEGETARIANS
In the 1930s, Berlin had more than thirty vegetarian restaurants , and while the city can't
field anything like that amount today, it's still the best place for a vegetarian in a country that
seems overwhelmingly to sustain itself on dead pig. There's a list of exclusively vegetarian
places below: otherwise, you should generally steer clear of pubs and German restaurants,
whether traditional or modern; lard and beef stock are used prodigiously, and there's an
unwritten convention that no meal is really complete until sprinkled with small pieces of
Speck (bacon). Thankfully, the city's cosmopolitan spread of cuisines means that choosing
an Italian, Indian or Thai option will usually yield something without meat on the menu, and
most upmarket cafés have a flesh-free option.
USEFUL PHRASES
I am a vegetarian (feminine ending in parenthesis) Ich bin Vegetarier(in)
I don't eat meat or fish Ich esse keinen Fleisch oder Fisch
I don't want to eat bacon or meat stock Ich möchte keinen Speck oder Fleischbrühe essen
Has it got meat in it? Gibt's Fleisch drin?
Do you have anything without meat in it? Gibt's was ohne Fleisch?
VEGETARIAN RESTAURANTS
Café V See p.199
Cookies Cream See p.188

Einhorn See p.193
Yellow Sunshine See p.199

Margaux Unter den Linden 78, entrance on Wilhelmstr.
T 030 22 65 26 11, W margaux-berlin.de; U- &
S-Brandenburger Tor; map p.36. Onyx walls, marble
floors and burgundy upholstery set the stage for this
upscale restaurant, whose daily menu is dictated by the
quality of available supplies. Mains €26-45, with better-
value set meals including three-course lunches (€35) and
dinners (€95). The gracious maitre d' will happily
recommend wines from their selection of 700. Mon-Sat
7pm until late (kitchen until 10.30pm).
VAU Jägerstr. 54-55 T 030 202 97 30, W vau-berlin.de;

U-Hausvogteiplatz; map p.36. Acclaimed (and expensive)
restaurant run by chef Kolja Kleeberg - a famous TV chef
who produces fantastic, modern takes on classic
international cuisine, specializing in using ingredients from
the Berlin area. The menu changes often, but expect to see
intriguing combinations such as scallops, red beets, dove
and polenta, or halibut, spiced tabouleh , carrot and apple
- with mains at around €35. The six-course menu costs
€120, three-course lunches are €85, and the wine list is
superb. Reservations essential. Mon-Sat noon-2.30pm
& 7-10.30pm.

ALEXANDERPLATZ AND AROUND
CHEAP EATS
Käse Konig Panoramastr. 1 T 030 25 29 50 98,
W kaesekoenig.de; U- & S-Alexanderplatz; map p.60.
Join locals at this basic cafeteria serving simple, decent
German and Central European food at low prices from a
small daily menu - schnitzel or goulash with boiled
potatoes, say, for around €6. Two branches share the same
block; the larger is further from the bustle of the street and
has more outdoor seating. Mon-Sat 8am-7pm, Sun
10am-7pm.

map p.60. All the trappings of a Bavarian beer hall,
including excellent beers - try the delicious Weissen , a
cloudy Bavarian speciality - recreated in this city-centre
microbrewery in the heart of Berlin. Good for basic pub
food, with well-priced lunch specials for €6. Mon-Sat
10am-midnight, Sun 11am-midnight.
Zum Nussbaum Am Nussbaum 3 T 030 242 30 95;
U-Klosterstrasse; map p.60. In the heart of the
Nikolaiviertel, this is a convincing copy of a prewar bar -
destroyed in an air raid - that stood on the Fischerinsel and
was favoured by the artists Heinrich Zille and Otto Nagel.
This replica verges on the expensive, but it's a good place to
soak up a bit of (ersatz) old Berlin ambience. Mon-Sat
9am-6pm.

BARS AND MICROBREWERIES
Brauhaus Georgbräu Spreeufer 4 T 030 242 42 44,
W brauhaus-georgbraeu.de; U-Klosterstrasse; map
p.60. This microbrewery attracts a merry, touristy crowd,
and is also popular among locals for its excellent beer and
traditional German food. Daily 10am-midnight.
Brauhaus Mitte Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 13 T 030 24 78
38 31 11, W brauhaus-mitte.de; U- & S-Alexanderplatz;

RESTAURANTS
Emmas Heiligegeistkirchplatz 1 T 030 24 63 17 32;
S-Hackescher Markt; map p.60. Smart bistro specializing
in simple fresh German food of the meat and potatoes