Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
13
THE IMBISS
The German term
Imbiss
was originally coined for little food stalls at medieval markets, and
Berliners are certainly past masters in serving inexpensive food for eating on the hoof. The
city's immigrant population has built on the tradition, adapting recipes to produce quick
portable meals. Today virtually every Berlin street has an
Imbiss
, with major concentrations in
commercial areas and at train stations. Some have limited seating, but many only offer a
couple of high tables on which to lean. It's pretty much guaranteed that a local
Imbiss
will be
more interesting than the international fast-food places that dot the city (though the national
fish and seafood specialist chain
Nordsee
is worth a try). All the
Imbisses
reviewed in this
chapter are listed under “cheap eats”.
The simple sausage has traditionally been the most popular
Imbiss
item and in Berlin it's
been transformed into the local speciality
Currywurst
- a chubby smoked pork sausage
smothered in curried ketchup - often served with French fries (
pommes frites
). Another local
Imbiss
speciality is the
Boulette
, a hamburger patty made from ground beef, eggs, butter,
herbs and onions, which was introduced by the French Huguenots in the late 1600s. These
days, however, the most common of all are
Greek
,
Turkish
and
Middle Eastern
Imbiss
stands selling
döner
,
gyros
or
shawarma
respectively - all essentially kebabed meat or chicken
bundled into a pitta, tortilla or ciabatta-style bread sandwich with salad and a sauce - usually
hot (
scharf
), herb (
Kräuter
) or garlic (
Knoblauch
). All are likely to be delicious and fill you up for
around €3. The standard of
Imbiss
food throughout Berlin is very good since most rely on local
business, so in general it's not worth going out of your way to track down a particular place.
That said, if you want to make sure you are having as good a
Currywurst
as the city can offer, try
Bier's Kudamm 195
(see p.108),
Konnopke's Imbiss
(see p.201) or
Curry 36
(see p.196).
Swabian deli is crowded with rings of venison salami and
trays of fresh
spätzle
(pasta) from southern Germany. Buy a
picnic and wander north to Kleistpark, or grab a stool
outside and try one of the daily specials, including
Maultaschen
music. On sunny afternoons make a beeline for the spacious
garden and sip bellinis as shadows lengthen. Expensive,
though (daily specials €13.50), and a little snooty.
Daily
8am-1am.
Café M
Goltzstr. 33
T
030 216 70 92,
W
cafe-m.de;
U-Nollendorfplatz; map p.113.
Littered with tatty plastic
chairs and precious little else,
M
is a favoured rendezvous
for self-styled creative types and the conventionally
unconventional. Usually packed, particularly for its famous
breakfasts; cocktails €5.50 during happy hour (8-10pm).
Daily 8am-2am.
Felsenkeller
Akazienstr. 2
T
030 781 34 47; S-Julius-
Leber-Brücke; map p.113.
Perfect for when you're
nostalgic for old Berlin. Founded in 1923, this unpretentious
old bar is famous for its eight beers on tap drawn the old-
fashioned way, so be prepared to wait. Hearty, simple food
includes lentil soup and swede stew (€5). No music, but
plenty of atmosphere and a hip young crowd.
Mon-Fri
4pm-1am, Sat noon-2am.
Inka Eis
Belziger Str. 44
T
030 78 09 70 50,
W
inka-eis
.eu; U-Eisenacher Strasse; map p.113.
A little taste of
Latin America in a quiet corner of Schöneberg,
Inka Eis
serves scrumptious scoops of tamarind ice cream, Peruvian
grilled chicken (€5) and
(ravioli)
in
broth
(€2.50).
Mon-Fri
10am-7.30pm, Sat 9am-4pm.
Garda Pizza
Crellestr. 48
T
030 78 09 79 70; U-Julius-
Leber-Brücke; map p.113.
Locals flock here for thin-crust
Roman-style (elongated) pizza, particularly the version
with fresh aubergine, mushroom, sheep's salami and
artichokes. A tray (€15) will feed a hungry group of four.
Join the crowd on the pavement, or, with kids, mosey down
a few metres to the neighbouring playground.
Daily
11.30am-9pm; Dec-Feb closed Sun.
CAFÉS AND BARS
Café BilderBuch
Akazienstr. 28
T
030 78 70 60 57,
W
cafe-bilderbuch.de; S-Julius-Leber-Brücke; map
p.113.
Lovely rambling café in the Viennese tradition. It
doesn't look particularly special from outside, but the
comfortable back parlour may well hold you captive for
hours. Great breakfasts, lovely cakes, elegant coffees and
courtyard seating, too.
Mon-Sat 9am-midnight, Sun
10am-midnight.
Café Einstein
Kurfürstenstr. 58
T
030 261 50 96;
U-Nollendorfplatz; map p.113.
Housed in a seemingly
ancient German villa, with parquet floors and leather
banquettes, this is about as close as you'll get to the
ambience of a prewar Berlin
Kaffeehaus
, with international
newspapers, breakfast served until 2pm and occasional live
empanadas
(€3.50).
Closed Jan &
Feb. Daily 11am-8pm.
Kleisther
Hauptstr. 5
T
030 784 67 38,
W
kleisther.de;
U-Kleistpark; map p.113.
Neighbourhood institution,
perennially crowded with style-conscious alternative types,
and offering a good Sunday buffet brunch (10am-4pm;
€8.50).
Thurs-Sat 9am-5pm, Sun-Wed 9am-1pm.
