Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Fresh bread at a local bakery
ANTENNA/GETTY IMAGES ©
Dining Like a Local
Berliners love to dine out and, taking advantage of the many reasonably priced cafes and
restaurants, do so quite frequently. This can mean scarfing down a quick doner at the local
kebab joint or indulging in a four-course meal in a foodie hot spot. Eating out is rarely just
about getting fed but is also a social experience. Meeting friends or family over a meal is
considered a great way to catch up, engage in heated discussions or exchange the latest gos-
sip.
Going out for breakfast has been a beloved pastime for years, although the trend seems to
have peaked. Going out to lunch is no longer the domain of desk jockeys and business
people on expense accounts as many restaurants (including Michelin-starred ones) now of-
fer lunch menus at reduced prices. The traditional German afternoon-coffee-and-cake ritual
is not practised widely in Berlin, and is pretty much the realm of more mature generations.
The main going-out meal is dinner, with restaurant tables usually filled at 7.30pm or 8pm.
Since it's customary to stretch meals to two hours and then linger over a last glass of wine,
restaurants only count on one seating per table per night. Servers will not present you with
the bill until you ask for it.
Partying Like a Local
Most Berliners will start the night around 9pm or 10pm in a pub or bar, although it's also
common to meet at someone's home for a few cheap drinks in a ritual called '
Vorglühen
' (lit-
erally 'pre-glowing'). Once out on the town, people either stay for a few drinks at the same
place or pop into several before moving on to a club around 1am or 2am at the earliest.
In most pubs and bars, it's common practice to place orders with a server rather than pick
up your own drinks at the bar. Only do the latter if that's what everyone does or if you see a
sign saying '
Selbstbedienung
' (self-service). In pubs, the number of drinks is sometimes tal-
lied on round cardboard coasters sporting a brewery logo and paid for when you're ready to
leave, rather than with each round. It is not expected (nor customary) to buy entire rounds
for everyone at the table.
Once in the club, how long one stays depends on individual stamina and alcohol and drug
consumption. Hardy types stagger out into the morning sunshine, although the most hard-
