GERMANY - Best of Europe 2014 - page 731

Near Gendarmenmarkt, South of Unter den Linden
(See “Eastern Berlin Eateries & Nightlife” map, here .)
The twin churches of Gendarmenmarkt seem to be surrounded by people in love with food.
The lunch and dinner scene is thriving with upscale restaurants serving good cuisine at
highly competitive prices tolocal professionals (see map on here forlocations). Ifinneed of
a quick-yet-classy lunch, stroll around the square and along Charlottenstrasse. For a quick
bite, head to the cheap Currywurst stand behind the German Cathedral.
Lutter & Wegner Restaurant is well-known for its Austrian cuisine ( Schnitzel and
Sauerbraten ) and popular with businesspeople. It's dressy, with fun sidewalk seating or a
dark and elegant interior (€9-18 starters, €16-22 main dishes, daily 11:00-24:00, Charlotten-
strasse 56, tel. [phone]). They have a second location, called Beisl am Tacheles, near
the New Synagogue (Oranienburger Strasse 52, tel. [phone]).
Augustiner am Gendarmenmarkt, next door to Lutter & Wegner, lines its sidewalk
withtrademarkBavarianwhite-and-blue-checkerboardtablecloths;inside,you'llfindaclas-
sicBavarianbeer-hallatmosphere.Lesspretentiousthanitsneighbor,itoffersgoodbeerand
affordableBavarianclassicsinanequallyappealinglocation(€6-12lightmeals,€10-15big-
ger meals, daily 9:00-24:00, Charlottenstrasse 55, tel. [phone]).
Galeries Lafayette Food Circus is a French festival of fun eateries in the basement of
the landmark department store. You'll find a good deli and prepared-food stands, dishing up
cuisine that's good-quality but not cheap (most options €10-15, cheaper €8-10 sandwiches
andsavorycrepes, Mon-Sat 10:00-20:00, closed Sun,Friedrichstrasse 76-78,U-Bahn: Fran-
zösische Strasse, tel. [phone]).