Mitte Restaurants & Cafés GERMAN ALPENSTUECK Wiener Schnitzel with Schwabian potato salad, Maultaschen with Bavarian creme are just a few of the dishes available at Alpenstueck, a designer restaurant with a traditional twist. The chef prepares southern German and Austrian home cooking with fresh ingredients, changing the menu every three days. A feast for the eyes and the palate.QF‑2, Gartenstraße 9, Mitte, MS Nordbahnhof, tel. +49 30 21 75 16 46, www.alpenstueck.de. Open 18:00-01:00. €€. TUGBS GAFFEL HAUS Serving the famed Gaffel Kölsch beer from Cologne in the small glasses typical for that city, Gaffel, a large and authentic beer house serving traditional German cuisine, lives up to expectations. Try the Fooderplaat snack plate with sausages and black pudding, the herring filet or the roast beef, or the excellent Wiener Schnitzel. On Friday after 17:00, drop by for the Eisbein (pickled ham hock) special, which includes a beer and a glass of Kabänes herb liqueur. When FC Köln plays on Sundays, Gaffel is full of cheering fans.QF‑3, Dorotheenstraße 65, Mitte, MS/U Friedrichstraße, tel. +49 30 31 01 16 93, www.gaffel-haus-berlin.de. Open 12:00 - 24:00, Sun 12:00 - 22:00. €€. B HOFBRÄU WIRTSHAUS BERLIN Almost 600km might separate Berlin and Munich, but the taste of Bavaria is certainly alive in the Germany capital. Hofbräu Wirtshaus brings Munich to town, with hearty meals alongside that delicious Bavarian beer, served by waitresses in traditional dress as the bouncy beats of the south play loud and proud around the place. Perfect for groups, Oktoberfest can be a year-round celebration if you find yourself at Alexanderplatz.QG‑3, Karl-LiebknechtStr. 30, MAlexanderplatz, tel. +49(0)30 679 66 55 20, www.berlin-hofbraeu.de. Open 10:00-01:00; Fri, Sat 10:00-02:00. €€. AUBK
Gendarmenmarkt. The menu includes soups and salads, but the real specialities are the delicious Bavarian meat dishes such as knuckle of pork, steak, and a variety of sausages. QF‑4, Friedrichstraße 185-190, Mitte, MU Stadtmitte, tel. +49 30 20 45 05 59, www.maximiliansrestaurant.de. Open 11:00 - 24:00. €€. UGBS MUTTER HOPPE Head down the winding staircase into this restaurant in the Nikolaiviertel district. You’ll find the space divided into cosy, low-ceilinged nooks with upholstered banquettes and historic photos and drawings on the painted walls. Heavy meat dishes are the meals to order here. The kitchen offers sides not served at other German restaurants, including green beans wrapped in bacon. Make reservations; or try their sister restaurant Julchen Hoppe, a few doors further towards the Spree.QG‑3, Rathausstraße 21, Mitte, MS/U Alexanderplatz, tel. +49 30 24 72 06 03, www.en.mutterhoppe.de. Open 11:30 - 24:00. €€. TEGB STÄNDIGE VERTRETUNG Bonn politicians and bureaucrats were not happy when they had to move to Berlin. They sent their favorite Bonn hangout (named after the West-German ‘embassy’ in the GDR) as an advance scout. This laid-back politician’s meeting point supplies the homesick with their beloved Kölsch beer and Rhineland specialties (like Blutwurst and Saumagen), but the menu has a selection of Berlin food as well.QF‑3, Schiffbauerdamm 8, Mitte, MS/U Friedrichstraße, tel. +49 30 282 39 65, www.staev.de. Open 11:00 - 01:00. €€. B
KEYSER SOZE A renowned corner bar in Mitte with an unpretentious atmosphere, great food and a good mix of locals and visitors. The food is simple and good; try the famed allday breakfast, poached Bavarian Weißwurst sausages, a Schnitzel, or the goat cheese salad.QF‑2, Tucholskystraße 33, Mitte, MS Oranienburger Straße, tel. +49 30 28 59 94 89, www.keyser-soze.de. Open 08:00-02:00; Thu, Fri, Sat 08:00-04:00. €€. NGTBES MAXIMILIANS So you always wondered what Bavaria is like – the beer, the food, Oktoberfest – but you only made it as far as Berlin? No problem: Maximilians restaurant serves up authentic and delicious Bavarian cuisine just a stone’s throw from
Iconic Alexanderplatz at night
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