Christmas times are here to stay in the snowwy city of Berlin – the perfect moment to visit even more Weihnachtsmärkte than you already have. Our next and also fabulous Weihnachtsmarkt that is completely different from the Lucia Weihnachtmarkt and the market in front of the Schloss Charlottenburg: is the Christmas market at the Gedächtniskirche. This large Weihnachtsmarkt  takes up all the space around and among the notorious Gedächtniskirche. This Weihnachtsmarkt in Zoologischer Garten is as large as they come. It is cute as well as commercial, cosy and simultaneously charmingly large. It is a great market to go to when you want to spend a lot of time browsing through stalls, picking up some presents, enjoying nibbling and taking a break in one of the many heated retreats the Weihnachtsmarkt am Zoo has to offer.

Christmas Shopping Around the Gedächtniskirche

The big square that is filled with Weihnachts shops and stalls at the Gedächtniskirche borders on the shopping vein of Berlin: the Kudamm (Kurfürstendamm), which in itself is already worth a visit, lavishly decorated with lights that will blow even the most sceptical Christmas fan’s mind. And to make to make things even more magical and Christmassy, the Weihnachtsmarkt on display is filled with appropriate music, lights, Christmas trees and playthings for the young of heart.

Even though I personally love my small and peculiar little markets where you can feel right at home – and where you do not sense any tourists present, I do also appreciate the Gedächtniskirche’s large market. It is great when you only have time to go to one location and yet you want to spend enough time for shopping, drinking and enjoying a naughty Bratwurst. One of my personal favourites also has a stand on this market, namely the widely known Christmas brand Käthe Wolfahrt. This German manufacture company  creates the most beautiful (and sadly, also expensive) decorations for any Christmas occassion. Definitely worth a browse and great for sniffing up some real Weihnachts atmosphere.

And do not be turned off by my description of a large market, you do not feel like you’re in the middle of a huge meadow of Christmas shoppers. All stalls and stands are positioned in such a way that you slowly walk through little streets and feel comfortably engulfed in the wave of Christmas tidings. More than enough Glühwein, hot chocolate and other yummy alcoholic drinks to gulp down here. And when you get hungry, there are dozens of sweets and spicy foods in a wide range to be enjoyed here.

Personal Recommendation:

• Try the Eierpunsch in the pink chalet, where you will find chandeliers and pink glitter to warm you up in-between venturing outside into the cold.

When to Go to this Weihnachtsmarkt?

The Weihnachtsmarkt around the Gedächtniskirche is open until the 2nd of January, so you can even enjoy its pleasures in the new year. From Sunday until Thursday the market opens at eleven in the morning and closes at nine. During Fridays and Saturdays, you can even stay until ten.

Where to Go?

[googleMap name="Weihnachtsmarkt an der Gedächtniskirche" width="400" height="400" mousewheel="false" typecontrol="false" directions_to="false"]Breitscheidplatz, 10789 Berlin[/googleMap]

Weihnachtsmarkt an der Gedächtniskirche
Breitscheidplatz / Gedächtniskirche
10789 Berlin

More Christmas Markets?

During Christmas market season (22nd of November until Boxing Day) Good Food in Berlin will bring you daily Christmas market updates, live from the markets, via our Facebook Page. Like us now, to not miss any of our up-to-date Christmas tips and secrets. We will feature new and exciting Christmas market features that are not on our website… where to go and what to do… excitement guaranteed!

We have been blogging for a while about all sorts of restaurants in Berlin and we have been writing about sushi a lot. Yes, it may be a bit obnoxious, but we do just adore sushi rolls. And just to mark our extensive search and expertise when it comes to sushi eating and enjoyment in Berlin, I hereby proudly present our very own sushi restaurant top 10, with the best, coolest and most scrumptious restaurants in Berlin for eating sushi. Graded based on deco and atmosphere for lovers of prettiness, the quality of the food and the amount of money you will be spending here. If you’re a sushi fan, all you need is this list and you will be eating away most fabulously for weeks and weeks to come.

• Most of the restaurants on this list already have complete restaurant reviews. Click the link to the restaurant names to read the elaborate reviews.

+ means less (expensive, atmospheric, flavoursome noms)

+++ means more (expensive, atmosphere, flavoursome noms)

This article was written in 2010 : read our new and updated list of best sushi restaurants in Berlin.

1. Wasabi (Mitte)

• Deco/ atmosphere +
• Food +++
• Price +
  

I proudly present the number one! My personal favourite restaurant that I just keep coming back to and that I would recommend to anyone who wants to eat sushi in Berlin. They serve great sushi, they have a large selection of basic maki’s, special rolls and fried rolls, nice and friendly staff – and all of that for a budget price. Simply good food for good prices, located on the corner of the lively Oranienburger Straße. In summer you can lounge outside and enjoy the weather, a glass of wine or a nice mango lassi with your kim-chi salad. Budget prices, great sushi.

Friedrichstraße 114
10117 Berlin

2. Sushi number one (Prenzlauer Berg)

• Deco/atmosphere +
• Food +++
• Price +

Looking for a quick sushi bite? Feel like taking some sushi home? For take-away anywhere in and around Prenzlauer Berg I would recommend Sushi number one. It is also a great place to sit down for a meal, but the restaurant is not always filled up with people and the deco is not particularly exceptionally enticing. For take-away, though, they are perfect. Very quick and friendly, a huge menu with budget sushi to choose from and great appetizers en desserts to take away as well. Tip: get the Sommerrollen as take away, you will get a large kim chi salad with it for free! They do charge fifty cents for packaging though.

Oderberger Straße 51/52
10435 Berlin

3. Le coq d’or (Friedrichshain)

• Deco/ atmosphere +
• Food ++
• Price +
  

Another sushi location that I keep popping in to. Not the prettiest of locations, but practically located in Friedrichshain on the Boxhagener Straße. Sweet staff, low prices and good quality sushi. If you like spending time in and around the Simon-Dach straße and like sushi, you definitely ought to pop in here for a nice filled plate with fresh and afforable sushi. Do stay away from the fried appetizers, unless you are into fried fry. Do order a nice bottle of wine for a budget price to accompany your sushi meal. Cheap, good sushi. Not such an extensive menu.

Boxhagener Straße 27
10245 Berlin

4. Kuchi (Mitte)

• Deco/atmosphere +++
• Food ++
• Price ++

With a spacious and atmospheric courtyard for summery evenings and classy deco for a night inside, Kuchi already flaunts its tailfeather before you even sit down to eat. This is a fabulous real restaurant where you go for a nice proper dinner. They do beautiful and great flavoursome sushi and have a great and extensive menu with sashimi, soups and hot rice-based dishes. A great restaurant that may cost a bit more, but you get for it in return is definitely worth it. Fab food, friendly service and a beautiful deco.

Gipsstraße 3
10119 Berlin

5. Zaza (Prenzlauer Berg)

• Deco/atmosphere +++
• Food ++
• Price ++

A cool, sleek cocktail and sushi bar that also does noodle soups and noodle dishes. Very after-work-ish and cool. A nice place to take your collegue or your boss for a meeting. In the back they have a large smokers lounge where you can also sit and eat very comfortably. Filled up in the weekend, not that packed on the week days. Good sushi, not particularly budget. You pay for the cool lounge atmosphere – but order sushi after eight, when the happy hour starts. Cocktail happy hour runs up til eight. So pop in after work for a cocktail and sushi. Extensive and interesting sushi on the menu.

Kastanienallee 12
10435 Berlin

6.Chaapa (Schöneberg)

• Deco/atmosphere ++
• Food ++
• Price ++

A slightly posh and up-scale sushi and Thai restaurant in the middle of brimming Schöneberg. I love the location and especially for people that do not hang out in Schöneberg enough, I recommend hitting the streets around the area for a nice bar or restaurant. At Chaapa you can enjoy and order great sushi from an elaborate menu, enjoy the fresh air on the heated patio and watch interesting Schönebergers walk by. A bit more pricey than a budget sushi location, but you are well compensated by the atmosphere, deco and polite and friendly service. Not to mention yummy sushi.

Maaßenstraße 9
10777 Berlin

7. Steel shark (Neukölln)

• Deco/atmosphere ++
• Food +++
• Price +

A small and tiny restaurant that is probably most suitable for taking away food, or having a lunch with one of your friends or lovers. But do not be deceived! This small sushi shop serves the greatest sushi in Neukölln. Interesting and original combinations surprise you as soon as you open the menu. Maki rolls with prunes – or spicy peppers? Definitely order a new type of sushi and prepare to be surprised. Their soups are also fabulous – I have eaten the best wan-tan soup in my life here. Not a huge menu, but everything is very budget. Perfect for a weekend brunch after sauntering through Neuköllner shops. Ordering or take away recommended.

Karl-Marx-Straße 13
12043 Berlin

8. Cogai (Schöneberg)

• Deco/atmosphere ++
• Food ++
• Price +

A modern and sophisticated interior is the intial attraction of this Vietnamese sushi restaurant. In a very mellow atmosphere you can chill on one of the design tables or chairs and order an interesting and flavoursome salad or  enjoy the nice sushi. Their menu is normally-sized with an afforable offer of the most desired sorts of sushi. A cool restaurant with great food for a very decent price. Located around the corner from the Nollendorfplatz, on the lively Bülowstraße.

Bülowstraße 9
10783 Berlin

9. Cube (Kreuzberg)

• Deco/atmosphere ++
• Food ++
• Price ++

Around the corner from the Bergmannstraße, on the Zossener straße, lies this little cute sushi restaurant. I have eaten here a couple of times and I was positively surprised by the nice and original sushi combinations. The cosy tables and seating arrangements make you feel right at home and with a diverse and extensive sushi menu, you will definitely be tempted to have a long and elaborate sushi meal here. The price is very reasonable for hanging around the Bergmann kiez and the Mehringdamm. Cute, nice and fine sushi in a pretty restaurant. Basically how eating sushi should be.

Zossener Straße 18
10961 Berlin

10. Ishin (Mitte)

• Deco/atmosphere +
• Food ++
• Price +

Essentially, a sushi eatery. You pop in, order the sushi, sashimi oder steamed fish that you want and you eat it. Not pretty, comfy or posh. Just a very functional restaurant that offers good quality sushi for budget prices. Very authentic and perfect if you just really want to eat sushi and do not care about any of the other stuff. Probably not the best place for a beginner, even though they offer ample vegetarian opportunities in case you are not that into fish. In the city center, almost on Friedrichstraße. Perfect for a functional business lunch. (Also recommended for tourists that like an authentic sushi experience. It is not as unattractive as it sounds. Just do not go here when you want to be lounging about a restaurant for hours. This is not the place.) Free green tea for everyone.

Mittelstraße 24
10117 Berlin

Other Great Sushi Restaurants

Yet another great sushi place worth a recommendation: Mikoto (Prenzlauer Berg).
Eating sushi in Zehlendorf? Bamboo makes fantastic sushi.

And if you want to order sushi, you could give this sushi delivery service in Berlin a try.

Going on a trip to Potsdam?

Then definitely hit the sushi restaurant My Keng in the city center on the main shopping street, the Brandenburger Straße. It is a small restaurant and a bit more pricey than anything in Berlin, but they do some awesome tempura sushi rolls. My personal reccommendation is the tempura roll collection with scallops, which taste absolutely surprisingly delicious.

Request:

If you have eaten at any of these sushi restaurants, please leave a comment on how your experience was! I would be thrilled to read about your own sushi experiences!

Read our new and updated 2011 list of best sushi restaurants in Berlin.

 

I am not a big fan of restaurant chains, nor am I a big fan of eating Italian food in restaurants. Pasta I can just as easily prepare at home and when it comes to pizza’s, I tend to prefer Dr. Oekter’s Ristorante over a restaurant pizza. I know, call me crazy.

It was a crazy situation indeed when I found myself venture into the Italian chain restaurant Vapiano, which you can discover in various different locations in Berlin. There is one restaurant situated right on the Potsdamer Platz, one on Friedrichstraße and the one I went to was am Zoo, close to the Gedächtniskirche. I was together with a friend, and we had just attempted a small shopping spree on Kudamm, after which we simply wanted a drink without having to go too far. Because of that, we stumbled into Vapiano.

However, like many similar evenings: we came for a drink and went out with a complete dinner and dessert. It is  one of the curses of restaurants, where you are continuously confronted by the delicious food other people around you are ordering. It does something to your brain and makes you desire food like never before. And it definitely did something to my brain, because I decided to go for a Pasta Carbonara. Again, something that I would never be inclined to order (I’m just not that into pork).

Fancy fussili, farfalle oder penne tonight?

But Vapiano is different. The restaurants are large, offering various comfortable chairs and corners, supplemented by large wooden tables with dozens of basil plants everywhere. When you enter, they give you your personal magnetic card which you can use at the bar for drinks and desserts or the kitchen for food. The whole ‘thing’ about Vapiano’s is that you can basically pick and choose exactly what you want and how you like it. You can pick the herbs, the cheese, the vegetables and even the kind of pasta that you want in your meal. It is real do-it-yourself food. The pizza’s on offer you can therefore make into your own perfect pizza dream. Or go all healthy or extra meaty on your pasta or salad. And the best thing about it: it is very afforable. A nice pasta you can get for around five euros or a great and fresh salad starts at zeven euros. Therefore many of Vapiano’s customers are business people or working men that pop into the restaurant after a long, hard day of work. Even considering the fact that I am not a big fan of Italian food, this really is a great place if you’re into that kind of food. If you are prepared to enter a global chain restaurant.

What makes this restaurant fabulous:

• You can personalise the food to fit your every whim. All ingredients are fresh.
• The deco of fresh herbs (basil, rosemary and more) on all tables is very cool.
• The prices are very decent. You can eat a nice meal here for five euros (excl. drinks and desserts).

What makes this restaurant less fabulous:

• Big, global chain restaurant. I prefer supporting the small independent restaurants a lot more.
• It can be stuffed with customers, together with standing in line for your food, giving it a bit of a posh-Italian-McDonalds feel.

Where to go?

[googleMap name="Vapiano Berlin (1)" width="400" height="400" mousewheel="false" typecontrol="false" directions_to="false"]Joachimstaler Straße 33 10719 Berlin[/googleMap]

Joachimstaler Straße 33
10719 Berlin
030 8871-4195

At the end of January we can feel the commercial taunt of fluttering hearts and red roses coming up. Valentine’s Day is drawing nigh! A nice occasion for those among us who are lucky enough to be in love to surprise and pamper their loved one.

We will surprise you with our personal top seven of the most suitable restaurants for taking your date on a romantic dinner. Our choices range from classical romantic, to fashionable fusion cooking – whatever blows your skirt up! Some of the restaurants we might already have blogged about, some others might be new to the scene or might come up in our future blogs.

The Top 7

1. Authentic cosy low-key Vietnamese food: Cogai (Schöneberg)
Bülowstraße 9, 10783 Berlin
Keywords: classy, cosy, fashionable

This restaurant is one of my personal favourites. Due to its location on the Bülowstraße it is generally hidden away from anyone who does not know that particular neighbourhood or lives nearby. Cogai, however, is a little surprise after leaving the throbbing heart of the Berlin city shopping on the Kudamm. It looks gorgeous, inviting and it is decorated in a cool, sleek yet welcoming deco.

The food at Cogai is absolutely fabulous. They surprise with a menu that actually does what it is supposed to do. It tickles your tastebuds and combines some new interesting flavours. Personal recommendations include the unfried Sommerrollen (Summerrolls) which are filled with fresh vegatables, shrimps and fresh herbs and the brilliant mango and beef salad. They also do a great sushi.

This is a cute and sweet restaurant, for a couple looking for a good and adventurous meal.

2. Eat and drink in an old-fashioned DDR atmosphere: Weinerei Café (Mitte)
Fehrberliner Straße 57, 10119 Berlin
Keywords: old-school, cosy, classical

We blogged about the FraRosa Weinerei on the Zionskirchplatz before. Well, there is also another Weinerei only around the corner from the FraRosa. The principal concept remains the same, as you can decide how much money you are willing to pay for your stay. There are no fixed prices for food or drink and at the end of your stay, you can pay as much as you think it was worth.

The Weinerei Café is a cosy, typically Berlin kind of bar. All of the furniture is old and from the DDR times, which gives the bar a very warm and homely feel to it. It is a perfect location for snuggling up in one of the big lazy couches with some nice drinks and a bite to eat.

This place is perfect for a little casual Valentine’s get together, for couples that like to cosy up with each other.

3. Cool sushi and Asian soups:  Zaza (Prenzlauer Berg)
Kastanienallee 12, 10435 Berlin
Keywords: fashionable, hip, fusion

Zaza is a perfect after-work restaurant, situated in the center of Prenzlauer Berg and close to the Eberswalder Straße. It has many long and cosy couches and a special smoker lounge at the far end of the restaurant where you can have a comfortable meal, drink and a cigarette.

Zaza basically offers a range of exciting and nice cocktails (happy hour until seven pm) and a large menu of freshly made (and very nice looking) sushi. But that is not all, all ye who fear sushi! Zaza also offers a broad range of noodle soups, non-noodle soups and classical Asian rice and noodle dishes.

This is a pretty and hip restaurant for a nice and long dinner for a busy couple.

4. Exotic Spanish food: Tres Tapas (Prenzlauer Berg)
Lychener Straße 30, 10437 Berlin
Keywords: classy, luxury, mainstream

We have mentioned Tres Tapas before, but it simply is a great place for a romantic date. It is a bit of an up-scaled restaurant, it has many cute seating arrangements and it is the perfect location for a lengthy dinner with luscious amounts of alcohol.

Tres Tapas offers a large variety of great tapas dishes. My personal favourites are always the calamares (the fried squid) and  dates wrapped in a thin layer of bacon, grilled into an exquisite crispness. The combination of the sweet date and the crispy and salty bacon is absolutely divine. Other favourites include the tortilla espanola (spanish omelette with potatoe and onion), the mushrooms in garlic and the mussels with a light vinaigrette.

The tapas of course encourage sharing – which is perfect for a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner! Feed your lover bits and pieces of your food while enjoying a nice glass of wine.

5. Romantic Dishes and Red Walls:  Goodmorning Vietnam (Mitte)
Alte Schönhauser Straße 60, 10119 Berlin
Keywords: cosy, warm, fusion

The wintery winds of winter all still teasing us with their glaring cold tickles. And no better place to be comfortable and warm in is the restaurant Goodmorning Vietnam, locating almost on the crossing of Rosa Luxemburg Platz in the middle of Berlin’s brimming city center. Goodmorning Vietnam is a real good and friendly restaurant. The walls are painted a welcoming colour of red and the tables are inviting to lounge on.

They offer some nice cocktails and wines. The food ranges from very nice Vietnamese soups (the classical Pho Bo) to some tasteful rice dishes. The staff is very friendly and the service is quick and apt. This restaurant would be the perfect choice for a low-key romantic evening filled with holding hands and a nice, exciting Asian meal.

6. Oysters & Champagne: KadeWe (Zoologischer Garten)
Tauentzienstraße 21, 10789 Berlin
Keywords: luxury, class, hip

I might better well open up about this: I have a weak spot for luxury.  I like watching million dollar yachts, I drool over unafforable shiny jewellery and I love to rub shoulders with rich men in suits. It might just be my favourite pastime. I love feeling like an important rich person on occasion and that is why one Saturday morning I was sitting in the oyster bar at the luxury Kaufhaus KadeWe sipping champagne.

Sauntering through the KadeWe itself is already a treat. Do dress to impress, because if you come where wearing your trainers and ‘comfy pants’ you will start feeling uncomfortable soon. It is the greatest place to soak up the rich and fabulous juices of a life style you might never be able to afford. But a girl can dream… (This girl always used to dream she bumped into a rich millionaire in the KadeWe who would offer to buy her a fantastic dress.)

But back to the oysters. I really love seafood – especially things like scallops, mussels and oysters. But oysters are the best when it comes to the fun and the experience of eating them. If you have never tried it out: I seriously recommend it. The naughty aphrodisiac status still attached to the slurping of oysters is the perfect way to start your dream Valentine’s Day! You enjoy the oysters with a nice glass of white Riesling or champagne. (All of this is afforable, also for non-rich people. A basket of oysters, incl. bread and wine will cost around 15 euros a person.)

Perfect idea for a couple that wants to do something different for a change and does not have a problem with a bit of pampering.

7. Real Good Food: Knofi Feinkostladen (Kreuzberg)
Bergmannstraße 98, 10961 Berlin
Keywords: authentic, cute, cosy

Knofi is a quaint and cute little boutique food shop where they home-make everything they sell. Here you can buy your freshly stuffed wineleaves, some finger licking chocolate pie or various nice herby pastes to put on your (home-made) bread all. But the best thing is: you can also order dishes with combinations of the best foods and eat it in the shop itself. They have a couple of small tables in the corners and in summer you can snuggle up on the benches they have in front of the shop.

The roots of the shop are Turkish and therefore you will find many of your favourite Turkish and general Mediterrean delicacies at Knofi. My personal favourites are always the goat cheeses, the freshly baked Turkish bread and the large variety of pies they have as a dessert to choose from. They also sell great wines, pastas and olives to take-away for the rest of the night.

This is a fabulous place to have a cute, intimate little dinner, with sharing bites and plates for a cute couple.

Some extra Valentine’s tips:

• Home-cooking can be even cuter than taking your lover out to dinner. Especially if you never cook: make an effort and come up with a nicely improvised Valentine’s Day dinner.
• And for after dinner: draw a bath, sprinkle it with some rose petals and some nicely scented bathing oil. The classical recipe for romance.
• Oh, yes, and never forget: the magical breakfast-in-bed!

Hope you liked our list and tips – if you have any tips yourself, do not hesitate to leave a reply or suggestion. And we wish you a lovable Valentine’s!