With Berlin’s huge Turkish population, it’s not hard to find lahmacun around town. But Örnek, in the Gesundbrunnen area just east of Wedding, merits a detour. Behind the counter, a whole team stretches out circles of dough, topping them with ground meat, tomato, onion, and herbs, and cooking them fresh to order. The flatbreads go for under 2 euros a pop, so you can grab a few and save some for a snack later. The kebabs of chargrilled lamb or chicken, served in fresh bread with supremely tangy garlic sauce, are also worth your time. Örnek can get pretty busy, so be prepared to lurk out front waiting for your order. There’s also an outpost in Neukölln.

Visitors in the market for currywurst often gravitate to the big names like Curry 36 or Konnopke’s Imbiss — both of which are fine. But locals prefer Curry Baude, little more than a window tacked on the side of the Gesundbrunnen U-Bahn station. Owned by butcher Reina Lehmann, Baude offers a quality-to-price ratio that’s off the charts, a sausage that attains crispy-yet-juicy equilibrium, and a ketchup-to-curry ratio that’s near perfect. Sure, the service may be gruff, even by German standards, but that’s part of the charm.

To call this side-street dining room a pizzeria wouldn’t be quite accurate, although its springy sourdough pies with toppings like mushroom cream or ’nduja are worth a visit. It’s hard to pin down the rest of chef-owner Jared Bassoff’s menu; “modern European” would be technically correct, but it undersells comforting-creative bistro dishes, like tender pieces of pork shoulder dotted with local vegetables or a sundae with milchreis (rice pudding) that fuses the chef’s American background with Germany.

This casual day-and-night Bosnian counter in Wedding dishes up the best börek in the city. For a few euros, servers hack off a hefty quarter from one of the large circular specimens behind the counter. The flaky dough delivers just the right combo of grease and crunch, and comes filled with herbed potatoes, spiced ground meat, or cheese with spinach. True to the restaurant’s Balkan roots, the small menu also features some succulent (and similarly cheap) cevapcici.

Courtesy of his experience with Danish superstar René Redzepi at Noma, chef and Berliner Vadim Otto Ursus applies his formidable expertise on fermentation with aplomb. The result is out-of-the-box, bright, and imaginative takes on German cuisine, served up in a stylish, brutalist space. The restaurant is small, so book ahead. If you can’t nab a table, consider heading to Trio over in Mitte, where Ursus offers pitch-perfect takes on German pub fare.

Berlin is home to diaspora communities from pretty much every South American country, but it’s only in recent years that the city’s minuscule Latin American food scene has started expanding, as budding restaurateurs set up small shops to offer ceviche, arepas, and — in the case of this counter service spot in Prenzlauer Berg — Argentine empanadas. The restaurant’s name nods to the classic beefy Creole option, but the menu covers a range of Argentine specialties like spicy chicken and Italian-influenced ricotta-spinach, all encased in smooth, soft, wheaty shells.

The Pfefferberg Markthalle is a hub for top-notch casual dining in Berlin, and while you can’t go wrong with any of its restaurants, Gully Burger is a standout. Americans may find the name to be a slight misnomer, as the go-to menu item is a superb buttermilk-brined chicken sandwich loaded with Indian spices; for vegans, the crispy, tamarindy take on a vada pav (fried potato sandwich) is also a formidable choice. For sides, you have your choice of fries or sweet and spicy samosa chaat.

A Berlin institution, Lokal was among the first places in the city to embrace nose-to-tail cooking and heavy use of regional ingredients. A refreshingly simple restaurant with an unpretentious-yet-classy, seasonal bistro menu and a casual vibe, it’s still an exemplar of modern, terroir-focused German cooking after more than a decade on the scene.

Cookies Cream may wield a Michelin star, but as you walk up to the entrance — in an alleyway delivery dock — it’s clear the restaurant isn’t your typical exemplar of fine dining selected by a tire company. Owner Heinz “Cookie” Gindullis’s background in the Berlin club scene is evident in the vibe, with hot red banquettes and industrial-chic exposed concrete (not to mention a large painting of a German expletive). The anything-goes approach extends to chef Nicholas Hahn’s outré, all-vegetarian, lineup (a small a la carte selection and a tasting menu), which includes items like potato ceviche or a dish of red peppers infused into items like chips and ice cream. The mostly natural wines are paired with superb care, but it’s worth choosing the option to mix a wine pairing with the restaurant’s non-alcoholic drinks to get a taste of some of the team’s creative, house-made juices and ferments.

This legendary deli dates back to the 1920s, when it started out as a specialty smokehouse with a focus on fish. Nowadays, Rogacki has spread its wings to sell some of the finest meats, charcuterie, and smoked seafood in West Berlin. You’d be remiss not to try the smoked freshwater trout and eel, which are both pulled from the waters surrounding the city. Otherwise, grab some sausage, bread, and other treats, and jump on a train to the lakes around Grünewald for a picnic lunch.

A true gem among the somewhat dreary chain restaurants that dominate this office-heavy part of town, Liu is Berlin’s go-to for sharp bowls of Sichuan-style noodles in a range of varieties. Head over at lunch for the hand-made tianshui noodles, laden with sesame, which are a standout. But top-notch chile oil, soy sauce, and Sichuan peppercorns make all options a good bet, from meat to mushrooms. The spicy chilled noodle dishes in summer are a refreshing mix of hot and cold.

Don’t be fooled by Larb Koi’s humble description of its offerings as home-cooked fare; at this gem, tucked in a touristy stretch of Friedrichshain, chef Monay Sakarin dishes up some of Berlin’s finest Thai food. With the exception of a superbly tangy papaya salad, the small menu skips standard dishes that you can get elsewhere and leans into specialties from various regions, like a Southern curry with a full, deep-fried sea bass or a phenomenal (if elusive) octopus curry. Despite Berlin’s heat-averse food scene, Larb Koi isn’t scared to play with some serious spice.

This cozy Syrian bistro just off busy, bar-hoppy Boxhagener Platz may serve Berlin’s best hummus. It’s creamy and garlicky, with just the right amount of lemon tang, and the version with toasted nuts is a particular highlight. The rest of the menu focuses on specialties from the city of Aleppo, such as pomegranate salad or kibbeh with tender meat and crispy bulgur. Meze are a big focus, so bring a group and order the whole menu.

The counter bar that wraps around chef Micha Schäfer’s kitchen is a stunner, and an effective stage for his tasting menu. The chef forgoes unsustainable imports to focus on ingredients from the Berlin-Brandenburg region. The menus take a New Nordic approach to German items from asparagus to kohlrabi — only in season, of course. Though meat is fading out of focus at Nobelhart & Schmutzig, meals usually feature a bite or two, such as absurdly tender lamb. It’s all deftly paired with contemporary wines by owner and host Billy Wagner, who is widely regarded as one of the best sommeliers in the city.

Berlin’s robust French community means that most neighborhoods have a reputable brasserie dishing up steak frites and duck confit. Lamazère is at the top of that class. It’s little wonder, considering chef-owner Régis Lamazère was raised by a father who cooked at a two-Michelin-starred restaurant on the Champs-Élysées. He sticks to short menus, mixing brasserie staples like tartares with more novel dishes, often with plenty of meat and earthy flavors from mushrooms and herbs. There’s ample (and surprisingly affordable) fine French wine and a superb rice pudding for dessert.

Berlin’s small Georgian food scene punches above its weight. While you can count on pretty much any place focusing on the cuisine, Charlottenburg’s Salhino might have the edge, offering saucy stews loaded with fresh herbs and barbecue skewers with adzhika (red pepper sauce). The classics, like khachapuri and fat khinkali filled with meat or cheese, also stand strong. Don’t skip a tapluri (honey cake) or buffalo milk yogurt laden with nuts and honey for dessert.

Falafel is ubiquitous in Berlin, but Levantine iterations tend to dominate. Switch things up and seek out the Sudanese version (sometimes called tamiya), which is usually served in Berlin with a rich, slightly spicy peanut sauce. The version at Omdur is made with perfectly fried falafel and tender magali (fried vegetables). Service is friendly and the charming yellow dining room is lined with photos of happy customers, making the restaurant ideal for a low-stress lunch or late-night snack.

Adana is the most iconic Turkish grill at the heart of what’s historically been Germany’s largest Turkish neighborhood, making it the go-to choice. Grab a seat so you can watch the chefs grill spectacular lamb chops and minced adana (lamb) skewers over sizzling hot charcoals on an open fire. The trick to digesting all that meat is to order cold mezze to start, followed by plenty of raki with ice and water. There’s also a second location right around the corner on Skalitzer Strasse.

While a lot of Berlin’s seemingly infinite döner spots offer serviceable kofte, Konak Izmir is a specialist worth seeking out, as many customers do to devour sandwiches from lunch until 3 a.m. The kofte sandwich is a sublime creation of spiced grilled sausages layered with fresh herbs, sauces, onion, and tomato. The bread, a hybrid between Turkish flatbread and a baguette, is a bit thicker here than at comparable places, helping it stand up to the fillings.

For homey Pakistani biryani, daal, and more, look no further than this bright counter in Kreuzberg. Owner Shabnam Syed draws on her mother’s recipes to put forward a small menu of dishes that offer a nuanced mix of flavors and spices. Rotating weekly specials allow Syed to put forward dishes that you’d otherwise never see in Germany. Don’t forget to add a lassi to round out your meal and grab a jar of house-made chutney to take home.

Bring a crew to this unassuming Chinese restaurant in Schöneberg, where you could pick a meal off the extensive menu blindfolded and walk away impressed. Soulful northeastern (Dongbei) cuisine is the name of the game, including spicy, tangy whole fish and salted, fried pork ribs. A few Sichuan touches like cucumber salad also slide into the menu (and are equally delicious).

Every Friday to Sunday from April to October (weather permitting), Thai vendors congregate under colorful umbrellas in a Wilmersdorf park to sell a sublime selection of homemade noodle soups, curries, desserts, and drinks. This massive picnic of dishes from throughout Thailand — especially the region of Isan — draws crowds from all over Berlin. As of 2024, new rules are set to push Thaipark out of Preußenpark after three decades, but it’ll continue as a street market on Württembergische Strasse right alongside the park.

A standout among Berlin’s newer Turkish dining options, Fes shakes things up by offering Korean-style in-table grills and excellently seasoned kofte, skewers, and more to slap down on them. But don’t get too entranced by the barbecue: The mezze platters are stars in their own right, with silky smooth hummus, tangy cacik, and much more.

While German restaurants can often fry up a solid schnitzel, anyone with passing knowledge of the German-speaking culinary world knows that Austria tends to do it better. This old-school spot in rapidly gentrifying Bergmannkiez certainly backs up that reputation. Pull up a chair at a candlelit table and dive into a perfectly crispy, juicy Wiener schnitzel with potato and cucumber salads. The menu is small, but you can also go for saucy goulash or cheesy spätzle. If you don’t want a schnitzel the size of your face, the menu thoughtfully offers smaller portions too.

Even before you pick up a fork, drink in the impressive dining room at Eins44, a former distillery with white-tiled walls and cavernous ceilings. Fortunately, chef Julius Nowak and team don’t rely on just looks. A small, seasonal menu strikes the perfect balance between casual and fine dining, coming off eminently refined without crossing the line into fussy. The a la carte and tasting menus shift regularly. Expect dishes that capture foraged and farmed flavors of Germany and central Europe, like uber tender venison or earthy morel mushrooms, as well as left-of-center dishes like broccoli with white chocolate and almond cream or potato risotto.

Don’t waste 45 minutes of your life queuing with the tourists at Mustafa’s, home of Berlin’s most famous chicken döner kebab. Instead, hit up the less-touristy Rüyam, which is even better. You’ll get a crispy yet pillowy flatbread filled with tender, well-marinated chicken döner, grilled vegetables, a fistful of fresh herbs, and just a sprinkle of cheese and lemon juice. As with any Berlin döner, choose between sauces like garlic or sesame to top it all off. There’s another location in Prenzlauer Berg.

In a part of the city loaded with Turkish and Syrian food, give some love to one of Berlin’s very few Yemeni restaurants (which expanded to a second location in Moabit, on the north side of town). The cuisine here mixes influences from the Arabian Peninsula, India, and the Horn of Africa into a uniquely hearty selection of dishes. Try a cheese- or meat-stuffed sambosa and the saucy lamb stews, best soaked up with flaky malawah. Or go for the zurbian, a biryani-like dish with slow-cooked meat and creamy yogurt.

Chef Sarah Hallmann’s Michelin-starred restaurant is partly notable for its focus on reforming macho restaurant culture and flattening the kitchen hierarchy. Based on the splendid food here, it’s working. The tasting menu varies, but often balances earthy local produce with nods to Japan in ingredients like yuzu and nori. Opt for the six-course tasting menu, or show up without a reservation for access to a small bistro menu if you don’t want to commit.