Berlin is a great destination for expats, with plenty of multinationals and startups offering engineering, technology, legal and creative roles across the city. Once settled into the city, having navigated the complex bureaucracy around moving and renting a property, you can take the time to enjoy the good value, high quality of life and other benefits of the historic destination.

Even better, Berlin doesn’t even make it in the top 10 expat destinations, so your days should not be full of other Brits moaning about the weather, a lack of spoken English or looking for a cooked breakfast. Even the plentiful German kebab houses, selling moreish fluffy pitta bread and higher-quality ingredients, would probably get a dirty look from most Brits.

“Ich Bin Ein Berliner,” And I’m Hungry

When it comes to eating out, there are a huge number of Berlin restaurants offering more than just doughnuts (if you’re familiar with the urban legend of President JFK’s infamous reference). Not only does eating out help you improve your German language skills, essential for fully integrating into the culture, but you can find all manner of fine local foods and global cuisine in this booming foodie scene.

Destination number one should be the Kreuzberg market hall (Markthalle Neun) where the world comes to buy and sell food and eat it on the spot. Street food Thursday is populated by traditional and fusion chefs performing all kinds of wonders with Indian, Asian, Japanese and other foods.

Kreuzberg is great as it won’t dent your wallet but is also good for watching food being prepared and enjoyed with many others crammed into the pop-up diners. And you can pick up your own fresh food for home.

Berlin’s Latest Foodie Restaurants To Start Your Day

Dialling the foodie-o-meter up a notch, more sophisticated dining is enjoyed across Berlin, with new restaurants popping up regularly to meet the culinary needs of the near-four million residents to start their day.

Recent additions that foodies should visit include Ari’s (also in Kreuzberg) bringing the flavours of Peru to Germany. From a Peruvian chicken salad sandwich to ceviche on the weekends and Pollo a la Brasa on a Sunday, there’s always something different and exciting for all tastes.

Eggjoy in Wrangelkiez mixes Korean and American flavours for brunch, making it a great place for meetings and business catering. From green eggs to eggs royal or Waldorf salad, the focus on eggs done very well makes Eggjoy a great place to start your day with fine teas and coffees.

Heading to Berlin’s Top Tables

Come dinner and the night, Das Rutz is one of the best places to be seen dining out in Berlin with a fresh menu focused on nature and aroma, including springwater trout, nasturtium and rabbit, and a signature dish of matured/dried beef and wild mushrooms, served with lichen.
Rutz is also home to Marcus Muller’s Edgy Veggie menu offering delights like sunflower tofu, sand carrot and cheese doughnuts.

You should definitely also visit Almi Bistro located in Prenzlauer Berg, with a short but focused menu on seasonal dishes. Current offerings include pan-fried stone bass with fennel purée, octopus with romesco and potato cream, perhaps with a tonka bean cheesecake to finish.

Whether you are a digital nomad, working with your laptop across the streets, always looking for a new nibble. Or an executive looking to escape the office or your flat to make new friends, Berlin is a great place for expats to eat out and talk over fine food without some of the price tags of other European major cities.

Morning, noon and night, there is always some new food to discover, hopping on the U-Bahn and S-Bahn to expand your horizons across the city and beyond. And yes, at any time you can grab a tasty currywurst or bratwurst to fill a hole with Kartoffelpuffers (crispy potato pancakes) served with applesauce or pretzels making a great snack.

Wherever you end up in Berlin, you can always guarantee a good meal and food is always a great way to make friends and start a conversation, no matter what level of German you speak.