We recommend the following, mostly local, restaurants, shops, and places of interest. For all local news, reviews, etc., the KREUZBERGER CHRONIK is an excellent source (natürlich auf Deutsch).


AIRPORT TEMPELHOF The mother of all airports, according to Norman Foster. Not worth having, according to some Berlin politicians and now officially closed. Main location of the Berlin air lift (Luftbrücke).

AUSTRIA  Austrian Restaurant, *excellent* Wiener Schnitzel, late kitchen. Book in advance. Opposite the Italian restaurant Fratelli Bionda, which isn't good any more. Not to be confused with Felix Austria, opposite the Markthalle. Bergmannstrasse 30, 6944440

BAHLSEN factory outlet of this major German cookie producer. Not too good to be true, but only the broken cookies are really cheap (5E for a big big box). Oberlandstrasse 52-63, by car only. HERE

BARCOMI  Bagels, many varieties of fresh home-roasted coffee. Expect to wait a second or three. Bergmannstrasse 21. Open till 22H.691 26 40

BEUMER & LUTUM  Best bakery in town (well, new competitor see SOLUNA). Organic and all that. Welcome to German Bread. Zossener Str. 34

CHAMISSOPLATZ Great playground for kids, organic groceries market every Saturday morning. Classic of Kreuzberg savoir-vivre.

CURRYWURST Sausage, Ketchup, Curry powder. Weird, but addictive. Try them at Curry 36, Mehringdamm 36. Closes at around 4am.

DOCURA  Sweets. Not of any, but of many kinds. Includes some Berlin products that are very suitable gifts, provided you buy enough of them. Zossener Str. 20, Tel. 81797399.

DIMOKRITOS  Local Greek restaurant. Good fresh food. Obscenely large portions. Do not order starter AND main course for normal adults unless you want to take a doggy bag. The waiters will assist you. Number of free ouzo shots varies from one to four a night (per person, that is). Predictably quite busy. Arndtstrasse 12, Tel. 6922683.

EINSTEIN, CAFE  Now has several branches in town, but the original, and the only to be recommended here, is in Kurfürstenstr 58 (Schöneberg). Vienna in Berlin. Einstein's summer house in Caputh, near Potsdam, could also be interesting.

FLEA MARKETS  There is a flea market every Saturday (ca 10-16) on Marheinekeplatz, a less interesting one on Sundays. Also good are the markets on Arkonaplatz in Prenzlauer Berg, on Sundays (more 'Berlin'-typical stuff, but more expensive), and in front of the Rathaus Schöneberg (Saturdays and Sundays).

GOLGATHA  Kreuzberg's beer garden, in VIKTORIAPARK. Enter from Dudenstrasse, walk towards west, then into the park just before the sports ground. If you enter the park  from a different direction, ask anyone for directions. Closes at 6am.

GROBER UNFUG  Cartoons, any genre. Zossener Strasse 32-33, Tel. 69401490.

GROCERIES  Local shopping is at Kaiser's (open till midnight) and Plus (Bergmannstrasse 5), and Edeka, Gneisenaustrasse 84.

HAIFISCH BAR  Cocktails, happy hour 20-21 and 1-2 am (5E per cocktail). Off CHAMISSOPLATZ. Arndstrasse 25.

HEIDELBERGER KRUG  The only bar right on CHAMISSOPLATZ. Local legend. Closes at 5am.

JOLO  Indoor playground, from 12 months. Am Tempelhofer Berg 7, Mon-Fri 14-19, Sat/Sun 11-19.

JUNCTION BAR  Daily live music, various genres. Gneisenaustr 18. Tel. 6946602.

KNOFI  An old institution in Bergmannstrasse, the shop specialises in Greek-style dips of all types. Knofi Spezial one of the best to try with the flat bread also sold in the shop. Bergmannstrasse 98, Tel. 6945807

LITERATURHAUS  Not local, but you might be in the area of KuDamm anyway. Fantastically elegant cafe in an old Villa (low key dress fine), somewhat similar to CAFE EINSTEIN. Fasanenstr 23, Tel. 8825414. They have an equally stunning place in Hamburg.

MARKTHALLE  One of the few surviving market halls in Berlin. Recently reopened after a major refurbishment, it offers Bio food products and regional specialities, coffee, ice cream and anything you might want to eat. Many stands double up as take-away restaurants. Must-See for local culture. We recommend the "Vanilleschnitte" (a pastry filled with vanilla-flavoured cream) at the Berliner Kaffee Rösterei, you will be addicted after the first one (erratic availability)! Marheinekeplatz.

MOLINARI & CO  Nice Berlin cafe, run by Italians. Good coffee, even for Italian standards (provided the Italian waiters do it). Also nice pizza and sandwiches. Corner Solmsstrass/Riemannstrasse.

MÖWE IM FELSENKELLER  Not really local, but so good the few readers of this website should know about it. The best draft beer in the world, probably, and it is neither Dutch nor Danish. If you don't think the way a beer is poured makes a difference, this place will teach you. I am serious. Write down your address to show to the cabbie before you get going. Also serves good simple food. Akazienstr. 12 (Schöneberg). 7813437.

PAGODE Thai Self-Service Restaurant. Get menu at the counter (also in English), order, and they will call your number. Very fresh, cheap, no bookings. Bergmannstrasse 88, Tel. 6912640.

SCHWARZES CAFE  At the other end of town, but open 24/7 (well, closed Tuesdays 3am-11am, if you really care). Kantstr. 148 (Charlottenburg).

SOLUNA About ten minutes' walk away, but worth it for the excellent fresh bread - wood fired, stone-based oven, cakes, and oil. Supplies various Michelin-starred restaurants. Gneisenaustrasse 58, Mon-Fri 13-19, Sat 8-16.

SUSHI PLACE  I can't think of the name, but they offer 50% discount till about 17H or so. Quite ok, and cheap, at that time. Bergmannstrasse, between Solmsstrasse and Zossener Strasse.

VIKTORIAPARK The area, Kreuzberg, is named after the monument on top of the highest mountain of Berlin, in the park (to be precise, it is named after the cross at the very top of the monument). Great view of the town. Since April 2008 the Cafe TOMASA in the old Villa at the feet of the Park offers food and drinks all day long. Lovely atmosphere. The beer garden GOLGATHA is nice, once you have found it.

WINTERFELDTPLATZ Great market with fruit, veg, and many other interesting things, on Saturdays. CAFE EINSTEIN is around the corner (Schöneberg).



All phone numbers should be prefixed by 030 when calling from outside of Berlin, and by +4930 when calling from abroad.