In Berlin, you can also enjoy a delicious meal at a low price. Firstly, of course, there are the Berlin classics of kebab and currywurst. But Berlin wouldn't be Berlin if you couldn't eat your way around the world for just a few euros: whether it's home cooking, dolce vita or Asian cuisine, schnitzel or vegan - the capital has the right restaurant for every taste. You can also eat cheaply in the city's canteens - and mingle with students or political celebrities.
Our 11 insider tips for eating out for under 11 euros. Of course, there are many more - and we look forward to your tips!
Tip 1: Enjoy Norwegian cuisine & Swedish cinnamon buns at Felleshus
If you love Nordic cuisine, there's no way around the canteen at Felleshus. Head chef Kenneth Gjerrud, who also runs the Norwegian restaurant Munch's Hus and the Nordic tapas bar Skål, cooks up Nordic and international cuisine, including fish and a vegetarian dish every day. Try smørrebrød and pastries from the café team of the Swedish Church in Berlin in the coffee bar. We'll just say cinnamon buns. When the weather is nice, you can also sit on the terrace. There are also often exhibitions in the Nordic Embassies.
When:
- Canteen: Monday to Friday 1 - 3 pm (until 1 pm only embassy staff)
- Coffee bar: Monday to Friday 9 am - 4.30 pm, Saturday & Sunday 11 am - 4 pm
Where: Rauchstraße 1, Tiergarten
Tip 2: Put together your own menu in the TU Mensa
The great thing about the TU Mensa in Hardenbergstraße is the wide selection. Every day there are various starters (such as hummus, glass noodle salad, kimchi from 1.95 euros), soups and several main courses from yeast dumplings to curry sausage, goulash and pizza to Indian vegetable ragout and Thai coconut soup (2 to 5 euros). If that's not enough, you can get extra side dishes. And of course there is also a large selection of desserts, from classic chocolate pudding to vegan delicacies.
When: Monday to Friday 8 a.m. - 2.30 p.m., lunch from 11 a.m
Where: Hardenbergstraße 34, Charlottenburg
Tip 3: Lunch in the Joseph Roth Diele
In the rustic parlour of the Joseph Roth Diele, a hearty lunch is served from Monday to Friday for 6.45 euros. There are always two dishes to choose from, including a vegan/vegetarian one. Spaetzle, chicken fricassee, sliced meat, quiche, pumpkin soup, eggs in mustard sauce - home-style comfort food.
When: Tuesday to Friday 10 am - 10 pm
Where: Potsdamer Straße 75, Mitte
Tip 4: Canteen Rotes Rathaus - Berlin's political celebrities dine here
The staff of the Senate Chancellery dine here - and you might even bump into the Governing Mayor. But even without a celebrity visit, the canteen in the historic vaulted cellar of the Rotes Rathaus is well worth a visit. The atmosphere is dignified, the lunch is reasonably priced, healthy and balanced. There is also a vegetarian option every day. Stews are available from 4.50 euros, ragout or larger main courses cost around 8 - 10 euros.
When: monday to Friday 8.30 - 10.30 (breakfast) and 11.30-14.30 (lunch, last admission 14.00)
Where: Jüdenstraße 1, Mitte
Tip 5: Ribisels Kantine Stresemann - menu with climate score
Ribisels Kantine Stresemann in the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection welcomes you with a changing weekly menu. The menu offers home-style German cuisine, i.e. salad (from 4.90 euros), soup (from 4.20 euros) and a traditional (slightly more expensive with meat/fish) or vegetarian (unfortunately not always vegan) option for the main course (from 9.90 euros). You can also see how climate-friendly your lunch at this sustainable restaurant isfrom the climate score on the menu.
When: Monday to Friday, 8 am - 4 pm
Where: Stresemannstraße 128-130, Mitte
Tip 6: Burgermeister - the snack bar in the toilet block
It all started under the elevated railway at Schlesisches Tor: together with a friend, today's "Burgermeister" discovered the listed toilet block and did everything he could to be allowed to use it. He battled with the authorities and mould for three years until the first Burgermeister served delicious grilled burgers in the former toilet block in 2006. The unusual snack bar quickly became a cult favourite. Today, there are ten branches of the Berlin Burgermeister - and the burgers still taste just as delicious as they did back then. The burgers cost from 6.10 euros up to 11.60 euros for the master of all classes with two patties and five extras included.
When: from 11 / 11.30 am until late at night
Where: Schlesisches Tor, Oberbaumstraße 8, Kreuzberg; also at Kottbusser Tor, Bahnhof Zoo, Potsdamer Platz, Alexanderplatz and Schönhauser Allee 45, Prenzlauer Berg; Warschauer Straße 65, Friedrichshain; Konstanzer Straße 1, Wilmersdorf, Mehringdamm 39 in Kreuzberg, Schloßstraße 117, Steglitz
Tip 7: A guest of Bertolt Brecht in the Berliner Ensemble canteen
And another canteen. This one takes you into the world of theatre in Berlin. Directly in the backyard of the Berliner Ensemble, a few steps lead down to the cosy dining room. Home-style cooking, stew and soup are served, complemented by a salad bar. For dessert or afternoon coffee, there are freshly baked cakes from the cake counter - plus Italian coffee specialities. Perfect for a stop-off before or after an evening at the theatre - or simply in between.
When: Monday to Friday 10 a.m. - midnight, Saturday & Sunday 2 p.m. - midnight
Where: Bertolt-Brecht-Platz 1, Mitte
Tip 8: Dine at Café Vielfalt Amtsgericht
Behind the venerable walls of the Tiergarten district court you will find Café Vielfalt. The bright, spacious canteen offers a healthy and affordable lunch menu, with one vegetarian and one vegan option for 6.90 euros. The meat/fish option costs one euro more. You will also find salads, desserts and snacks in the chiller cabinets, as well as a coffee bar.
Tip: The canteen in the district court at Hallesches Tor also offers a tasty and affordable lunch (around 6 euros). Please note that you will need to identify yourself at the entrance.
When: Monday to Friday 7 am - 3 pm
Where: Turmstraße 91, Tiergarten
Tip 9: Lunch in style at the Chipperfield canteen
Not far from the KW Institute for Contemporary Art , you'll find a real insider tip for design and food lovers hidden in a Berlin backyard: the Chipperfield Kantine by the architectural firm of the same name. Here, the minimalist design of star architect David Chipperfield meets seasonal, Mediterranean-inspired cuisine. Organic vegetables saved by Querfeld are prepared, always fresh and creative. Bread, meat and fish come directly from Brandenburg. Dishes are available from 8.80 euros, large salad bowls from 11.50 euros.
When: Monday to Friday 9 am - 4.30 pm, lunch 12 pm - 2 pm (please book in advance)
Where: Joachimstraße 11, Mitte
Tip 10: Sustainable dining & debating in the taz canteen
The taz Kantine is a café, restaurant, bar and meeting place all in one. In addition to debating material, the publisher's canteen also provides you with fresh food and drinks - from morning to early evening. Especially at lunchtime, there are a variety of dishes such as vegan curries, pasta with beetroot pesto or hearty stews. Large salads, soups and pasta are available for less than 10 euros, while main courses can cost a little more. On the other hand, you can treat yourself to cheap currywurst (also vegan), chips and cake in the afternoon until 7 pm.
Tip: In the evenings, taz invites you to free debates and readings on current political topics in the canteen almost every day.
When: Monday to Friday 8 am - 7.30 pm (breakfast 8 am - 11 am, lunch from 12 noon, afternoon 3 pm - 7 pm)
Where: Friedrichstraße 21, Kreuzberg
Tip 11: Lunch with a view in the Stabi canteen
Lunch break with a panoramic view? In the canteen of the State Library on Potsdamer Straße, you can combine good food with the best location. Freshly renovated, open to all and with a spacious terrace with a view of the Kulturforum and Potsdamer Platz, you can eat here centrally, inexpensively and with the best views of Berlin. Choose between home-style cooking, international cuisine and vegetarian dishes (from 7.50 euros for external guests). There is also a daily soup and dessert menu.
Tip: There is also a Stabi canteen in the Staatsbibliothek Unter den Linden, which is open to the public. Just walk around the fountain and then turn left.
When: Monday to Friday, 11:30-14:30 (both canteens)
Where: Potsdamer Straße 33 (access via the staff entrance on the corner of Eichhornstraße), Tiergarten and Unter den Linden 8, Mitte
Just closed: Food with a view in the TU canteen "Skyline"
The TU canteen is currently closed due to water damage: In the Skyline cafeteria of the Technical University, you can dine on the 20th floor of the Telefunken tower with a fabulous view over the city. The menu includes juicy burgers in all variations. They cost from 6.95 euros to 8.35 euros, and plant-based alternatives are even cheaper. And of course there are also fries and salads. Mingle with the student crowd and go easy on your wallet.
When: Lunch from 11.30 am - 2.30 pm
Where: Ernst-Reuter-Platz 7, Charlottenburg
