Sustainable Eating in Berlin

Eating sustainably in Berlin means endless possibilities. It has never been so easy to try something new and take the first steps towards more sustainability. Whether you want to make a permanent change or just go meat-free and animal-free every now and then - from breakfast to lunch to dessert, you can easily have a vegan day in Berlin.

Vegan and vegetarian breakfast

With these three tips, it is not difficult to start the day meat-free and without animal products. Breakfast doesn't feel like a sacrifice at all. The keeping of animals for the production of meat and other animal products produces many times more CO2 than vegan and vegetarian products and uses significantly more drinking water. Eating meat-free permanently or as often as possible is therefore a real quick fix for more sustainability!

Our recommendations:

FREA Bakery: Here, breakfast is vegan and produces particularly little waste. FREA works according to the motto "Full taste, zero waste". The bakery is an offshoot of the popular restaurant of the same name, which has been awarded a green Michelin star.

Geh Veg: In addition to savoury and sweet vegan breakfasts, there is a large selection of smoothies and shakes. All spreads are homemade and even cakes and bread are baked at Geh Veg. 

Haferkater: Porridge with various toppings - vegan breakfast doesn't get any tastier or easier than this. The basis for the porridge is German oats from controlled cultivation. The original Berlin bakery is dedicated to sustainable business practices.

Local and seasonal

Another important factor is the processing of seasonal and local food. The best combination is vegan or vegetarian food and local products to minimise long transport routes. A nice side effect is also the strengthening of local farmers and traders.

Our recommendations:

Café Nullpunkt: The vegan café has a comprehensive sustainability concept that starts with certified organic, seasonal food and includes composting and recycling.

Mutter Fourage: Perfect for a trip to Wannsee - the farm with its culture barn, gallery, nursery and deli is complemented by its beautiful café. Here you can have breakfast, lunch and cake, and most of the products come from regional producers.

Bonvivant: The Bonvivant's refined vegetarian-vegan food selection is complemented by cocktail compositions. Not only with the food, but also with the ingredients of the mixed drinks, attention is paid to the origin of the products.

International cuisine

Berlin is known for its vibrant, international food culture. Fortunately, most cultures have delicious, vegan and vegetarian dishes. So it is not difficult to consider the issue of sustainability. Many Berlin gastronomes find a good balance of exotic ingredients and regional products.

Our recommendations:

Oukan Dining: Inspired by Buddhist temple food, the focus here is on mindfulness. From the selection of purely plant-based ingredients to the design concept of the restaurant and the different ways of preparing the food, everything feels like a holistic meditative ritual.

Satyam: The vegan and vegetarian dishes of the Indian restaurant follow the teachings of Ayurvedic cuisine. Berlin's first Shiva and Ganesha temple is located in the backyard. A highlight is the purely vegetarian-vegan buffet for Sunday brunch.

Momos: Clever concept around vegetarian dumplings in eight different flavours, accompanied by aromatic dips.

Fine Dining

If you're looking for upscale vegan alternatives, don't look far in Berlin. A full eight restaurants in the capital hold green Michelin stars, some in addition to their conventional stars. We have already introduced FREA above, but every single one of the award-winning restaurants inspires with creative, sustainable cuisine.

More recommendations for green star cuisine in Berlin:

TISK: The ingredients used come from the restaurant's own farm in Brandenburg, and true to the "farm to table" concept, sustainability is a top priority. TISK is a bit more rustic and focuses on young urban cuisine.

Nobelhart & Schmutzig: Guests are very close to the sustainable star dishes being conjured up for them here thanks to an open-plan concept. The restaurant describes its concept as "brutally local".

Horváth: High-quality regional ingredients are the key to the creative flavour compositions. Vegetables take centre stage and are the star of the show.

Vegan desserts

When we think of cakes and desserts, we often find it hard to imagine vegan alternatives. Luckily, creative bakers, patissiers and patissière have come up with stunning alternatives that leave no dessert dream unfulfilled.

Our recommendations:

Brammibal's: The donut company founded in Berlin has now achieved cult status. The vegan donuts taste better than their traditionally produced counterparts. An absolute must for vegan and non-vegan sweet tooths.

Chimneys: Baumstriezel are taken to a new level here. The vegan, sugary dough rolls from Chimneys in various flavours are additionally filled with ice cream and sauces and topped with garnishes. In addition, there are dreamy vegan cookies and opulent cinnamon buns.

You can find more tips here: Sustainable restaurants and vegetarian and vegan cuisine.