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Food tours in Berlin: what to eat and which tour to book
Berlin is not a city of grand regional cooking; it eats cheaply, late and from many places at once. The local classics are currywurst from an Imbiss stand, Buletten (meat patties), Eisbein and Königsberger Klopse in old Berlin pubs, and jam doughnuts that Berliners call Pfannkuchen. Just as important are the dishes brought by Turkish, Vietnamese and Middle Eastern communities: the döner kebab as it is sold today took shape in West Berlin, and Kreuzberg, Neukölln and Lichtenberg have some of the best-value eating in Germany. Prices are still lower than in Munich or most Western European capitals.
Use this page to choose what to eat and where: the dishes, markets and neighbourhoods below say what each does well and when to go. The tours listed are real GetYourGuide listings, with prices as we saw them when we checked; prices and times change, so confirm on the booking page before you pay.
What to eat in Berlin
| Dish | What it is | Where to eat it | Typical price* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Currywurst | Sliced pork sausage (with or without skin, 'mit/ohne Darm') under a ketchup-and-curry-powder sauce, usually with fries or a bread roll. Invented in Berlin in 1949. | Imbiss stands across the city, including the long-running stands under the U-Bahn tracks at Eberswalder Straße (Prenzlauer Berg) and on Mehringdamm (Kreuzberg). | roughly €3.50–5 for the sausage, €6–8 with fries |
| Döner kebab Döner | Flatbread filled with spit-roasted veal, chicken or lamb, salad, sauces and often feta. The vegetable-heavy version with roasted vegetables is a Kreuzberg speciality; dürüm is the wrapped version. | Kebab shops everywhere, densest in Kreuzberg, Neukölln and Wedding. | roughly €6–9; prices have risen sharply in recent years |
| Berlin doughnut Pfannkuchen (elsewhere 'Berliner') | Yeast doughnut filled with jam (often plum or raspberry) and dusted with sugar. Traditional on New Year's Eve and at Carnival but sold all year in bakeries. | Bakeries (Bäckerei) all over the city. | roughly €1.50–3 each |
| Meat patty Bulette | Berlin's name for a fried pork-and-beef patty (Frikadelle), eaten cold or warm with mustard and a roll, or with potato salad. | Butchers' counters, Imbiss stands and old-style Berlin pubs (Kneipen). | roughly €3–5 on a roll; €10–14 as a pub plate with potato salad |
| Pork knuckle Eisbein | Boiled cured pork knuckle served with sauerkraut, pease pudding (Erbspüree) and potatoes. Berlin's version is boiled rather than roasted as in Bavaria. | Traditional Berlin restaurants and pubs, especially in Mitte, Charlottenburg and Prenzlauer Berg. | roughly €18–26 a plate |
| Meatballs in caper sauce Königsberger Klopse | Poached veal or pork meatballs in a creamy white sauce with capers, served with boiled potatoes and beetroot. Originally East Prussian, very popular in Berlin and the former East. | Traditional German restaurants and pubs. | roughly €14–20 a plate |
| Vietnamese pho and banh mi Phở / bánh mì | Berlin has a large Vietnamese community, many of whom came to East Germany as contract workers; Vietnamese restaurants are a normal part of everyday eating. | Vietnamese restaurants in Mitte, Prenzlauer Berg and Friedrichshain; Dong Xuan Center in Lichtenberg for a wholesale-market experience. | roughly €12–16 for a bowl of pho; €6–9 for a banh mi |
| Turkish breakfast and gözleme Kahvaltı / gözleme | Spreads of cheese, olives, eggs, honey and bread, or thin griddled flatbreads filled with spinach, cheese or meat, made by hand. | Turkish cafés in Kreuzberg and Neukölln, and gözleme stands at the Maybachufer market. | roughly €4–6 for gözleme; €12–20 per person for a breakfast spread |
Where to eat: markets and neighbourhoods
Markthalle Neun (Kreuzberg)
Restored 19th-century market hall on Eisenbahnstraße with bakers, butchers, a small daily market and cafés. Its Street Food Thursday evening brings dozens of stalls and is one of the easiest ways to eat across many cuisines in one place.
Turkish Market (Maybachufer, Neukölln)
Long canal-side street market with produce, cheese, olives, bread and gözleme stands at low prices; a real neighbourhood market rather than a show for tourists.
KaDeWe food floor (Schöneberg)
The department store's sixth floor is a large luxury food hall with counters for oysters, sausages, cheese, cakes and champagne; expensive but useful for shopping and a quick meal on the West side.
Kreuzberg and Neukölln
The densest areas for cheap Turkish, Middle Eastern and international food, late-night Imbiss stands, bakeries and bars, around Kottbusser Tor, Oranienstraße, Bergmannstraße and Sonnenallee.
Prenzlauer Berg
Cafés, bakeries and brunch places around Kollwitzplatz, which hosts a weekly farmers' market, plus currywurst under the U-Bahn at Eberswalder Straße and beer gardens in summer.
Dong Xuan Center (Lichtenberg)
Wholesale complex run largely by Vietnamese traders, with halls of Asian groceries and simple Vietnamese restaurants. Not pretty, but a real slice of Berlin life.
Food tours in Berlin compared
Every tour below is a real listing on GetYourGuide or Viator, checked on 2 Oct 2026. Prices move with season and group size, so treat them as a guide and confirm on the booking page.
| Tour | Length | Price* | Group | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berlin Food & Cultural Tour: Must-Try Berliner Classics | 3 hours | from €129 per person | max 10 | Travellers who want to cook the dishes again at home; easiest option for dietary needs, since you control the ingredients. | Check dates |
| Berlin: Downtown Food Tour with 8 Authentic Local Tastings | 3 hours | from €100 per person | — | First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide. | Check dates |
| Berlin: Guided Street Food Tour with Tastings | 3 hours | from €67 per person | max 8 | First-timers on a budget who want to try many cheap dishes in one go. | Check dates |
| Berlin: Berliner Berg Brewery Tour with Beer Tasting | 1.5 hours | from €18 per person | — | First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide. | Check dates |
| Private Berlin Street Food Bike Tour | 3.5 hours | from €650 per group | private | Couples, families or friends who want the route and pace set around them. | Check dates |
| Berlin: Guided Street Food & Cultural Walking Tour | 2.5 hours | from €119 per person | max 10 | First-timers on a budget who want to try many cheap dishes in one go. | Check dates |
Berlin Food & Cultural Tour: Must-Try Berliner Classics
On GetYourGuide · run by Walk With Us Tours
- Length
- 3 hours
- Price
- from €129 per person
- Rating
- 5.0 ★ from 5 reviews (on 2 Oct 2026)
- Group size
- max 10
- Included
- Lunch 6-7 Food tastings, including dessert Learn about the history and multiculturalism of Berlin and Friedrichshain Discover Berlin’s local food scene Recommendations and tips on places to visit and things to do Grea…
- Suits
- Travellers who want to cook the dishes again at home; easiest option for dietary needs, since you control the ingredients.
- Starts
- We will meet in front of Pirates Berlin. 'Zierkirschen am Oberbaum' on Google Maps. Your guide will have a black tote bag with our logo on it - "Walk With Us Tours Berlin"
Berlin: Downtown Food Tour with 8 Authentic Local Tastings
On GetYourGuide · run by Secret Food Tours
- Length
- 3 hours
- Price
- from €100 per person
- Rating
- 4.9 ★ from 397 reviews (on 2 Oct 2026)
- Suits
- First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide.
Berlin: Guided Street Food Tour with Tastings
On GetYourGuide · run by NO DIET CLUB
- Length
- 3 hours
- Price
- from €67 per person
- Rating
- 4.8 ★ from 397 reviews (on 2 Oct 2026)
- Group size
- max 8
- Included
- Walking tour Guide At least 5 tastings
- Suits
- First-timers on a budget who want to try many cheap dishes in one go.
- Starts
- Meet your guide in front of The Sanctuary bakery on Torstraße.
Berlin: Berliner Berg Brewery Tour with Beer Tasting
On GetYourGuide · run by Berliner Berg
- Length
- 1.5 hours
- Price
- from €18 per person
- Rating
- 4.8 ★ from 185 reviews (on 2 Oct 2026)
- Included
- Brewery tour Tour guide Tasting of 5 beers Discount on beer purchases
- Suits
- First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide.
- Starts
- *
Private Berlin Street Food Bike Tour
On GetYourGuide · run by Fat Tire Tours - Berlin
- Length
- 3.5 hours
- Price
- from €650 per group
- Rating
- 4.9 ★ from 42 reviews (on 2 Oct 2026)
- Group size
- private
- Included
- Comfortable city-cruiser style bike Food at our favorite local spots Helmet (provided but optional) Experienced, English-speaking guide Climb to the top of the Zionskirche tower for a great view All food ordered by yo…
- Suits
- Couples, families or friends who want the route and pace set around them.
- Starts
- At the Unlimited Biking (Formerly) Fat Tire Tours Office at the base of the giant TV Tower (Fernsehturm) in Berlin's Alexanderplatz.
Berlin: Guided Street Food & Cultural Walking Tour
On GetYourGuide · run by Walk With Us Tours
- Length
- 2.5 hours
- Price
- from €119 per person
- Rating
- 4.8 ★ from 8 reviews (on 2 Oct 2026)
- Group size
- max 10
- Included
- 4 - 5 Food tastings, including dessert (vegan options available) German beer / water / non-alcoholic beverages History and culture of Berlin Discover Berlin’s international food scene Recommendations and tips on place…
- Suits
- First-timers on a budget who want to try many cheap dishes in one go.
- Starts
- Pappelallee 2, 10437 Berlin, Germany
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Street food, sit-down or a cooking class?
Street food
Berlin street food is Imbiss food: currywurst, döner, Buletten and fries from stands and small shops, plus market food at Markthalle Neun and the Maybachufer. It is cheap and available until late, especially in Kreuzberg and Neukölln. Many smaller places are still cash-only, so carry some euros.
Sit-down meals
Old Berlin pubs and restaurants serve Eisbein, Königsberger Klopse, Schnitzel and potato soups with beer; portions are large. Much of Berlin's best value is in Vietnamese, Turkish, Middle Eastern and Indian restaurants. Restaurants around Checkpoint Charlie, Unter den Linden and the Brandenburg Gate are mostly aimed at tourists. Book ahead for popular places at weekends.
Cooking classes
Cooking classes in Berlin tend to cover German dishes such as Spätzle and Schnitzel, or international cuisines that reflect the city, such as Turkish or Vietnamese. Check what you will cook and whether drinks and the meal are included before booking.
How much to budget for food
| Style | Per person, per day* |
|---|---|
| Budget (street food, markets) | about €25–35 (bakery breakfast, döner or currywurst, a cheap Vietnamese or Turkish dinner) |
| Mid-range (one sit-down meal a day) | about €55–80 (café brunch, a restaurant dinner with beer or wine) |
| Splurge (tasting menus, wine) | €180+ (tasting menu with wine pairing) |
Vegetarian, halal and gluten-free
Vegetarian & vegan: Easy. Berlin is one of Europe's easiest cities for vegetarians and vegans, with many fully vegan restaurants, vegan döner and currywurst, and plenty of vegetarian Turkish, Middle Eastern and Vietnamese dishes. Traditional German dishes, by contrast, are mostly pork-based.
Halal: Easy in Kreuzberg, Neukölln and Wedding, where many kebab shops, grills, bakeries and Middle Eastern restaurants are halal; ask if in doubt. Traditional German food (currywurst, Eisbein, Buletten, most sausages) is pork, and gravies may contain pork.
Gluten-free: Moderate. Many cafés and vegan places label gluten-free ('glutenfrei') options, and Vietnamese rice-noodle dishes can work if you ask about soy sauce. Döner bread, Pfannkuchen, Schnitzel and most German sauces contain gluten, and Imbiss fryers are shared.
Food scams and tourist traps to avoid
- Restaurants around Checkpoint Charlie, Unter den Linden, Alexanderplatz and the Brandenburg Gate with picture menus and high prices for ordinary German food. Eat a few streets away, or head to Kreuzberg, Prenzlauer Berg or Charlottenburg for better value.
- Being charged for water: restaurants rarely serve free tap water and bottled water can cost €5–8 a bottle. Ask for 'Leitungswasser' (tap water); some places will bring it, others may refuse or charge a little. Check the price of bottled water before ordering.
- Cash-only places that do not say so until the bill, leading to expensive ATM withdrawals from independent machines that charge high fees. Ask 'Kann ich mit Karte zahlen?' before ordering, carry some cash, and use bank ATMs rather than standalone machines; decline the currency conversion offer.
- Dynamic currency conversion on card terminals for non-euro cards. Always choose to pay in euros.
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Staying near the markets saves time and taxi money — most food tours start in the old centre.
Common questions
Do I need to tip in Berlin?
Tipping is expected in sit-down restaurants and cafés: round up or add about 5–10%. In Germany you usually tell the server the total you want to pay when they bring the bill (for example 'Zwanzig, bitte' for a €18 bill), rather than leaving money on the table. At Imbiss stands and counters nothing is expected. On food tours, around €5–10 per person is a normal thank-you.
Is street food in Berlin safe?
Yes. Imbiss stands and kebab shops are inspected and most sell in large volumes, so turnover is high. Choose busy places, and make sure döner meat is cooked through at the edges where it is cut. Tap water in Berlin is safe to drink.
How much should I budget for food per day?
Berlin is still good value. On a budget, about €25–35 covers a bakery breakfast, a döner or currywurst, and a cheap Vietnamese or Turkish dinner. A mid-range day with brunch and a restaurant dinner with a drink is about €55–80. Tasting menus at well-known restaurants start around €120–200 before drinks.
Are shops and markets open on Sundays?
Most shops and supermarkets in Germany are closed on Sundays, and Markthalle Neun is closed too. Restaurants, cafés, bakeries (for limited hours), Imbiss stands and shops in some main railway stations stay open. Plan market visits for weekdays or Saturday, and check hours on public holidays.
Can I pay by card everywhere?
No. Card acceptance has improved, but many small cafés, Imbiss stands, bakeries and older pubs still take cash only, or only German debit cards. Carry €30–50 in cash, ask before ordering, and use bank ATMs rather than independent machines with high fees.
Should I book food tours or restaurants in advance?
In summer and at weekends, book small-group food tours a few days ahead. Popular restaurants, especially in Kreuzberg, Mitte and Prenzlauer Berg, often need a reservation for Friday and Saturday evenings. Mention dietary needs when you book; Berlin handles vegetarian and vegan requests easily.
* Prices are approximate, gathered on 2 Oct 2026 from menus, markets and the booking pages linked above. They change with season and exchange rates.