Several restaurants in Ossi (East) have just stayed long enough to get back in fashion, while others lead the charge Ostalgie (combination of the German words for “east” and “nostalgia”). Sharpen your knife and whet your appetite for the best East German restaurants in Berlin.
01
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To the last instance
Direction
Waisenstraße 14-16, 10179 Berlin, GermanyGet directions
Telephone
+49 30 2425528
Web
Visit the website
Opened in 1621 in a building built in the 13th century, this two-story Kneipe (bar) and restaurant has served illustrious patrons such as Napoleon, Charlie Chaplin and Jack Nicholson. Located near the old city center, Nikoleiviertel, there is an atmosphere of Gemütlichkeit encased in the wood paneled walls. There are great dishes and great appetites for classic Berlin food. Try the elegant Eisbein (pork leg) with Rieslingkraut (Riesling ribeye ), erbspüree (pea puree) and Rauchspeck (smoked bacon).
Address : Waisenstraße 14-16, 10179 Berlin.
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Ostalgie
Offering Futtern wie ‘bei Muttern’ (food as good as Mama’s), this restaurant offers a bite of home for former East Berliners. For everyone else, their handwritten menu with dishes like Tote Oma (Dead Grandma) will invite you to a different time.
Address : Scherenbergstr. 27, 10439 Berlin
03
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Café Sibylle
Direction
Karl-Marx-Allee 72, 10243 Berlin, GermanyGet directions
Telephone
+49 30 32665101
Located on the iconic Karl-Marx-Allee, Café Sibylle and its history are part of the city’s most historic boulevard. Original East Berlin furniture, DDR propaganda posters and even a mustache piece from the Stalin statue adorn the cafe with a small museum documenting the history of the area. The coffee is best for kaffee und kuchen (coffee and cake) and satisfies the Germans’ obsession with ice cream in summer.
Address : Karl-Marx-Allee 72, 10243 Berlin
04
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Wilhelm Hoeck 1892
Direction
Wilmersdorfer Str. 149, 10585 Berlin, GermanyGet directions
Telephone
+49 30 34509848
Web
Visit the website
As you can guess from its name, Wilhelm Hoeck opened in 1892 and has been serving Berlin ever since. Artifacts from great stories, such as a founder’s son championship paddle at the 1932 Olympics and World War II shrapnel embedded in the bar, line the wall.
Order the Blutwurst (blood sausage). I had my first bites here and I don’t think anything else is up to the task. Marcus Benser produces it in Neukölln and has been honored for his efforts by the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Goûte Boudin, a French culinary organization.
Address : Wilmersdorfer Straße 149, 10585 Berlin.
05
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Stadtklause
Direction
Bernburger Str. 35, 10963 Berlin, GermanyGet directions
Telephone
+49 30 51056381
This traditional Kneipe built in 1845 also serves a bustling crowd at lunchtime. By shouting ” Mahlzeit !” (Mealtime) At the entrance, the place fills with workers and then fills their bellies with one of the two daily lunch plates. Expect a stew or soup with good German bread or something with pork and potatoes or cabbage.
In addition to the food, the place was known as the lair of the late Bruno S., an artist, actor and beloved performer from Berlin. He had a permanent place in Stadtklause and frequently showed up to perform.
Address : Bernburger Str. 35 in Kreuzberg
06
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Marjellchen
Direction
Mommsenstraße 9, 10629 Berlin, GermanyGet directions
Telephone
+49 30 8832676
Web
Visit the website
Good dinner
4.3 4.3
This is Oma’s house totally elegant. Specializing in East Prussian dishes, this place (like most places that offer East German cuisine) is a vegetarian nightmare. There is the mandatory Königsberger Klopse and goulash, as well as common substitutions for more expensive meats like falscher gänsebraten ( fake goose / really pork).
Address : Mommsenstraße 9, 10629 Berlin
