Best Mexican Food in Berlin

One of the certainties of spending time in Berlin is that you will eventually have a conversation about where to find the best Mexican food. Expats loudly proclaim that they know the most authentic restaurant and that the old resort you’ve been to is just a poor Tex-Mex knockoff.

While you can make a meal yourself (with the help of these specialty stores), some days you just want the best tortillas in town or you really can’t spend another time without the habanero heat.

These eight Mexican restaurants in Berlin will revive your faith in the city’s international cuisine. While I declare these to be the best, it is inevitable that other experts in town will have their own favorites to add to the mix. Agree or disagree, enjoy trying my favorites.

01
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Santa Maria

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+49 30 92210027

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Hours : 12:00 – afternoon

Prepare for this popular little restaurant to have capacity for all hours. Its convenient location on Oranienstraße allows virgins of Mexican food to roam and find a taste of Mexico City deep within Kreuzberg. Devotees travel near and far for his street food classics from Mexican chef Ramses Manneck.

As you exit the street into the bar and small dining area, you’ll be soaked up by the colorful decor of Dia de Muertos skeletons and cheerfully chopped dishes. It’s easy to forget that you are still in Germany… especially considering this has become an American mecca and English is spoken just as comfortably as German.

The long-awaited offerings of tacos and burritos are joined by chilaquiles and tortas. Order your spicy habanero sauce and add a margarita to your order for a complete experience, or fight for a seat on Tuesday for 1 euro of Taco. And if you can’t secure a seat, a second location opens up near Warschauer.

02
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Beautiful Maria

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Another option from Chef Manneck is Maria Bonita. Likewise, rustic dining utensils and wrestling decor surround an even smaller space than its bigger, younger sister. This is a place to order over the counter, pick up available hot sauces, gobble up, and go out. Not only are the seats limited, the lack of a restroom is a good reason to move on after a couple of beers .

The service here is fast and dirty, in a good way. A small open kitchen reveals the inner workings of northern Mexican cuisine. The best feature of the small menu are the tacos, wrapped in handmade corn tortillas and accompanied by limes and pico de gallo .

03
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Pains

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+49 30 28099597

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Hours : 11:30 – 22:00

Some people will argue that this is just a Chiptole scam or that it is clearly Mission style food (like in San Francisco) not authentically Mexican. What can be said is that this place to order your own burrito has recently celebrated its 10th anniversary and continues to generate new outlets in the city. Those who hate be damned. Dolores is here to stay.

The space is bright and welcoming, if it is inevitably crowded. Orders ship quickly and turnover is high so if you are keeping an eye on the tables while you ponder the possibilities and you should take a seat as soon as your number hits the board. Sit outside on rickety picnic benches for a great view of the Fernsehturm . For ease, you can call with pre-orders, ideal for this busy lunch area right off Alexanderplatz (with a second location now open in Schöneberg).

Look for very lost ingredients, like Monterrey jack cheese and homemade tortillas. Hands down the best chips in Berlin. So get inventive with the menu. Burrito (jumbo size), quesadilla or burrito bowl? Black beans or green rice? Smoked peanut sauce or chipotle mayo?

Authentic? Maybe not. Tasty? Absolutely.

04
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Short

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+49 30 30368730

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Hours : Monday to Thursday 12:00 – 22:00; Friday and Saturday 12:00 – 23:00; Sunday 12:00 – 21:00

This restaurant follows the theme of quirky decor, small interior (expanding to several outside tables in good weather), and counter service. Several special items are offered, but selective ones can order the food little by little like Dolores.

There are three homemade hot sauces (salsa verde, chipoltle, and habanero) to top the succulent meats, nopales (cactus), and various vegan options. This is no frills, totally delicious Mexican food. Monday through Friday, early diners are rewarded with two for five margaritas, but sadly, no bath.

If you want to improve your home game, buy some corn tortillas and habanero sauce to take home.

05
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I do not speak Spanish

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Telephone

+49 30 95609351

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Hours : 12:00 – 23:00

This playful burrito prides itself that everything is fresh and organic. Mexican take-out offerings will be familiar to most Americans, or try something different like an Indian curry or tofu burrito. Play the German game of Schnick, Schnak, Schnook (rock, paper, scissors) on certain days to pay half.

06
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Ta’Cabrón Taquería

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Telephone

+49 30 32662439

Hours : Monday to Thursday from 1:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday 12:00 – afternoon

Now firmly established as one of Berlin’s most authentic Mexican restaurants, Ta’Cabrón took a while to find its clientele. It started with Joaqín Robredo and his determination to reshape Berlin’s lamentable Mexican food scene. From the crowds of devoted followers, it seems this has been a success.

The menu is in Spanish (with counter service in German, English or Spanish) and channels Herr Robredo’s home cooking from Culiacán in the northwest corner of Mexico. Look for the shrimp (shrimp) in addition to the carnitas and chicken.

07
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Atomic Tortilla

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Telephone

+49 30 61073473

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Once the only beacon of Mexican authenticity in Berlin, La Tortilla Atomica was only available by special order and delivery. Luckily for us, they now have a booth at Markthalle Neun’s Street Food Thursdays. They are easy to identify by the long lines and people walking away, staring avidly at their newly purchased tacos.