Berlin Food Guide: 8 ways to save on dining out
When you visit Berlin, chances are you’re going to eat out a lot. Why? Because there are so many great places to chow down without spending a fortune.
And money-wise dining doesn’t always have to mean eating the same old sausage and pretzels. Following the advice in our Berlin food guide, you’ll quickly realize that with so many diverse options around town, you can try everything from classic German cuisine to kebab sandwiches.
Here are some of our best tips for eating cheap in Berlin.
Related: 12 Simple ways to save on your trip to Berlin
Berlin Food Guide: 8 simple ways to save
1. Avoid restaurants on the main tourist strips
As with any major city, the restaurants and cafés in the center of Berlin’s touristy areas are likely to be overpriced and mostly ho-hum as far as the food goes. If you want to go a little easier on your wallet, it’s important to get off these main strips. Check out some of the smaller side streets or a less touristy neighborhood nearby.
For example, if you’re around Potsdamer Platz, take the bus M85 down the street into Schönberg where you’ll find lots of inexpensive restaurants to choose from.
If you’re on Kurfürstendamm, make your way over to Kantstrasse for plenty of cheap Chinese.
At Savignyplatz, turn into Grolmannstrasse or Knesebeckstrasse for many nicely priced Indian places.
The Wedding neighborhood is also a cheaper dining alternative than a lot of what you’ll find in Mitte or Prenzlauerberg.
Currywurst and beer is the ultimate cheap pairing in Berlin. Photo: James C
2. Go for some German-style fast food
If “greasy” is a word you equate with “yum”, why not check out some of Berlin’s finest fast food? The city has amazing quick-and-cheap options, including Turkish döner, gözleme and börek, German currywurst and bratwurst or Lebanese falafel.
Related: Döner, currywurst and other classic Berlin cheap eats
Although you can find tasty street eats all over town, the best rock bottom prices (sometimes less than €2!) can be found on the main thoroughfares in Berlin’s grittier neighborhoods. These include Hermannstrasse, Sonnenallee and Kotbusserdamm in Neukölln and Kreuzberg, Turmstrasse in Moabit and Müllerstraße in Wedding.
If you’re still hungry, grab a scoop of ice cream at one of these Berlin dessert shops.
3. Go out for lunch, not dinner
Another classic dining-on-a-dime tip is to eat out for lunch in Berlin when the prices are cheaper. Many restaurants in the city center offer a “business lunch” option or set menus, and a lot of sushi places, like those on Oranienstrasse in Kreuzberg, offer half-off happy hour deal until 5 pm.
4. Pop into a bakery for sandwiches and savory snacks
If you’re staying in a hotel, why not do as the Germans do and enjoy a little Abendbrot (evening bread)? Pop into a bakery and pick up a belegtes Brötchen, a simple sandwich made up of a bread roll, cheese or cold cuts and maybe some lettuce and a few slices of cucumber.
But don’t wait too long: Most bakeries close by 7 pm. Here are three bakeries for your daily bread.
5. Get your fill at Sunday brunch
Berlin is a big brunch town and many cafes offer an all-you-can-eat buffet on Sundays and sometimes Saturdays. Although the price might not seem too nice at first glance (usually between €10 to 25 euros, drinks not included), you really get a ton of food and can lounge, chat and people-watch to your heart’s content, while filling you plate as often as you like.
For a list of some of the less expensive places, check out EuroCheapo’s picks for brunch and a guide to a cheapo Sunday morning in Berlin.
6. Check out a cafeteria
Although little known to tourists, all of the government buildings in Berlin and most of the universities have kantine (cantines) or mensa (cafeterias) that are open to the public. Although the food probably won’t blow you away (mostly standard German meat and potato dishes), we’re still big fans of the cafeteria scene in Berlin. There is also usually a large salad bar and a range of desserts, including the enigmatic quark, a specialty German dairy product that’s like a mix between Greek yogurt and sour cream.
The best thing about kantines and mensas, however, is that they are cheap, cheap, cheap! Plus, you get to taste a side of Berlin few tourists ever experience. Please note: These are all only open for lunch, not breakfast or dinner.
7. Tip German style
If you do as the locals do, you’ll also luckily save on tips. In restaurants, the standard tip amount is a maximum of 10% and is seen as an extra “thank you” for good service. If the service was truly terrible (sadly, this is not uncommon in Berlin) it’s perfectly fine not to tip. Most locals just round up the check.
But don’t just leave the money on the table. To tip, you need to tell the waiter the amount you would like to pay with the tip included. For example, if the bill is €4.30 you can hand him or her a €10 bill and say five, please, or “fünf (foon-ph) bitte” if you’d like to try it in German.
8. Don’t overdo do it when ordering drinks
One of the classic “dining don’ts” of any Cheapo is to remember not to order fancy drinks with dinner.
If you need something to quench your thirst after that spicy curry, you can always order water. When you do, make sure the waiter understands you want leitungswasser (Light-toons-vahsser), which is tap water. Although they may grumble a bit (it’s not standard to order tap water in restaurants in Berlin), it will spare you the nasty surprise of an overpriced mineral water put on the bill later.
For something tastier, go for a German beer. It’s probably as cheap as mineral water and is the perfect pairing with spicy meal. Want a meal with that beer? Swing by one of Berlin’s great beer gardens.
Happy dining — or, as they say in Berlin, guten Appetit!
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