I’m in Berlin for a few weeks on Business and am looking for recommendations on good restaurants and cool bars (I’ve got the training bit covered).
I’ve got my list from the usual sources but figured I’d ask the group.
Anyone from here or been here?
Can’t remember specific bars but… if you get the chance, go see Nefertiti at the Egyptian Museum of Berlin. The Picasso exhibit at the Neue Nationalgalerie is excellent as well if you are into Picasso.
I know you said you have the training covered, but the Tiergarten is a fantastic place to run. http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-239-281--5057-0,00.html
We were staying at the Intercontinental hotel, and we found lots of great restaurants by just going out and walking around. I have no clue of their names or locations, but for a week we never went wrong by just wandering around until we found someplace that looked good. We found a Turkish restaurant (where everyone spoke perfect English) that was fantastic. I think we ate everything but German food–Greek, Austrailian, Chinese, French, it was all good.
One of the guys we were working with was from East Berlin, and he took us there one night. Very interesting–you could still see the bullet holes in the buildings from WWII, there were soldiers with automatic weapons guarding Jewish temples-- a whole different and eye opening environment. Even in 2002 there was a huge divide between East & West Berlin. He took us to a Spanish restaurant in East Berlin that was literally lit with candles (no electric lights in the dining area, only a couple of bulbs in the kitchen), but it was some of the best food I’ve ever had and it was dirt cheap, too.
Sorry I can’t offer some specific recommendations, but don’t be bashful about just trying different places.
I haven’t been to Berlin since 1968 but I can still remember this one night club we went to where each table had a number and a phone at the table. The idea was that if you saw someone interesting at another table you could call their number and try to strike up a conversation. If no sparks, no harm no foul since the in coming calls were not traceable to the other table. I’m sure it’s long gone by now…