Food & Nightlife

  Student recommendations from Fall 2009. Let us know if this list should change!

There is food aplenty in Berlin and many cheap options as well! You do not have to spend a lot to eat well in Berlin. Try anything from an Imiss (street vendor) to an actual sit-down restaurant and you’re unlikely to go wrong. Particularly delicious are the döner from Ostbahnhof.

• For traditional German cuisine - Max & Moritz, Maximilians, Schwarzwaldstuben.
• For fast food - Look anywhere as it is cheap and available everywhere.
• For produce - Turkish market (Kreuzberg); Farmers markets at Winterfeldtplatz or Kollwitzplatz.
• For general groceries - Grocery chains such as Aldi, Lidl, Kaisers, and REWE.
• Vegetarians and vegans should look at HappyCow.com for food suggestions. There are many vegan and vegetarian restaurants in the neighborhoods of Kreuzberg, Prenzlauer Berg, and Friedrichshain.

You Must Try!

• Döner Kebap - Turkish meat in a pita with vegetables and sauces.
• Bratwurst - Grilled sausage in a roll.
• Brötchen - simple bread rolls. They can be purchased at a bakery in the same building as ArwoBau.
• Currywurst - Chopped sausage smothered in ketchup and curry powder.
• Spätzle - Fluffy pasta with cheese, southern specialty.
• Apfelschorle - Sparkling Apple Juice
• Spezi - Cola and Fanta
• Radler - Beer and Soda
• Any German Beer!

Cafés

Berlin has had a thriving café culture since well before the advent of Starbucks, so you’ll likely find yourself reading your assignments while sipping Milchkaffe at one of the hip spots in the former eastern neighborhood of Prenzlauer Berg. Or, perhaps, you’ll discover a favorite café in the KulturBrauerei, where the NYU Berlin Academic Center is located. Also within walking distance of NYU Berlin are the cafés and restaurants on Kastanienallee and Kollwitzplatz. In the evening, you might grab a quick meal of delicious German Bratwurst or Turkish Döner.

Nightlife

Nightlife in Berlin is generally more laid-back than in New York, and certainly more so than in other European capitals. There is something for every taste and it’s not too expensive, so you will find everyone out on weekends and large crowds even on weekdays.

• Zitty Magazine - A street magazine that lists all the parties worth going to.
• Ex-Berliner - An English language magazine for expats living in Berlin, available at many newsstands.

Concerts

Berlin has many different places to see live music. The most popular venues at the moment are the Astra Kulturhaus, Postbahnhof, the Kesselhaus at KulturBrauerei, Columbiahalle, Lido, and Magnet Club.