The un-tourist’s guide to Europe: Berlin

Editor’s note: Meenakshi Reddy Madhavan has long been one of our favourite writers and people. She also has the greatest virtue of a traveler: a wide-ranging curiosity and interests. Meenakshi is most serendipitously living in Berlin—so we shanghaied her into writing a series of personal, unique, ‘un-tourist’ guides to cities in her backyard. We begin with Berlin. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do. Please offer comments, suggestions etc over at talktous@splainer.in—and we will send them on to her. 

Written by: Meenakshi Reddy Madhavan is the author of eight books, across genres: literary fiction, mythological reinterpretations, young adult and short stories. Her latest book is ‘Soft Animal’, published by Penguin Random House in 2023. She lives in Berlin and writes about it in her newsletter The Internet: Personified. 

How do I define Berlin? It’s been my home for four years now, which isn’t a lot, but in those four years, I have dived into the city, discovering it through books, friends’ stories, Google Maps explorations, and best of all, just allowing myself to get lost. The city defies classification, it’s up all night unless it's a Sunday (or in some cases, a Monday). Each U-Bahn (subway) line has its own personality as well as personalities who ride it. There are Spätis, which stands for “late shops”, dotted all over the city, at least one to each block, which stay open almost all night, which means you’re never out of cigarettes or alcohol. 

In the bleak winter, dogs walk in full coats and boots, while humans jog in shorts and t-shirts. Berlin takes its reputation for hedonism seriously, there are all sorts of party nights, from the basic to purist techno to avant-garde kink and fetish. If you’re interested in diving deep into Berlin’s club culture, you are probably already aware of the reputation for strict door policies. So, check listings on ra.com, and search online for some door policy guides and reviews, so you won’t waste half your night queuing up in vain. 

Some lakes even have a naked section (called FKK) and by the end of your time here, you’re likely to get extremely blasé about the nude human form. So come in the summer, enjoy the lakes and the sunshine, and don’t be frightened. You can be anything you want to be in Berlin, even someone who enjoys going home at 10 pm, I promise. I’ve broken up the city into its various neighbourhoods, and arranged a little like a walking guide, so use these as inspiration. Public transport is amazing so getting around is relatively easy and pain-free. Bring comfortable shoes—Berliners value comfort over style—and download a good weather app, the city is often wet, but always interesting.

Neighbourhoods (eat and drink)

On the S-Bahn network called the “Ring Bahn” which goes around the city in clockwise and anti-clockwise directions, I’ve chosen neighbourhoods from East to West. There are so many cool areas though, and this is only a small selection of places popular with tourists and locals alike. 

Berlin is vast and sprawling and each neighbourhood (the Berliners call them “Kiez”) has its own distinct personality. It’s not uncommon for people to only socialise within their respective areas, but where you stay will have a big impact on what you wind up doing and your general impression of the city. (NB: Berlin bars do not serve food on the whole, so eat before you drink is my usual rule of thumb. My second rule of thumb is that no Döner kebab is worth standing in a long line for, so just go for the one closest to you, and there will always be a Döner close to you, it’s practically a national food.)

Prenzlauer Berg (map): Starting in the East, once full of squats and artists, Prenzlauer Berg is now perhaps the most gentrified part of Berlin, full of expats, young hip parents pushing strollers, or both. And for good reason, it’s retained a certain pre-war prettiness while still being clean and charming. This is the neighbourhood you want to stay in for a plethora of brunch options—I’ve heard really good things about Love At First Bite (map)—or cute little coffee shops—Anna Blume (map) is a great place to sit with a piece of cake and a cup of herbal tea. Plus it has one of my favourite independent cinemas in the city, the tiny Litchblick Kino (map), one of the few places in Berlin that shows foreign films with English subtitles instead of German. (Every Saturday at midnight, they also show ‘Casablanca.’) This is a good place for non-smoking bars, which are the default in healthy Prenzl, try Wohnzimmer Bar (map), literally “living room” which is what the décor reflects. 

Friedrichshain (map): This whole part of Berlin got pretty heavily shelled during the war so a lot of the houses are new-ish builds, making it not as pretty as other neighbourhoods. However, Friedrichshain is the party district, being home to Berghain (map), which you don’t need me to tell you about. Couldn’t get past the bouncers? Mini club Süss War Gestern (map) is fun (and sweaty), as are some of the smaller clubs at the RAW Gelände complex (map), which is this old industrial complex full of bars and is threatened with redevelopment every year so get in while you can. Stay in or around Boxhagener Platz (map), or Boxi to locals, this is a square with a lot of restaurants, bars and cafes, as well as a weekly flea market. The radial roads leading to it are buzzing with excitement too, so be aware that it can get very loud on the weekends, despite quiet hours, especially if your bedroom faces the street. 

Other places I love here include Place Clichy (map), a divey small French wine bar very close to RAW Gelände; Wein Salon (map) is another wine bar housed in an old beauty parlor; Monster Ronson’s Ichiban Karaoke (map) is the best and most popular karaoke bar in the city. Go on a Monday night for box-hopping, so you pay five euros at the door and can move from booth to booth singing with strangers. As for restaurants: Salami Social Club (map) is American style with loads of cheese and toppings and some excellent homemade sauces—the hot sauce is my favourite. Go on Thursday for slice night, each will set you back 1.50 euros, a bargain. Then there’s Larb Koi (map) for delicious (and authentic!) Thai food, not a green curry in sight. NB: Friedrichshain, and specifically Boxi, is a vegan paradise, filled to the brim with a variety of “pure veg” restaurants.  

Kreuzberg (map): Both the most gentrified and the most gritty part of the city. Kreuzberg is crawling with third-wave coffee roasters, fancy cocktail bars and enough burger places to keep even the biggest Jughead Jones satisfied. Some parts of it are a little seedy, but there’s very little crime. (Except for pickpockets, a Berlin scourge. Keep your eye—and your hand—on your bag at all times and do not, whatever you do, put your phone on a cafe or bar table.) My favourite bit is what the locals call Kreuzkölln, where the neighbourhood mingles with the district one over. Sit by Maybachufer (map), a beautiful bridge that goes over the river Spree, listen to the buskers, or go for a little walk down the river until you get hungry, when you can stop at one of the many restaurants that dot the banks. 

Need a recommendation? Kottbusser Tor (map) is close by with several of my favourite restaurants, mostly Turkish. Stop at Doyum (map) if you want a super authentic grill platter, and it’s right next to Südblock (map), a queer-friendly beer garden. Orient Eck (map) on Wednesdays serves manti (Turkish ravioli in a spicy yogurt sauce) that’s out of this world and it’s close to Möbel-Olfe (map), another queer-friendly bar, set in an old furniture shop. Up the road is Multilayerladen (map), a tiny bar with seating on “many layers” from high beds to low palettes. You’re also not far from Cafe Mano (map), a nice central place to meet friends if you’re staying in Kreuzberg or Friedrichshain. It’s very charming, with good drinks and lovely outside sidewalk seating in the warm weather. On Thursdays, go up the road to Markthalle 9 (map), an old Berlin food market that used to sell veg and fruit, now transformed into a chi-chi-covered street food market, where you can buy a glass of wine from one stall and then “picnic” at a table. 

Another picturesque neighbourhood is Bergmannkiez (map), super Parisian, and very popular, so dotted with lots of little bars—from divey to fancy—and restaurants. It’s also home to one of my favourite English second-hand bookstores: Another Country (map).  It’s also close to Kerala Amma Mess (map) if you can’t go two days without Indian food. Indian restaurants in Berlin are awful but this tiny Malayali restaurant has really good beef roast and parottas, as well as a full dosa-idli menu. NB: A lot of the old-school cool Berlin bars allow smoking inside, something to bear in mind.   

Neukölln (map): When Kreuzberg ends, Neukölln begins. Perhaps one of the biggest districts in Berlin, Neukölln is too large for you to see entirely, so I’d suggest you set down roots at Donaustrasse (map), where you have your pick of restaurants and bars, including the non-smoking Das Gift (map), Donau115 (map), which hosts some of the best jazz bands in the city, and Peppi Guggenheim (map) which also has cool live music but gets very crowded and smoky very quickly. I love Crazy Bastard Kitchen (map)—which has a rotating menu (check the website!) and also sells its own brand of excellent hot sauce that makes for good gifts.

Otherwise, there’s Schillerpromenade (map), a gateway to Schillerkiez, another favourite area—so cute! Lots of little bars and restaurants in its many sidestreets, and best of all, right next to Tempelhofer Feld (map)—which I will get to shortly. I personally love Burro Unchained (map) for very nice Mexican food, especially the burritos. I am also a fan of Keith Bar (map), which is super cozy and atmospheric. It has a separate smoking area, so everyone’s happy. Not very far away is Jemenitisches Restaurant (map) for delicious no-frills platters of food from Yemen. Go with a group because you’ll want to order all sorts of things and the portions are enormous. 

Charlottenburg (map): If I was to recommend one neighbourhood in old West Berlin to stay in, it would be Charlottenburg. It’s got both Parisian charm with the old buildings as well as the best Chinese food in the whole city (mostly on Kantstrasse (map), where I recommend you stay on or close to.) There are loads of walks you can do from C’Burg past the trendy Savignyplatz (map) to the pish-posh shopping district of Ku’damm (map)—for your designer duds. If you’re feeling energetic, you can walk to the Zoo, which has both the Berlin Zoo (map) and some good Cold War West Berlin vibes. Check out my favourite rooftop bar while you’re there, it’s called Monkey Bar (map) in the Bikini Hotel, and it’s called that because it literally overlooks the monkey house opposite.

A note on shopping

Honestly, I don’t do a lot of shopping here. Berliners tend to leave out stuff they don’t want on the stoop outside their house, and I’ve gotten lots of cute things just by rifling through “free boxes.” (Wash on hot water and air out and you’ll be fine.) Most of our furniture is also sourced secondhand off local listings sites or, once again, found on the streets. I’ve even gotten visiting friends into this street scavenging. One friend was cold on a trip here, found a jacket, wore it for the weekend, and then returned it to the streets when she left. 

However, perhaps you feel icky about this or prefer to actually try on clothes, in which case, here are some of my favourite thrift stores. There are also several weekend flea markets, especially when the weather is fine, where young people sell off their old clothes to make room in their closets. Have a look around you, you’re bound to get lucky. NB: I always go with hope into Humana, which is this chain of massive second-hand shops around Europe. But the ones in Berlin are pretty bad, mostly fast fashion so I would avoid them unless you’re desperate.  

Zwei mal gut (map) is a charity shop that seems to actually curate its collection. I’ve gotten some excellent pieces here, and they have a used designer rack as well. Pick N Weight (map) is huge, but there’s something for everyone if you have the patience to go through all the racks. 

Soul And Style (map) is one of my absolute favourites, I never go home empty-handed. They lean towards the 70s, but I found my very long, very indispensable woollen winter coat here for a reasonable price so I will always recommend them, especially for winter wear. 

A note on sightseeing

Some of my favourite things to do, both with visitors and by myself are walking tours. They’re such a great way to see the city. Here are a few I’d recommend in particular as well as some other options.

Sandemann’s Free Walking Tour: which is free with a “suggested tip.” I usually give about ten euros per person, but some give 20, so see how you feel. I like these guys, I’ve used them around Europe because they give a great overview of the history and architecture of the city. This is the one you want to take to hit the highlights: Brandenburg Gate, Memorial to the Murdered Jews and so on. When you’re done, digest what you’ve heard with a long walk through Tiergarten (map), an amazing sprawling green space just on the other side of the Gate. 

Alternative Berlin Street Art Tour: You’ll notice Berlin is full of graffiti almost as soon as you get inside the city centre. This tour is really fun and points out all the major tags as well as the different murals that dot the city. 

Revolutionary Berlin Walking Tours: which are these left-wing Communist-centred history walks of the city run by an American historian, Nathaniel Flakin. I’ve been on a bunch of his tours and even bought his book, so a definite endorsement from me.  

Stasi Museum (map) is one of my favourites. It’s the history of the East Berlin Secret Police housed in their old headquarters. They have guided tours in English on certain days, which I would highly recommend. 

Berlin Unterwelten (map) is also an extraordinary experience. They take you into the old air raid shelters deep underneath the U Bahn station and tell you how people lived during the Nazi occupation. It’s really cool—and they have a bunch of other tours as well. 

Soviet Memorial (map) which isn’t a museum, just an open space in the middle of Treptower Park (map) celebrating the Soviet Red Army. It’s weird and concrete and oddly beautiful. I like to take visitors there to watch their faces as this giant memorial appears seemingly out of nowhere from between the trees. 

Parks and lakes

The best thing about the Berlin summer is to be able to grab a bottle of beer, Wein or Apfelschorle from the abovementioned Spätis and walk through the streets, making your way to a park. My favourites are Treptower (map) which has the river running through it, and Tempelhofer Feld (map) which is the old West Berlin airport, now turned into a public space with people rollerblading on old runways and sheep grazing in patches of grass grown especially for them. The old Tempelhof Airport (map) also has a really cool guided tour if you’re into that. 

As for lakes, my personal favourite is Plötzensee (map), which has an actual sandy beach, a dance floor, restaurants and both changing rooms and loos (very important). You do have to pay for this privilege (unlike other lakes which are just... lakes) but I think it’s worth it. There’s also a nude side of the lake if you’d like to explore that part of your nature. NB: It’s accessible as far as lakes go, but a 20-minute walk from the S Bahn station, so a good bet is to get the Nextbike app and rent a cycle to get there, it’s almost all pedestrianised so it’s quite safe. 

Willkommen as the Germans say! I hope you have a lovely time.