Berlin Schöneberg And Wilmersdorf

Shöneberg's relaxed cafe culture is best experienced around the intersection of Maaßenstrasse and Winterfeldstrasse. More popular cafes and inexpensive restaurants crowd the Akazienstrasse, from the U-Bahn station at Eisenacherstr., to Hauptstr.

Cafe Bilderbuch, Akazienstr. 28 (www.cafe-bilderbruch.de), Even if you couldn't eat here, Cafe Bilderbuch's antique cabinets, fringed lamps, deep-cushioned sofas, and adjoining library would still make this a place to visit. Fortunately, their unbeatable Sunday brunch buffets (€8) have us shoving grandmothers out of the way to get in the door. The dinner specials (€5-8.50) are always affordable and never stuffy. U7: Eisenacher Str. Free Wi-Fi. Soup from €3.70. Salads from €6. Entrees €8. Coffee €1.50. Open M-Th 9am-1am, F-Sa 9am-2am, Su 10am-1am. Kitchen closes Su-F 11pm, Sa midnight. Does not take credit cards. Has internet.
Baharat Falafel, Winterfeldtstr. 37 This isn't your average döner stand. First, because it doesn't serve döner. Second, because this vegetarian Turkish restaurant makes all its falafel fried to order, in fluffy pita with lots of tomatoes, lettuce, and mango or chili sauce (€3-4). Wash Baharat's plates, with hummus, tabouleh, and salad, all down with fresh-squeezed Gute Laune Saft (good-mood juice, €1-2). Indoor seating with bright walls and flowers on the table, or an outdoor bench under a striped awning. U1, U3, U4 or U9: Nollendorfpl. Entrees €6-8. Open M-Sa 11am-2am, Su noon-2am. Does not take credit cards. Has outdoor seating.
Himali, Crellerstr. 45 (www.himali-restaurant.de), Nepali and Tibetan classics are cooked up and served piping hot from a tandoori oven. Food is never short on spices, either in quantity or variety, which are grown and ground by hand. This restaurant offers a huge range of vegetarian dishes, curried or grilled, with tofu, vegetables and naan with your choice of seasonings. The Nepali tea (€2.50) is to die for. U7: Kleistpark. Entrees €6.50-10. Open daily noon-midinight. Takes credit cards. Serves alcohol. Has outdoor seating.
Double Eye, Akazienstr. 22 (www.doubleeye.de), For coffee purists, this is an inexpensive way to enjoy the best kind of brew. This coffee bar is packed all day with locals, who come for the no-syrup-added, only-best-quality-cream daily brews. Baristas prepare each espresso with surgical precision and take pride on their top quality “latte-art” designs traced into the inch deep foam. They've got victory plaques behind the bar to back up that smack. U7: Eisenacher Str. Cappuccinos €1.80. Macchiatos €2. Open daily 8:45am-5:30pm, Sa 9am-6pm. Does not take credit cards. Serves alcohol.
Cafe Berio, Maaßenstr. 7 (www.cafe-berio.de), French doors open to the streets and let passerby look in on this constantly jam-packed Viennese-style cafe. Frequented by a mostly gay clientele, Cafe Berio is a favorite stop-off point before a night of clubbing. The two-floor cafe is best known for their breakfast menu (€3-11), two-for-one happy hour drinks (M-Th and Su 7pm-midnight, F-Sa 7-9pm), and obscenely extensive menu of dessert options, with cakes and tortes (from €2). U1, U3, U4, or U9: Nollendorfpl. Entrees €5-9. Open M-Th 8am-midnight, F-Sa 8am-1am, Su 8am-midnight. Kitchen open daily 8am-11pm. Does not take credit cards. Serves alcohol. Has outdoor seating. GLBT
Cafe Einstein, Kurfurstenstr. 58 (www.cafeeinstein.com), Cafe Einstein is Berlin's premiere Viennese coffeeshop, and an obligatory stop for tourists and intelligent, good-looking Let's Go travelers alike. Large windows ingeniously look out onto Einstein's private garden, which you can enjoy along with splurge-worthy home-roasted coffee (cappuccino €4.30, milchkaffee €3.80). A small cake or torte is the least expensive way to enjoy the cafe's wood paneled and detailed molding, and will set you back about €4. U1, U3, U4, or U9: Nollendorfpl. Entrees €14.50-22. Breakfast from €5.80, €12.80 for a Sunday brunch bar. Mixed drinks at the bar Lebensstern from €9. Open daily 6am-1am. The bar Lenesstern is open 7pm-late. Takes credit cards. Serves alcohol. Has outdoor seating.
Bar Tolucci, Eisenacher Str. 86 (www.bar-tolucci.de), With stone-oven cooked pizzas (from €5.50) and outdoor seating on wood-slated bistro tables along the quiet streetcorner, this restaurant is casual eating and generous portions at their finest. Surround yourself with photographs from Italian filmmaker Bertolluci's films with the inside seating, or seclude yourself in the small garden. U7: Eisenacher Str. Pizzas €5.50-8.20. Entrees €6-7. Open daily noon-1am, garden noon-midnight. Oven in use M-F from 5pm, and Sa-Su from noon. Takes credit cards. Serves alcohol. Has outdoor seating.
Yogi-Haus, Belziger Str. 42 (www.restaurant-yogihaus.de), In an ethnic food scene dominated by Turkish cuisine, Yogi-Haus is a welcome deviation from the döner and falafel norm. Find it tucked in-between a gaggle of cafes next to a small park. The two outdoor seating patios overlooking trees and quiet roads may help you connect with your inner yogi. The authentically Indian cuisine will definitely jumpstart your discovery of the stomach chakra. U7: Eisenacher Str. The restaurant is on the corner of Ecke Eisenacher Str. Traditional Indian soups €2.30-3.10. Vegetarian entrees €4.80-6.50. Chicken and lamb curry dishes €5.50-8. Open daily noon-midnight. Does not take credit cards. Serves alcohol. Has outdoor seating.
Seilds, Gotenstr. 1 (www.seilds-berlin.de), This airy, out of the way restaurant oozes romance. Outside, the triangular patio shaded by trees makes an ideal chill-out date after a particularly bad argument. Inside, local art on red walls and candlelight sets the scene for a Lady and the Tramp sequel. If you're looking to lighten your wallet, this is a good place to indulge. S1: Julius-Leber-Brücke. Soups from €6, weekly specials €10-19. Beer from €2.80. Open M-Sa noon-1am, Su 9-1am. Does not take credit cards. Serves alcohol. Has outdoor seating.
Viet Rice, Martin-Luther-Str. 99 (www.vietrice.de), This stark Vietnamese restaurant may have tried and failed to make itself “elegant,” but the food is still great and incredibly cheap. Uncomfortable seating and too many tables can make sit-down meals a nightmare, but as an upscale takeout place, without the extra cost, Viet Rice is unbeatable. A short menu includes many Vietnamese staples, like veal soup with coriander (€5). Watch your food being made in the large, updated kitchen. U4: Rathaus Shöneberg. Full entrees €3.60-5.60. Open daily 11:30am-11pm. Does not take credit cards.