Berlin Mitte

Berliner Marcus Bräu, 1-3 Münzstr. (www.marcus-brau.de), This corner shack's been brewing its own beer and liqueurs since before its country tried to conquer the world. The liqueurs, especially the coffee liqueur, taste as good as your mom smells, assuming she smells great. The food isn't exactly free, and the decor isn't exactly Ritz Carlton, but it's authentic, hearty, and German. Try the beer (from €3 for 5L); it's among the best in the city. U2, U5, U8, S5, S7, S9, or S75: Alexanderpl. Entrees €7.50-9. Drinks €1-7. Open daily noon-late. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access. Serves alcohol.
Good Morning Vietnam, Alte Schonhauser 60 (www.good-morning-vietnam.de), The name is great. Explanation for the name is even better: “A yesterday's movie title, a salutation that reminds us of the past, a past full of starvation and war..” Brimming with such great food, this restaurant is hardly about starvation. Entrees (€7), are cheaper than much-hyped Monsieur Vuong's down the street, and include crispy duck, mango chicken skewers, and tofu platters. U2: Rosa-Luxemburg-Pl. Entrees €7-7.50. Open daily noon-midnight. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access. Serves alcohol. Has outdoor seating.
Monsieur Vuong, Alte Schonhauserstr. 46 (www.monsieurvuong.de), Other people will be talking about it, and the food is good, but don't feel like you must make it to this wildly popular Vietnamese bistro. The menu changes every two days, keeping a crew of regulars coming back to try the forthcoming noodle and rish dishes, but popularity has unnecessarily jacked up the prices. The only exception is the fantastic and reasonable Vietnamese coffee (€2) made with condensed milk and a little bit of love. U2: Rosa-Luxemburg-Pl. Only the outdoor seating is wheelchair-accessible. Entrees €7.40-9.80. Open daily noon-midnight. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access. Serves alcohol. Has outdoor seating.
Dolores Burritos, Rosa-Luxemburg-Str. 7 Modeled after the Mexican fusion of Baja Fresh or Chipotle, this “California Burrito” shop sells hulking tubes under €5. While we won't go as far as calling these suckers “Californian,” the place does a good job of supplying a real spread of chipotle chicken (€1), spiced carnitas (€1.30), and vegetables (€0.80) and lets you combine them in burrito (€4), bowl (€4), or quesadilla (€3.70) form. The staff could be nicer, but with the rush of students they're dealing with, you hardly blame them. U2, U5, U8, S5, S7, S9, or S75: Alexanderpl. Burritos around €5; prices vary depending on your ingredients. Open M-Sa 11:30am-10pm, Su 1-10pm. Does not take credit cards. Has outdoor seating.
Tipica, Rosenstr. 19 (www.tipica.mx), Tipica is built around a”do-it-yourself” taco menu. Large portions of meat, cilantro, onion, and lime come with four tortillas; you add the sides and salsas to roll your own creations. The meats get crazy, even including a veal taco, but the portions are large, and friends like to come and mix and match. Get any meat Alcurbie style—fried with peppers, onions, and bacon—for no extra charge. S5, S7, S9, or S75: Hackescher Markt. From the station, head east and turn right at An der Spandauer Brucke immediately after the Markt. Follow it 100m or so as it curves around to the right. Only outdoor seating is wheelchair-accessible. Tacos €4-7. Sides €2. Salsas €1. Open M-Th 11am-11pm, F-Sa 11am-1am, Su 11am-11pm. Takes credit cards. Has internet. Has outdoor seating.
Arab Eske, Kastanienallee 59 (www.arabeske.berlin.de), A solid meal at a great price with no frills and one thrill (the salad dressing! No joke, it kills). Safe bets include shawarma (€5.50), which comes with hummus and salad. Vegetarians can find comfort in falafel (€4) and the fact that they only indirectly contribute to the deaths of millions of innocent animals. U8: Rosenthaler Pl. From the U-Bahn, head northeast up Weinbergsweg. Entrees €4-6. Open daily 11am-late. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access. Serves alcohol. Has outdoor seating.
Humboldt University New Library, Geschwister-Scholl-Str. 1 In the thick of Mitte tourist mecca—where a cup of coffee costs €4—sits the quiet, seemingly off-limits library of Humbodlt University. You'll find no one but students inside this tiny cafeteria (conveniently located before the security checkpoint) that has the lowest prices anywhere in central Berlin. Bockwurst (€1.50), salads with chicken and egg (€1), and coffee (€0.60-2) must be state-subsidized at these prices. They even have a tray of powders for constructing your very own “curry bockwurst.” U6: Friedrichstraße. From the station, take Friedrichstraße north and take a right just past the tracks. Entrees €1-2. Open M-F 9am-8pm, Sa-Su noon-5pm. Does not take credit cards. Wheelchair access. Serves alcohol.
Fassbender and Rausch Chocolatiers, Charlottenstr. 60 (www.fassbender-rausch.de), To prepare for his fall into Wonka's chocolate river, Augustus Gloop jumped into F and R's chocolate volcano (real), took a ride on their chocolate Titanic (real, though it might be the Lusitania), and commented on the Baroque idealism of their chocolate Berliner Dom. A stimulating, bustling, enormous chocolate house where every inch is filled with confections so delicious, they're physically arousing. Truffles (€0.50-0.80) come in 100 flavors, and it's hard to go wrong with any of them. U2 or U6: Stadmitte. Chocolate €0.50-300. Open M-Sa 10am-8pm, Su 11am-8pm. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access. Serves alcohol.
Galeria Gourmet—Galeria Kaufhof, Alexanderpl. 9 (www.galeria-kaufhof.de), The entire bottom floor of this seven-story department store devotes itself to laying out the anatomy of the German diet. Take this time to spy all the whacked-out foods the Germans enjoy at this Deutsche version of Whole Foods, like 10 types of pickled herring, more sausages than you thought the world had pigs, and a great assortment of relatively cheap German wine (€2-200). Sandwiches (€4-6), warm sausages (€2-5), and other prepared food can be taken to nearby Alexanderpl. and enjoyed from a bench. U2, U5, or U8: Alexanderpl. Prepared food €4-8. Open M-W 9:30am-8pm, Th-Su 9:30am-10pm. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access.
Curry 61, Oranienburgerstr. 6 (www.curry61.de), There's a horde of currywurst stands across this city, but God did not make them all equal. Curry 61 is your best bet in Mitte since the supposed originator of currywurst mysteriously went out of business for a few months. Try the T spicy with skin. S5, S7, S9, or S75: Hackescher Markt. Currywurst €1.70. Open M-Sa 11am-1pm. Does not take credit cards. Wheelchair access.
Rosenthal Grill, Torstr. 125 Outstanding deals and quality Berlin street food at a nice outdoor cafe. Big eaters: an entire chicken costs €5. Döner kebabs (which are like a gyro, but made with cabbage) and pizzas are also great. U8: Rosenthaler Pl. Menu €1-6. Open 24hr. Does not take credit cards. Wheelchair access. Serves alcohol. Has outdoor seating.