As the curtain falls on another year in Berlin’s ever-evolving food scene, it becomes clear that 2024 was nothing short of a culinary rollercoaster. A year brimming with excitement and reinvention, but also tinged with inevitable challenges. From the dazzling debuts of ambitious restaurants to the melancholic farewells of beloved establishments, Berlin’s gastronomic landscape bore witness to seismic shifts—some exhilarating, others sobering.
The challenges were relentless, driven largely by soaring food prices, escalating labor costs, the growing burden of fixed expenses and declining tourist numbers fuled by the issue of our catastrophic airport. Yet, while these pressures rippled through every corner of the industry, they exacted a particularly heavy toll on Berlin's Michelin-starred, fine dining institutions. Once bastions of indulgence and culinary awe, these “temples of taste” found themselves at odds with a dramatic transformation in consumer behavior. Berliners in 2024 really turned their backs on the elaborate, high-stakes dining experiences that once defined Berlin's culinary prestige, gravitating instead toward simpler, more accessible fare.
For fine dining establishments accustomed to crafting intricate, multi-course experiences at premium price points, this shift was nothing short of seismic. This shift was in no way limited to the realms of eloborate fine dining, in some ways I felt the scene became more polarized than ever - as a restaurant you were either in, or you were out, either hot or not - regardless of your price point. Berliners really adapted flock behavior in a more profund way than ever and for the restaurants, the struggle to adapt in an era where opulence no longer reigns supreme underscored just how profoundly 2024 reshaped Berlin’s culinary identity—a year of reinvention, recalibration, and, for many, survival.
“ For fine dining establishments, this shift was nothing short of seismic
Contrary to what one might expect in such an environemt, Berlin’s dining scene didn’t see a massive exodus and wave of closings. Yes some truly iconic restaurants closed their doors forever this year, bit most restaurants adapted to a new reality where diners are less willing to splurge on expensive, overly intricate meals and are more interested in casual experiences with a good, perceived value-for-money ratio and, best case, an interesting, novel touch.
Restaurants like Nobelhart & Schmutzig and Rutz simplified their offerings, opting for shorter, cheaper menus and multiple seatings instead to make that financially viable. We witnessed the same pattern across the scene, while at the same time stalwarts like Tim Raue and CODA stayed the course of menu-driven luxury fine dining, proving there’s still room for splurging - just not at the scale of what saw five years ago. And in the end, perhaps this is merely a necessary correction to a fine dining bubble that was never destined to endure in a city like Berlin—one notably lacking in an abundance of “old money” and the cushion of corporate expense accounts.
Casual and comforting flavors reigned supreme among the year’s new openings, with the explosive influence of TikTok and YouTube leaving an indelible mark. The long queues at hotspots like Goldies and Munchies serve as a testament to social media’s power in dictating dining trends and highlight the growing importance of understanding flock behavior among diners.
The state of fine dining really only tells one side of the story though, because if you look at one of the most striking developments this year was, without doubt, the remarkable rise in the quality of Berlin’s migrant cuisine. Both fresh openings and established institutions stepped up their game, elevating standards across the board:
• Indian cuisine experienced a renaissance, with trailblazers like Navi leading the charge for an offering that goes beyond Butter Chicken. With a vibrant and expansive Indian community driving this momentum, the future looks exceptionally promising for continued innovation and excellence in this category.
• Chinese food surged in popularity, as Berlin saw an unprecedented boom in hotpot, malatang, and hand-pulled noodle establishments. The arrival of prominent mainland Chinese chains signals a burgeoning trend poised to reshape the city’s dining scene for years to come.
• Turkish cuisine, particularly the iconic Döner, underwent its most significant transformation since its Berlin debut in the 1970s. A post-COVID and post-inflation price recalibration, in combination with an unprecedented amount of media coverage on social media, paved the way for a renaissance, ushering in a wave of quality-driven Döner spots and a marked improvement at long-standing favorites. A personal mission for me now: to catch up on all the new openings in 2025 - Döner Quest anyone!?
• Burgers continued their meteoric rise as a go-to fast food item, spurred by the runaway success of Goldie’s simple yet impeccable product. It will be fascinating to watch how this already saturated market evolves over the next year.
• Modern German cuisine emerged as a vibrant and dynamic force. Groundbreaking establishments like Trio and Eierhäuschen set the stage for newcomers like Luna d’Oro at Clärchen’s Ballhaus, proving that traditional German fare can be as inventive and paradigm-shifting as it is delicious. Watch these places in 2025!
THE SADDEST CLOSINGS
Berlin’s restaurant scene bid goodbye to some significant players this year, here is my list of the most significant and impactful ones:
Ernst: The legendary fine dining trailblazer in Wedding, and truly the restaurant that put Berlin on the food map of the superfoodies, finally closed its doors after announcing it a year ago. Ernst was truly unlike anything else we’ve seen - a restaurant where people would fly across the world for one meal. While its legacy remains divisive, mostly due to its disconnection from the rest of the city’s food scene, there’s no doubt it redefined Berlin’s dining scene, especially when it comes to connecting high-end, small scale producers to restaurants. For those who miss Ernst, parts of the restaurant will certainly live on at Julius, its more casual sibling across the street where former Ernst Head Chef Dylan Watson-Brawn now has taken over the kitchen.
Kin Dee: Berlin’s fIrst high-end Thai restaurant, that caused a global stir when it received a Michelin star, helmed by the extraordinary Dalad Kambhu, sadly enough closed its doors this year after struggling to keep up with the challenges and expectations of the fine dining expectations. Let’s not overlook the fact that the restaurant was unexpectedly and unceremoniously stripped of its Michelin star—an act seemingly devoid of justification, save for the unsettling implication that the Guide no longer felt the need for a token symbol of a woman of color among its roster of starred establishments.
Feines aus Österreich: This beloved Austrian deli in Charlottenburg, famed for its fantastic Semmeln, Wurstsalat and Austrian specialities, closed due to new house owners and soaring rent. EDIT: It seems like they opened in a new location and new name under the roof of Restaurant Nussbaumerin.
Bar Normal: Once a standout opening in its first iteration as a modern bistro with impeccable, neo-French vibe on Kastanienallee (notably also opened by a Vietnamese-German woman), this gem sadly couldn’t sustain its initial magic. After changing kitchen twice, the decision was taken to close the restaurant.
Babaleison: Though its potential was evident, this Turkish restaurant struggled with sustainability and service issues. Still, it delivered one of the best Turkish meals I’ve had in Berlin and the Döner was also truly special and one of the best in the city.
Other notable closings included Sacrebleu, Crackbuns, Oh Panama and Lila Restaurant, all of which left behind fond memories for Berlin’s food lovers.
“ Ernst was truly unlike anything else we’ve seen - a restaurant where people would fly across the world for one meal.
THE BEST BITES
These are my personal top five bites of the year - each one a masterclass in flavor, texture and execution. These dishes didn’t just satisfy; they etched themselves into my culinary memory forever, setting new benchmarks and expanding my horizon for how these dishes can taste for all future to come:
5. Blazing Buffalo Fried Chicken Sandwich at Birds in the Kitchen: A fried chicken sandwich so perfectly executed that it might take Berlin a while to truly understand its glory. Perfect crisp and marvellous juiciness, combined with unprecedented sauce quality. Germany’s best fried chicken sandwich without a shed of doubt.
4. Mussel Toast at Kanal 61: An uncanny amount of escabeche-marinated mussels, served on grilled sourdough with Bagna Cauda mayo - a bite of pure joy that served as a stark reminder how mesmerizingly great seafood can be in the right quality and the right context.
3. Buffalo Chicken Wings at Bertie : Crispy, juicy, and perfectly sauced. These unreal wings have been a source of happiness for me all year. The remarkable crisp and the succulent Buffalo Sauce paired with the sprinkles of blue cheese dressing make these wings masterpieces of indulgence.
2. Hokkaido Deluxe Don at Kuchi Kant: The single most extravagant sushi don that’s EVER existed in Berlin. Perfect sushi rice piled with thick pieces of uni, king crab, scallops, tuna, salmon, squid etc. etc. and all in unreal quality. At 45EUR this is a lot of money for a bowl of sashimi but, holy moly, I say it’s worth every cent.
1. Monkfish at Loumi Dining: Perfectly fried monkfish served on grilled razor clams, topped with a vin jaune beurre blanc refined with walnuts. A dish so good, I licked the plate clean and testimony to one of the most important rising stars of the food scene - the sky is the limit for Loumi next year!
THE BEST OPENINGS
2024 brought forth a wave of restaurant openings that redefined parts of the the dining scene in Berlin. Here is a tribute to the boldest and brightest newcomers of the year, where each of these restaurants represents something singular, a category-defining gem in its own right. So, without further ado, let’s celebrate the culinary visionaries who made 2024 a year to remember.
• BEST NEW SUSHI: Otsuka Sushi Otsuka in Mitte is the sushi spot Berlin didn’t know it was missing. Sushi master Daisuke offers Berlin’s first proper Omakase Sushi experience and while the quality may not rival Berlin’s top sushi spots (mainly SAN or 893), the affordable price point also reflects exactly that. The realness of the Japanese craft on display is a revelation and I'm so happy that we finally have a sushi experience in Berlin that feels undeniably Japanese.
• BEST NEW BAKERY: Acid Mitte: If you’ve got a sweet tooth, ultra- hip Acid Bakery in Mitte is your new pilgrimage site. Think perfectly spiced cardamom buns and, just this December, a marvelously creamy Basque cheesecake that left me with utter pleasure. Acid is NOT cheap but it's also the place where baked dreams come true.
• BEST NEW LUNCH: Theke: Lunch in Wedding reached new, unforsee heights this year thanks to Theke on the premises of the Preussische Spirituosenmanufaktur. Tucked away but absolutely worth the trip, this spot, which is an offsroing of the Michelberger Hotel empire, serves up daily menus that redefine what a good lunch should be. It’s no-frills, no-fuss, and yet often absurdly tasty—a true hidden gem you’ll find yourself coming back to again and again.
• BEST NEW DÖNER: Mir Döner Hatay Üsülü: The doner game changed in 2024 with the arrival of Mir Döner Hatay Usülü. This Schöneberg joint is the first in Berlin to bring Hatay-style Döner to the city, and the've done it in the form of a comforting masterpiece. Picture lavash bread grilled on a griddle with peper paste, filled with tender yaprak-style beef, a knockout garlic sauce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, cirspy froies and a scoop of tomato sauce that drenches the whole thing in flavor. This is Döner reimagined - and it’s glorious.
• BEST NEW FAST FOOD: Birds in the Kitchen: Fried chicken reached the stratosphere this year with Birds in the Kitchen. These guys managed to rewrite the fast-food rulebook with their fried chicken sandwich: impossibly juicy chicken, perfectly crispy coating, and sauces that take things to the next level. It’s fast food, sure, but not as you know it and most certainly a project that will echo across city borders.
• BEST NEW CASUAL FINE DINING: Bertie: At Bertie in Prenzlauer Berg, the crew behind Annelies managed to do the same thing for casual dining they done for breakfast already. With no reservations required, you’ll eventually find yourself feasting on impossibly tasty Buffalo chicken wings, beef cheese sandwiches awaiting to be dunked in a divine gravy, and marvelously crispy chicken schnitzels, all served in a setting that’s as fun as it is unpretentious. On top of this, the food is served by superbly schooled staff. Bertie is THE new place for comfort food done exceptionally well.
• BEST NEW OPENING: Luna D’oro: The crown jewel of Berlin’s restaurant openings this year has to be Luna D’Oro at Clärchens Ballhaus in Mitte. This isn’t just a restaurant; it’s a love letter to Berlin’s history, served on a plate. Classic German cuisine gets a bold makeover here, with blatantly simple but yet outstanding (and humurous!!) dishes crafted by a stellar kitchen team and served with precision by an equally impressive front-of-house crew. Add the iconic "roaring 20s" setting of Berlin's most iconic dance hall, and you’ve got a restaurant that’s not just exciting—it’s essential for our relation to German food culture and testimony to the next level of modern German cooking.
I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to this incredible communit, first and foremost the Berlin Food Club aka the most elite and passionate group of eaters this city has ever seen, but also every single, other person who reached out with feedback and restaurant tips. Your passion, insights, and unwavering support are the very essence of what makes Berlin Food Stories such a special project.
Looking ahead to the coming year, I remain steadfast in our mission to be Berlin’s most reliable source for food and restaurant recommendations. In an increasingly saturated media landscape, dominated by social media food content and influencer-driven trends, the need for an independent, community-driven platform like Berlin Food Stories has never been greater. We proudly operate without influence from restaurant budgets or PR agendas, and we are committed to preserving that independence.
“ Looking ahead to the coming year, I remain steadfast in our mission to be Berlin’s most reliable source for food and restaurant recommendations.
If you’d like to support this mission, you can contribute by purchasing a Berlin Food Stories restaurant voucher, joining the Berlin Food Club, or simply using our trusted referral codes with partners like Wolt. Your support helps sustain this platform and ensures that we can continue to champion Berlin’s vibrant culinary scene.
As 2025 approaches, I am thrilled by the possibilities on the horizon. Berlin’s casual food scene is evolving in exciting ways, and I am eager to uncover and share the extraordinary flavors, hidden gems, and unforgettable dining experiences that await. Here’s to another year of discoveries, shared meals, and the unparalleled joy of exploring food together.
Yours truly, Per
