Visitors from New York, London or Paris are often heard uttering the old cliché: “Berlin’s great, but the food’s awful.” While good curry, real escargots and twenty-four hour diners are hard to find, Berlin has more than its share of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern Cuisine.
With a Dönerladen (Kebab shop) on just about every corner, the problem is knowing how to separate the hand made delights from the prefabricated frozen nuggets. This guide to the best falafel stands in Berlin should aid you.
1. Babel
Located conveniently on Kastanienallee between boutiques, designers, and more boutiques, Babel is the perfect place to take a break from all your shopping and engorge yourself with a delicious, fresh falafel Teller (plate). The vegetables are always fresh, the mango sauce is delightful and the pickled turnips are scrumptuous. Without a doubt, these lightly cinnamon and nutmeg spiced falafels are the best in town.
Babel – Kastanienallee 33 (Prenzlauerberg).
2. Nil
History lesson: falafel originates from Sudan (as do the Pyramids, don’t let those Egyptians fool you). In Sudan, falafel is called tamiya. If you would like to be served promptly at either this location or the Wrangelkiez joint on Oppelnerstrasse, make sure to call your sandwich by the right name or be prepared to wait for a long time (trust me). Don’t forget to request extra peanut sauce -it’s delicious if not addictive. Not in the mood for falafel? Their Nil Chicken with eggplant also comes highly recommended.
Nil – Grünbergerstrasse 52 (Friedrichshain).
3. Maroush
Not only is Maroush the best falafel in the über-punk Kottbussertor environs, it is also the most aesthetically pleasing in the whole city. Come for the falafel, stay for the cozy nooks and delicious peppermint tea.
Maroush. Adalbertstrasse 93 (Kreuzberg).
4. Dada Falafel
Don’t worry: despite this Falafel stand borrowing an avant-garde movement for its name, this place serves standard quality falafels, for a standard fair price. Located near the gallery row on Auguststrasse, you’ll find this place fitting before or after the long art haul.
Dada Falafel – Linienstrasse 132 (Mitte)
5. Al Andalos
Though there are a number of good falafel stands not far from Hermannplatz, Al Andalos won over my heart. Not only is it the cheapest falafel in Berlin (1 Euro! Can you believe it?) but the decor is amazingly tacky. For all the money you’re saving on the falafel, make sure to pick up one of the cassettes lying on the bar -a real treat.
Al Andalos – Sonnenallee 40 (Neukölln).
Happy eating!
Picture of falafel at Babel, Berlin originally posted by dizznbonn
One response to “How to eat cheap in Berlin? Lesson 1: Falafel”
Report an inappropriate commentDecember 3rd, 2010 at 2:21 pm
You do know that Babel use a powdered Falafel mix? i.e. just add water etc……….The true test is those that can produce a quality “kugel” of falafel using the right blend of fresh chick peas, leak etc A bit further up the road there’s Falafel Ufo, being run by a gung-ho lad so you might not get lucky as to who’s prepped the falafel mix for the day. If it’s Zaimm’s mix you’re in luck. There’s over 40years of falafel making in those hands. With over 30 of those years being spent making them in Berlin!!! If you were genuine about finding the best Falafel in Berlin , you should give them all equal opportunity to produce their best? Anyway……………………………….
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