WHERE TO CELEBRATE THE YEAR OF THE FIRE HORSE IN BERLIN — RECOMMENDED BY ALICE M. HUYNH

Every year, I look forward to the New Year. Sometimes it’s the Year of the Water Monkey, then the Year of the Wood Snake or, as will be the case on February 17, 2026, the Year of the Fire Horse. Perhaps you’ve heard of this before, or maybe you’re wondering why I seem to be a few months off. Unlike in the West, many countries across East and Southeast Asia — especially China, Vietnam, Singapore, Taiwan, and South Korea — celebrate the Lunar New Year according to the traditional lunisolar calendar. It’s also known as Chinese New Year (Spring Festival), Seollal in Korea, or Tết in Vietnam. Because the celebration follows the lunar calendar, the date shifts each year in the Gregorian calendar. The twelve zodiac animals rotate annually, and we are now moving from the Year of the Wood Snake into the Year of the Fire Horse. The importance of this holiday becomes particularly visible in the news. Around this time, one of the world’s largest annual migrations takes place as millions of people travel home to celebrate with their families. Homes are cleaned and decorated, altars are prepared, and new clothes are worn, especially in red, a color associated with luck and prosperity. Red envelopes filled with money — hongbao in Chinese or lì xì in Vietnamese — are among the most cherished gifts. And, of course, food plays a central role, often tied to symbolism and superstition. (read more)

A whole steamed fish represents abundance and prosperity. Dumplings resemble gold ingots and symbolize wealth, long noodles stand for longevity, and sweet rice balls express unity and togetherness. Because of this deep cultural meaning, the Lunar New Year is celebrated widely across the diaspora as well. Berlin, too, offers plenty of places to mark the occasion with festive dishes. At Moii Café in Charlottenburg, a small but charming Taiwanese café, you’ll find mooncakes alongside beautifully crafted cakes and drinks. My favorites are the Osmanthus latte with jelly, the milky jasmine tea cake, and the mango sponge roll. For a classic celebratory meal, Jolly Restaurant is a longtime favorite, known for its Peking duck: crisp, lacquered skin and tender meat wrapped in thin pancakes or baos with sweet hoisin sauce. Perfect for sharing with family and friends.

At Dumpling Nian, combine two lucky dishes on one table: steamed sea bass with ginger and spring onions in soy sauce, alongside handmade dumplings filled with pork and Chinese cabbage, shrimp, or beef and carrots. Weekend brunch at Meet You Restaurant is another highlight. Their Shanghainese menu includes homemade dumplings, xiao long bao (soup dumplings), jianbing (crispy Chinese crêpes), baos, chili wontons, and warm soy milk. My tip: come with a group and share everything. If you’re craving southern Vietnamese comfort food, Saigon Cơm Niêu is my personal go-to. Alongside dishes like Bánh Canh Cua (a spicy crab noodle soup), they serve Thịt Kho Tàu, caramelized pork belly with whole eggs, traditionally eaten during Tết. The round eggs and square pieces of pork symbolize harmony, completeness, and family unity.

For a more cultural experience, visit Linh Thứu Pagoda during the holiday. Besides the beautiful temple setting, there’s vegan food, music, and the chance to light incense and make wishes for the year ahead. The celebrations continue at Dong Xuan Center, where you’ll find handmade bánh chưng and bánh tét (sticky rice cakes wrapped in banana leaves with mung beans and pork), red sticky rice (xôi gấc), and varieties of chè desserts. For Korean New Year traditions, Han BBQ offers an all-you-can-eat samgyeopsal (pork belly) barbecue until 17.02.2026, including rice, banchan, and salad. And at Dotori, a special four-course menu inspired by traditional Korean New Year dishes is paired with Korean beverages, an elegant way to welcome the Year of the Horse. However you choose to celebrate, the Lunar New Year is ultimately about gathering, sharing food, and starting fresh together. Berlin offers many ways to do just that.

Text: Alice M. Huynh / Photos: Matthieu Joannon, Alison Pang, Robyn Steffen

Alice M. Huynh grew up in the Allgäu Alps and has called Berlin home for over a decade. After beginning her career in New York’s fashion industry, she slowly turned toward what truly excites her: travel and food. Today, she works as a content creator focused on lifestyle, culinary culture, and travel.

Moii Café, Fasanenstr.46, 10719 Berlin–Charlottenburg; map

Jolly Restaurant, Am Kupfergraben 4/4a, 10117 Berlin–Mitte; map

Dumpling Nian, Eisenbahnstr.4, 10997 Berlin–Kreuzberg; map

Meet You Restaurant, Fasanenstr.41, 10719 Berlin–Charlottenburg; map

Saigon Cơm Niêu, Bülowstr. 9, 10783 Berlin–Schöneberg; map

Han BBQ, Kantstr.120/121, 10625 Berlin–Charlottenburg; map

Dong Xuan Center, Herzbergstr. 128-139, 10365 Berlin–Lichtenberg; map

Dotori, Gustav-Adolf-Str.159, 13086 Berlin–Weißensee; map

@alicemhuynh
@moiicafeberlin
@dumplingsnian
@meetyou.china
@saigoncomnieu
@hanbbq.berlin
@dotori.berlin

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Restaurants

MEDITERRANEAN MEZZE IN A MODERN BISTRO SETTING — SAINT FARAH AT WEINBERGSPARK

If you think Levantine cuisine is just hummus and falafel, Saint Farah might not be the place for you — or maybe it’s exactly the right one. Because what chef Nadav Kundel serves here is anything but predictable, showing how mezze can be reimagined in exciting new ways. Since October 2025, Saint Farah, right by Weinbergspark, has been serving small dishes as sharing plates. Nadav and his cousin Gil Azrielant have been enriching the neighborhood with a modern bistro concept that honors the cuisine of the Mediterranean coast while paying tribute to the culinary legacy of their grandmother Farah. Born in Baghdad in 1934, Farah worked as a seamstress before moving to the coast of Tel Aviv at sixteen. Today, she’s remembered for her generous heart, hospitality, and love of good food — not only by her five children, thirteen grandchildren, and ten great-grandchildren, but by many others whose lives she has touched along the way. Saint Farah is Nadav’s first restaurant in Berlin. He aims to combine the essence of a modern Mediterranean bistro with his own culinary language, shaped by years of travel around the world. He brings more than twenty years of knowledge, technical skill, and passion to the kitchen. Anyone thinking Berlin already has enough sharing-plate concepts and “the usual mezze” should come here and think again. On my evening at Saint Farah, every single plate felt exciting — either with familiar flavors reworked in surprising ways or completely new tastes presented in a comforting, familiar format.

There was crispy cauliflower with black lentil purée, merguez ragout with roasted onions and Jerusalem artichoke purée (delicious!), and beef tartare with pickled mustard seeds, fresh horseradish, chives, and a marrow sabayon, served on freshly baked flatbread. Grilled Swiss chard leaves stuffed with lamb and paired with beetroot ketchup are a tribute to his grandmother — and already a guest favorite. The mussels with butter, bacon, chili crisp, and rice wine have also become something of a signature dish, even though Nadav never set out to define any such classics. Instead, he values experimentation: dishes are swapped out, transformed, and recombined. If you can’t decide, ask for the “Trust the Saints” menu. The team chooses the plates, sets the pace, and makes sure you’re in for a lively evening. If you’re coming as a pair, grab seats at the kitchen counter and watch the mezze being prepared right in front of you, listen to Nadav and the team at work (always fascinating), and have each dish explained in detail. Larger groups will be more comfortable at the wooden tables in the center of the room. Grapevines climbing up the large glass fronts of the corner space shield you from the busy street and create an inviting, intimate atmosphere. The drinks menu features homemade signature cocktails and mocktails with house-made syrups, infusions, and Mediterranean spices. Some wines are even served straight from the barrel. So, what’s left to say? Best try it for yourself — while you can still get a booking.

Text: Robyn Steffen / Photos: Elisabeth Rogov, Steffen Sinzinger

Saint Farah, Weinbergsweg 8a, 10119 Berlin–Mitte; map

@saintfarah.berlin

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Guests, Restaurants

DISCOVER AUTHENTIC GEORGIAN CUISINE AT DAIA — RECOMMENDED BY NICOLE ERNST

Tucked away in the midst of the Scandinavian quarter, between culinary household names Estelle, Omoni and Terese, a new addition was welcomed in October 2025: Daia. Sisters Tamuna and Tatia, along with Demna, set out to create a warm, hospitable atmosphere and a sense of family to share with their guests, along with authentic Georgian cuisine. Family is, after all, what comes first for the three. In their homeland of Georgia, cooking and sharing meals around the kitchen table is an expression of love and connection. And that’s exactly what they hope to pass on to their guests. Embracing this results in an atmosphere blending tradition and clarity. Soft, cave-like tones and cozy lighting contrast with a bright bar, a luminous island whose glass blocks radiate towards heavy wooden tables that have definitely witnessed quite a bit of life. The pièce de résistance is the open oven built by the team, which admittedly is highly Instagrammable, its neon signage announcing its purpose — in Georgian, of course. Transliterated into Latin script, it reads approximately “Sazkchobi”, “bakery”. Here, the Khachapuris are baked to perfection, buttery-soft from just four ingredients. Here you are cared for by people who truly know what they’re talking about.

Listing the full range of dishes would be a monumental task, but let it be known to the attentive guest that you can travel, often eating vegetarian or vegan, from east to west, north to south, through the culinary landscape of Georgia. The dishes are concise, deeply rooted in family tradition, and so distinctive in flavor that you simply have to try them all. A standout for me is Kharcho: a creation from the sisters’ grandmother, hailing from western Georgia. Historically, it was inspired by a roast in times of scarce meat. At Daia, it arrives on the plate as a crispy cauliflower dish. Served on a Georgian plate with a variety of walnuts. Walnuts are practically Georgia’s national snack, though they are less often eaten whole than turned into pastes and other preparations. Quality is evident in every choice, from ingredients to service. There is so much to discover and learn at Daia. Questions are welcomed with genuine enthusiasm. After all, who knew that Georgia has its own alphabet, has preserved its language and identity against countless invaders for centuries, and even invented wine? Indeed. From Pet Nat to orange wine, from traditionally buried amphora-aged vintages to the Tbilisi Sour, everything speaks one language: home, in the here and now. And so Tamuna and Tatia named their restaurant accordingly: Daia, “sister”. Because family is at the heart of everything they do. It is the core of the restaurant, the reason it exists. Daia is an invitation, offered sincerely and joyfully. And you feel it the moment you step inside.

Text: Nicole Ernst / Photos: Daia

Nicole Ernst has lived in the city for over 20 years. She is an actress who loves Berlin’s skies and everything that embodies style, beauty, and a certain sense of speed.

Daia, Kopenhagener Str.69, 10437 Berlin–Prenzlauer Berg; map

@daia_berlin

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Restaurants

ITALIAN CUISINE, SARDINIAN SOUL: LOCANDA BONARIA HITS THE SWEET SPOT

For me, Italian food is synonymous with comfort, and uncovering new Italian spots feels like a treasure hunt. Locanda Bonaria opened in 2024 and sits quietly amongst the buzzing shops and cafés outside Leinestrasse station. It’s oftentimes challenging to find authentic Italian cuisine with a Sardinian twist, but Locanda is one of those places you walk into and feel as though you’re no longer in Berlin. Locanda Bonaria offers refined, well-balanced flavors, delicious wines, mixed drinks, and non-alcoholic options. A personal shout-out to the non-alcoholic Negroni, which had all the traditional flavors without the hangover. Every aspect has been thought out by owners Ermano and Sarah. The space is intimate and follows my favourite theme of a cozy setting and soul-replenishing dishes. The intimacy doesn’t stop at the physicality of it all. Locanda is named after Ermano’s mother, an inspiration behind this quaint restaurant. From the name to the flavors and the space, step into Locanda and be greeted warmly and treated as though you’re a guest in Ermano’s home. Ermano, owner and chef, cooked us the Pasta Di mare, casu furriau, and the Culurgiones. A perfect sharing amount for two with fresh flavours of the sea, rich balances between sweet and salty, and hearty filling portions. The menu also offers grazing boards, vegan dishes, and extensive wine. Safe to say, with all its winning elements, I will be going back for the vibes and to work my way through the rest of the menu.

Text & Photos: Ruby Watt

Locanda Bonaria, Hermannstr. 178, 12051 Berlin–Neukölln; map

@locanda.bonaria

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Restaurants

WINES & SHARING PLATES UNDER THE SKY: IVANO PIROLO’S TAKE ON ITALIAN CUISINE AT CIELO

Sometimes the best things happen when you simply let go. Ivano Pirolo would sign off on that. Over the past few years, he realized he’d lost touch with what he truly loved: creative freedom in the kitchen and dishes that genuinely reflect who he is. He created his own place with the intention to reconnect him with that feeling and remind him what it’s like to be a host. With his wine bar Cielo (open since February 2025), he fulfilled that dream. It’s a sincere place where Mediterranean food, good wine, and a welcoming atmosphere are celebrated. Ivano comes from Irpinia in Campania, southern Italy, a region known for its wine. As a child, he helped his grandparents on their farm, collected mushrooms and chestnuts in the mountains, and experienced the passing seasons via his dinner plate. This connection to nature defines his cooking today. The menu at Cielo is deeply rooted in the seasons. In winter, find cabbage and artichokes; in summer, tomatoes, zucchini, and eggplant. The dishes are designed to be shared and always carry a Mediterranean touch — raw fish plates, grilled vegetables, homemade croquetas, a crispy yet soft egg, mussels with ‘nduja, and a selection of Italian cheeses and cold cuts. You’ll also find classics like grilled octopus skewers and, of course, fresh pasta — because, as Ivano says, no Italian menu is complete without pasta.

What sets Cielo apart from many other wine bars? Here, the dishes take center stage just as much as the wines themselves. Ivano calls them tapas, but they’re quite unlike what we usually associate with the word. The wine list, curated with sommelier Yannick Kern, brings the best of Italy, Germany, France, and Greece. The result is a mix of natural and classic wines with one clear standard: they’re wines with character, but not overly funky, and not chasing trends. When you spend time at Cielo, you get to know Ivano, not only as the host who welcomes you, but also through his dishes, the wine, the music, and the art on the walls — everything that shaped him growing up. And maybe, if you linger a little, you’ll catch a sense of that Italian sky under which it all began for him.

Text: Robyn Steffen / Photos: Cielo, Steffen Sinzinger

Cielo, Lenbachstr.7, 10245 Berlin–Friedrichshain; map

@cielo_winebar

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WHERE TO CELEBRATE THE YEAR OF THE FIRE HORSE IN BERLIN — RECOMMENDED BY ALICE M. HUYNH

MEDITERRANEAN MEZZE IN A MODERN BISTRO SETTING — SAINT FARAH AT WEINBERGSPARK

DISCOVER AUTHENTIC GEORGIAN CUISINE AT DAIA — RECOMMENDED BY NICOLE ERNST

ITALIAN CUISINE, SARDINIAN SOUL: LOCANDA BONARIA HITS THE SWEET SPOT

WINES & SHARING PLATES UNDER THE SKY: IVANO PIROLO’S TAKE ON ITALIAN CUISINE AT CIELO