My good friend Katharina and I have been searching for Berlin’s best schnitzel for some time. A native Austrian, she knows her stuff and so I owe this tip to her. Österelli near Ernst-Reuter-Platz is not somewhere I would have come across were it not for Katharina’s recommendation. The schnitzel, served with potato and cucumber salad, is a standout in a menu of hearty meals for all times of the day: Spinatknödel with fresh salad for lunch, a plate of Käsespaetzle for dinner and a serving of wonderful Germknödel with custard any time you like. The seasonally changing menu includes lots of vegetarian dishes, courtesy of friendly hosts Julia and Andi. The pair know a thing or two about sophisticated cuisine and are living proof that Alpine specialities can be served in style, without the usual clichés. In their stylish dining room you’ll find the Wishbone Chairs by Carl Hansen and rose-hued lamps by Verner Panton.

Given their interior design taste, it’s no surprise that Julia and Andi come from the fashion world. The couple met in Berlin (“A Tinder success story,” says Julia) and opened their restaurant in autumn 2020. Previously, Julia had been managing director at fashion house Marcel Ostertag, while Andi worked in restaurants including Borchardt, Grosz and Mutzenbacher. The sheer number of regulars at Österelli is evidence of how well it’s working, leading the duo to open a second location in summer 2022. Located at Potsdam’s Palais am Stadthaus, the restaurant is geared up for large groups with its garden and outbuildings. When asked about her favorite dishes from the menu, Julia is at pains to pick from the oft-changing selection. “Right now for me it’s the Amalfischnitzel, a Wiener Schnitzel with a relish of Amalfi lemons, capers and red onions, the beetroot dumplings, and definitely the Germknödel with custard. Andi loves the Spinatknödel and the truffle cordon bleu.” Plenty to try, then!

Text: Laura Storfner / Photos: Stephany & Philipp Groß

Österelli, Bismarckstr.6, 10625 Berlin–Charlottenburg; map
Tue–Fri 12–21h, Sat–Sun 13–21h

@oesterelli
@oesterelli_potsdam

You might already know Mibap; its founder, Hsin-Yu Ting, has already made her mark on the city’s food scene. Her culinary journey began a few years ago with a small stall at Markthalle Neun serving rice sandwiches inspired by Taiwanese street food culture. They brought joy and long queues, giving the small stall a firm place in the street food community. Since then, the Mibap team have found themselves a fixed spot in the form of a small imbiss with seating and a takeaway window on Torstraße. The concept: bento for lunch, hotpot for dinner. Originally from Japan, bento boxes allow you to get your lunch to go without any dreaded mixing of food. At Mibap they come in several variations, including chicken in a Taiwanese honey barbecue sauce and a vegetarian version with fresh herby mushrooms in a homemade sauce of rice wine, sesame oil, soy sauce and basil.

Accompanying is a changing lineup of fresh side dishes with the likes of cucumber pickled with garlic and spinach with five-spice. The highlight, however, has to be the hotpot evenings, where the choice is between three broths and toppings – a nice change from overwhelmingly long dinner menus. Traditionally, vegetables, glass noodles and meat or seafood are cooked and draped in the broth, though here a vegetarian version is also available. You can order your own hotpot or assemble your friends around a stove in the middle of the table and cook together. To drink, there’s bubble tea and winter melon iced drinks so you don’t overheat. Eating aside, just the experience of doing the hotpot ritual makes Mibap a fun place to spend time with your fave folks.

Text & Photos: Robyn Steffen

Mibap, Torstr.22, 10119 Berlin–Mitte; map
Mon–Sat 12–15h & 18–21h 

@mibapberlin

Same name, different vibe: November is the restaurant that has taken over the eponymous cafe that previously stood on Husemannstraße in Prenzlauer Berg. Run by hospitality group The Catch Family, the eatery now serves high-end Japanese-inspired cuisine with plenty of seafood imported fresh from Spain and Japan. The scallops, which are served with grapefruit and ginger, are particularly impressive, while the turbot with miso and shiitake butter is great to share. Sushi fans should try the Kim nigiris, carpaccios and tartar rolls from chef Ruslan Kim. If you are vegetarian you’ll also be catered for: the deep-fried oyster mushrooms and edamame hummus and broccoli with peanut sauce make for captivating starters and mains, respectively. The drinks menu includes 11 options (November being the 11th month of the year) created by bar chef Vasily Sapunkov, who fuses European and Japanese flavors with finesse. A classic gin and tonic is refined with shiso, and the Moscow Mule is replaced by a Tokyo Mule with kaffir, rum, yuzu, ginger and lemongrass. The brasserie is open until midnight, giving you plenty of time to feast your way through the entire menu. Choose a table on the plant-filled terrace or in the warm oak-clad interior and start sampling.

Text: Annika Hillig / Photos: Nils Hasenau

November, Husemannstr.15, 10435 Berlin–Prenzlauer Berg; map
Tue–Thu 18–0h, Fri–Sat 10–16h & 18–0h, Sun 10–17h

@november_berlin