While I have cooked for my mom, I’ve never opened an entire restaurant for her. This is where Wen Wang – the owner of The Butterfly Lovers – and I differ. Before opening this completely vegan Chinese restaurant, Wen was running Tianfuzius in Schöneberg. Her vegan mother wanted a place she could also enjoy, and so in July 2021, Wen opened The Butterfly Lovers. Located on the edge of Volkspark am Weinberg in Mitte, the restaurant is a bright and approachable lunch spot that’s still sleek enough for dinner. Fresh flowers lift the space, complementing the floral wallpapered design on the bar. In summer, seating for 80 people spills out onto the terrace. The menu is hearty but not heavy: served with rice, the main dishes include fried vegan duck with salad and pickles, cauliflower with fermented black beans, braised mixed mushrooms in wine sauce and fried lotus roots with bell peppers.

We especially loved the Sichuan-style vegan chicken with tofu, onions, chili and peanuts, served in a crackled bowl of deep-fried rice paper and spiced with a generous amount of Sichuan pepper. The waiters can recommend dishes with less spice if you like, but if you’re not afraid of heat you’ll enjoy the Sichuan pepper throughout the menu. While vegan meats can sometimes feel a lazy option, the plant-based creations here impressed with their great flavor – especially the mock duck. To accompany there’s a drinks menu with beer on tap and soft drinks (we suggest the “Spring of Jade” with lime juice, ginger ale and soda) and a dessert menu that includes Mochi by Berlin masters Chubby Cheeks. Whether you are vegan or not, lunch or dinner at The Butterfly Lovers is a truly tasty choice. Wen Wang’s mom: you should be proud.

Text & Photos: Savannah van der Niet

The Butterfly Lovers, Veteranenstr.10, 10119 Berlin–Mitte; map
Tue–Fri 12–15h30 & 17h30–0h; Sat 13–0h; Sun 13–22h30

@the.butterflylovers

Since opening in 2018, Neukölln’s W Pizza has established itself as one of Berlin’s go-to joints for the real Neapolitan deal. At the beginning of 2022, the pizza pros opened a second restaurant in Mitte, the appropriately named W Pizza Mitte. Located on the increasingly trendy corner of Chausseestraße and Invalidenstraße, the city-center eatery is altogether more polished. Where the Neukölln original is all about cozy dinners with Kiez-feeling, the Mitte restaurant is sleeker and more designed – a place for work lunches and early-evening dates. Fresh white walls are complemented with a green ceiling, floors, pillows and chairs and a large stainless steel bar with a neon light centerpiece. Graffiti self-portraits from Berlin artist Christian Hoosen complete the clean, urban look. As for the food: well if you know and love the pizza in Neukölln you won’t be disappointed. We had the veggie marinara, which as tradition stipulates comes without cheese – not that you’ll miss it, given the quality of the tomato sauce, olive oil and vegetables.

Tuna, salami and prosciutto-topped pizzas sit alongside vegan options, including one topped with vegan mozzarella. Those looking for a quick lunch will like the self-service style (you collect your pizza from the counter yourself), with small ready-made calzone pizzas available to grab and go. That said, you can easily spend time over a leisurely dinner complete with a bottle of natural wine from Caminito next door. Head to W on Saturday or Sunday and you can treat yourself to one of the slightly wacky weekend specials. We never thought we needed a pizza topped with vegan bolognese, but we’re here for it!

Text: Scott Moss / Photos: Savannah van der Niet

W Pizza Mitte, Invalidenstr.112, 10115 Berlin–Mitte; map
Mon–Thu 12–20h30; Fri 12–21h30; Sat–Sun 16h30–21h30

@wpizzamitte