Berlin's Best Falafel Joints
Inexpensive vegan street-food is always an option for the city-dweller. The Arabic phenomenon is healthy -- loads of good carbs & proteins -- and downright satiating. When they're good, they'll be no reason to dash back to your hotel with stomach pains and a bloated belly. "Feel-Awfuls" aside, we've picked for you the best of the Middle East from the Berlin neighborhoods you're sure to visit. Check out the aptly titled Falafel in Berlin blog for even more suggestions.
Babel
Kastanienallee
13158 Rosenthal, Berlin, Germany
Babel may well be the most popular falafel joint in East Berlin. Understandably enough, its dark, sultry red interior appeals to the green-hued partygoers of …
Kastanienallee. Also, the food is cheap, fresh, and tasty. If you can figure out a time to go when you don't have to hustle for a table, then we highly recommend it. There's also another location in Friedrichshain. [link]
Tamra
Lychener Straße 13
10437 Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin, Germany
This pretty little red restaurant is always an option when on Lychener Strasse and you don't want to partake of the busier restaurants. The falafel hummus platter …
is a favorite, with just the right amount of tahini and garnishes. What's most appreciated about these guys is how they attempt neither to charm nor anger you. They are what they are, and there's no reason to feign social niceties. [link]
1001 Falafel
Stargarder Straße 73
10437 Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin, Germany
We sampled these guys during our Saturday shopping at the Kollwitzplatz market. Theirs is the only stall from which you'll hear good old German-English-Arabic shouting on … the hustle for customers. "Lady, you want to try? Is free!" The restaurant itself is the better option since you can browse through the pretty shops on Stargarderstrasse and visit the historical Gethsemane church afterward. [link]
Tassili
Danziger Straße 36
10435 Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin, Germany
Moroccan newcomer Tassili comes in second to Zweistrom for a quick sandwich in Prenzlauer Berg. For €2, try the colossal falafel sandwich on whole-wheat flat bread with … fresh hummus. For €4, you can choose one of the daily tagines (a slow-cooked stew served in terra-cotta dishes). The all-brick interior is warm and easy on the eyes, and the servers are exceptionally friendly. Expect front-row seats to the hourly wreckage of young pink-faced drunkards on Danziger Strasse. [link]
Baraka
Lausitzer Platz 6
10997 Kreuzberg, Berlin, Germany
Once you enter this cavernous restaurant, you'll feel you've left behind the silent, simmering hostility that is Berlin. This North African restaurant is an experience … and a must for a long, intimate dinner. Sit Arab-style and begin your culinary journey with their fresh mint tea. Feel confident ordering anything on their menu; everything we've sampled is on-point. Platters are fresh, varied, beautiful, and enormous -- enough for three people. [link]
Zweistrom
Kollwitzstraße
Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin, Germany
Located on the northeast perimeter of Kollwitzplatz, Zweistrom is unquestionably Prenzlauer Berg's best falafel joint. For €3, you can treat yourself to a mega wrap: … falafel stuffed with halloumi (fried sheep cheese), lettuce, tomato, peppers, and fresh mint, and drizzled with yogurt and mango sauce -- on whole wheat flat bread. Or for €4.50, you can opt for the platter with a choice of two dishes that will comfortably suit two people. The hummus is a must-try. [link]
