Being a crossroads of creativity and culture, Berlin has quietly been cultivating one of the best street food scenes in the world. For years craving the tastes of nonconformity, Berliners are open to many things, including food from around the world. Spice does not scare locals here, uncharacteristic of many other parts of Germany.
In a city where anything goes, finding an option for your particular preferences or dietary restrictions is easy enough. Starting with some of Turkish street foods that are unintentionally vegetarian and in many cases, vegan.
Breakfast Options – Akin Simit
There are two places in particular I would recommend visiting during the morning hours. During the week, if you’re in the Kruezberg area Akin Simit Fruhstuckshaus serves a variety of Turkish pastries. Straightforward and vegan, you can have a simit (a sort of Turkish bagel) or vegetarian pogaca (baked dough ball of butter and happy thoughts).
Sunday Mornings – Klas Backerei
On Sundays though, if you’re looking for Turkish breakfast, it’s better to head to Klas Backerei. They’re open all other days of the week (except Saturdays) which is a shame since Sunday is when they expand their breakfast menu. Before you walk in though if you’re just hungry enough for a quick snack, there’s a window where you can pick up gozleme. Those sell out very quickly and it’s the best place to find these flat hand-rolled flat dough pies stuffed with spinach, cheese… it varies.
Further inside, Klas Backerei has lentil soup, menemen (Turkish omelet), olives, strong tea, Turkish coffee plus a few other morning staples. Meat eaters, it’s worth getting a sucuk omelet, which is a greasy beef sausage that’s slightly so spicy on top of runny eggs. Gozleme on the side and some soft white bread to soak up what’s left is a small secret near Gorlitzer metro station.
Raw Meatball Without Meat. Also Not Raw
Cig kofte literally translates into raw meat ball in Turkish but these days it’s actually cooked bulgur wheat kneaded into spicy bites. Originally the spice was used to eliminate bacteria from raw beef – a version that still exists – although in a place like Berlin, going vegan is a smart business move.
- Cigkofte Berlin (Herrfurthstraße 32) – you can find several other Turkish foods that have been made vegan, like icli kofte (kibbeh).
There are a lot of good options at Cigköfte Berlin with a vegan or vegetarian plate option – either are a good choice. You’ll get a variation of cig kofte (you can wrap in lettuce leave or flat bread), stuffed grape leaves, and other veg items you can choose from.
Curry 61
Honestly it’s hard to get a bad currywurst in much of Germany although many would argue it’s hard to get a good one. A large pork sausage covered in cheap ketchup with a sprinkle of curry doesn’t leave a lot of room for culinary expression. I’m highlighting the rather popular Curry 61 since they also have a vegan option of the otherwise meaty street food.
Markthalle Neun – Thursday Only
If you’re in Berlin on a Thursday night, this is where you need to go. A large street food festival happens in Markthalle Neun every Thursday from around 5pm-10pm. There’s street food from all over the world – momo man is also there! – lots of German beer, and a wonderful atmosphere. It’s impossible not to be happy here as you try snacks from Uruguay, Syria, Japan and more at close to 100 food stalls.
Keep It Going
One of the nice things about Berlin is that many traditionally meat based dishes have their vegan counterparts but the reverse is also true. Meat lovers will love Berlin but if you’re traveling with a mixed crowd of herbi-omnivores, in most cases you can all enjoy a meal at the same place.
A few other restaurants that are a good examples of this are Heimweh in Kreuzberg where you’ll find kumpir – a massive baked potato you can fill with over 30 ingredients. Vegan, vegetarian, regular person – it’s all about the toppings you choose. Finally, across much of town doner kebab stalls like Tekbir Doner will almost always have a hellim (halloumi cheese) option. A native cheese of Cyprus that’s found a home in Berlin for its growing vegetarian population.
