Though the Germans are known for their meat and cheese heavy diets (and of course, their beer!), I was pleasantly surprised to find some excellent options for vegan meals while in Berlin recently.
As is often the case when traveling to foreign countries, many restaurants do not have official websites and/or do not post menus online. The few that do are frequently useless to English only speakers. We did quite a bit of research before our trip to gain these lucky finds and they exceeded all expectations. I hope this post saves you some legwork if you find yourself looking for meatless options in Berlin!
Kopps
This warm and lovely space was a true surprise. A bit unassuming from the outside, once you're inside the space, the velvet curtains and fabric benches help you to feel cozy and romantic. Kopps is both healthy and delicious, and they serve all vegan food that is only made from seasonal, organically farmed vegetables. We opted for both the celery kale and potato leek soups, which we shared (and then fought over the last bites of each one), as well as the beetroot dish and the Brussels sprouts entree that came atop a pretzel (so very German!). The dishes were well seasoned, artfully plated, and surprisingly filling. We had excellent service and would have returned to Kopps if we'd spent another night in Berlin.
Cookies Cream
Don't let the back alley location fool you - Cookies Cream is a fine dining experience. Despite wandering through dumpsters and a graffiti-covered concrete maze, upon finding the "hidden" entrance to Cookies Cream, we were ushered into a warm foyer and offered welcome drinks. After we had sipped our champagne and adjusted to our surroundings, we were led upstairs to our table, which to our delight was situated beneath the only window in the restaurant, perfect for fireworks viewing as we happened to be dining on New Year's Eve.
The restaurant uses mostly local ingredients and has been in operation since 2007. Vegan cuisine is relatively new to Germany, and the website boasts that Cookies Cream creates a unique cuisine disregarding rules and recipes. Some highlights from the 9 course preset menu included a vadouvan cauliflower, vegan caviar, and grilled pineapple. A playful touch was in how Cookies Cream presents their dessert menu - by stamping your tablecloth!
This was easily the most decadent meal I have ever had the pleasure of enjoying. Cookies Cream puts the fine in fine dining. From the impeccable service to the exquisite food, we were delighted for the many hours we spent there. If you are looking for a memorable and special food experience, this is the place for you.
Koshary Lux
Koshary Lux was a gem of a find. Self-described as "Oriental Street Food", this actually seemed like a Mediterranean meets Israeli style restaurant to me. Koshary Lux offers a number of dips and starters, as well as a lovely lentil soup, and some really well flavored mildly spicy entrees that included both vegan and carnivore options. The meal was inexpensive, the service was swift, and the food was hot and filling - just what we were looking for on a cold night in Berlin! The best part is the restaurant is super casual and open for lunch most days.
As is often the case when traveling to foreign countries, many restaurants do not have official websites and/or do not post menus online. The few that do are frequently useless to English only speakers. We did quite a bit of research before our trip to gain these lucky finds and they exceeded all expectations. I hope this post saves you some legwork if you find yourself looking for meatless options in Berlin!
Kopps
This warm and lovely space was a true surprise. A bit unassuming from the outside, once you're inside the space, the velvet curtains and fabric benches help you to feel cozy and romantic. Kopps is both healthy and delicious, and they serve all vegan food that is only made from seasonal, organically farmed vegetables. We opted for both the celery kale and potato leek soups, which we shared (and then fought over the last bites of each one), as well as the beetroot dish and the Brussels sprouts entree that came atop a pretzel (so very German!). The dishes were well seasoned, artfully plated, and surprisingly filling. We had excellent service and would have returned to Kopps if we'd spent another night in Berlin.
Cookies Cream
Don't let the back alley location fool you - Cookies Cream is a fine dining experience. Despite wandering through dumpsters and a graffiti-covered concrete maze, upon finding the "hidden" entrance to Cookies Cream, we were ushered into a warm foyer and offered welcome drinks. After we had sipped our champagne and adjusted to our surroundings, we were led upstairs to our table, which to our delight was situated beneath the only window in the restaurant, perfect for fireworks viewing as we happened to be dining on New Year's Eve.
The restaurant uses mostly local ingredients and has been in operation since 2007. Vegan cuisine is relatively new to Germany, and the website boasts that Cookies Cream creates a unique cuisine disregarding rules and recipes. Some highlights from the 9 course preset menu included a vadouvan cauliflower, vegan caviar, and grilled pineapple. A playful touch was in how Cookies Cream presents their dessert menu - by stamping your tablecloth!
This was easily the most decadent meal I have ever had the pleasure of enjoying. Cookies Cream puts the fine in fine dining. From the impeccable service to the exquisite food, we were delighted for the many hours we spent there. If you are looking for a memorable and special food experience, this is the place for you.
Koshary Lux was a gem of a find. Self-described as "Oriental Street Food", this actually seemed like a Mediterranean meets Israeli style restaurant to me. Koshary Lux offers a number of dips and starters, as well as a lovely lentil soup, and some really well flavored mildly spicy entrees that included both vegan and carnivore options. The meal was inexpensive, the service was swift, and the food was hot and filling - just what we were looking for on a cold night in Berlin! The best part is the restaurant is super casual and open for lunch most days.
