Ich Bin Ein FAT Berliner

By Kelly Hayes-Raitt | August 31st, 2010 | No Comments

Dining in Berlin is al fresco in the hood I’m in (Kurfürstendamm – the Champs Élysées of Berlin lined with stores like Cartier, Yves Saint Laurent, Hermés, Valentino – all closed on Sundays). It’s been rainy, so all the restaurants here have heaters and shawls folded over the seats. My first night, I had an extraordinary dinner (lamb and eggplant in a tart yogurt sauce) at a Turkish restaurant (Baba Angora, www.BabaAngora.de). I loved it so much, I returned on my last night! (Teresa, try Angora red wine! She’s on her way to Turkey to read from her fabulous book Noah’s Wife. Treat yourself: www.tkthorne.com She just won ForeWord’s 2009 Historical Fiction Book-of-the-Year!)


Lunch Day 2 was Greek seganaki (flaming cheese) and later I dined on homemade spinach cannelloni. Last night was sushi. There are a surprising number of Argentinean and Asian (Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese) restaurants in Berlin. It’s comforting to be out dining among all the foreign cuisines and conversations. Apparently, however, the memo about second hand smoke never made it here. And I always seem to be downwind.

Tip: Sandwiches sold by street vendors are wonderful, cheap and fresh. Avoid buying coffee along Kurfürstendamm – nearly twice the cost for a cup bought at charming coffee houses just a block or two away.