Along with other sectors of Berlin’s culture rapidly expanding (such as fashion, tech,etc.), Germany’s capital has also become a culinary gem in its own right. For decades, the city has prided itself on the invention of the Turkish inspired doner kebab by Kadir Nurman in the 1970s.
Annually in Germany, the street food festival in Kreuzberg marks and celebrates the creation of the doner kebab in the country’s gastronomic sphere. This annual festival, called Kebabistan consists of a plethora of established kebab stands, restaurants, and vendors from all different Berlin based food places.
Even in 2016, the doner kebab continues to reign as the best food on the go, quick snack, and even a simple, affordable meal.
Adana Grillhaus
Adana Grillhaus has been serving large plates loaded with tender chargrilled meat and accompanied by meze for over 20 years. The 40-seat restaurant is located amid the hustle and bustle of Kreuzberg, in the neighborhood adjacent to the world-famous art of the East Side Gallery.
Konak Grill: Izmir Köftecisi
Located just off Kottbusser Tor station since the early 1990s, this tiny food stand, also located in the Turkish community of Kreuzberg creates delicious freshly grilled meatballs made of minced lamb meat called kofte. Similar to other Turkish grilled meats, Konak Grill often places kofte in sandwiches with fresh herbs including mint and parsley to accent the meat’s incredible, yet delicious flavor.
Fes
This recently opened Turkish BBQ restaurant has already made a name for themselves due to the innovative take on what they coined as “the contemporary kebab.” These kebab makers actually use table electric grills instead of charcoal to create a very different, new flavor on the meat.
El Reda
Located in the Moabit district, this is actually the only recommendation on the list that isn’t in the Kreuzberg district of Berlin. Owner Hassan Khreis offer a Iranian take on the kebab called kubideh. The kabab koobideh or kūbide is a Iranian meat kabab made from ground lamb or beef, and less commonly chicken, often mixed with parsley and chopped onions. The kubideh which Meelu describes as, “a plate of perfectly grilled minced lamb kebabs, served with fluffy saffron rice, grilled tomato and a plate of Persian herbs and raw onion”.