Berlin is one of our favorite places that isn’t Madrid. It’s a veritable vegan mecca, has tons of cool and alternative things to do, and is super multicultural, reminding us of our home, New York City. We’ll never pass up a chance to go back, so this Berlin vegan guide will periodically be updated again and again.
While not quite approaching our Ultimate Guide status (reserved for extensive stays in one place), this Berlin Vegan Guide is easily our most robust after our ultimate vegan guides to Madrid and Salt Lake City.
We couldn’t have done it without Nicole of VeganNomNoms though, with her comprehensive Berlin Vegan Guide. Read below for our opinions, but make sure to check out her guide as well for even more vegan restaurants in Berlin. She’s been living in Berlin for the past 6 years and is an authority on the vegan scene in Berlin (see the end of this post for more resources and blog posts we recommend).
It’s worth noting that Berlin mostly seems to be a cash-only city. We never bother taking a lot of cash with us when we travel because we charge everything to our travel credit card to get all the points! In Berlin, we had to succumb to the stupid ATM fees a couple times because very few places took credit cards. We were quite surprised since most places in Madrid take cards and Berlin is an even bigger city.
So be forewarned! Cash is king here.
Onto vegan Berlin! We’ve grouped things by vegan restaurants in Berlin, places with vegan options, and rounding out the bottom, events you might want to check out.
100% Vegan Restaurants in Berlin
There are so many vegan restaurants in Berlin that it’d be impossible to try them all in one trip.
Vöner
Vegan currywurst and plant-based kebaps!! If we lived here we would swing by on the regular. Berlin has a huge Turkish population, so doner kebabs are a very popular street food here. Madrid has a bunch of kebap places as well.
The interior is anarchist, punky, and small and we snagged a seat by the window. The menu is small but varied, with burgers, kebab, and fries. But we weren’t here for the burgers. We wanted a kebab on some form of bread and another dish that seemed everywhere – currywurst. Once we saw they had fresh cut fries, we had to get those too.
The currywurst was fantastic. We had just tried a lesser vegan version on our way over, just to get a sense of standards, and this was on a whole nutha level. The skin was crispy and the inside tender and savory. It came with a loving helping of the curry sauce, which is almost a cross between ketchup, your typical NYC hot dog onion sauce, and a hint of curry. It’s not spicy at all but has a distinct taste and it goes great with those fries, which are fucking fantastic.
The Voner keBAP’d us in the face. They could be vegellionaires if they wanted to. The kebab is juicy, crumbly, savory, pretty much everything you hope for in a vegan mock meat. Toss on the extra house sauces and fresh veggies. So delightfully messy you’ll be checking your pants for a vöner.
Tip: If you’re sharing, get the durum vöner (comes in a wrap) like we did. If you’re solo, for 50 cents less, get it in a pita.
Bottom line: Amazing, so cheap, fast food, vöner friendly. Cash only.
Stella Nera
After many years chomping down New York pizza in all its iterations, noming all the vegan pizza throughout the U.S (if you’re in Baltimore ya gotta try Johnny Rad’s), and our recent trip to Italy – we’re becoming quite the discerning pizza-eaters.
Read more: Vegan Guide to Florence, Italy
When we found out that there was an all vegan pizzeria run by Italians in Berlin, we had to go. This place serves up delicious wood-fired pizza and Italian dishes in Neukölln. The crust was the best part – crispy on the outside, doughy on the inside. They’re a vegan collective and have a super friendly mostly Italian staff.
We have to say we were a bit spoiled by all the homemade toppings and cheese Purreza in Brighton, UK, but Stella Nera does make their own homemade vegan ricotta from tofu, which we highly recommend!
Read more: Vegan Guide to Brighton, UK.
Definitely better than Sfizy Veg (below), but expect it to be crowded. Even on a weeknight, you will be waiting for a seat.
Takes Credit.
Wilder Hase vegan Biergarten
A vegan beer garden in Berlin! Because of course.
Keep in mind this isn’t just a vegan version of your typical massive beer garden. Instead imagine a more hobbit inspired corner with stacks of wood, wood logs for seats, wood logs for benches, and wood for burning in the fire pit! That’s right – they have a fire pit.
There’s no dress code – there was a wedding reception being hosted when we were there, catered by Alaska Bar (a vegan Spanish tapas bar in Berlin; see below).
If you’re looking a for a vegan scene that provides respite from the city, look no further.
Kopps
Hot damn this was unlimited vegan glory. This is an all you can eat affair – but super gourmet. Normally we wouldn’t come to a fancy spot like this – dinner starts at 60 euro a head – but this brunch is 15! For what you get, it’s practically a steal.
There were three sections of food, with almost a dozen options each. First, they had a hot section with pancakes, vegetables, and the best tofu scramble ever. Next up they had a cold salad section with various salads, noodles, beans, cucumber, and peppers. Also the best vegan egg salad ever! Warning: it is very eggy – but why else would you eat egg salad?
In the foyer was another table with a few desserts, granola, yogurt and cold cuts aka deli meats and sliced cheeses. They also had a selection of different bread rolls, like whole grain, ciabatta, etc. Perfect for topping with their three different vegan butters, two nut butters, jams, and various spreads.
For gourmet vegan food at a reasonable price, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better deal than this unlimited brunch.
Cat Tuong
This is a great spot for a date night with impressively nuanced food that isn’t exorbitantly expensive. The prices are a little higher than your run of the mill Vietnamese spots in Berlin (of which there are many). Yet the food is a step above – innovative, interesting, and with super fresh ingredients and reasonably sized portions. We recommend the noodle salad and the udon noodles.
Cozy interior and short menu – don’t expect the usual 40 options at a typical Vietnamese spot. They also have a few daily specials.
Takes credit (but wasn’t working then, so bring cash in case).
Alaska Bar
Spanish tapas in Germany? You betcha. They sport a regular menu with tortilla, chorizo, and croquetas. But we came for their monthly Tapa Night, where every tapa is 1 euro.
We were impressed. These were top notch tapas. Whether it was the pincho de tortilla, or the “salmon” or the “goat cheese” stuffed peppers, they served up glorious plates of Northern Spain style tapas called “pintxos” like you’d find in San Sebastian. (Read all about vegan pintxos in our Vegan Guide to the Basque Country).
The bar feels like you’re transported into Spain, with dark interior with dark wood. The bartenders are from Barcelona and speak Spanish, English, and German!
Read more: Vegan Tapas in Madrid
Vegan Cafes in Berlin
Yep, there are so many vegan cafes in Berlin that they get their own section in our Berlin Vegan Guide. What.
Banana Calling
This place is a little neighborhood spot that is worth a visit for their great bagels and coffee. The atmosphere is clean and minimalist, with plants as decoration. A little dachshund named Winnie that seemed to be a regular was zooming around barking for attention from the patrons, but no one seemed to mind because she was so cute!
When we visited, this place was called Black Sheep Cafe. It’s now called Banana Calling. It seems to retain a lot of the same characteristics, so we’re keeping our review experience here until we get back to Berlin!
Banana Calling (in the location of White Crow Black Sheep Cafe) has a variety of bagel sandwiches, but I was just craving a plain bagel with cream cheese. Perhaps it was a lost in translation moment or maybe the cream cheese is just more sour in Germany, but it tasted more like sour cream. Also, any bagel sandwich is a base of 4 euros no matter what you put on it, (didn’t realize – will take the blame). So it’s a much better deal to get a bagel sandwich with a ton of things on it than a 4 euro bagel with cream cheese, so learn from us!
They also have a variety of sweet treats. While I was trying to decide if I wanted the cinnamon roll or not, someone snatched it up, so I had the brownie instead. It was very tasty but a little dry.
Bottom line: Great bagels, great coffee, great place for doing some work or writing. Accepts credit cards!
Brammibal’s
Brammibal’s is Berlin’s all vegan donut shop. We went to their original location, right alongside the river. They now have a ton of locations!
Their donuts were good first time we tried them, but we didn’t understand the hype until we had one of their Boston Creme donuts. To die for!
One of the main reasons we weren’t super excited immediately was because they didn’t have any simple standards like glazed, chocolate, or even just filled donuts when we went. Give Sam a cake donut (or Veren a glazed yeast one) any day. It definitely depends on the day and time you go though, because their website says they have more low-key donuts like cinnamon sugar, espresso, or speculoos, all which we would have been happy to try.
However, if you love donuts, don’t miss this one!
Bottom line: Fancy vegan donuts.
Pêle-Mêle
We’ve been here a couple times when hanging out in funky Neukölln. They have quite the selection of tarts, cakes, cookies, and a vast array of coffee drinks. It’s usually quiet when we’ve been in the afternoons and the staff are all super friendly.
They also have a vegan brunch on the weekends. Next time.
Bottom line: Great for doing work or hanging out a bit. Cute and cozy interior.
Goodies
Vegan croissants, what what!? They were on point: buttery and super flaky. With each incredulous bite, Veren did not hesitate to take another. Goodies are normally located inside the Veganz grocery stores, though they also have a standalone location.
Vegetarian Restaurants in Berlin (with substantial vegan options)
Momos
A really tiny and humble spot off the beaten path, but worthy of your time. The staff was super friendly and suggested that the dumplings taste best steamed – this allows the nuance of flavor to come through.
These are great, but we must point out outright: they’re not exactly Tibetan/Nepali style dumplings, which are called “momo”. These are more akin to ravioli with much thinner, gummier wrappers and non-traditional soft fillings. We tried the dumplings with shiitake mushrooms and one with curry and carrot, but there were ones even with cheese. They were delicious and we’d definitely go back. We always welcome a new spin on things. And everything is BIO (organic)! Impressive.
Chay Viet
Chay Viet has two locations, one in West Berlin and one in Mitte. We went to the one in Schöneberg and shared a meal with the pet owners we had house sat for on our first trip to Berlin!
The portions are large, but Veren still ordered another side of rice – he’s very serious about his rice to saucy entree ratio.
The house recipe red curry is especially delicious – get it.
Spots with Vegan Options in Berlin
Katjes Café Grün-Ohr
We stumbled on this place while on a break from our Alternative Berlin tour. While everyone was getting sub-par coffee from a tiny bodega, we popped over here and grabbed some pastries and coffee to go.
Your teeth will literally sink into the apfel streusel – a thick slab of soft dough topped with apples and crumbly topping. Surprisingly soft and moist throughout, you could easily enjoy this without teeth.
The cinnamon roll was excellent with a soft doughy interior, slightly barely perceptible sugary crispness on the outside, and just the right amount of cinnamon.
Momo Master
We had been wandering around the RAW Gelände cultural complex when we first noticed an area with a few food trucks and carts. On our way back the second time we strolled by, the Momo Master himself insisted we try some – for free. He was closing up for the day and had some extra. This turned into two plates, one steamed, one fried, both veggie filled.
The momos came accompanied by a spicy, and then mild version of the same sauce, which he made as well. These are clearly handmade, with soft and chewy pillowy outsides, and finely chopped veggies stuffed inside. If you’re in Berlin and you want to know what real momos are like, look no further.
Inseparable from this experience is the man himself. He lived up to the reputation of Tibetans being some of the most genuinely nicest people in the world. We asked all sort of questions about his life. He speaks five languages: English, German, Nepali, Tibetan, and Chinese, having spent significant periods of his life in each of these countries. His momo cart is uniquely Tibetan style dumplings, aka Momos. He laughed a lot and happily shared his craft. He could be called the Momo Master King.
This gregarious dumpling slinger has this title for a reason. Easily the best momos we’ve had since we’ve left New York. And Veren knows the real deal made by momo grandmas in Queens. The neighborhood Jackson Heights, where he used to live and work, has enjoyed a recent influx of Himalayan immigration.
Read more: NYC budget guide: Queens Edition
Pop Up Markets
Berlin has an impressive array of pop up markets and all of them have vegan options, with even some all vegan stalls.
Markthalle Neun (several times a week)
An indoor market covers a large range of a food. Its vendors and hours are subject to fluctuation and rotation – check their site for hours.
We went to the Street Food Thursdays, where the entire hall packs every stall.
Many places offer a vegan option – very common in Berlin. Just expect higher prices and smaller portions, but with high-quality food. We even saw a couple all vegan vendors – like Indonesian food!
We couldn’t try them all but can definitely recommend Tofu Tussis.
They make their own tofu from Germany sourced soybeans and you can taste the difference. The quality and texture are phenomenal, and they come in a variety of styles. We tried the barbecue tofu stick but you can also get blocks of tofu to take home and cook for yourself.
Turkish Market (Tuesday and Fridays – check schedule)
Everyone raves about this market and for good reason. Expect to find tons of great produces, homemade food, and handmade wares for super cheap. We saw gloriously red tomatoes at 1 euro per kilo, and 10 small avocados for a euro!
Try these great vegan wraps for 2.50 euros each if you need a snack.
They made the flatbread, then wrapped it around some fresh arugula, tomatoes, and tofu. A surprisingly filling meal for so cheap. There are several vendors selling vegan options.
Veganes Sommerfest (yearly vegan festival)
While it’s unlikely you’ll catch this unless you come at the end of August, it’s still worth mentioning.
Great for seeing all the newest and coolest in vegan products! They pop up for a Fri – Sun event in a very touristy part of Berlin. While some may object, it’s clearly a great way to show off how far veganism has come. Expect all sorts of food, but also higher prices. Check out the vendor list, as many have permanent locations operating regularly.
We were particularly impressed with this super wholefood vegan ice cream with a creamy yet robust texture and flavor.
Read our extensive review/recap of the event: Vegan SummerFest in Berlin
Also, we went to Brammibal’s again here, because their donuts are just that good.
The Boston Cream is better than non-vegan ones (Veren always thought the animal-filled originals were gross). The dough is super soft, not overly fried, and the cream filling tastes like real vanilla. Of course, the chocolate icing is just right – vegans have had the cocoa game down for years now.
Bite Club
This regular pop up is much smaller than the rest – which we welcome. A nice break from the hectic and huge markets, expect much fewer stalls, but still plenty of options for these spoiled vegan Berliners.
There was a raw cookie dough vendor and we opted for the vegan chocolate oreo – tasted even better than it looked.
There was even a Veggie Bite Club that we went to the next week, where we noshed on some excellent bagels and banh mi’s. A bit messy, but very satisfying.
Grocery Stores for Vegans in Berlin
Since we travel via house sitting, we stay in places for several weeks to several months. While you could easily eat out every day in Berlin with all the delicious things to try, that adds up real fast. We also find it fun and interesting to grocery shop in other countries.
Just don’t forget to assemble a small travel kitchen kit in case wherever you’re staying has nothing but a blunt butter knife and one plate.
Read more: Travel Kitchen Set: Essentials for Cooking While Traveling
Veganz – 100% Vegan
It’s been years since we walked into a grocery store and could say that we wanted to eat anything and everything they had. A literal plethora of options, we spent many minutes just ogling the selection. If you’re vegan, it’s worth going for the experience even you don’t buy anything. No checking labels, no looking for the “natural foods” section, no nothing. Just grocery shopping like everyone else.
Do note, just because it’s vegan, that doesn’t mean it’s good. We had some disappointing Veganz brand butter cookies, though the wonderfully delicious chocolate heart cookies made up for it.
There are a few locations throughout the city, but it’s more fun if you go to the one at Friedrichshain (Warschauer Straße 33) because it’s like a vegan mini-mall with a vegan restaurant, a vegan shoe store, and a vegan cafe (Goodies) all under the same roof.
This is the future.
Dr. Pogo – 100% Vegan
All vegan, but possibly for those that are anti-Veganz, since that’s just how alt and vegan Berlin is. We’re sure Dr. Pogo gets all kinds of patrons. This place is a collective and has more of a co-op vibe than the clean supermarket feel of Veganz. They had a yuge selection of vegan products. We first laid eyes on vegan white chocolate in Dr. Pogo.
Edeka – Vegan options
Edeka is the largest supermarket chain in Germany. They are everywhere and have a pretty decent vegan and bio section. Even the small one across the street from where we were house sitting had a range of vegan alternative meats (though no vegan cheeses, interestingly enough). Their prices are great and they have a fresh bakery section as well where you can pick up some German brown bread to have with your salami and mustard!
Eurogida – Vegan options
We would never have known about this place if our lovely house sitting hosts hadn’t mentioned it to us. Eurogida is a local Turkish market/grocery chain that reminds us of a large bodega in NYC. They have a deli section, a fresh bakery with great fresh Turkish breads, and lots of good produce. We picked up some cheap dates for our smoothies here, along with fresh pitas and rolls. We definitely recommend grabbing groceries here if you’re staying in Berlin for a bit – there are 13 locations spread across the city.
Original Unverpackt – Vegan options
Bulk store without packaging. Since it’s a bulk store, we didn’t buy anything, but It was a fun experience to see shampoo, oils, and sauces in big vats. We wish we had stores like this in Spain (do they exist in the U.S.?). The only problem is that they’re still more expensive than items from a traditional grocery store. For these things to become more mainstream, they need to lower their prices, though of course there are a lot of factors. Still glad these exist!
There are a few locations and one is just down the street from Yellow Sunshine.
Read more about reducing your waste while traveling: Eco-Friendly Travel Gear
Further Reading
It seems like every vegan blogger has made their own vegan pilgrimage to Berlin, so there’s a wealth of information out there on the interwebs. For more Berlin vegany goodness, make sure to check out:
VeganNomNoms has many comprehensive guides to Berlin as she has called the city home for many years, but start with her Berlin Vegan Guide – it is an epic wealth of information with links, places to stay, things to do, and she’s always updating it. I had the chance to meet up with Nicole for her birthday party and can confirm that she is also an incredibly sweet and funny person!
Indefinite Adventure are also based in Berlin and have many great Berlin vegan guides, including a digital nomad vegan cafe guide, best vegan brunches and best vegan fast food.
If you prefer drooling over all the options in video form, Kristen of Will Travel for Vegan Food created a great video for VeganTravel on the vegan options in the hipster neighborhood of Neukölln, and Wanderlust Vegans has a Berlin food vlog on all of the vegan treats they devoured in their time in Berlin.
Traveling elsewhere in Europe? Be sure to check out our many Vegan City Guides. We have guides for many cities in Spain and the UK, as well as Italy, Bulgaria, and more!
Have you been to Berlin or would like to go? What vegan restaurants in Berlin do we need to try next time we visit and update our Berlin Vegan Guide? Let us know in the comments below!
*Editor’s note: This post was originally posted in March 2017. Last update was: August 2020.
