Eating Berlin: A Vegan’s Guide

Landing in Berlin was a dream come true. We’d just come from Morocco and had been on a steady diet of tomato cucumber salad, couscous, and tajines for five weeks. We were really looking forward to landing in one of the world’s most vegan-friendly cities!

Walking down the street we saw loads of shops sporting vegan V stickers, Happy Cow clings, and menus advertising vegan sections. This is a huge deal for vegans who dine out with friends in non-vegan restaurants since it leaves many more options for the group and cruelty-free eaters.

Eating Proper Pizza

We’d heard rumors of the pizza at Sfizy Veg on Dale and Franca’s awesome vegan blog and had to taste it for ourselves. Well, there’s a reason we have no photos of our meal. When the pizzas came from the oven, with hot, flaky crust with a few air bubbles, we had to honor the kitchen and eat straight away. Since then, Maddy’s learned from a Salerno friend how to make a triple-rise pizza dough and swears only to eat from his own hands now. Lucky me.

Serve Yourself at This Spot!

Next up was a spot on the other side of town called Crunch Kantine. It had just opened and I’d read reviews raving about its incredible value, inventive food, and quaint vibe. So, we braved the rain and tracked down the canteen. It’s like walking into a friend’s spacious salon.

Local artwork hangs on the walls, the smell of herbs and spices is in the air, and the warmth of the day’s soup cuts the chill from the street. “Hello! Welcome to Crunch Kantine.” The owner and chef is also the greeter! He explained that it was a buffet system, we could take as much as we’d like, and that nearly all the dishes were vegan except one and a few desserts. We were in heaven, as the dishes were packed with protein, rich in greens, and varied in spice so that Maddy had plenty to choose from, too. This spot offered exceptional value, creativity, and flavor.

Save Room for Dessert

With pizza, doner kebab from Vöner, and home-cooked meals on the menu, it was time to seek out a burger. So we went to the creperie Let It Be. Wait, a crepe place for burgers? Oh yeah. Then we sat down, and I saw the menu. Macaroni and cheese? The burger was going to have to wait, as I hadn’t had the taste of cheese since going vegan. Maddy had laser vision and went for apple cinnamon crepes. Such a good choice! 

If you can believe it, we went to a few other places in Berlin that week, too. The last spot was a place Maddy and I couldn’t agree about: Brunch at Kopps. I loved everything from the robin’s egg blue decor and clean white trim to the roasted veg and vegan hollandaise sauce, but Maddy still wasn’t convinced about the concept of brunch. For me, it was a must for vegan brunch lovers in Berlin.

Vegans, take note. It’s incredibly easy to have a great day in Berlin, as this city features flavors from all over the world. Even when you’re not visiting a vegan restaurant, you’re most likely going to find options that fulfill your lifestyle and budget. Aside from all the international fare, there’s plenty of lovely bratwurst, pretzels, and vegan beer to be had, too! Have you tried any spots in Berlin that we’ve missed?