Travel tips & advice for Germany: Where to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner in Berlin

Julian Tompkin.

THE EXPERT

Julian Tompkin

Berliner doner kebab. Credit: iStock

An adoptive Berliner for 15 years, in his new book, Wanderlust in Berlin (Hardie Grant Travel, $29.99) Perth writer Julian Tompkin compiles the best of coffee, culture and good food in the German capital. See hardiegrantbooks.com

BRUNCH

Berlin's hard partying reputation has been hard-earned and the city rouses late – hence the ubiquity of the all-day brunch. Many eateries don't crack the shutters until 10am or even later, when the bleary-eyed denizens ambush the terrace tables for a brunch platter of cold cut, including local smoked ham, cheese, spreads and antipasti. Some canny Berliners are giving the brunch an exotic makeover, such as Cafe Mugrabi in Kreuzberg, with its legendary shakshuka and hummus plates. See cafemugrabi.business.site

COFFEE

The coffee revolution came late to Berlin, until recently awash with dusty filter coffee and goblets of convenience store cappuccino. The city's international cohort (including many Aussies and Kiwis) kicked off the micro-foam revolution and today the famously unfussy city really does make a fuss over its barista brews, with Bonanza Coffee Roasters leading the pack. See bonanzacoffee.de

DINNER

The city-state of Berlin is cinctured 360 degrees by Brandenburg, a state with a profusion of endemic produce: the fabled Brandenburg duck, wild boar and deer, berries and mushrooms just for some. But none is so prized as the white asparagus (spargel) of Beelitz, 25 kilometres beyond Berlin's city limits. Hit the Fischerhuette am Schlachtensee – on the lake at Berlin's southern fringe – where it's served up the traditional way, with hollandaise sauce and boiled potatoes. See fischerhuette-berlin.de

DRINK

The Berliner Weisse has become one of the most coveted craft beer styles globally in recent years: along with its brethren in the greater "sour wheat beer" designation. Pay homage at Berlin's fabled Prater Garten, in Prenzlauer Berg. This nigh-on 200-year-old beer garden has seen it all: from revolution to wobbly tourists enjoying a Berliner Weisse at the source. Prost. See pratergarten.de

LATE SNACK

The doner kebab was invented in Berlin in 1972 by Turkish immigrant Kadir Nurman. Midnight feasters have been paying their respects ever since. It's hard to find a bad kebab in Berlin: lashings of veal sliced straight from the rotisserie with salad and your choice of sauce (garlic, herb or chilli), all pressed into toasted Turkish bread. For a decadent variation, head to the city's most storied hotel, the Hotel Adlon Kempinski. See kempinski.com