Berlin in 2023

June 10, 2023 12:29 PM

Will be back in Berlin later this month for 4 nights. Was there in 2020 for a super short visit. Y'all gave me some good advice last time; got any new advice? What should I eat, where should I go? Am a fan of food, thrift shops, flea markets, farmers markets, film, queer-friendly spaces, and good sex toy shops. Please note: I do not drink alcohol. Am not a vegan but am vegan friendly.
posted by Bella Donna to Travel & Transportation around Berlin, Germany (3 answers total)

Best answer: I can’t find your last question to see what was suggested then, but I was there in the autumn and Markthalle Neun has a Street Food Thursday. Not sure if it was Thursday when I was there as there weren’t a huge number of stalls, but I got a nice burger and beer, it’s a lovely building, and some veg stalls to browse.

From there I wandered through the eastern part of Kreuzberg, via the lovely leafy square at Lausitzer Platz, and got one of the most incredible ice creams I’ve ever had at Art en Chocolat, at Oranienplatz 15 (orange and basil! OMG! It was so good. YMMV.) The folk on the benches in Oranienplatz were a little varied in their sobriety, but I felt safe enough to sit and savour the ice cream there.
posted by penguin pie at 4:17 PM on June 10, 2023 [2 favorites]

Best answer: I, a queer and trans vegan who also doesn't drink, visited my queer cousin in Berlin for
a week last December. Off the top of my head:

Brammibal Donuts has multiple locations and they're delicious.

Veganz is a vegan grocery store with a location in Friedrichshain that's downstairs from a vegan sushi place and a vegan sneaker shop.

She Said is a cute queer & feminist bookstore in Neukölln.

Have a great visit!
posted by wicked_sassy at 6:46 PM on June 10, 2023 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Check out Thai Park. It's a weekend gathering of the local Thai community, where many people bring homemade food to sell. It's a little off the beaten tourist track but it's also a unique experience that's currently under threat, so enjoy it while you still can.

I'd recommend the blog Mit Vergnügen for current and 'best of' recommendations. It's in German but super easy to navigate if you auto-translate the page. Exberliner has English-speaker-friendly listings for local events.

Will you be there for Fête de la Musique, June 21st? There will be so many 'official' gigs on but if you just walk around Kreuzberg in the evening you'll find DJs and bands playing on the street, on random patches of grass and in cafe windows every 50 metres or so.

There's also 48 Stunden Neukölln starting June 23rd, which is a 48 hour festival of art shows and experiences created by local galleries, stores etc. On the Saturday evening it usually turns into a chilled out street party around the corner of Weserstrasse and Weichselstrasse, because there are so many people spilling out of places and onto the street. Mind you, it can get like that on many a warm Saturday.

I miss Berlin. Have the best time!
posted by guessthis at 4:39 AM on June 12, 2023 [1 favorite]