It wouldn’t be a Berlin summer without many things (wasps, hangovers, inflatable dinghies), and it certainly wouldn’t be a Berlin summer without some al fresco dining. In a city that knows to cherish its long days and warm nights, Berliners are spoilt for choice when it comes to leafy courtyards, terraces and gardens in which to mingle, wasp in face, Aperol spritz in hand.
We round up the best spots in Berlin for outdoor dining, from restaurants to biergartens.
MITTE
Coccodrillo
Yes, Mitte has green bits. And in one of them, the beautiful Weinbergspark, you’ll find the candy-coloured walls of restaurant Coccodrillo, which opened in summer 2022. This new Italian eatery comes replete with zebra patterns on the floor, porcelain leopards and even more neon signs. Where does that leave room for food? On the red tables, of course. Think truffle pasta from copper pots, burrata, fior di latte ice cream, decent pizza and crowd-pleasing drinks from sometimes daring vessels (boobs, for example). An Instagram dream.
- Coccodrillo Veteranenstraße 9, Mitte, Mon-Thu 11.45-14.45 & 17.30-00:00, Fri-Sun 11.45-1
Clärchens Ballhaus
Berlin’s most cherished historic ballroom reopened in July 2020 with new owners (what up, GCM overlords!), a new look (bye bye, tinsel) and a revamped menu that killed the pizza but kept the schnitzel. Get a forkful in the lush, expansive courtyard, which is almost as scenic as the old Spiegelsaal.
- Clärchens Ballhaus Auguststraße 24, Mitte, Tue-Sun 12-23
Night Kitchen
The fairylit Heckman Höfe courtyard is the place to go for a lengthy, celebratory group meal, especially if you opt for the never-ending parade of shareable modern-Mediterranean dishes that constitutes the €52/person “Dinner With Friends” and chase it with a potent cocktail or two.
- Night Kitchen Heckmann Höfe, Oranienburger Str. 32, Mitte, Tue-Sun 17-23:59
PRENZLAUER BERG
Kanaan
Silky-smooth hummus, homemade pita bread, and other vegetarian and vegan Middle Eastern specialties in a big sandy lot off Helmholtzplatz. Co-owned by an Israeli and a Palestinian, it’s also one of the only restaurants in Berlin to publicly give a damn about what goes on in Gaza.
- Kanaan Schliemannstraße 15, Prenzlauer Berg, Thu 18–22, Fri–Sun 12–22
Kink
This ambitious, experimental-minded restaurant and cocktail bar took over most of the Pfefferberg complex in late 2019 – including the leafy, elevated patio, where hip Prenzlauer Bergers can unwind over grilled octopus, beef tartare and asparagus sorbet (or more casual lunch dishes from sister café Frank, with its tantalising French-style tartelettes, hazelnut choux and babas).
- Kink Restaurant und Bar im Pfefferberg, Schönhauser Allee 176, Mon–Sat from 18 (kitchen until 22),
FRIEDRICHSHAIN
Michelberger Restaurant
Yeah, it’s too-cool-for-school and you won’t get full at dinner without spending a fortune. But the DJ-soundtracked courtyard ambience is hard to beat, and lunch gets you the same hyperlocal produce (from the regenerative farm the crew opened in 2019) for way less money. Also, you might run into Bon Iver in the hotel foyer.
- Michelberger Restaurant Warschauer Straße 39, Friedrichshain, Tue–Sat from 18–23, hotel bar til 2
Restaurant Schoenbrunn
Another garden restaurant in Berlin, and a hugely popular one at that, is the Schoenbrunn Restaurant in Volkspark Friedrichshain. Here, locals feel as comfortable as they would in their own garden. But new Berliners and scattered tourists also find their way to the beer garden, alongside families in need of a bockwurst-to-go from the kiosk.
- Restaurant Schoenbrunn Am Schwanenteich, Volkspark Friedrichshain, Restaurant: Wed+Thu 12-21, Fri 12-22, Sat 10-22, Sun 10-21, Biergarten: Mon-Fri from 14, Sat from 13, Sun from 12
KREUZBERG
Zollhaus Rutz
Meaty German classics from bratwurst to Königsberger Klopse, given an upgrade by the three-Michelin-starred chef Marco Müller and served on a manicured, grassy terrace that’s so close to the Landwehrkanal you could give the swans your leftovers (which you’ll only have if you’re vegan).
- Zollhaus Rutz Carl-Herz-Ufer 30, Kreuzberg, Wed-Sat 18-22, Sun 16-22
Golgatha
OG Berlin beer garden Golgatha has existed since 1977. Here, for relatively little money, you’ll find sumptuous portions. A place where the potatoes are still lovingly peeled by hand(!) and served with a Kreuzberger Klosterbier or a Karg-Hefeweizen from Upper Bavaria. The crowd in the ‘danceable beer garden’ is a colourful mix – typically Kreuzberg, typically Berlin.
- Golgatha Katzbachstraße, Viktoriapark, Kreuzberg, April-September: daily from 9, October-March: weather permitting.
3 Schwestern
Fancy an open-air flick after you dine? Take in a screening of Greenland, Mama Weed or The United States vs. Billie Holiday at Freiluftkino Kreuzberg after you hit up the courtyard biergarten of its Bethanien neighbour for a free-range schnitzel or belly-warming plate of Käsespätzle.
- 3 Schwestern Mariannenplatz 2 (Bethanien), Kreuzberg, Mon-Fri 16-23, Sat + Sun 11-23
NEUKÖLLN
Café Botanico
Hidden in a wild Rixdorf garden behind a rather inconspicuous façade you’ll find Café Botanico. According to the rules of permaculture, old fruit varieties, vegetable plants and wild herbs are cultivated here over a thousand square metres, which are then preserved or served fresh and crisp in the form of a salad, dessert or fresh lemonade. Café Botanico is a must for nature-loving culinary enthusiasts. The kitchen concept? Italian. The ingredients? Organic, from the garden or from regional partners. Dishes like the Botanico burger with pulled lamb, fennel mayonnaise and wild herb salad appear alongside classic dishes like tagliolini with black truffle in butter with parmesan.
- Café Botanico Richardstraße 100, Neukölln, Tue-Sat 17-23, Sat +Sun 10-16
Café Rix
Inside, Café Rix on Karl-Marx-Straße scores with a pleasing mix of art and gastronomy. In the backyard, the garden restaurant exudes classic charm and some elegant palm fronds. When the weather is nice, breakfast under a large chestnut tree and among many plants and flowers becomes an exotic feast.
- Café Rix Karl-Marx-Straße 141, Neukölln, daily from 10
21 Gramm
There’s no more picturesque place to eat pancakes than under the brick-lined eaves of the former funeral parlour across from Tempelhofer Feld. The upmarket brunch, lunch and happy hour fare here may be a tad overrated, but given the setting and the location, there’s always an über-hip crowd dying to get in. (Sorry.)
- 21 Gramm Hermannstr. 179, Neukölln, Wed-Sun 9.30-17
TEMPELHOF-SCHÖNEBERG
Brewdog
If rumours are true, the site at the old gasometer in Mariendorf was converted for a whopping €40 million. The majestic red brick building from 1901 is now home to the Brewdog brewery and restaurant, surrounded by a fantastic beer garden in which up to 800 people(!) can sup craft beer at the same time. And the food isn’t bad either: pizzas, burgers and chicken wings. Beer food, but of a reliably high quality.
- Brewdog DogTap Berlin Im Marienpark 23, Tempelhof, Mon-Thu 16-23, Fri 14-00:00, Sat 12-00:00, Sun 10-22
BRLO
The most happening craft brewery in Gleisdreieck boasts a sizeable biergarten backdropped by hefty monochrome shipping containers. Twee this ain’t. The full menu features BBQ meat straight from the smoker alongside the likes of a bangin’ baked cauliflower from the impressive vegetable menu.
- BRLO Schöneberger Straße 16, Kreuzberg, Tue-Fri 17-00:00, Sat-Sun 12-00:00
TIERGARTEN
Café am Neuen See
The legendary spot for a lakeside Löwenbräu (or a cold-pressed juice), a pretzel or a Flammkuchen. As soon as the sun shines, two- and four-legged Berliners trek to the beer garden and café in Tiergarten, next to lake Neuer See. The self-serve area has become its own pavilion with several cash registers, food and beverage stations, just like a canteen. On the menu: pizza, pasta, and the Bavarian classics of all German beer gardens: Weißwurst and Leberkäse, bratwust, shandy and wheat beer.
- Café am Neuen See Lichtensteinallee 2, Tiergarten, 11-23
Schleusenkrug
Because Schleusenkrug is located in the middle of Tiergarten, it is – although only a stone’s throw away from Bahnhof Zoo – a kind of novelty excursion restaurant. All year round there’s a seasonal weekly menu with soups, salads, tarte flambée and several main courses. Most of the meat comes from local farms, and the large cake selection is highly recommended.
- Schleusenkrug Müller-Breslau-Straße 14b, Charlottenburg, daily 12-23 (kitchen until 21.30),
ZEHLENDORF
Café in der Gartenakademie
This place is wonderful. Green, of course, because it’s located in one of the best plant nurseries in Berlin, but also classy in the best sense of the word: a mixture of manor house and English teahouse. Delicious cakes and small dishes from the changing weekly menu can be enjoyed here among flowering shrubs.
- Café in der Gartenakademie Altensteinstraße 15a, Zehlendorf, Tue-Sat 9-18, Sun 10-16
Châlet Suisse
A grand wooden house, right in the heart of Grunewald: Châlet Suisse, part of Restaurant Dieckmann, offers upscale alpine cuisine and a classic wine selection, especially from France. When the sun shines, both are served under shady trees in the garden, along with meat and poultry from the grill.
- Châlet Suisse Clayallee 99, Im Jagen 5, Zehlendorf, FrI from 17, Sat + Sun from 12
Loretta am Wannsee
The Loretta am Wannsee is a child-friendly restaurant in the countryside, with German cuisine and a large beer garden, sun loungers and a view of the lake. The Augustiner Hell or Erdinger Urweizen on tap go very well with hearty dishes such as potato rösti with gratinated goat cheese or grilled rump steak of Pomeranian beef on port wine jus with rosemary potatoes.
- Loretta am Wannsee Kronprinzessinnenweg 260, Zehlendorf, Wed-Sun from 12
Wirtshaus Moorlake
A garden restaurant in Berlin with rustic charm: for more than 35 years, the Roeder family has been catering to the well-being of their guests with refined cuisine at the Wirtshaus Moorlake. The alpine kitsch of the house and the chestnut-fringed beer garden (with a view of the Havel) are good reasons to visit, not to mention the home-style cooking. The menu includes calf’s liver with apple, onions and homemade mashed potatoes or plaice with boiled potatoes and salad.
- Wirtshaus Moorlake Moorlakeweg 6, Zehlendorf, Wed-Sun 11.30-20
Hofcafé Mutter Fourage
This beautiful garden restaurant in Berlin is located in a former feed store. In the green courtyard of the Hofcafé Mutter Fourage, you can enjoy summer afternoons with homemade lemonade and largely vegetarian dishes. It’s also a great place to have breakfast in a gemütlich atmosphere – the vegan, cheese and salmon breakfast varieties are our highlights. The adjacent farm shop stocks regional organic products to take away.
- Hofcafé Mutter Fourage Chausseestraße 15a, Zehlendorf, May-September: daily 9-19, October-April: daily 10-18
Want more Berlin food news? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest gastro stories delivered fresh to your inbox.