Eating Sonnenallee

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Sophie Le Roux

Sonnenallee

To the untrained eye, the Arabic stretch of northern Sonnenallee – roughly, from Hermannplatz to Wildenbruchstraße – might seem like a homogenous mass of falafel and schwarma shops (and Industry Standard, of which we shall speak no more). But there's more to the street than delicious, dirt-cheap street food made from chicken and chickpeas – and even within that category, there's more variation than you'd think.

For the lowdown on the street's Lebanese community and its increasing Syrian presence, check out our February 2017 food issue (out now!). In the meantime, get a bite to eat with the help of our totally subjective, not at-all-comprehensive food crawl...

• 1

  Cafe Um Kalthum

  Sonnenallee 34 Berlin

  Iraqi-Syrian Most of the menu items here lack German descriptions, so test your Arabic skills and your arterial fortitude as you sample meaty dishes from schwarma to grilled lamb hearts. It's owned by a Syrian-Iraqi family, and so your options include Iraqi rice plates (like khouzi ala timman, with braised lamb shank) as well as a few Syrian stews, all made by women – "except the grilling; that's Männerarbeit" as one owner puts it.
• 2

  Al-Andalos

  Sonnenallee 40 Berlin

  Lebanese Sonnenallee's most budget-conscious falafel shop recently got an exterior makeover acknowledging its status as a fave among local vegans, but the prices remain legendarily low: €1.50 for a snack-sized falafel sandwich, usually fresh-fried due to the high turnover, or €6 for a vegetarian combo platter that will feed you for a week.
• 3

  Alagami

  Sonnenallee 44 Berlin

  Syrian Come to this refugee-run restaurant for its homey stews and rice dishes, like molokhia (a bitter green cooked with chicken in broth) or bami (stewed okra with beef and tomatoes). Vegetarians beware: most dishes have meat, even if not advertised.
• 4

  Azzam

  Sonnenallee 54, 12045 Berlin

  030 3013 1541

  Lebanese A Sonnenallee classic, famous for its heaping bowls of hummus and musabaha (its chunky, pestle-pounded cousin), served with pickles and a whole package of pita bread. There's always a crowd, but you might get a free bite of falafel while you're waiting to order.
• 5

  City Chicken

  Sonnenallee 59 Berlin

  Lebanese Look, sometimes you just want a half chicken of unknown provenance, with fries and cabbage slaw and enough garlic sauce you'll feel it in your pores the next day. How's it compare to Hühnerhaus 36, its Turkish-owned rival in Kreuzberg? About the same, really, but the hummus is slightly better.
• 6

  Bab Al-Hara

  Sonnenallee 70 Berlin

  Syrian Come here in summer for a scoop of chewy, stretchy Damascus-style ice cream, sprinkled with crushed pistachios – or an elaborate "cocktail" featuring yoghurt, fruit, whipped cream and Kit Kats.
• 7

  Al Pasha

  Sonnenallee 77 Berlin

  Lebanese Out of Sonnenallee's two Lebanese breakfast joints (see also: Akroum Snack at number 45) we'll give Al-Pasha the slight edge food-wise. Here's where you can vanquish that hangover with a baked-to-order manakish (flatbread topped with cheese, meat or preferably za'atar) dunked into a fortifying bowl of fatteh (chickpeas with yoghurt, fried pita chips and cashews). Just bring your own coffee.
• 8

  Euro Imbiss

  Sonnenallee 80 Berlin

  Albanian Sonnenallee's sole Balkan hangout serves cevapcici, goulash and fresh-out-the-oven börek in terrifyingly large portions – the spinach and cheese is great, but order the "1/4" option if you want to live.
• 9

  Kindl Stuben

  Sonnenallee 92 Berlin

  German Wait, Sonnenallee has German food? We've only been for the pilsner and occasional acoustic concert at this cosy bar, but we hear the schnitzel and Maultaschen are serviceable.
• 10

  Konditorei Damaskus

  Sonnenallee 93 Berlin

  Syrian You can't go wrong with any of the sweet stuff at this new baklava shop, but we're particularly partial to the osh el bulbul, delicate bird's nests of shredded phyllo filled with cashews or pistachios. If you're not on a diet, try the house speciality halawat al jubn: rosewater-flavoured ricotta-like cheese stuffed inside a sweet dough made of semolina and, uh, more cheese.