It’s true what they say, Berlin is a vegan paradise.
When it comes to Berlin’ vegan scene it’s not about the vegan restaurants per se but about the fact that at every turn you will find vegan options, from fancy restaurants to casual coffee shops and metro stations kiosks. this is in addition to the cosmopolitan cuisine berlin has to offer and the famous vegan supermarket. overall you got yourself a perfect destination for vegan travelers exploring Europe.
But waittttt, every august Berlin also hosts the famous Sommerfest- a vegan festival in which you can enjoy a large variety of vegan dishes for around 5Euro a dish! Yes, you’ve heard it right. Of course, I had to plan my trip around the dated of the festival.
In this guide, I included everything that’s vegan in Berlin – the festival, vegan supermarket, vegan take on typical German dishes, and vegan restaurants.
Sommerfest Vegan Festival
The vegan festival takes place in Alexanderplatz- the main square in Berlin. it’s easily accessible and so many people go through there so holding the festival there is a great opportunity to expose nonvegans to vegan food and demonstrate there are plenty of options for those choose vegan!
The festival is a great opportunity to try many dishes in one place. I went there every day and has at least 2 dishes a day, in addition to some cheeses I took back to the hotel.
most dishes were around 5 Euros and there were many free tasting of cheese, meats, snacks and more.
The options were unlimited in the festival, from middle eastern cuisine to Asian dishes and even a New Orleans truck with the famous dessert- Beignet. I had Belgian waffles, Churros, Indian food, ice cream, cheese, I tried it all!
My absolute favorites was the vegan cheese by I AM NUT OK and the food I tried at the Kopps kiosk. The cheese stand had about a dozen flavors for about 10 euro each (for a big jar). I took mine home and ate it every night with a nice german pretzel.
The Kopps kiosk belongs to the restaurant by the same name in Mitte area. the restaurant has an amazing brunch on the weekend but unfortunately, I didn’t make a reservation or had the time to stand in line so missed it. for a list of vegan brunches in Berlin click here.
Bottom line: the festival was absolutely amazing since it gave me the opportunity to try so many dishes in one place so if you’re going to begin in the month of August look up the festival dates. BUT I wouldn’t go out of my way to go to Berlin on these dates no matter what just because vegan options are everywhere so you would enjoy the vegan scene regardless of the festival.
Veganz- Vegan supermarket
Veganz, I’ve heard so much about this vegan supermarket. don’t get your hopes up if you’re coming from a country with many vegan products (like the USA). Still, it’s different. it looks just like a small regular supermarket and has many brands you will see in other places. BUt- but you don’t have to check the labels or anythinggggg just reach and grab whatever you please!
know this- it is overwhelming at first. Which is the best chocolate? what cheese melts the best? which chicken nuggets I should get?
It took me a while to decide but because I stayed in a hotel I purchased mainly snacks and things I’ve never tried before. It’s been a few days since I got back from my trip and I already regret not buying more. don’t get me wrong Israel is also vegan paradise, but Veganz had the best of the best.
Here are my absolute favorites:
Caramel toffee- boy did I miss the feeling of getting this caramel candy stuck in my teeth until it melts away. You can the difference from the original caramel but the texture is toffee- like and the flavor, in my opinion, is spot on.
hazelnut praline bars- I ate one of these every day for the rest of my trip. They’re a perfect size and the flavor is amazing.
gummy bear– It’s been ages since I’ve had one of these. It’s not as bouncy as the nonvegan ones by so similar. Too bad I finished the whole pack in a couple of days!
Vigo– one of the workers of the stores recommended it. I recognized the brand so bought their chocolate bar with nuts. It was really good, I wish I had bought more.
Vegan versions of typical German dishes
Currywurst– the famous currywurst. people say its all about the sausage but I say it’s all about the ketchup. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that this must-eat-when-in-Berlin has a vegan version.
I waited in line in the famous branch 36, freezing for about 15 min to get my vegan sausage with some pommes frites and extra homemade ketchup.
It was amazing! as much as I wanted to try other things in Berlin I have to get in again the next day.
let me clarify, I’m not a meat fan (even before I was vegan) so I can’t tell you if the sausage was similar to the original but I’m a ketchup freak and loved their special version. This ketchup is so special it’s even available for purchase. it would upgrade any simple french fries. boy, I wish I had it now in my fridge. (writing about food I can’t have it so hard (: )
I’m not sure if every branch has the vegan version but I got mine at Currywurst number 36 outside the zoological garden metro stop (a block from my hotel).
Ditsch pretzel- I was at the metro stop when my nonvegan friend said she must get the best pretzel in berlin- ditch. at that point I thought to myself, Oh I wished I could try and then as my friend was paying she noticed a small sign that says VEGAN!
HAleluya, their classical puzzle was completely vegan! you can imagine how thrilled I was. from this moment I purchased a pretzel every day for the next 3 days! and had it with the cheese I bought at the festival.
Vegan Restaurants
since I ate at the festival at least once a day I didn’t have room in my stomach to try out as many restaurants as I wanted, but I did my best.
Nah am Wasser
this restaurant is only a 10-minute walk from Zoologischer Garten and even less from the Ku’dam area so it’s perfect for a pre-shopping spree breakfast. The restaurant doesn’t have a vegan menu but all items are easily marked and the workers simply told me what are the vegan dishes they have.
I had 2 of their vegan croissant- one plain with jam and the black one. They both were delicious and flaky. I also had their oatmeal bowl that was relatively big and very filling. it came with some fruits and coconut on top.
The place also offers acai bowls and some cold dishes to go (like salads or quinoa)
Kopps
As I said, I didn’t get to enjoy the weekend brunch at Kopps but had tried some of their dishes at the festival. I had fried cabbage that was very innovative and intriguing in terms of textures.
Next time I will definitely try and make it to the restaurant.
View this post on Instagram
Bowl-CLOSED
this restaurant is located above Vegans (the supermarket) so it’s a great opportunity to kill two birds in one stone or to use a cruelty-free metaphor-feed 2 birds with one hand? not sure what’s the vegan equivalent of this phrase.
The restaurant itself is beautiful and modern. If you get a chance try sitting in front of their huge floor to ceiling window overlooking the city.
The food, on the other hand, wasn’t that exciting for me. I had their “best bowl” dish that basically had cold baba ganoush that fizzed a bit so maybe it had gone bad and some olive tapenade with veggies. it was nice but let’s call it by its name, veggies and a dip.
My friend had a much better dish the “gamba and rice.” The “shrimp” imitation was not the greatest I’ve seen but all in all the dish was filling and tasty.
Since I felt like I really want to try something that will make up for the main dish I ordered their banana cake. The cake in itself was extremely thick and dense but the pudding served with it was delicious. I also had one of their teas that were served in a huge teacup. just like I like it.
All in all, I would still recommend trying out this place but maybe choosing a different dish than the one I had.
Rosenberg
This strictly vegan restaurant is located in Potsdam and is perfect for a lunch after visiting the Sansui palace.
I went to this place to get one thing- baked jacket potato but as I got there they were serving the last ones! don’t you hate it when it happens?! I managed to get a pic just for you!
Still, I enjoyed their great tomato soup and their excellent cakes! I had their Pana cotta that was nice but what really won me over was their excellent Cherry strudel. it was absolutely delicious!
The entire restaurant is vegan and is located next to the main street? so it’s perfect after a walk in the Sansui palace.
Don’t forget to pin this post!
