The Hotel Luc is also a Marriott property. I’m cashing in points to stay there.
The east is newer and often more vibrant. Remember that the largest construction project in Europe post Cold War was the reconstruction of Berlin. It is fabulous.
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There is still a lot of beautiful architecture (both historic and modern) in what was East Berlin, not to mention two of the most important opera houses in Germany (a third is in what was West Berlin).
As far as dining opportunities go, there is plenty of good food in both Berlin and Munich, including various international/ethnic restaurants and local specialities. I’ve had excellent meals in both cities, so personally would not rank one over the other at least in so far as food opportunities are concerned (opera is a different story).
But I would strongly recommend looking out for local dining specialities and other experiences in Berlin, rather than something that is generic/internationalized. (I’d recommend that for anyone, anywhere, as isn’t that a big part of why one travels?) I never leave Berlin without Aseli 
, for instance.
i suffered many long years at the Schillertheater with Barenboim & Co
while the old Staatsoper Unter den Linden was being renovated…
and have always found the performances at the Deutsche Oper in Charlottenburg to be very fine;
Runnicles knows his stuff, and they manage to bring off modern Regietheater that is relatively unstupid…
nearly as fine as the Lyric Opera of Chicago, if not quite up to the Met, Covent Garden or Staatsoper Wien
and of course i have been to Tantris in Munich
but you are right – i like the big downtown Augustiner the best in the Isarmetropole,
and the local restaurants in Berlin are definitely the way to go,
which was why i was recommending the Turkish establishments in the KaDeWe neighbourhood
Thanks for your additional input Mia. I gather Aseli is some type of German candy?
This is all getting a wee bit confusing, but I appreciate your input. So what exactly do you mean by “local restaurants”? Non-franchise/chain places? Aren’t all restaurants in Berlin local? Or are you saying Turkish food a local speciality in Berlin?
The Schillertheater was not optimal but I saw many good performances while the Staatsoper was housed there. Ditto for the Deutsche Oper, especially their recent Meyerbeer productions.
Agree about Runnicles; he’s an underappreciated conductor. I would not personally hold up the Met as the pinnacle of opera; there have been too many meh productions (including expensive new productions) and sometimes even poorer singing, unfortunately.
In the neighbourhood of the Deutsche Oper I’ve enjoyed Wilhelm Hoeck and Kater Alex as well as the kebap stand just outside the opera house.
i mean restaurants that reflect the local colour –
and there is no denying the impact of the Turkischer Imbiß
on the culinary culture of Berlin – also Cologne or Düsseldorf for that matter…
last time in Berlin i ventured into a couple upscalish Turks
and was delighted with what they served
oh it was such a treat to hear René Pape sing König Marke in the Schiller;
a huge voice in a room the size of a highschool auditorium
in a role where he was not obliged to pace himself…
i have seen many great performances at the Met over the years,
starting with Martti Talvela singing Boris Godunov
and they have the best orchestra in town by far –
notable evenings include the time-honoured Zeffirelli Turandot
Janacek’s House of the Dead with Salonen at bat…
Matthias Goerne’s Wozzeck on a day’s notice in the aftermath of Schöne Müllerin
Seiji Ozawa conducting Onegin…
the ageless Furlanetto singing Phiillip II (although i preferred Kwagnchul Youn in the French version in the Wiener Staatsoper)
Britten’s Billy Budd,
Gabriele Schnaut out-duelling James Levine in a contest of strength as Elektra
Amber Wagner in the Dutchman,
Peter Mattei singing Amfortas –
Kaija Saariaho’s magnif Lamour de loin
and you are right about some of the silly productions – that notorious Ring, for example…
If you want to eat local food go to Nobelhart. Everything served comes from 30(?) km of the restaurant and they have one of the worlds best wine lists.
Something different? Ernst is brilliant.
Berlin is a great city for food.
Cookies
Tim Raue
Rutz
Cordo
Horvath
Einsunternull
I’m out of date but I’m sure there are plenty of new places
Personally I would stay in an international chain hotel, but if one is into ‘miles’ why not.
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Aseli is a company that makes marshmallow animals, most famously the mice. They’re ridiculously cute and make a nice edible only-from-Berlin souvenir. Kids love them, and I personally find them irresistible, but I am an animal lover. You can buy at the “mouse factory” itself, but there is an easier-to-find Aseli shop in the Hackesche-Hoefe, which is a collection of mostly upscale shops (lots of local labels/brands/designers) built around a warren of courtyards and interesting outdoor art.
BTW this whole area near the Hackescher Markt station (S-Bahn/bus/tram) is a good one to walk around. There is an open-air market (I think on Thursdays and Saturdays) and interesting somewhat off-the-beaten-path places to visit like Museum Blindenwerkstatt Otto Weidt and https://www.maerchenhuette.de/. It’s walking distance to Museum Island (which could take days) and the Nikolaiviertel (which includes a couple of good small museums) and Rotes Rathaus (Town Hall, where, as in many places including other public buildings, university campuses, and some performing arts venues, there is a canteen open to the public for inexpensive meals). On the opposite side of the Spree river (still all walking distance) are more museums, the Staatsoper UDL and Komische Oper opera houses, Humboldt University, etc. etc. Don’t miss the Neue Wache, and if you like theatre you might see what’s on at the Maxim Gorki Theater (one of the theatres that often provide English subtitles), which occupies a building that’s worth visiting as Berlin’s original public music venue, famously where Mendelssohn conducted Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, an event that helped revive the popularity of Bach’s music.
I’m going to be in Berlin late September for the marathon. I want a nice place to celebrate on Monday night. Of course, a lot of places are closed Monday night, some even on Sunday and Tuesday (we’re leaving Tuesday morning). And before the race, I will be very particular about what I eat and my diet.
Three places I have found that are open on Monday:
- Facil
- Rutz
- Katz Orange
Any thoughts on those three restaurants? Russell mentioned Rutz as well.
Turkish immigrants are the largest immigrant population in Germany, and many Germans today have Turkish roots. So yes, Turkish food is everywhere in Berlin, and every train station will have a place where even late at night you can pick up a lahmacun or borek. The Komische Oper provides subtitles in Turkish as one of the language choices, and one of their children’s operas some years ago was written by a Turkish composer.
Agree about those performances/productions you mention–I saw most of those as well. Missed Goerne’s Wozzeck but saw him at the recital, and I think I saw three different Wozzeck productions that year.
Did you see the Tcherniakov production of Parsifal at the Schillertheater with Pape as Gurnemanz, Kampe as Kundry, and Schager in the title role?
I don’t particularly like staying in hotels when on personal travel, and I avoid international chains as much as I can.
These all look good Paul, but I prefer a more relaxed and less expensive option, which Katz Orange appears to offer. Anyone else have other restaurant suggestions meeting those criteria for berlin (the food should be good too)? Maybe a Turkish place per the comments above?
hi – thanks for the comeback –
never saw Parsifal at the Schillertheater –
is my favourite opera –
first time with Talvela, Vickers and Ludwig – the Met
favourite Kundry was Tatiana Troyanos – Chicago
favourite Gurnemanz Talvela – the Met
favourite Klingsor Falk Struckmann – Vienna
favourite Amfortas Peter Mattei – the Met
best Parsifal by far Klaus Florian Vogt – the Met
swinging the stick i like Nézet-Séguin very much
although the last time i remember it at the Met
Herliztius’s caterwauling was so repulsive
that the second time i attended, i spent Act II in PJ Clarkes drinking
i went to Goerne’s Carnegie Schubert recital
secure in the belief that however tiresome i had always found Eschenbach as a conducor
he had always been a first-rate interpreter of the piano repertoire
unfortunately as an accompanist his worst conductorial (sorry) character came to the fore
and Goerne had his hands full
Actually, it may be a bit pedestrian,but my mother used to make Sauerbraten for my father when I was young. I’s love to try a restaurant that serves Sauerbraten. Any recommendations? Thanks.
I only went to Facil once. 2018. So long ago really. It was all technically good but a bit soulless.
I’d go Rutz. Don’t know Orange.
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