We asked Berlin’s top concierges to share their personal recommendations for the perfect day in the city
ANNE RABER
After a sumptuous breakfast at the Hotel de Rome, rent bikes and visit the organic market at Kollwitzplatz.
Walk along the fashionable Kastanienallee to Hackescher Markt and drop in on some art galleries and trendy boutiques. Head past Museum Island and Berlin Cathedral and back to the Gendarmenmarkt for lunch at Borchardt, before jumping on your bikes to ride along Unter den Linden to the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag, the Holocaust Memorial, and Potsdamer Platz. Spot leftovers of the Berlin Wall near Checkpoint Charlie, and check out the stylish shops along Friedrichstrasse, by which time you’ll be more than ready for a spa treatment back at Hotel de Rome. Once refreshed, head to Kreuzberg for a Korean meal at Kimchi Princess, followed by drinks at Luzia, Würgeengel, or any of the nightspots on Mariannenstrasse. For the real night owls, clubbing at Watergate is a must.
Best restaurants
Parioli
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Behrenstrasse 37
Grill Royal
Cuisine: Steakhouse
Friedrichstrasse 105B Cantina
Tausend
Cuisine: Asian and Ibero-American
Schiffbauerdamm 11
Best shopping
The Corner
For: Exclusive fashion for men and women.
Französische Strasse 40
Best to Do
Take a day trip to the beautiful town of Potsdam. Chill out at the Badeschiff (outdoor pool)
Eichenstrasse 4.
Doina Kocherhans
A trip to the top of the Fernsehturm (TV Tower) is a must for breathtaking views of Berlin.
Lux 11 is just minutes away from shops, museums, galleries, restaurants and nightclubs, so guests are spoilt for choice. For clubbing, Weekend is always busy and its rooftop terrace is a city hotspot.
Best restaurants
Schönbrunn
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Am Friedrichshain 8 Grill Royal
Cuisine: Steakhouse
Friedrichstrasse 105B
White Trash
Cuisine: German, Tex-Mex and American diner classics
Schönhauser Allee 6/7
Best shopping
Adidas Originals Store
For: Urban footwear and fashion.
Münzstrasse 13
Best to Do
Open Air Karaoke at Mauerpark
Falkplatz 1
Thomas Munko
Take a gallery tour with an expert guide from GoArt! Berlin (www.goart-berlin.de), explore the local fashion scene in the Mitte district, tucked away in turn-of-the-century courtyards, and visit the Boros Collection of contemporary art on Reinhardtstasse.
In 2008, Christian Boros and his wife Karen Lohmann made their collection of contemporary art available to the public in a converted concrete bunker in Mitte, where both the works and the bunker space are part of a combined art concept. Exhibits include sculptures, installations and performance art. For families with children, don’t miss the Kids’ Afternoon Tea at the Ritz-Carlton.
Best restaurants Margaux
Cuisine: French
Unter den Linden 78
Reinstoff
Cuisine: Classic haute cuisine
Schlegelstrasse 26c
Best Shopping
Cabinet at Quartier 206
For: Avant-garde urban wear for men and women.
Friedrichstrasse 71
Mario Weihrich
Best restaurants Hugos
Cuisine: French Mediterranean
Budapester Strasse 2
Vau
Cuisine: German
Jägerstrasse 54
Reinstoff
Cuisine: Classic haute cuisine
Schlegelstrasse 26c
Best shopping
Bread & Butter Trade Fair
6 – 8 JULY, 2011
For: Cutting edge urban wear.
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
The Corner
For: Exclusive fashion for men and women.
Französische Strasse 40
Kids Corner
For: Exclusive fashion for children and babies.
Wilmersdorfer Strasse 98
Mientus
For: Extensive selection of luxury fashion brands.
Wilmersdorfer Strasse 73
Best to Do
Take an historic tour of Berlin’s subway system in a U-Bahn Underground Cabrio Tour, or call Daniel Hurst and his team of huskies for year-round sled tours of the Tiergarten.
Keen historians can discover the murky secrets beneath Berlin’s streets on a Berlin Underworld Tour or take a Trabi Safari city tour in a convertible version of the iconic East German car.
Daniel Hurst
+49 (0) 17 19 42 06 59
Best Sky Bars
Solar
Stresemannstrasse 76
Puro
Tauentzienstrasse 11
SEBASTIAN SCHONFISCH
Enjoy a top-class breakfast at Chipps on Jäger Strasse, followed by a guided tour of the Reichstag.
After lunch at Käfer Dachgarten, and coffee and cake at Café Einstein spend the afternoon exploring the shops of the Mitte district, in particular along Rosenthaler Strasse and Neue Schönhauser Strasse.
Best restaurants
Facil
Cuisine: Traditional International
Potsdamer Strasse 3
Reinstoff
Cuisine: Classic haute cuisine
Schlegelstrasse 26c
Weinbar Rutz
Cuisine: German
Chausseestrasse 8
Best shopping
The Corner
For: Exclusive fashion for men and women.
Französische Strasse 40
Best to Do
Visit Museum Island and the Jewish Museum, stroll on Unter den Linden and around Hackescher Markt, and take a day trip to Potsdam.
Nicolai Laaser
Start the day with a private tour of one of Berlin’s many great museums; the Egyptian bust of Nefertiti at the Neues Museum is a personal favorite.
Have lunch at Café Quchnia on the Gendarmenmarkt, before exploring the surrounding area. Dine at Weinbar Rutz and round your night off with a drink at the Newton Bar.
Best restaurants
Weinbar Rutz
Cuisine: German
Chausseestrasse 8
Vau
Cuisine: German
Jägerstrasse 54
Brechts
Cuisine: Traditional Austrian and Modern International
Schiffbauerdamm 6-7
Best shopping
Galeries Lafayette
For: Exclusive French fashion, perfumes and accessories, as well as new collections from young Berlin designers.
Friedrichstrasse 76-78
Best to Do
Attend a concert by the Berlin Philharmonic, or spend a night at the opera.
Johnny Piredda
After breakfast at the Grand Hotel Esplanade, take a private sightseeing tour of the Reichstag and Museum Island.
Hit the shops at the Hackesche Höfe courtyards and have a late lunch, before heading back to the Esplanade for a massage at the Afino Spa and dinner at Sankt Moritz, Il Sorriso or Filou. End your evening with live music at Harry’s New York Bar at the Esplanade.
Best restaurants
Sankt Moritz
Cuisine: French Mediterranean
Regensburger Strasse 7 Il
Sorriso
Cuisine: Italian
Kurfürstenstrasse 76
Filou
Cuisine: Italian
Bleibtreustrasse 7
Best shopping
Kadewe
For: Almost everything under the sun. High-end fashion, jewelry, perfumes, technology, books and toys. The huge gourmet floor is an epicure’s dream.
Tauentzienstrasse 21-24
Best to Do
Museum Island
Bodestrasse Grand Hyatt Hotel