Eating out in Berlin can be dirt cheap, especially if you know where to go. Here are five weekday lunch deals for less than five Euros.
1. Lekkerbek
Right across from Checkpoint Charlie, Lekkerbek serves homemade midday meals at a ridiculously cheap price. This modest Mediterranean has been a family business for over 20 years. The food is served cafeteria-style, but the portions are huge and the wallpapered décor is charming. Plus, you can't beat its central location.
Friedrichstr. 211
+49 30 2517208
2. Hamy Café
There have been many imitations around Berlin, but this Neukölln/Kreuzberg eatery was the first to perfect the art of fast, fresh and inexpensive Vietnamese food. Ever-changing daily specials like glass noodle salad and beef curry go for 4.90.
Hasenheide 10
+49 30 61625959
3. Istoria
Right on the trendy Kollwitzplatz, Istoria serves Italian feasts in its airy rooms. Whether you go for penne all'arrabiata or pizza quattro formaggio, your bill will be the same: 4.90. (Meat dishes cost one paltry extra Euro.)
Kollwitzstrasse 64
+49 30 4405 0208
4. MS Hoppetosse
Drop your anchor at MS Hoppetose, which used to be a Nordic sea ferry boat. Today, it's a restaurant on the Spree that serves vegetarian and meat dishes for five Euros from 11 to 2 p.m. Open summer only.
Eichenstraße 4
+49 30 533 2030
5. Satyam
Indian lunches for 5 EUR are ubiquitous around Berlin. The formula goes something like this: salad, rice and curry on one plate, maybe some nan if you're lucky. What sets Satyam apart is its diverse vegetarian offerings of seasonal ingredients, which change every week.
Goethestraße 5
+ 49 30 318 06 111