A tiny restaurant and pub reside within this charming, historic Berlin house. The section to the side of the canal on the Kleine Gertraudenstrasse, where there are tables set outside, serves as a café. The menu is relatively limited, but the quality - like the service - is good. Reservations not accepted. AE, DC, MC, V.

Alt-Luxemburg
Windscheidstr. 31, Berlin, Germany
Phone: 030/323-8730
Over DM 100
Charlottenburg
German

This popular restaurant is tastefully furnished, and attentive service enhances the intimate setting. Chef Karl Wannemacher uses only the freshest ingredients for his nouvelle German dishes, including his divine lobster lasagna. AE, DC, V. Closed Sun.

Ana e Bruno
Sophie-Charlotten-Str. 101, Berlin, Germany
Phone: 030/3257-110
DM 75 to DM 100
Charlottenburg
Italian

A Berlin classic with consistently high-quality offerings, this Italian restaurant is expensive but rewards the patron with a warm and homey atmosphere thanks to the heartfelt hospitality of the owners Bruno and his wife, Ana. Don't expect hearty Italian home cooking, though: the chef values a low-calorie reinterpretation of Mediterranean cuisine and prefers fresh vegetables and salads over pasta. The four-course meals and daily specials are good value. Reservations essential. AE. Closed Sun. and Mon.

Bamberger Reiter
Regensburgerstr. 7, Berlin, Germany
Phone: 030/218-4282
Over DM 100
Schöneberg
German

One of the city's leading restaurants, the Bamberger Reiter is now presided over by chef Christoph Fischer from Freiburg. Like his famous predecessor, Franz Raneburger, he relies on fresh market produce for his Neue Deutsche Küche (new German cuisine), but adds a more international touch. The menu changes daily. Reservations essential. AE, MC, V. Closed Sun., Mon., and Jan. 1-15. No lunch.

Barist
Am Zwirngraben, S-Bahnbögen 13-14, Berlin, Germany
Phone: 030/2472-2613
DM 50 to DM 75
Mitte
Austrian

This elegant restaurant is typical of the hip nightlife scene in the Mitte district. The Barist is a mixture of jazz bar, restaurant, and pub, tucked away under the railroad viaducts. The food is not the biggest attraction here, even though most dishes are delicious: The Barist is probably the best place in Berlin to enjoy a spicy and huge Wiener schnitzel with the best potato salad you have ever tasted outside Vienna. On weekend nights a jazz singer and pianist entertain the artsy crowd. If it's too noisy and giddy in the main room, a second, more quiet room is reserved exclusively for dining. AE, MC, V.

Blockhaus Nikolskoe
Nikolskoer Weg 15, Berlin, Germany
Phone: 030/805-2914
DM 50 to DM 75
Zehlendorf
German

Prussian king Frederick Wilhelm III built this Russian-style wooden lodge for his daughter Charlotte, wife of Russian czar Nicholas I. South of the city, in Glienecker Park, it offers open-air, riverside dining in summer. Game dishes are prominently featured. Wannsee is the closest S-bahn station. DC, MC, V. Closed Thurs.

Borchardt
Französische Str. 47, Berlin, Germany
Phone: 030/2038-7110
DM 75 to DM 100
Mitte
French

This is one of the most fashionable of the celebrity meeting places that have sprung up in the historic Mitte district. The high ceiling, columns, red plush benches, and Art Nouveau mosaic (discovered during renovations) create the impression of a 1920s café. The cuisine is high-quality French-Mediterranean, including several dishes with fresh fish and veal, such as Praline vom Steinbutt und Hummer im grünen Reismantel (fillet of stone flounder and lobster with green rice). Reservations essential. AE, V.

Café Oren
Oranienburger Str. 28, Berlin, Germany
Phone: 030/282-8228
Under DM 50
Mitte
Israeli

This popular vegetarian eatery is next to the Neue Synagoge on Oranienburger Strasse. The restaurant buzzes with loud chatter all evening, and the atmosphere and service are friendly. This is the place to enjoy traditional Jewish cooking, long absent from the old Jewish quarter of Berlin. Try the gefilte fish, a tasty (and very salty) German-Jewish dish, or Baichsaibling in schämender Butter (red-meat trout in hot butter). The small backyard is a wonderful spot to enjoy a cool summer evening or a warm autumn afternoon. AE, MC, V.

Die Möwe
Am Festungsgraben 1, at the Palais am Festungsgraben, Berlin, Germany
Phone: 030/201-2029
DM 50 to DM 75
Mitte
German

The name, which means "seagull," refers to the famous East Berlin artists' club housed in the same building. The restaurant emphasizes its affection for the arts: there's a piano player - rather unusual even for the best German restaurants - and a special Kunstgenuss (art enjoyment) dinner on Monday night, a two-course dinner created along an artistic theme. The light German nouvelle cooking is very tasty, with a tendency toward fish such as Dialog von Meeresfrüchten auf Wildreis, a combination of perch, salmon, and loup de mer on wild rice. AE, DC, MC, V. Closed Sun.

Diekmann im Weinhaus Huth
Alte Potsdamer Str. 5, Berlin, Germany
Phone: 030/2529-7524
DM 50 to DM 75
Tiergarten
French

The new Dieckmann is a fascinating place to eat, not so much for the ordinary French cooking as for its location. The old Weinhaus Huth once was the last building standing in the no-man's-land of Potsdamer Platz. Now it's surrounded by the shiny new company headquarters of Sony. The service is smooth and friendly, while the interior tries to imitate a Paris bistro but lacks some warmth. It's a more inexpensive, more casual alternative to Borchardt. One outstanding exception on the reliable menu are the fresh oysters, which are less expensive than elsewhere in Berlin. MC, V.

Dressler
Kurfürstendamm 207/208, Berlin, Germany
Phone: 030/883-3530
DM 75 to DM 100
Western Downtown
German

Both in its cuisine and in its service, the Dressler is a mixture of French brasserie culture and German down-to-earth reliability. Accordingly, the dishes are conceived for a wide range of palates: duck with red cabbage or cod with Pommery mustard sauce, for example. The menu changes according to season. Compared to other French restaurants in Germany, the Dressler's plateaux de fruits de mer with oysters, lobster, and clams is a good value and beautiful to behold as well. Of the two (very similar) Dressler establishments, this is the livelier, with a genuinely French atmosphere. Reservations are advised. AE, DC, MC, V.

Ermelerhaus
Märkisches Ufer 10, Berlin, Germany
Phone: 030/2406-2904
DM 75 to DM 100
Mitte
Italian

The Ermelerhaus offers two restaurants under one roof. The more traditional Raabediele and its Tabaklounge offers good traditional German cooking. The Ermelerhaus à la carte restaurant relies on an exceptional mixture of Californian and Italian cuisine (with an accent on seafood) to attract old and new patrons. Its lavishly decorated rococo Rosenzimmer is one of the nicest historic dinner settings in Berlin. AE, DC, MC, V.

First Floor
Hotel Palace, Budapester Str. 42, Berlin, Germany
Phone: 030/2502-1020
Over DM 100
Schöneberg
German

This newcomer to Europe's firmament of Michelin stars is a German exception, as only a few hotel-restaurants are so outstanding that they become a sensation. It is even more unusual that Chef Matthias Buchholz succeeds with traditional German fare, and not with the typical menu of light nouvelle cuisine. The menu changes according to the season and the chef's moods, but most of the dishes are new interpretations of heavy German dishes such as Geschnetzelte Ochensebacke in Rotweinsauce an Mark-Nockerln (sliced ox cheeks in red wine sauce, served with Bavarian noodles). Reservations essential. AE, DC, MC, V. No lunch Sat.

Florian
Grolmanstr. 52, Berlin, Germany
Phone: 030/313-9184
DM 50 to DM 75
Western Downtown
German

In a big city like Berlin, the idea of creating a series of dishes based on down-home Swabian cuisine might have seemed a joke were there not so many successful Swabians in Berlin. Florian turned out to be one of the most popular restaurants in town. The food, a high-gear combination of Swabian cuisine with a slight French accent, is only one of this intimate little place's draws: most people come for the warm, relaxed atmosphere and to watch the writers, artists, and film people who congregate here. Reservations essential. No credit cards.

Ganymed
Schiffbauerdamm 5, Berlin, Germany
Phone: 030/2859-9046
DM 50 to DM 75
Mitte
French

Ganymed has reappeared at its original location right next to the Brecht Ensemble theater, once again becoming a typical, though upscale, Berlin Theaterkneipe, a place to meet after the theater. The food, served on elegantly decorated tables, is by and large French, with a smattering of regional fare such as spicy Berliner Kartoffelsuppe (potato soup). Still, the food - -tasty as it is - does not play the main role here: most people join actors and other theater lovers for a good glass of wine from an extensive list. AE, MC, V.

Grossbeerenkeller
Grossbeerenstr. 90, Berlin, Germany
Phone: 030/251-3064
Under DM 50
Kreuzberg
German

This cellar restaurant, with its massive, dark-oak furniture and decorative antlers, is undoubtedly one of the most original dining spots in town. Its old-fashioned, warm Berlin hospitality is hard to find elsewhere. Owner and bartender Ingeborg Zinn-Baier presents such dishes as Sülze vom Schweinekopf mit Bratkartoffeln und Remoulade (diced pork with home fries and herb sauce), Kasseler Nacken mit Grünkohl (boiled salt pork meat with green cabbage), and other traditional Berlin meals. Her fried potatoes are said to be the best in town. No credit cards. Closed Sun. and holidays.

Hackescher Hof
Rosenthaler Str. 40/41, Berlin, Germany
Phone: 030/283-5293
DM 50 to DM 75
Mitte
Eclectic

The restaurant's setting in the hopping Hackesche Höfe makes it without question one of the most in restaurants in the Mitte district and a great place to experience the upswing in the old East. With oversize industrial lamps, the large, high-ceilinged rooms have an urban and breathless atmosphere. The food is a mixture of international nouvelle cuisine and beefy German cooking - there is also a special dinner menu with more refined dishes. Reservations are advised. AE, MC, V.

Kaiserstuben
Am Kupfergraben 6a, Berlin, Germany
Phone: 030/2045-2980
DM 75 to DM 100
Mitte
German

Next to the Pergamonmuseum, soft candlelight spills onto the cobblestone street, inviting gourmets to make their way down into the Kaisersuben's half-basement. The restaurant (German for "Emperor's Parlor") serves ingeniously prepared cuisine that carefully balances regional heritage with influences from all over the world. The young chef Tim Raue, a rising star in Berlin's gourmet firmament, surprises guests with constantly changing combinations such as Gebratene Gänseleber mit Rhabarber und grünem Pfeffer (fried goose livers with rhubarb and green pepper kernels). The wine list is one of the most extensive in Berlin. This is the perfect place in Mitte to enjoy a meal in a sophisticated yet cozy environment. AE, MC, V. No dinner Sun.

Mensa
Lützowpl. 5, Berlin, Germany
Phone: 030/2579-9333
DM 75 to DM 100
Charlottenburg
German

Contrary to all trends, this is one of the few new restaurants to be opened in the western part of town, and it's packed on weekends. The name (meaning a student refectory) is something of a joke since the cuisine here has nothing in common with cafeterias. Instead, it serves inventive nouvelle cuisine with an emphasis on light fish, beef, or veal dishes. The wine and dessert lists are extraordinary, with vintages and recipes from all over the world. Chef Markus Semmler, former head chef of the Berlin Ritz-Carlton, has also opened a second restaurant, the Stil in Charlottenburg. Reservations essential; AE, MC, V.

Paris Bar
Kantstr. 152, Berlin, Germany
Phone: 030/313-8052
DM 75 to DM 100
Western Downtown
French

Just off the Ku'damm, this trendy restaurant attracts a polyglot clientele of film stars, artists, entrepreneurs, and executives who care more for glamour than gourmet food. The French cuisine, including such delights as Jacques oysters and lamb chops with Provençal herbs, is reliable. AE.

Reinhard's
Kurfürstendamm 190, Berlin, Germany
Phone: 030/881-1621
DM 50 to DM 75
Western Downtown
German

Smaller but more elegant than its counterpart in the Nikolai Quarter, Rienhard's on Ku'damm is one of the trendiest places in town. Enjoy the carefully prepared entrées and sample spirits from the amply stocked bar, all served by friendly, colorful-tie-wearing waiters. The honey-glazed breast of duck, Adlon, is one its specialties. The menu and prices are the same at both locations. Reservations essential. AE, DC, MC, V.

Reinhard's
Poststr. 28, Berlin, Germany
Phone: 030/242-5295
DM 50 to DM 75
Mitte
German

In the Nikolai Quarter, friends meet here to enjoy the carefully prepared entrées and to sample spirits from the amply stocked bar, all served by friendly, colorful-tie-wearing waiters. The honey-glazed breast of duck, Adlon, is one its specialties. If you just want to hug the bar but find no room, don't despair; head two doors down to Italian Otello (under the same management). Reinhard's second restaurant on Ku'damm is much smaller but more elegant, and one of the trendiest places in town. Both the menu and prices are the same. Reservations essential. AE, DC, MC, V.

Rockendorf's
Düsterhauptstr. 1, Berlin, Germany
Phone: 030/402-3099
Over DM 100
Reinickendorf
German

Berlin's premier restaurant only has prix-fixe menus, some with up to nine courses. Exquisitely presented on fine porcelain, the mainly nouvelle specialties are sometimes fused with classic German cuisine. The wine list - with 800 choices, one of the world's best - has the appropriate accompaniment to any menu. The closest S-bahn station is Waidmannslust. Rockendorf's will probably move to the Kurfürstendamm neighborhood in 2001, so call ahead. Reservations essential. AE, DC, MC, V. Closed Sun. and Mon., Dec. 25-Jan. 6, and 3-4 wks in summer.

Schwarzenraben
Neue Schönhauser Str. 13, Berlin, Germany
Phone: 030/2839-1698
DM 50 to DM 75
Prenzlauer Berg
Italian

No other restaurant in Berlin exemplifies the arrival of the New East better than the Schwarzenraben. At its white-clothed tables, uncomfortably squeezed together in a long, narrow room, the rich and beautiful of the new metropolis gather to enjoy their success. The atmosphere is noisy and not very elegant. The cooking lets you discover new Italian recipes such as Milanese veal hocks. Reservations essential. AE, DC, MC, V.

VAU
Jägerstr. 54/55, Berlin, Germany
Phone: 030/202-9730
Over DM 100
Mitte
German

The movement of expensive and hip restaurants into the Mitte district began with this trendsetter. Excellent German fish and game dishes are prepared by Chef Kolja Kleeberg. Daring combinations include Geschmorter Ochsenschwanz mit Trüffelkruste (braised oxtail wrapped in truffle dough) and Steinbutt mit Kalbbries auf Rotweinschalotten (turbot with veal sweet breads on shallots in red wine). VAU's cool interior is all style and modern art: it was designed by one of Germany's leading industrial designers. Reservations essential. AE, DC, MC, V. Closed Sun.

XII Apostel
Bleibtreustr. 49, Berlin, Germany
Phone: 030/312-1433
DM 50 to DM 75
Charlottenburg
Italian

One of the nicest and liveliest Italian restaurants in Berlin, the XII Apostel should be avoided by the pious. The restaurant made its debut with 12 pizzas, one for each apostle of Jesus Christ - the biggest (and tastiest) is called the Judas. These and other pizzas are outstanding for their thin and crunchy crust; most people flock to this place, however, simply because it is hip. The colorful walls are reminiscent of Renaissance decorations in Italian churches. No credit cards.

Zur Letzten Instanz
Waisenstr. 14-16, Berlin, Germany
Phone: 030/242-5528
Under DM 50
Mitte
German

Established in 1621, Berlin's oldest restaurant combines the charming atmosphere of old Berlin with a limited (but very tasty) menu. Napoléon is said to have sat alongside the tile stove in the front room, and Mikhail Gorbachev enjoyed a beer here during a visit in 1989. The emphasis is on beer, both in the recipes and in the mugs. Service can be erratic, though always engagingly friendly. AE, DC, MC, V.

Zur Rippe
Poststr. 17, Berlin, Germany
Phone: 030/242-4248
DM 50 to DM 75
Mitte
German

This popular place in the Nikolai Quarter serves wholesome food in an intimate setting with oak paneling and ceramic tiles. Specialties include the cheese platter and a herring casserole. AE, DC, MC, V.