There’s not really an off season for Berlin’s culinary scene. Wherever and whenever you stroll, you’re bound to notice the enticing scents of savoury snacks, sweet treats, and strong spices wafting through the streets.
🦞 Fish Klub summer pop-up: Berlin’s favourite seafood specialists are back in action
🥡 What to eat at Thai Park: Berlin’s favourite weekend food fest
But the warmer months bring pop-ups and festivals that make Berlin’s cuisine really shine. From booze to bites, there’s plenty for your palate to look forward to this summer in the city – and we’ve put together the highlights.
Köpenicker Sommer 2023
While not strictly a food festival, Köpenicker Sommer Festival earns a spot on this list with its vast buffet of food and drink options, including its regional farmers’ markets. The fact that it takes place in the historic and beautiful old town and palace island is a plus, too.
- Köpenick Old Town June 16-18, free entry, details.
Sublime Wine
This summer wine fest promises not just great drinks, but also delicious dishes to go with them. Organised by wine manufacturer Lichti & Astroh, the event offers over 300 wines from 60 international wineries, giving guests the opportunity to take a tasty tour of some of Europe’s finest libations. Don’t know where to start? Top Berlin sommeliers will be there to help find the right wine for you.
- Napoleon Komplex starts 11:00, details.
Italian Street Food Festival
From arancini to arrosticini, Italian street food is hard to beat – and Berlin’s Italian Street Food Festival is serving up some of the very best. The largest Italian food festival in Germany, attendees can gorge themselves at over 20 different food stands – and work off those calories with the help of some upbeat dance music.
- OST Hafen June 24-25, details.
Liquid Market
As its name would suggest, this festival focuses less on food and more on drinks. For its third edition, Liquid Market will once again attract the best bars in Berlin – as well as the rest of the country and beyond – to the banks of the Spree for a boozy celebration. Enjoy two days of live DJ performances, masterclasses, distillery tours and, of course, tastings.
- Konnekt.Berlin June 30 – July 7, details.
German Rum Festival
If your taste in booze is a little more specialised, the German Rum Festival might be for you. It’s one of the biggest events centred around rum, rhum, and cachaca in the world, and if you don’t know the difference between the three, this is definitely still the place for you. This year will be the festival’s 12th instalment, which will have 70 stands featuring hundreds of different brands and bottles, as well as tastings and masterclasses to look forward to.
- Station Berlin July 8-9, details.
10 Years of Bite Club
Berlin’s favourite culinary pop-up party turns 10 this year, and they’re hosting a Spree-side birthday bash full of food trucks, cocktails, and music, plus special appearances by some now-defunct food outfits. From longtime favourites like Mama Shabz and Brammibals to newcomers like Jian Bing Town, even the pickiest eaters will find something they like here. And it all goes great with a sunset view of the Spree.
- Arena Berlin July 14 and August 18, details.
Kreuzberger Tomatenfest
Chef-slash-restaurateur Markus Herbricht cordially invites you to Kreuzberg’s Schmelzwerk for this year’s tomato festival. Have a seat at the long, elegant tables to enjoy dishes highlighting everyone’s favourite savoury fruit and celebrate the festival’s tenth anniversary.
- Schmelzwerk July 14-16, free entry, details.
True Italian Pizza Street Festival
After the success of its first instalment last summer, the True Italian Pizza Street Festival is back again this year. Take a slice of some of the city’s best pizza – including vegan options – courtesy of restaurants across Berlin.
- Jules B-Part July 15-16, details.
Berlin Chili Fest
Properly spicy food can be hard to come by in Germany, but if you need an extra kick in your diet, the Berlin Chili Fest is a good place to start. Take home fresh chilli peppers from a number of market stalls or taste-test samples of different types of hot sauce. You can also eat hot wings and other spicy dishes at the festival’s food trucks and wash it all down with some craft beer.
- Sage Beach Club July 16, details.
Späth’sche Baumschulen Wine Market
The garden at Späth’sche Baumschulen is always a good spot for sampling a weekly rotation of libations from different producers, but we heard through the grapevine that it’ll be hosting a special market offering delicious wines from vineyards across the country this July. Who wouldn’t want to spend an afternoon getting tipsy in one of Berlin’s prettiest garden centres?
- Späth’sche Baumschulen July 21-23, free entry, details.
Pistachio Street Food Festival
Nuts about nuts? If you didn’t immediately cringe and close your browser tab after reading that question, allow us to draw your attention to Kreuzberg’s Pistachio Street Food Festival. As its name would suggest, the foods on offer will all share one key ingredient – but that doesn’t mean there won’t be a rich spectrum of flavours to enjoy, whether you lean savoury or sweet.
- Jules B-Part August 26-27, details.
This article has been adapted from the German by Seraina Birdsey.
