Say goodbye to canned corn and cream-drenched curries. In the past few years, a host of new restaurants have begun offering regional Indian dishes geared towards Berlin’s growing South Asian population (and Europeans who don’t fear chilli), joining the brave few that have been doing so this whole time. From Mumbai to Kerala, Amritsar to Hyderabad, here are our favourite spots.
Mr Chai-Wala
For South Indian cuisine and a great drinks menu, the colourful Mr Chai-Wala in Charlottenburg delivers on all fronts. Their chefs have all been recruited from high-end restaurants across South India, and you can absolutely taste culinary mastery behind every dish.
- Mr Chai-Wala, Kantstr. 31, Charlottenburg, details.
Prince of Punjab
A significant part of Prince of Punjab’s (formerly Bahadur) menu overlaps with that of your average Berlin Indian restaurant, but here’s the thing: it’s better. Way better. Here, a ubiquitous dish like tandoori chicken becomes a revelation, tender and smoke-kissed from the hot clay oven. Similarly, the creamy lentil stew dal makhani transforms from a forgettable side dish to a star in its own right, thanks to a 12-hour cooking time that lends it a depth of flavour you won’t find elsewhere.
- Bahadur, Sigmaringer Str. 36, Wilmersdorf, details.
Gapshap
Gapshap in Wilmersdorf is a newly opened offshoot of Prince of Punjab, now serving up bold North and South Indian food in a modern ambience. Street food, grilled kebabs, and dishes from all over the country await spice-curious eaters.
- Gapshap, Güntzelstraße 19, Wilmersdorf, details.
Agni
When in Moabit, make your way to this pint-sized spot for suitably spicy and very satisfying Punjabi-style vegan and vegetarian dishes. You could get full just off the selection of flatbreads, from the expected naan to potato parathas. Don’t miss the harder-to-find kulcha, made of puffy white bread stuffed with cauliflower, mixed vegetables or cheese. Anything from the tandoori oven, from paneer to a soymeat version of chicken tikka, is a must. If you simply can’t live without meat, Agni has a second, non-vegetarian location in Prenzlauer Berg.
Chutnify
Groundbreaking when it opened in Prenzlauer Berg in 2014, Aparna Aurora’s South Indian-inflected restaurant now boasts a sister location in Neukölln, as well as three branches in Portugal. It remains one of the best places in town to get a dosa – thin and crispy, tangy from three days of fermentation and filled with spiced potatoes, tandoori chicken or a chili-cheese mix. Don’t sleep on the curries, which you can sample a la carte or as part of a generous vegan, vegetarian, chicken, lamb or fish-centred thali plate. Wash it down with the all-time classic nimbu pani, a surprisingly refreshing lemonade punched up with Indian black salt.
- Chutnify, Sredzkistr. 43, Prenzlauer Berg.
- Chutnify 2, Pflügerstr. 25, Neukölln, details.
India Club
If the location in the five-star Adlon Hotel didn’t clue you in, this is the fanciest Indian food you can get in Berlin, elegantly presented on custom china in an immaculately designed dining room. It’s also some of the best. Chef Manish Bahukhandi makes no compromises in translating the food of Northern India to a European fine dining setting, using premium spices and organic meat in exemplary versions of butter chicken and mutton seekh kebab – plus tandoori broccoli and potato gunpowder salad for vegetarians. The prices are high, but worth the visit for a special occasion.
- India Club, Behrenstr. 72, Mitte, details.
House of Tandoor
House of Tandoor is your place if you’re looking for authentic and punchy North Indian classics. We advise you to stick to the tandoori dishes when ordering, as the other menu items can be less consistent.
- House of Tandoor, Meinekestraße 18-19, Charlottenburg, details.
Saravanaa Bhavan
No Berlin Indian list would be complete without this Potsdamer Platz behemoth, a branch of the beloved vegetarian chain that’s hugely popular among South Asians living abroad. What’s all the fuss about? In a word, dosas. There are literally dozens of varieties of the crêpe-like South Indian dish on offer here, each crisped to perfection. Our favourite is almost certainly the ghee roast masala, so huge it’s impossible to photograph without standing on a chair. The idli, uttapam and vada (all made from various formulations of rice and lentils and served, like the dosas, with sambar and chutneys) are stellar as well.
- Saravanaa Bhavan, Potsdamer Platz 5, Tiergarten, details.
Swadesh
Opened mid-pandemic, Swadesh quickly became popular for its selection of South Indian street food classics (there’s a North Indian menu too, but it’s less reliable). The dosas are crisp and airy, nearly the size of your head and filled with creamy potatoes or paneer cheese. There’s also a particularly good version of sambar vada, doughnut-like lentil fritters served in a mildly spicy vegetable soup. Swadesh has two locations – one on Uber-Platz and a cosier, less tourist-packed restaurant by Nollendorfplatz.
- Swadesh Indisches Restaurant, Mercedes Platz 4, Friedrichshain, & Maaßenstr. 5, Schöneberg, details.
Tandoori Nächte
Think you know what to expect at a Berlin Indian restaurant that advertises itself as a “Cocktail Bar” first and an “Indisches Grillrestaurant” second? Think again. The signature dish at this Halensee hidden gem is the Hyderabadi biryani, a knockout mix of chicken or lamb, rice, saffron and spices slow-cooked in a sealed pot before served, alongside house favourites like raita and nutty gravy mirchi ka salan. The standard curries, made with dried chillies and whole spices instead of powders also deserve your attention. For the full experience, tell your server you can handle spice, just trust us on that one.
- Tandoori Nächte, Bornimer Str. 4, Halensee, details.
Zora Supermarkt
You come to this South Asian supermarket for Indian goodies like spice mixes, frozen parathas and Alphonso mangoes. You stay for the crispy-on-the-outside, creamy-on-the-inside potato samosas, fried in huge batches. You can even make a meal out of them if you order them as a chaat, i.e. coated in chutney, chickpeas, red onions, tomatoes and coriander. Add in a cup of fresh sugarcane juice and you’ll feel transported to Mumbai right there on Kottbusser Damm, or from their second location on Boxhagener Straße.
- Zora Supermarkt, Kottbusser Damm 93, Kreuzberg.
- Boxhagener Str. 80, Friedrichshain.
- Bouchéstr. 39, Treptow.
- Schönhauser Allee 180, Prenzlauer Berg.
- Danziger Str. 27, Prenzlauer BergSchloßstr. 22, Steglitz, details.
Khushi
The heart and soul behind Khushi, Mrs. Gagan Deep Kaur, comes from Shimla, a small town in the mountains of northeastern India. Her restaurant Khushi delivers a homely vibe alongside great curries and tandoori specialities. However, if you want spicy, be sure to ask for it; otherwise, some dishes can be a bit underwhelming.
- Khushi, Kollwitzstr. 37, Prenzlauer Berg, details.
Nirwana
With a pleasant terrace and solid cocktails, Nirwana has become a popular local favourite. They’ve been there for over 20 years, serving up simple and fresh food. If you can, visit for their weekday lunch menu (served between 11:00 and 17:00, Monday through Friday), which rarely strays over €10 and offers dishes served with rice, salad and the soup of the day.
- Nirwana, Schloßstr. 48a, Steglitz, details.
Moksa
We’ll admit it: we’ve only tried one dish at Moksa Kitchen (and we’ve gone back for it two more times since), but honestly, we don’t feel the need to stray from our order. Our top recommendation is the tandoori chicken rotzza (though surely their lamb and potato versions are just as good), with a side of the hari chutney. The fresh, herbal notes of the chutney balance the cheesy, smoky taste of the rotzza. We’re not saying it’s 100% authentic, but we are insisting that this is fusion at its absolute best. And if you don’t frequent Potsdamer Platz, consider catching them at Markthalle Neun on Street Food Thursdays in Kreuzberg.
- Moksa (KERB Food Hall), Potsdamer Str. 4, Mitte, details.
Khaugalli – Mumbai Indian Street Food
After moving to Berlin and craving the taste of home, sisters Manjula and Anjali Dube turned their nostalgia into something delicious: Khaugalli, a vibrant slice of Mumbai street food tucked inside Moabit’s Arminiusmarkthalle. You’ll find fried bites like bread pakora or ragda pattice, made up of crispy potato patties smothered in curry, tangy chutneys and a helping of crunchy chickpea noodles. Don’t skip the dahi puri, formed from crisp dough shells filled with a spiced potato and pea mix, tamarind and coriander chutneys, fresh herbs and a drizzle of sweet yoghurt. Just remember, these moreish snacks are meant to be eaten in one bite!
- Khaugalli (Arminiusmarkthalle), Arminiusstr. 2 – 4, Moabit, details.
Tasty India
This has been our go-to takeout spot for ages, and while we haven’t dined in (yet), the chicken korma and chicken jalfrezi never miss when eaten from our couch. Simple, satisfying and generously portioned, they’re exactly what you want when a comforting Indian meal calls.
- Tasty India, Metzer Str. 21, Prenzlauer Berg, details.
Madras Cafe
This neighbourhood gem serves up solid South Indian cuisine. The dosa is nonnegotiable; these crispy, golden crêpes (made from rice, lentils and semolina) come served with your choice of potatoes, chicken masala, cheese, chutneys, vegetables or a mix. For fans of texture and flavour medleys, try the pani puri or papdi chaat.
- Madras Cafe, Stargarder Str. 24, Prenzlauer Berg, details.
Spice Junction
Spice Junction pulls double duty as a speciality Indian grocery store and snack bar. While the snack counter offers its best options on Saturdays, you can still swing by during the week for colourful Indian sweets and tasty samosa chaat. The Saturday menu features favourites like paneer dosa, dahi vada and pav bhaji – all at budget-friendly prices that draw in the likes of international students and anyone chasing full flavours and a good deal. The shop itself is well-stocked with frozen goods, pantry staples and hard-to-find ingredients – perfect whether you’re after a quick bite or planning a proper feast at home.
- Spice Junction, Bülowstr. 44, Schöneberg, details.
This guide was written by Jane Silver, Natalie Avila and Rene Blixer.
