• Food
  • Jonathan Ilker Oekten’s favourite Berlin bars and restaurants

Food

Jonathan Ilker Oekten’s favourite Berlin bars and restaurants

Jonathan Ilker Oekten, the guy behind popular eatery SPRO, shares his top picks for eating out in Berlin.

Golvet
Photo: Golvet

With a family recipe steeped in tradition, SPRO has become a beloved neighbourhood spot, serving scones that are both comforting and imaginative. This is where the owner likes to dine.

GOLVET has become my go-to place for a special occasion. I celebrated SPRO’s third anniversary there. They have a beautiful panoramic view and despite being a high-end restaurant, it’s not too stuffy – it’s like a Berlin take on a Michelin restaurant.

Golvet. Photo: White Kitchen
Golvet. Photo: White Kitchen

As for street food, it doesn’t get better than Thaipark. Past the authentic and delicious food, I adore the atmosphere. For an after-dinner hang, Eleven Eleven Studio is a nice spot to dance, have a cocktail, and get the night started. Interestingly, by day it’s unattractive, but at night there are colourful, moving light projections that add magic to the space.

Thaipark. Photo: IMAGO / Stefan Zeitz

To start my day I prefer a classic breakfast, which is why I love Café Krone for their pancakes and cheese plates. They sometimes have a slightly longer wait, but I don’t care. People wait at Berghain for hours, unsure if they’ll be let in; I can wait 30 minutes for fantastic food.

Sironi. Photo: Theresa Malec
Sironi. Photo: Theresa Malec

I’m a fan of Klinke for German food, they have a more contemporary take, offering tapas-style German plates. Try the Maultaschen. Italian food has always been a source of joy for me, so if I want comfort food, I go to Sironi. Using timeless ingredients and flavours, they create something special.

An eatery that does spicy well is Mr. Chai Wala. I lived in the UK for a few years and came to love the spicy Indian food, and this place surpassed my expectations. For a hidden gem, I like Chikz Rollz, they caught my eye one day so I decided to give them a try and the taste was absolutely amazing.

Mr. Chai Walla. Photo: Ariane Bille
Mr. Chai Walla. Photo: Ariane Bille

In my Kiez, I’m a fan of BRLO. I skip the restaurant and head right to the beer garden to pick up an IPA. On a sunny day, I feel like I’m on vacation. Near SPRO, I like the Greek café Pala. They do a great job with their small plates. The ingredients are more traditional, but the result still feels quite fresh.

For Cantonese cuisine Goji is excellent. It took me five years of living around the corner to find it. They’re a small place and the owner frequently cooks solo, putting his soul into his dishes.

  • Try some of Jonathan’s own creations at SPRO, Schönhauser Allee 50A, Prenzlauer Berg, details.