Hi I am going to Berlin in September for a week as my husband is ruuning the marathon and I wondered if any one has any tips about where/ what to eat while we are there. We are staying in central Berlin so will be able to get to most places...do you think the beer will be low carb???!!!

Hi Sheba,

lol...low carb beer...here in Germany...

Are you looking for authentic German foods? Here is a link for you to take a look at. It's got a few nice restaurants on it and even has a vegetarian/no-red-meat restaurant .... http://www.fodors.com/miniguides/mg...cur_section=din.

In case you would like to try Turkish cuisine, try going to a restaurant where you can sit at and order something like the doener (Turkish gyros made of lamb or beef or a mixture of both, turkey or chicken) on a plate with salad or a platter with a grilled meat. I usually order the chicken cutlets (thighs) grilled with salad.

Hope this helps!

Chynna

In Berlin, I often ate at Maredo's, a cheap steak chain restaurant. There are so many branches that, like a MacDonalds, if you ask a local where the nearest Maredo's is, you will probably be directed to one within walking distance. Not only are their steaks reasonably priced (by UK standards) but they have an enormous salad bar with eggs and tuna on offer. The "steak and salad" is an obvious menu choice, but do check out for their Angebot (offer) because it is quite often cheaper to take that and pay for an extra salad.

There are lots of LC German meals available. You just have to say no to the bread and noodles and (heavenly but stodgy) dumplings that come with. They love to give you a free starter salad, and although the sauce is often sugary it does mean you get your veg in. Ask nicely for substitutions of some veg dish for the potato/pasta.

Hidden carbs are not a big deal in their sauces - just a little thickening - but there can be a lot of sugar in anything cabbagy, and that includes salads.

Breakfast is easy; have an egg and some ham and cheese. You can even have berries and yoghurt at many hotels, so bring your own splenda for a real treat if you think you might need it. You could daringly try a little rye bread, depending on how many carbs you are allowing yourself.

Lunch? Go find a supermarket and buy cold cuts and cheese. Cheap and tasty and good. You'll be familiar enough with the look of things to choose according to your taste, I am sure. They like cut-up meat slices in jelly, which is pleasantly spicily fragrant and tasty, but is slightly sugary.

Also, there is great cheap Turkish food to be had. Get yourself to a kebab place and have doner with salad. It's certainly far better than the equivalent in England; leaner and more flavoursome.

Finally, if you have a spare couple of hours, it is well worth it to make a visit to the famous food hall in the KaDeWe at the Kurfürstendamm (Ku’damm). The floorplan is here. It really is an absoloutely wonderful place.

(As for beer; I think they sell the LC stuff in some supermarkets, but no, the beer is not LC, I'm afraid. Treat yourself to some real stuff on your last night.)

Where are you staying? PM me for more details if you want. I was there just recently for a few weeks, and I am going back later this year.

Have fun!

Gez,

Thanks for the tips. We're off to Berlin for a long weekend in a couple of weeks.