The 13 Best Kebabs To Try In Berlin

For those of you that are uninitiated, there are a few things to know about döner culture. While you may associate kebab with meat served on skewers, in Germany, the term can be used to define several styles of dishes that are cooked on an upright rotisserie grill. There is döner teller (plates), which are trays of sliced meat with various salads, sauces, and sides. You have dürüm kebab or (dürüm döner), which is meat and toppings dressed burrito fashion in a flatbread or tortilla-like roll. And there's the döner kebab, wherein paper-thin pieces of shaved beef, chicken, veal, or lamb are sandwiched into crisp flatbread with salad and dressing. 

The other thing to know about döner kebab is that no matter what Germans tell you, they didn't completely invent it. The dish's roots can be traced to Turkey — its name comes from the Turkish word dönmek, which means "to turn," a direct translation of the cooking style used to prepare these unique meals. Regardless of its origins, Germany is called the kebab capital of the world by many. 

Döner is especially popular in the nation's capital — pre-pandemic estimates once listed some 4,000 kebab shops in Berlin alone. So, while it's never exactly hard to find a bite of Germany's preferred fast food across the city, it's easy to spend money and time on an experience that doesn't satisfy. That's why we've narrowed down Berlin's best kebabs — and yes, our list includes both classic meat along with strictly veggie options.  

In German, gemüse means "vegetables," and although you may think you're coming to a kebab spot for the meat, at gemüse shops like Mustafa's, it's the produce that especially stands out. A pile of meat on warm bread needs something cleansing, and that's what Mustafa's does well. Order the chicken gemüse; you'll find red onion so fresh it could sustain Stanley Yelnats III. No need to worry about the bite, either. The allium is neutralized by a clean, crisp salad and briny sprinkle of feta and dill. 

We can continue waxing about the vegetables, but that's not to say the sliced chicken (gemüse shops normally serve poultry) anchoring this snack is a slouchy bird. Though it lacked bark on our visit, the meat was super juicy and decently seasoned. Considering the complete chicken and veggie package, this kebab truly shines.  

Imren Grill is a small, local Berlin chain and an excellent choice when you know what your favorites are and need a quick bite without a side of adventure. Each location is halal and sells a wide range of Turkish dishes and fast foods, from burgers and pizzas to linsensuppe (lentil) soup. However, it's the lamb kebab you've come for, and you can take it any way you like.

In spite of being the largest operation on our roundup, one little thing makes eating at Imren Grill more time-honored. Often, you'll see kebab cones on the Berlin streets that are topped with tomatoes, peppers, onion, or garlic. The vegetables cook and drip into the meat as it spins. In Turkey, the traditional way of cooking döner kebab involves another addition to the cone top: a fat cap. 

Imren Grill takes that custom to the house. As the stack of lamb meat spins, tallow melts from top to bottom, continually basting the cone low-and-slow, inside and out. Then, along comes someone with a knife. Lamb is shaved into a pile of friable edges and delicate insides, pieces that will make the base of your sandwich. It's the perfect method to highlight the pastoral flavors of the meat, and it goes perfectly with a touch of lemon and tangy sauce. The Imren doctrine is the only kind of trickle-down theory we are willing to discuss from here on out. 

Cheese is a funny thing in Germany. Although it doesn't get as much credit as, say, a certain specific neighboring country that has a certain specific reputation for cheese, Deutschland produces a lot. Grocery stores are full of interesting selections, many of which derive from Bavaria. It's common in fast food, like burgers (obviously), yet cheese isn't what we would classify as a regular topping available at kebab stands. Teras, fortunately, has a special menu spot just for one of our favorite food groups. 

Berlin döner kebabs offer a juicy contradiction. Loaded with the contents of a full salad bar, kebab may include carrots or herbs, red cabbage, cucumber, grilled corn, lettuce, tomato, thin slivers of white onion — basically, enough to assure yourself that what you're eating is nutritious. The show-stopper at Teras doesn't do any favors in that department. The meat tastes artisan, with flavor that is deeply nuanced from allium aromatics embedded on top of the cone. It's the melted cheese topping we come for, though. It adds a salty layer that reminds you this is considered junk food. So? We'll take some french fries folded into that as well.

Meat lovers may argue with us here, but you can call it a kebab without it being animal-based. Is cereal a soup? See, all of this is made up. Any debaters can begin their speech, and when they're done, we'll still be here at Vöner, eating.

There's a reason why a common order for gemüse kebabs, without chicken and loaded with roasted veggies and mixed salads, are common in Berlin. It's a city often regarded as Europe's vegan capital. 100% vegan restaurant Vöner shifts the veggie kebab game beyond a normal cabbage-tomato-lettuce wrap and even takes it a falafel further than many other shops in the city. It does so simply by cutting crispy bits of kebab-esque pieces that remove the bulbousness of other plant-based substitutes. The texture is important.

That's not to say that the meat replacement at Vöner is especially different from other shops across town in terms of the components. It's just a simple staple done well. The light brown crust hides a cakey, brightly spiced chickpea meal. Every time the deep-fried bits threaten to feel too much, you get a hit of rejuvenating cucumber. Sometimes, you are shocked awake by a pocket of red garlic-chili sauce that's been gobbed into a bread cave. Though it may not contain meat, Vöner's döner kebab is Berlin's most fun.

There's a science to making good kebab and an art to nailing gemüse. Peak freshness from all the components is a must, and only when that's put at the center of the operation can cooks ride their sizzling cone of poultry into the stratosphere. Trays of roasted vegetables (zucchini, corn, carrots) also help to fuel the trip. At Nefis, everything is prepared for lift-off — and the kebab is the size of a rocket.

To be fair, what first won us over about Nefis was the close proximity to our accommodations, inexpensive price, and later working hours compared to many other shops on the block. Only after we tried Nefis did the truth of this place hit us. It's special. Shoestring shreds of shaved chicken bulge out of pillowy round flatbread. The massive and succulent portion sizes aren't only reserved for chicken. This is gemüse, where plant foods get respect, too. There are piles and piles of garden tomatoes, snappy cucumbers, and sour cabbage slaw that colors the mixture. For some plant-based smoke, add those grilled veggies. Maybe even skip the chicken — these veggies are worth it. 

After something as inventive as a halloumi kebab (or one with truffle mushrooms), you might be wondering what is so special about a standard beef döner. To answer that, we turn to a certified Berlin classic, Hisar Fresh Food. The business has been around and selling its kebabs since 1986, three years before the Berlin Wall fell. Its position at the junction of past and future Berlin comes to a head with Hisar's tried and true cooking method. Slow-cooked beef grilled upright over hours and hours creates a firm outer crust that flakes off and reveals moist, flavor-infused meat on the inside. 

Beef (read: not veal or pork) kebabs are not the most commonly available meat at kebab shops, so a trip to Hisar's comes with a bit of novelty in that regard. The business serves its döner on Turkish pide bread, which is an egg-washed loaf studded with fragrant sesame seeds. The traditional touch changes this from a fast food lunch to an impactful experience with multicultural roots.