Last updated on 07/05/2026
Hummus, stuffed vine leaves, grilled lamb and a table full of meze: Oriental cuisine has long been part of Berlin, and it is far more than Turkish alone. Between Syrian, Lebanese, Persian and Armenian addresses, the choice is hard. At Baba Pirzola on Wittenbergplatz in Charlottenburg there are Turkish grill specialties in a modern setting, while Osmans Toechter in Prenzlauer Berg reinterprets the cuisine of Istanbul. Kreuzberger Himmel takes a path all its own, serving Syrian cuisine while at the same time offering refugees a professional perspective. We tasted our way through appetizer platters, compared grill plates and paid attention to each kitchen's signature. The result is our Top 10 of the best Oriental restaurants in Berlin. Which meze platter makes you weak?
Viktoria Tkachenko
For me, a good Oriental meal begins with the meze, because that is where you can tell whether a kitchen works with love. When testing, I look at whether the bread comes fresh and warm, whether the appetizers really taste homemade rather than wholesale, and whether the lamb stays tender instead of turning dry. Hospitality also matters to me, that natural attentiveness that turns a meal into an experience.
Schöneberg meets Anatolia: At Wittenbergplatz, directly opposite KaDeWe, Baba Pirzola serves classic Turkish grilled cuisine at an elevated level. Juicy lamb chops, aromatic mezze, and a carefully curated wine selection make this oriental restaurant one of Berlin's most convincing Turkish addresses.
Ottoman fine-dining cuisine in an opulent ambiance in the heart of Berlin-Tiergarten: Osmanya represents high-end Turkish-Oriental gastronomy, halal certified and with a menu that consistently interprets traditional flavors in a modern way.
For over a decade, Osmans Töchter in Prenzlauer Berg has stood for modern Anatolian cuisine that goes far beyond döner and fast food. Since spring 2026, the restaurant has resided on the historic Bötzow Areal, demonstrating that Turkish hospitality can also be grand cinema.
On the edge of Volkspark Friedrichshain, in the Bötzowviertel near Prenzlauer Berg, QADMOUS has been serving original Lebanese cuisine of the highest standard since 2003. Those seeking the Orient in Berlin will find it here: with aromatic spices, lavish meze platters, and grilled skewers from the lava stone grill.
At Yorckstraße 89 in Kreuzberg, this Arabic restaurant shows how Syrian cuisine and lived integration grow together. Fresh hummus, baba ghanoush, and kibbeh meet an atmosphere that is warm, open, and political. Kreuzberger Himmel is Berlin's most beautiful proof that a plate can tell more than a thousand words.
Germany's oldest Armenian restaurant sits unassumingly on Joachim-Friedrich-Straße in Charlottenburg and yet has cult status: Big Window is famous for its legendary veal, a compact menu full of grilled flavors, and a host who dictates the evening program by his own rules.
Persian cuisine that has spoken for itself in Charlottenburg for over two decades: Restaurant Hafis on Neue Kantstraße stands for authentic Khoreshts, grilled Kebabs, and homemade flatbread, making the cuisine of Iran tangible in Berlin.
If you're looking for oriental restaurants in Berlin, you can't miss Hasir. For decades, the Aygün family's cult establishment in Kreuzberg has stood for authentic Turkish grilled cuisine, homemade mezze, and a history that reinvented the döner.
Syrian cuisine from Damascus, served right in Mitte: Yarok on Torstraße stands for an authentic mezze feeling, generous mixed platters, and a warmth you can't order. The name means "green" in Hebrew and is a statement in itself.
Right on the Landwehrkanal in Kreuzberg, Defne Restaurant has been serving Turkish-Mediterranean cuisine for almost two decades at a level far beyond typical kebab offerings. Homemade mezze, Alinazik, and spicy octopus in a warm, relaxed atmosphere on Planufer.
