Finding Falafel
- Faye Goldsmith
- Feb 28, 2019
- 4 min read
Whenever I travel away from Berlin the one food item I usually miss the most is falafel; especially how cheap and healthy it is. It is not necessarily a food item currently synonymous with Berlin in the way that Currywurst and Döner are, but I think it should be. With a growing Arab population (over 100,000 on the last count) this Middle Eastern staple is everywhere and will always symbolise Berlin to me.
Falafel is extremely good for you as the chickpeas actually help lower cholesterol as well as having lots of fiber which benefits digestion. Many people worry about them being fried but even this is not such a problem nowadays as most commercial fryers don't use trans fat oils anymore. Chickpeas are a good form of plant based protein which is great for veggies and vegans and everybody really. I think that they have been transformative in my personal journey towards eating a better, more sustainable diet ; since moving to Berlin and discovering my love of falafel I have cut my meat consumption massively and have meat free Mondays to Thursdays.
As I live and work between Neukolln and Kreuzberg, It would be a lie for me to say that the following list is THE comprehensive list of Berlin's best falafel places as that would take months of research across every Berlin district such is the ubiquity of great falafel in Berlin. And as much as I love falafel even I cannot single handedly take on that particular challenge.
However, I can guarantee that you will definitely find some of the fluffiest, herbiest, crispiest, and tastiest balls of chickpea heaven in the following favourite places.
Gneisenaustraße 69, Kreuzberg
Tucked away between Bergmannkiez and Südstern, this tiny imbiss is usually buzzing with locals in the know enjoying their great value and amazing tasting falafel pita wraps (3 euros) and tellers (5.50 euros). The falafel here is perfect and exactly as it should be: fluffy, crispy, and flavourful. The sides are great too with plenty of healthy salads, peanut sauce, tahini, silky hummus & smokey baba ghanoush plus a pretty decent spicy option too.
Gabriel Marx Strasse 16, Friedrichshain
There are two locations for Sanabel on either side of the Spree and although the Kreuzberg one is closer to me and decent enough, the Friedrichshain branch has the edge in quality and consistency. Here I tend to opt for the eponymous 'Sanabel' falafel & shawarma combo as their shawarma is delicious. The falafel are also stand-alone awesome and great with halloumi.
Beware of two things here; firstly they tend to add mango salsa as a standard which in my mind should not be allowed near falafel so make sure to ask for 'ohne mango' unless that's your thing (no judgement). Secondly, their spicy sauce is super hot so only ask for 'bißchen scharf' if you value your taste buds. All sandwiches come in whole-wheat, arabic bread instead of pitta which means they are a bit bigger than other places which makes the four euro price pretty reasonable for such a tasty, filling snack.
Gräfestraße 65A, Kreuzberg, 10967 Berlin
This is a relatively new discovery for me despite being located in between my home and my work. As soon as I stepped into the door I realised I was in for some tasty falafel as the aroma of spices is thick in the air. Their sandwiches and tellers are well priced (3/5.50 euros) and offer lots of combination options and sauces so you won't get bored. The falafel themselves live up to the expectation created by the scent and are really tasty and freshly cooked.
Zossener Str. 17, Kreuzberg, 10961
Not all good falafel places are Middle Eastern. Berlin happens to have a healthy contingent of Sudanese restaurants especially in Kreuzberg and Neukölln. Whilst the popular Weserstrasse branch of Sahara deserves an honourable mention, my personal favourite is Tutti Island in Bergmannkiez which is a hardly noticeable, hole-in-the-wall style imbiss on Zossenerstraße. The falafel are better here than other Sudanese places I have tried as they have more flavour - the Sahara ones can have a cardboardy aftertaste. The magali (roasted) vegetables are plentiful and healthier, and the peanut sauce for which these places are famous is still unctuous and free flowing. Falafel and roasted vegetable tellers are six euros, and sandwiches three euros.
Gneisenaustrasse 194, Prenzlauer Berg, 10405
My friend from Jordan probably eats here at least once a week which is testament to the pedigree of Gilgamesh which offers huge, well-filled wraps with herby, delicious balls of chickpea goodness for 3-4 euros plus some pretty substantial tellers. Avoid the shawarma though as it can get a bit greasy in my opinion.
Linienstraße 132, Mitte, 10115
If you Google 'Berlin's best falafel' you will always see Dada Falafel listed highly. After one visit which involved a short queue enveloped by aromatic scents I can confirm that this status is well earned and they have some seriously good falafel; you can taste all the individual spices in each of the freshly cooked chickpea balls. At 4,50 a pita sandwich it is a bit pricier than I am used to paying but it is located in Mitte and is damn good quality.
Some other notable places:
Sahara, Neukölln- popular Sudanese place where it's all about the peanut sauce
Basmah, Kreuzberg - my second favourite Sudanese joint
Al Andalos, Neukölln - the best cheap falafel sandwich in Berlin at 1.50 a wrap. They have a great mixed teller option to share too
Yarok, Mitte - the OG Syrian restaurant with great falafel as part of their impressive sharing plates
Phönicia, Wedding - tiny imbiss serving some of Wedding's best falafel wraps
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