Foodie Review: Lily Burger, Friedrichshain, Berlin

Foodie Review: Lily Burger, Friedrichshain, Berlin

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Having been to Berlin a few times now, there were a few restaurants I could not wait to revisit when myself and Vanessa went back in March. I was also keen to try out some new places and, luckily, we stumbled upon Lily Burger - a vegan-friendly chargrill steak house. Here's my foodie review...

Located just outside of central Berlin in Friedrichshain, and not too far from the East Side Gallery, Lily Burger specialises in a whole range of weird and wonderful burgers, steaks and chargrilled food. However, for a restaurant that prides itself on the best cuts of meat, it also has an extensive selection of vegan and vegetarian dishes; with all sauces and condiments also being vegan and all made fresh in-house.  For you meat eaters on the other hand, Lily Burger sources all of its meat from a small organic farm, located just outside of Berlin, which exclusively supplies them only. Better yet, to preserve the flavour, all meat is air dried at the bone for 28 days.

We originally spotted Lily Burger on Instagram whilst trying to find somewhere new. What first drew us to it (besides the food) was the fun decor. Naturally, the hipsters in us had to see it for ourselves. Decorated with neon lights, graffiti and vintage novelty bits all over the walls, it just screams Berlin. Despite it being a Thursday night, the place was full but luckily we had made a reservation and found a great little spot at the back. Having browsed the large menu and taken some top tips from our waiter, we made our order...

Having had a long day of sight seeing, we went in hard. To share, we ordered a plate of a fries which you can have on their own or mix with other types of fries. For example, you can have sweet potato fries with normal chips or curly fries - all for the same price. And so, Vanessa opted for curly fries whilst I kept mine basic. Vanessa also ordered something I never knew existed - a Kartoffel-Baconrösti (pictured above) or to translate, a potato and bacon resti. This was a potato fritter dish with bacon inside, served with red onions and BBQ sauce. I didn't actually sample this for myself but Vanessa assured me it was delicious. 

For main, we both tried the Hanging Tender Steak, 200g (pictured above) served rare - 28 day aged, dry aged bio Black Angus steak (from the shoulder), served with garlic butter and salad leafs.  I had never tried shoulder before but I have to say that the cut was fantastic and wonderfully cooked. The seasoning on-top was bursting with flavour and, whilst it may appear to be small, really hit the spot. I wasn't feeling particularly starving that evening but if I had, I would most definitely have added one of their many Steak Topping options which all sounded incredible. Unfortunately for Vanessa, she had ordered her steak medium which meant it was slightly more overcooked than she had hoped. Having tried a bit of her's, it definitely tasted different to mine and so I'd always recommend to go rare or go home when in Germany. 

Whether you're visiting for the drinks or to sit down for one of their amazing vertical burgers, I cannot recommend Lily Burger enough. Whilst it may not have been the cheapest dinner we had during our stay in Berlin, you certainly get what you pay for in terms of the quality of the meat and freshness of the food. A side, main and a drink is likely to set you back around €20 which I thought was very reasonable - and you will certainly not leave hungry. If I was to return, I would definitely want to try one of their bizarre burgers and a variety of toppings for sure. 

Further to their wide range of beverages and food, I have to say that the staff were fantastic. Everyone was super friendly and couldn't do enough for us all night. And so, if you're ever in Berlin - one of my go-to recommended places would easily be Lily Burger. You can check out their full menu here.

That's it for another foodie review, have you been to Berlin and Lily Burger before? Where are some of your favourite weird and wonderful places to eat? As always, I love reading your comments so please do leave me lots of lovely ones down below. Don't forget you can still check out the rest of my Berlin adventures here. 

Until next time fellow foodies, 

Travel Diary: Postcards from Berlin, Part II

Travel Diary: Postcards from Berlin, Part II

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Well it already feels like a lifetime ago since I went away to Berlin but I'm still clinging on to my amazing trip for just a little bit longer. And so, here's Part II and my final postcards from Berlin...

So when I booked the trip, I purposefully booked our hotel in the centre of Berlin so that we would be close to all the attractions and sights. Stepping out of our hotel room, we could immediately see the world famous Checkpoint Charlie (pictured above) and fragments of the wall which are hugely popular tourist attractions throughout the city. We spent a great deal of our time in Alexanderplatz - home of Berlin's famous TV Tower which stands at 200 metres tall and gives you a perfect 360 view of the city. In case you're wondering, that's higher than the Eiffel Tower, y'all. I was fortunate enough to visit the top of the tower both at night and during the day and either is stunning. You can also dine at The Sphere - a revolving restaurant inside the tower which stands at 207 metres above the city. 

Before grabbing some dinner on our second night, we decided to head over to the Menschen Museum - a human body exhibit made famous by the controversial Dr Gunther von Hagens. The museum is a little bit tucked away but is immediately next to Alexanderplatz train station and well worth the visit. A word of warning however, all the bodies and parts used in this museum are genuine. As such, some sections of the exhibit are a little bit difficult to see and it's a little weird to think that you're looking at an actual person who has donated their body. That said, if you've got a strong stomach you can see what a real one looks like right in front of your face for €14.

Body parts aside, our third day consisted of some intense tourist behaviour. In the morning we headed over to the famous Brandenburg Gate, The Reichstag building and The Holocaust Memorial before a walk around Potsdamer Platz. We also managed to stop by the Memorial to Homosexuals Persecuted Under Nazism in the park opposite The Reichstag which has beautiful but heartbreaking meaning and is well worth reading up on. After grabbing some lunch at the Sony Centre, Vanessa and I finished up our day at the Berlin Zoological Garden.  

As I mentioned in Part I of my Berlin Postcards, one of my favourite restaurants in Berlin was in the middle of a refurbishment and so we set out to find somewhere new to try. Thanks to a bit of browsing on Instagram however, we came across Lily Burger - a vegan-friendly bar and grill located just outside of Alexanderplatz. Go for the crazy decor and stay for the amazing menu and friendly staff. I'd definitely recommend this as a hot spot to eat in Berlin if you get the chance. Don't worry, I'll be sharing some foodie reviews from my trip soon so stand by for those. 

Well, that's it for the final part of my Berlin Postcards. Don't forget you can check out Part I of my travel diary here but tell me, have you been to Berlin yet? Where are your favourite places to see? As always, I love reading your comments so please do leave me lots of lovely ones down below. Don't forget you can still check out the rest of my Berlin adventures here.

Until next time world travellers, 

Travel Diary: Postcards from Berlin, Part I

Travel Diary: Postcards from Berlin, Part I

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Being my third visit, I've had a couple of people ask me what keeps pulling me back to Berlin. Besides the lovely people, the amazingly cheap but delicious food, incredible history and culture - I just really love the atmosphere. But, since something seems to change every time I go, I thought I'd let you see a glimpse of it for yourself. Here's Part I of my travel diary from Berlin...

Having arrived in Berlin in the early afternoon, myself and Vanessa were met with a beautiful sunny day and a rather unexpected 23 degree heat. And so, we thought we'd make the most of the weather and visit some of my favourite outdoor sights. Naturally, our first stop was the Berlin Cathedral (also known as the Berlin Dome) before a wander round Alexanderplatz. We finished up the day at Berlin's famous beer hall, Hofbräu Berlin, so that Vanessa could experience some authentic german cuisine.

Luckily for us, Day 2 was no where near as warm and was pretty much a tour of Kreuzberg - Berlin's answer to Shoreditch. Pictured above, Vanessa and I visited the East Side Gallery which is easy one of my top must sees for anyone visiting to Berlin. The surrounding area has some incredible examples of Berlin street art as well as some more iconic pieces and is a total must-see. One thing I was devastated to find however, was that both White Trash and The Dudes Deli were closed and in the process of being refurbished and relocated. And since I was looking forward to going to these places again, that was pretty sad to say the least. Thankfully, however, we found some new amazing places to eat instead but no burger will ever beat that of the Dudes. Here's hoping that if I ever return, they'll be back up and running. You can see from my first visit to the East Side Gallery and Kreuzberg here. 

Well, that's it for Part I of my Berlin postcards. I had such an amazing week sightseeing with my best friend and we could not have asked for better weather. I'm so sad to be home but I'm also super excited to be starting my brand new job this week. So tell me, have you ever been to Berlin before? Where are your favourite spots to visit? As always, I love reading your comments so please do leave me lots of lovely ones down below. Don't forget to check out the rest of my Berlin adventures here.

Until next time,