The Eisbein Pilgrimage

A glistening boiled pork knuckle the size of your fist, with sauerkraut and pease pudding. Currywurst gets the headlines; locals come here for dinner.

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Why this dish?

Eisbein is a cured ham hock, boiled until the meat is meltingly soft and the skin turns to jelly, served the Berlin way with sauerkraut, pease pudding (Erbspüree) and boiled or mashed potato, plus a slick of mustard. It's enormous, primal and deeply satisfying - old Berlin tavern food that predates every trendy thing the city is now famous for.

Yes, Berlin's signature street food is currywurst, and you should absolutely have one. But currywurst is a snack between trains. Eisbein is what you fly in for: a proper sit-down plate in a wood-panelled Berlin institution, a stein of beer, a meal that genuinely needs a nap afterwards. Cheap flights, huge food, real history.

Our Picks

Zur letzten Instanz

Address: Waisenstraße 14-16, Berlin
What to order: Eisbein with sauerkraut and pease pudding, and a Berliner Pilsner.
Book ahead: Yes - it's small and storied; book.
Pro tip: The tiled corner ovens and the centuries of regulars (Napoleon supposedly among them) make this as much a museum as a meal.

Max und Moritz

Oranienstraße 162, Berlin (Kreuzberg)

A beautiful old Berlin Wirtshaus from 1902 - wood panels, regulars, and the real version of the dish.

What to order: Eisbein, or Königsberger Klopse (meatballs in caper sauce), with a Berliner Weisse to start.

Good to know

Have a currywurst from a street Imbiss too - it's a Berlin rite, just don't mistake it for the main event. Eisbein is huge; arrive hungry and consider splitting a starter. Berlin's transport is superb; one ticket covers the airport train and all the U/S-Bahn you'll need.

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