Best Döner

Berlin is considered the döner capital, with countless snack bars and long lines outside the classics.

Döner in Berlin is less a snack than a piece of civic identity. The dish itself is meat shaved off a vertical rotisserie and packed into warm flatbread with salad, onions, red cabbage and a couple of sauces. Shaped by the city's large Turkish and Arab communities, Kreuzberg, Neukölln and Wedding hold an enormous density of counters, everything from the traditional spit to modern versions built around grilled vegetables and house-made sauces. Outside a handful of famous shops, the line down the sidewalk at peak hours is part of the streetscape.

Quality swings hard from one counter to the next, so look for meat carved fresh to order, crisp vegetables and flatbread straight out of the oven rather than a warming tray. Beyond the standard döner, you will see Dürüm, the same filling rolled in a thin wrap, Lahmacun, a thin flatbread topped with spiced minced meat, and vegetarian or vegan versions almost everywhere. Best of all, many counters stay open deep into the night, which is why döner is what Berlin eats on the way home.