Currywurst Spots

The currywurst is Berlin's most famous snack classic, served with a slightly different twist on every corner.

Currywurst is a pork sausage, sliced up and buried under a warm tomato-based curry sauce with a dusting of curry powder on top. In Berlin it counts as a landmark in its own right. The story goes that it was invented in Charlottenburg in 1949, and the western part of the city still keeps the old-school stands alive: sausage with or without its casing, fries on the side, a thick and faintly sweet sauce that leans more toward comfort than heat. Kreuzberg and Mitte have layered a newer scene on top, with organic sausages, vegan versions and house-made sauces that treat the recipe as a starting point rather than a rule.

For the real thing, skip the sit-down restaurants and look for an Imbiss, a small walk-up snack stand with standing tables outside and paper plates instead of china. Order it with Pommes Schranke, fries topped with both ketchup and mayonnaise, and expect to be asked whether you want your sausage mit oder ohne Pelle, with or without the skin. Berliners have strong opinions on that question and none of them are wrong. Many stands stay open well past midnight, which makes them the standard refuel after a long day of sightseeing or on the walk between bars.