Markthalle Neun

One of my favorite things about traveling is eating the local food. In fact, I typically plan adventure filled days around the food spots I want to try. So when Tim and I first planned our month long stay in Berlin, I began researching the must-try food joints around Berlin. No matter the article, Markthalle Neun was on the list. So of course, we had to check it out.

Markthalle Neun is in the Kreuzberg neighborhood of Berlin. Although open almost every day with local vendors selling produce, Thursday nights are THE night to go. The hall becomes alive with food vendors of all types serving their best dishes. The food options range from tacos to fresh made pasta, exquisite cheese and fresh meats to ice cream. It's hard not to overindulge! The aromas filling the air as we walked past each vendor made us feel as though we could keep eating even when we felt our fullest. It was as if we each had bottomless pits in our stomachs. Clearly locals felt the same since it was a packed house each week.

After our first visit, Markethalle Neun became our weekly date night treat. This meant walking three miles each way to eat and drink the best of the best. Everything we ate was delicious, so it was well worth the miles. But two vendors stood out above the rest, the freshly-made pasta vendor and Los Trompiras. The freshly-made pasta was divine. The pasta was so fresh that it melted in your mouth. Our pasta of choice was the pillow-like potato gnocchi with deer ragu. It was made to order so it came out piping hot, adding to it's perfection on those cold winter Berlin nights. Our other favorite, Los Trompiras, serves up the best tacos al pastor we've ever had! We never would have imagined that we would find some of the best tacos in Berlin, Germany. It was the best unexpected surprise. The tacos were our weekly choice, but they add their traditional al pastor in other vessels as well. To read more about Los Trompiras and the talented people behind the food, click here.

Another bonus to Markethalle Neun is the multiple wine shops, brewery, and bar inside. One date night started with sampling the various beers from the basement brewery, Heide Peters. The beers are made with seasonal and fresh ingredients, adding to the specialty and flavor profiles of the beer. When we went, there were several tasty IPA's to try. Another date night we started with happy hour at the bar with seasonal cocktails. For me, this was perfection. Nothing warms me up on a cold night like a good whiskey!

We still talk about Markethalle Neun and miss our weekly date nights here. It's places like this that we search for now in every big town we visit. We have found others like this in Lisbon, Portland, and Denver and all have been fantastic. It allows us each to pick out what we want to eat or sample a little bit of everything! Markethalle Neun is just one more of the many reason why we miss Berlin.