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The Bird in Berlin

The Bird in BerlinWhen it comes to Sunday Lunch in Berlin, the traditional British Sunday Roast isn’t exactly common but I’ve found something that suits me just as well, a burger at The Bird.

As the restaurant celebrated its 6th Birthday on Saturday I guess it was inevitable that I should want to eat there on Sunday.

As usual I had a great meal, so great in fact that after a brief stroll through Mauerpark an afternoon snooze was in order.

Here’s a post I wrote about The Bird at the end of January in the early days of this blog when it was marked ‘Private’ and the only people reading it were my family.

When I set out this morning my only intention was to take a stroll around the fleamarket at the Mauerpark and see how it looked after yesterday’s light snow and build up an appetite for lunch.

I didn’t have any intention of eating out but as has happened on previous Sundays, as I reached the Northern edge of the fleamarket I started thinking about The Bird.  I’m almost there, I thought.  It’d be rude not to.

So I walked to this unimposing façade on Am Falkplatz.

The Bird is a popular spot but wasn’t as busy as I have seen it on other Sunday afternoons and I was offered a table at the back of the Restaurant.

I told the waiter that I didn’t need a menu and ordered Da Birdhouse (the house burger) and a half litre of Krombacher.

The Bird was set up in 2006 by two New Yorkers.  They pride themselves on the quality of their ingredients and food is cooked to order.  They are also passionate about how their food should be eaten.

They warn against ordering meat well done and deliver a sermon on burger eating on their menu:

Burger eating does not require a fork and knife.  It ruins the burger, violates several laws of nature and drives the cook nearly to the point of running amok with a hot spatula.  We don’t provide big rolls of paper towel for nothing.  Please pick it up and get it into you, it’s just better that way.

The portions are Man v Food sized.  The burgers come in an English Muffin, the burger is prime beef and the chips are undoubtedly hand cut and delicious.

Da Birdhouse - the house burger at The Bird in Berlin

Da Birdhouse, as stated on the menu:

has two patties, American cheese, bacon, fried onions, ketchup, mustard and pickles and enough grease to kill a donkey.

As recommended I went in with my hands and unfortunately the whole thing fell apart on me so I resorted to scooping up bits of burger and other fillings with my fingers.  Perfect!

The atmosphere at The Bird is relaxed but there is a nice buzz about the place.  The staff are friendly and there is good music to aid the digestion.  My bill came to €14.50 (*€15 on my latest visit*), which isn’t a cheap lunch by Berlin standards but it’s worth every cent and when you know you’ll only need a snack later it’s a little easier on the wallet.  I’ve been to The Bird plenty of times already and I’ll be back there again soon.

I wasn’t wrong, I have been back, a lot!  And The Bird never disappoints me.  The burgers are all handmade so there are always slight differences in the taste and you may have more onions one week or more bacon the next but one thing is guaranteed, a burger at The Bird in Berlin will be delicious.

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9 Responses to The Bird in Berlin

  1. daniemarie 13 June, 2012 at 14:16 #

    It’s a favourite of mine. I’ve been going there since it opened, and I still have yet to find a better burger in Berlin. It’s pricey, but I consider it to be not “fast food”…it’s rather more like having a burger at a restaurant in the US and Canada (and similarly priced). It’s worth the money, and even by North American standards the quality is pretty high!

    I recommend the hot wings as well. It’s the only place I’ve found with hot wings that are actually spicy. I also like how the sauce comes ON the wings….that’s how it’s supposed to be!

    • andBerlin 14 June, 2012 at 09:38 #

      I’ve been tempted by the wings but the burger is so filling that I never want to spoil it. I guess I need to go one evening, sit at the bar, and have a beer and some wings.

      • daniemarie 14 June, 2012 at 10:44 #

        This is what I do when I want both: Go with a friend who wants the same thing, split an order of wings, and split a burger/fries. I’m a small girl and it’s plenty of food for me and another girl, but I think it’s doable for guys too…just order a large plate of wings and maybe split something else as well. That way you get to have everything haha.

      • andBerlin 15 June, 2012 at 10:28 #

        Great idea! Next time I have friends visiting I’ll give it a go.

  2. fotoeins 13 June, 2012 at 19:34 #

    I’ve read about this place before, but reading the description (and seeing said burger) makes me want to go tout de damn suite! Given my present location, however, I must wait.

    • andBerlin 14 June, 2012 at 09:40 #

      I thought this might get your attention Henry. You have to try the burgers here. You probably know this from reading other write-ups about The Bird but it gets very busy in the evenings so best to book if you’re going here when you’re in Berlin.

      • fotoeins 14 June, 2012 at 22:28 #

        Burger me, please! 🙂 Yes, I also read about the fact that they get very busy at night. Sounds like an idea to get a bunch of people together, actually …

        And I suppose at some point (and by some point, I mean very soon) I should think about look for a short-term flat in Berlin, which will further endear myself to the fraction of Berliners who find “short-term”‘ers distasteful … yeaaaaah.

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