Berlin, Germany

Eat & Drink

Vau (Jugerstrasse 54, Mitte, 202 9730) across from the Gendarmenmarkt has some of the best, most expensive food in the city, but is booked far ahead.

Restaurant Maxwell (Bergstrasse 22, Mitte, 280 7121) offers sophisticated international cuisine in a cool two-level room that’s housed in a magnificent neo-Renaissance courtyard.

Sale e Tabacchi (Kochstrasse 18, Kreuzberg, 252 1155) draws a fashionable crowd to its contemporary loft space and serves gutsy Tuscan fare.

Lubitsch (Bleibtreustrasse 47, off Savigny Platz,  882 3756) is a friendly, informal place with understated decor serving Berlin specialties.

A lovely place out on Lake Havel is Wirtshaus  Schildhorn (Havelchausee  305 3111)—great food, bucolic setting, but you’ll need wheels to get there.

As soon as winter ends, sidewalk restaurants and cafes proliferate and the entire population heads outdoors.

Sleep

Art’otel Ermelerhaus (Wallstrasse 70-73, Mitte, 240 620; 800 337 4685) is sleek, hip and furnished with contemporary art works that contrast sharply with the restored rococo of the restaurant.

Bleibtreu (Bleibtreustrasse 31, just off the Kurfurstendamm, 884 740) is a stylish mix of fashion and tradition with great service and moderate prices.

The Grand Hyatt Berlin (Marlene-Dietrich-Platz 2, 2553 1234) offers sophisticated, luxurious minimalism, and the most central location, at the heart of the Potsdamer Platz

Shop

The restored courtyards of the Hackeschen-Hofe (Rosenthalerstrasse 40, Mitte) contain galleries and craft stores. Savigny Platz offers the city’s best book and lighting stores. The Bauhaus Archives (Klingelhoferstrasse 13-14, Tiergarten) sells carefully reproduced 1920s artifacts, posters, and classic photos at very modest prices.