In the hipster neighborhood of Schanzenviertel, Altes Madchen is a contemporary beer hall with reimagined pub fare. The space, with dark woods, long tables and antique artwork, looks out over the large patio that is a popular watering hole in the warm months. Order a flight of beers paired with hearty comfort food like hamburgers or fish and chips.

This is one of the cafés in the prettiest of the Hackesche Höfe courtyards. Come for breakfast before a shopping spree or score one of the al fresco tables for coffee and an afternoon pick-me-up. The people-watching from this perch is great, too.

Arkaden Cafe is a charming spot for mid-afternoon coffee and cake, a German tradition, after a day of exploring the Neuerwall and Jungfrensteig shops. This classic, old-world café has a few seats inside, but most prefer to sit outside on the colonnade gallery overlooking the Town Hall and peaceful canal.

No longer the hidden spot it once was (thanks to several Brangelina visits), this French bistro is a local favorite. The often-changing menu is written on a chalkboard, the small Parisian-style tables spill onto the street (the dining room is tiny) and the atmosphere is laid-back and fun. After a meal here, you can stroll to Clärchen’s Ballhaus for some cha-cha or swing dancing, or have a nightcap at popular Weinbar Rutz.

This restaurant and café is located in the quiet Sophien Höfe (interconnected courtyards in the Mitte neighborhood). It’s owned by Seattle expat Cynthia Barcomi, the café serves delicious homemade baked goods as well as light lunch fare (salads, sandwiches, soups and yes, bagels in a nod to Barcomi’s roots). It’s not as touristy as the lunch spots in the nearby Hackesche Höfe and a good place to map out a walking tour of this nice neighborhood, which includes the Great Synagogue, shopping streets like August-, Mulack- and Neue Schönhauser Strassen, as well as a host of galleries like Eigen + Art.

Cozy Bieberbau, in West Berlin, is housed in a beautiful space with gold-leaf-adorned stucco and a low, wood-beamed ceiling (it was once the atelier of stucco master Richard Bieber). Local foodies have warmed up to the simple but delicious fare prepared by young chef Stephan Garkisch: muscat pumpkin soup with walnuts, corn-fed chicken, red beet and kohlrabi salad and turbot served on pea risotto with mustard sauce.

This French-German bistro has been open in some capacity since the mid-1800s. A glam crowd sips Champagne and nibbles on the restaurant’s famous Wiener schnitzel among a backdrop of marble columns and Art Nouveau mosaics that recalls the roaring twenties.

Even the name of this traditional tavern restaurant, located in the shadow of Fraunkirche church, is a mouthful. And that’s before you’ve had a bite of the hearty Bavarian fare. Each of Munich’s traditional restaurants (also recommended: Zum Franziskaner, Augustiner, Der Pfschorr) has pretty much the same menu but each takes great pride in certain specialties. Here, look for the Rostbratwürstl, small sausages that you order in sets of anywhere from six to 12, and that are served with silky sauerkraut and spicy mustard. Like most of Munich’s taverns, the Bratwurst Glöckl is touristy, also thanks to its central location, but if you stick to the classics, the food is solid and the scene a lot of fun, especially in the summer when it spills onto a sizeable terrace out front. Bratwurst Glöckl opens at 11am, so it’s also a good spot for a meat-focused brunch.

For a congenial, classic German meal, head to this cozy taverna in the historic center of the city but tucked away from the fray. There are two dining rooms: the more intimate one has a brick-vaulted ceiling and an open fireplace where sausages are grilled to perfection. The restaurant is known for its original Nuremberg bratwursts, which come with potato salad or sauerkraut. The menu also includes all the other German classics served in larger breweries like the Hofbräuhaus and the Franziskaner, but the more intimate setting at Bratwurstherz is charming. You may even end up sharing a table with some locals (on a recent trip, my husband and I ended sitting with a Munich native who could not get enough of telling us how much he loved New York).

The Italian restaurant, by the same team behind Emiko and Cortiina, is the chic foodie queen of Maximilianstrasse, drawing luxury shoppers on a break. Hidden in a courtyard, it occupies a massive space with vaulted archways (the space once served as the royal stables). The menu is classic Italian, with lots of light, healthy options designed around the fashionista clientele. The large al fresco terraces are packing during the summer, especially for lunch, coffee or aperitifs. Open daily.

The small cafe at the front of design store Manuufactum makes some of Munich’s best bread and is a good spot for a cappuccino and pastry.

Helmed by one of Germany’s top celebrity chefs, this cozy restaurant housed inside a brick warehouse serves some of the city’s most inspired cuisine. The rustic-farmhouse aesthetic offsets gourmet dishes that blend global flavors, from pork belly with edamame and Japanese dashi to the bouillabaisse with smoked fish and shrimp sourced from the North Sea. For a true gastronomic adventure, ask for the Surprise Menu: three courses determined by the chef’s whimsical fancy.

This restaurant and beer garden us located on a lake in the Tiergarten park near the Berlin Zoo & Aquarium. It’s a real gem with hodge-podge furnishings and art, a glass-paneled wall overlooking the lake and plenty of benches and tables al fresco. It’s great for breakfast and brunch (served pretty much all day) but also lovely on a warm evening, where you can settle in and sample local wines, beer and cocktails at ridiculously affordable rates. Unless you are staying at the nearby Das Stue, this place is best reached on a bike or by taxi (don’t attempt to walk from the nearest Zoo Station subway; it looks closer than it actually is).

One of the Prenzlauer Berg’s little restaurant and café gems, which also—very Berlin—has a flower shop in the back. It’s best for breakfast/brunch or coffee, though a small menu of soups, salads and quiches can also make for a light lunch. Save room for the homemade cakes (a wonderful variety) for dessert. Watching the neighborhood go by while sitting on the tree-shaded patio out front on a summer day cannot be beat. It’s open every day.

A hipster café with multiple branches, Aran is known for excellent coffee and health-conscious snacks, as well as some of the city’s best sourdough bread that are turned into delicious tartines with a variety of toppings. There’s also a focus on vegetarian and vegan options, not always a given in this meat-heavy city. Seating is limited (and more akin to assisted standing against high benches), so it’s best to take away and walk to the nearby Hofgarten when the weather is nice. Aran opens early (9am), so it’s a good option for caffeine-seekers straight off the plane. 

There are other locations (like a more convenient one on Unter den Linden near the Brandenburger Tor), but if you are touring in the Charlottenburg district, this turn-of-the-century café rivals those of Vienna. The coffee is roasted on-site, and there’s a garden if you want to stay for lunch.

Everyone calls this authentic, old-world cafe by its specialty: die Schmalznudel. This hearty snack is the German version of a funnel cake, but made fresh all day long, these sweet cakes are fluffy, crispy and delicious. You can get a variety of toppings and fillings, as well as another Bavarian dessert (Buchteln, another delicacy not to be missed. Claim a seat in one of the cozy, wood-panneled rooms and take a breather from Munich sightseeing.

This coffee-cake institution originally hails from Dresden, but the Munich branch has the same delicious assortment. During Christmas, locals get their Stollen (a traditional holiday cake with lots of dried and candied fruit) here. There’s a casual café in the back of the shop.

On first glance, it looks a little touristy, even kitschy, but the Café Luitpold, which hails from the 1880s and is located in a rather grand historic building, is as classic-Munich as it gets. The food is very good, especially the pastries and homemade cakes, as well as a large selection of chocolates. 

Fun fact: if local lore is to be believed, this is the space where the Blaue Reiter artist group was first founded. It’s a great choice for breakfast, as well asn afternoon break while touring in Munich’s historic center (the Kunsthalle, Marienplatz and Residenz are all within a five-minute walk).

Do not expect warm and fuzzy service at this tented restaurant on the periphery of Munich’s central market, Viktualienmarkt. But it has long been a trendy spot for sampling a delicious version of the city’s signature pork sausage dish. Boiled and kept in warm water terrines that are set on the table, Weisswurst is only served until 12pm and always with sweet mustard and a Laugenbrezen (pretzel). Generally, you drink Munich beer with this hearty brunch fare, though many locals also come here for something bubblier – Nymphenburger Sekt is a sparkling wine produced in Bavaria. The café is open all day, though most come for breakfast/brunch or an aperitif before going out to dinner nearby. 

It’s not worth seeking out if you are not staying in the neighborhood, but if you are at Lux 11 or Casa Camper, Café Oliv is a good spot for breakfast or lunch. The design is simple, the staff welcoming and the food nicely prepared and with a healthy emphasis.

This lovely café is a great spot for breakfast or brunch, especially if you are traveling with horse-loving children. Some tables overlook the rink of the adjacent riding school, so you can watch the horses in action. There’s also a nice terrace. Afterwards, take a stroll in the Englischer Garten.

This classic brasserie in trendy Haidhausen has long been a local favorite for celebrating a special occasion and taking your parents out for a lovely meal. The food is excellent, with an often-changing, seasonal menu heavy on French classics (moules-frites, bouillabaisse, steak tartare etc.), but what makes Chez Fritz such a mainstay is the unfussy, cozy ambience and the down-to-earth service. The wine list is terrific and the friendly team is happy to help with recommendations. Chez Fritz is a big night out masking as a quick jaunt to the local brasserie at the corner of your favorite Parisian neighborhood. Open for dinner only; reservations, especially on weekends, are a must.

The rooftop of the Mandarin Oriental hotel is one of the city’s most scenic places for cocktails, with sweeping city views and a cool, laid-back vibe.