On a quest for Wiener Schnitzel at Prater Garten in Berlin

The street entrance of Prater Gaststätte

When I arrived in Berlin, I knew I wanted Wiener Schnitzel. My journey led me to Prater Gaststätte, located near Alexanderplatz.

For those unfamiliar, Wiener Schnitzel is an Austrian dish made with a thin veal cutlet, then breaded and pan-fried. Even though Wiener Schnitzel is an Austrian dish, the Germans know how to do it right.

Prater Gaststätte was located just down the street from Eberswalder Straße U-Bahn Station and Konnopke’s Imbiss, one of my favorite currywurst stands in Berlin.

I knew I was at the right place when I saw the large sign with bright red letters that read “PRATERGARTEN.”

After passing under the sign, I walked past a small parking lot with only a few cars. Continuing past the parking lot, I found myself in an empty area, which I assumed was the outdoor beer garden.

Unfortunately, Prater Garten, which is the oldest in Berlin, was not open in the middle of the winter. For a moment, I wondered, where was everyone? Was Prater Gaststätte even open?

Outside the beer hall — Outside the Prater Gaststätte beer hall

As I continued walking through the beer garden, I eventually stumbled upon a long wooden building with large windows. And this was Prater Gaststätte.

Looking through the windows, I saw a bright beer hall packed with diners.

Hungry, tired, and cold, I knew my Wiener Schnitzel, and a cold beer, was just through these doors.

Interior of Prater Gaststätte

Open and dimly lit interior of the restaurant

As I walked through the doors of Prater Gaststätte, I quickly shifted from Berlin’s cold and windy winter into the warm, cozy, and open beer hall.

Though not full, the hall was still vibrant and loud, with guests having a great time. Even though the hall was open, it felt warm and cozy.

Directly in front of me was a large L-shaped bar. Wrapping around the bar was a vibrant and open dining room filled with people sitting at one of the many dark wooden tables enjoying delicious warm food and tall cold glasses of beer.

The decor was simple and rustic while being clean and slightly chic. As mentioned, Prater Gaststätte featured dark wooden tables, tall white ceilings, white walls, and dark wooden floors.

A few more tables were on the small, slightly elevated stage in the back.

Luckily, since it was a cold Monday night, the friendly hostess could sit me right away at a large table without any wait.

Prater Gaststätte Menu

The menu at Prater Gaststätte was simple and printed for each day. However, the menu above could be completely different during your visit.

What I enjoyed about the menu at Prater Gaststättewas that it was simple.

At other restaurants in Germany, the menus often weighed ten pounds and had 25 pages or more. Ordering with so many great options on the menu was challenging.

But not at Prater Gaststätte. I knew I wanted the Wiener Schnitzel and maybe some warm soup.

One thing to note about the menu was that the beef and duck items were sold out completely by 6:00 PM. If you want to order specific items, plan on arriving earlier than later.

Pumpkin and Ginger Soup

Pumpkin and ginger are two of my favorite ingredients. Put them together, and you have the Pumpkin and Ginger Soup (6,00 EUR) with croutons and beetroot strips.

For a soup with so few simple ingredients, I enjoyed the robust flavors of the hot and thick soup.

The soup was less sweet than I had thought. The refreshing, light ginger flavor wonderfully offset the pumpkin’s sweetness.

Tiny crispy croutons and beetroots added a much-needed contrast to the otherwise creamy soup.

Wiener Schnitzel with Potato and Cucumber Salad

Wiener Schnitzel with potato salad and cucumber salad on the side from Prater Gaststätte, Berlin — Wiener Schnitzel with potato salad and cucumber salad on the side

Wiener Schnitzel, how I love you.

Before I landed in Germany, I already knew what I wanted to order for dinner on my first night: Wiener Schnitzel. I might not have been in Austria, but I didn’t care.

The Wiener Schnitzel (19.90 EUR) served at Prater Gaststätte was made by lightly breading and then pan frying two large pieces of thin veal escalope. The dish smelled so good when placed on the table.

Underneath the veal was a small serving of potato salad with a small cucumber salad on the side. It’s so simple, yet so delicious.

The breading on the large pieces of veal was not the crispiest I have ever eaten. The breading fell off the meat on each bite, but the seasoning was perfection.

The acid from the lemon added tartness that mixed well with the saltiness of the breading and the smokiness of the meat.

Underneath the breading, the thinly pounded pieces of veal were juicy and cooked perfectly.

I was in a zone with the Wiener Schnitzel and almost forgot about the potato salad and cucumber salad.

Though simple, the potato salad was delicious. The potatoes were creamy after lightly tossed in mayonnaise and topped with freshly chopped chives.

The creamy potatoes’ texture perfectly matched the salty, lemony, smoky, and breaded veal.

I was a bigger fan of the cucumber salad. In this salad were thin slices of cucumbers dressed in a refreshing and slightly watery dill sauce, similar to tzatziki.

I forgot to mention this before, but when I sat down and ordered a beer, I received a small basket of bread without butter. Though simple, this bread tasted amazing when dipped into the cucumber salad.

I was full but happy.

Service at Prater Gaststätte

If you have been to Germany, you know firsthand that service is not always the best.

At Prater Gaststätte, the service was quick and friendly.

When I entered the restaurant, a staff member immediately sat me at a table and handed me a menu. A server came around only minutes later to take my food and drink order.

My food arrived about 12 minutes after my order, surprising with all the dishes freshly prepared.

The server was always nearby when I needed to order another beer, and he seemed to know when I just wanted to eat and drink my beer in peace.

No complaints from me. I wish all restaurants in Berlin had this great service.

Conclusion

Prater Gaststätte is a solid choice in a city such as Berlin, which has more beer gardens than I can count.

The flavors and textures of the Wiener Schnitzel and the Pumpkin and Ginger Soup were delicious with great textures. The service was quick and friendly.

I also experienced excellent service, flavorful dishes, and cold beers.

Next time I am in Berlin, I will return to Prater Gaststätte, especially on one of those warm summer days when the beer garden is open.

Pros

Large portions, so make sure you come hungry
Cozy and warm interior
Food had robust seasonings and flavors
Complimentary bread
Quiet location makes you forget you are near a busy street in Berlin
Friendly and quick service

Cons

Cash only
Some of the food items on the menu, such as the beef and duck, were sold out, even early in the evening
The breading on the Wiener Schnitzel could have been a little crispier
The beer garden was closed (I know, it was winter)

Hours

Prater Gaststätte
Monday - Tuesday: Closed Wednesday - Saturday: 6:00 PM - 12:00 AM
Sunday: 12:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Prater Garten
Monday - Sunday: 12:00 PM - 12:00 AM