Malakeh Restaurant

Syrian restaurant · Schoneberg

Malakeh Restaurant

Syrian restaurant · Schoneberg

Potsdamer Str. 153, 10783 Berlin, Germany

Highlights

Welcoming cafe-style restaurant with a Middle Eastern atmosphere & selection of traditional dishes.

Potsdamer Str. 153, 10783 Berlin, Germany Get directions

malakeh-restaurant.de

@atlasobscura

"There’s no shortage of standout dining in Berlin’s flourishing culinary scene, but one restaurant shines with an extraordinary origin story and home-cooked, traditional dishes. Syrian eatery Malakeh is not just about heartfelt food; it showcases the resilience of its chef-owner Malakeh Jazmati. Before coming to Berlin in 2015, Malakeh fled war-torn Syria and hosted a cooking show on Orient TV (an anti-government station broadcasting across the Middle East from Jordan). Determined to introduce cherished cultural flavors to her newfound community, the chef set up her own restaurant, Malakeh, in Berlin’s Schöneberg district soon after. Since opening, Malakeh has cooked for attendees of the prestigious Berlinale film festival and former German Chancellor Angela Merkel. She’s even published her own cookbook. With interiors inspired by a traditional Syrian living room, including crochet decorations and dark wood furniture, the restaurant offers a treasure trove of traditional dishes. The nostalgic menu satisfies cravings for the homeland, with specialties such as homemade hummus, lamb platters and muhammara, a blend of roasted red peppers and pomegranate molasses. The restaurant’s inviting interior also includes pictures of Syrian artists and activists as a poignant reminder of Malakeh’s roots. It’s not unlikely to see the chef herself socializing with tables of diners, or hosting evenings with Syrian storytelling and live music to keep such cultural traditions alive abroad. Malakeh is a restaurant which doesn’t just offer great food; it’s a celebration of the rich flavors of Syrian cuisine and the diverse community it enduringly nourishes. Know Before You Go The restaurant is cash-only and does not serve alcohol." - barbarawoolsey

Malakeh – Berlin, Germany - Gastro Obscura

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@infatuation

"The chef behind Malakeh has hosted a cooking show and catered for former Chancellor Angela Merkel, but the main star of this place is the excellent Syrian food. With a long list of appetizers and even more mains, it can get overwhelming scrolling through the menu on the provided tablet, so we usually just go straight for the shish belfakhar, a dish of spiced grilled chicken, potatoes, and mushrooms with cheese under a golden bread topping." - cindy brzostowski

The 20 Best Restaurants In Berlin 2024

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Frederico Schmaltz

SerpAPI

The experience was quite pleasant. The dishes were satiating and satisfying. The portions were on the advantageous side. Be aware that it reflects on the bill, but it is still as affordable as other berliner restaurants. It is a nice place to try new food and come back for come comfort food. The staff is friendly and very attentive. The ambiance is cozy and it feels like you’re having dinner at a friend’s place.

Justyna Komuda

SerpAPI

Good food but definitely to expensive. I think that prices like 16-20 Euro in Berlin are just simply not fair. I enjoyed the most salad with those crunchy crisps on top.

Ridwan Bhuiyan

SerpAPI

My mix appetizer was very good, however my lentil and pasta soup was served to me in a glass storage container, which did not match the elegence of the other plates. My Meklubeh (beef and rice) dish was amazing though and distracted from the cold soup.

Faika A

SerpAPI

We went on purpose to the area just to try their food as many people recommended them. The food was amazing!!!! 10/10 Real Syrian food with a great service. Very friendly staff, clean and great deco.

Ahmad Ghazi

SerpAPI

This was a very nice experience. The food was amazing. I came here because this place was recommended as a place that is quite authentic. A well-deserved experience. Highly recommend.

Amal Abdulla

SerpAPI

We had no prior knowledge of the restaurant and went to the area specifically for Malakeh based on a quick online search. We were not disappointed at all with the quality of the food and the hospitality of the restaurant’s staff. The food is authentic in flavor and is cooked to perfection. We loved that it was served fresh and warm with very nice presentation. The quantity of the food we ordered was perfect for two very hungry people, it was very satisfying. We also loved the decor of the restaurant, it's a very nice, clean and spacious place with symbols of Syrian culture which took me back to many childhood memories. In all, we were very happy with our experience and will definitely be recommending the restaurant to friends and family. Best of luck Malakeh!

Ahmad Joehnny

SerpAPI

Best Syrian food in Berlin hands down! Fast polite service, amazing tasty food I’m grateful they exist. Music is a bit annoying if you’re not into it as the food was perfect

EMAD EDDIN FAKHR EDDIN

SerpAPI

I like the concept of the restaurant (syrian traditional home food). Most of the dishes we tried were delicious and reflect the traditional syrian food. However, the appetizers are on the same quality level of the main dishes. plus, the prices are exagerated.

Erich L.

Yelp

Excellent find my first time trying authentic Syrian cuisine. We were looking at the menu and the owner was there to help explain it and make some recommendations. She was very nice and helpful. We learned that she has a cookbook published. I tried the kibbeh, a fried meat ball filled with nuts and spices and another one with dough and cheese. I had the eggplant with beef tomato stew and the other dish was a chicken one. I tried the house made ayran (salty yogurt drink) and it was the best I had! This is all in a food court and easy casual dining. I was very happy to try it and would go back.

Hani A.

Yelp

This was the only authentic Syrian restaurant I found outside the Arab St. in Berlin. The place gets crowded on weekends so it's good to get reservations in advance. When I check their menu I noticed that they carry home cooked Syrian Delicacies. Dishes that are prepared at Syrian homes but not usually sold in restaurants. This got me very excited. We came here for dinner and ordered few appetizers and 2 main dishes. I was overall happy with everything I ordered. The Fattoush Salad was rich and sour to my liking, it was slightly over topped with crunchy bread which I later on used to eat the mohamara. Their kebbeh was great but we did notice that one of them wasn't fried long enough because the stuffing was slightly cold. The main dish was the Malakah chicken fakhara. Honestly I was not blown away with it, although it was recommended by the waiter. It was a chicken with bashamel sauce and cheese. I do regret ordering it and not trying something else instead. We also ordered the Bamiyah, and it was delicious. The Bamiyah dish came with a side of rice that was great too. Overall the experience was great but the restaurant has great room for improvement specially with their service and image.

Victoria E.

Yelp

Listed one of the top restaurants in Berlin for Syrian food, we came here on a cool evening. The dishes were completely unexpected and definitely not the same Syrian / Lebanese restaurants you see in the bay area which is finally popping up. I really liked the meat dishes and the rice is super flavorful. The lamb with domas dish is unexpectedly sour, I didn't know what to do at first but once I tried it, I liked it a lot. The chicken bake with cheese is super nice too. We don't have a proper Syrian restaurant in the bay area, as they are often mixed with Lebanese and Palestine food so this is a good example of what it would be like if it's just Syrian. Very nice decors throughout. I think the dinner crowd comes in around 7 as the restaurant gets super crowded. I would recommend to come early for dinner before the restaurant gets too crowded.

Rzzn V.

Yelp

If you are looking for authentic home cooked Syrian style, you can stop looking! You've found it. Malakeh is theee place in Berlin. Very cozy with lots of love for details in their table wear and the interior of the restaurant. But the star is the food... so flavorful and fresh. Try it, you won't regret it. Cash only!!

S R.

Yelp

2 meals here and met the owner who has received a lot of press in Europe and in the US about her success. Highly recommend reading about her. Anyways this cozy resto that is cash only serves delicious food. The menu changes day to day and the food has a home cooked feel to it. I wish we lived beside Malakeh! If you can, make a reso in advance. Staff speak limited English and service is a bit scattered.

Jonas L.

Yelp

Very tasty food, my syrian friends were crying of happiness over the yogurt and meatballs. Everything is cooked in a home made way, great flavours and although big portions not very heavy. Quick service and polite staff. Everything down to the hummus has that little extra. Definately worth it for lovers of arabic food. Prices range between 10-18€ for main courses and the meny changes from day to day.

Alaa N.

Yelp

This place is very overrated!! First of all our food was very cold. The vegetables were frozen and only half cooked, nothing was fresh. The service was extremely bad!! The guy was not friendly. My plate costed 13€ and he wanted to charge me 16€ for it until i ordered the menu and showed him the price. He also didn't want to give us the bill.

Randall H.

Yelp

Middle Eastern food in Berlin is mostly limited to fast food standards like shawarma, halloumi, hummus and falafel. Maybe if you are lucky you might get makali and/or kufta as well. I like that stuff too, but at times it's a bit like reading the same couple of pages of a book over and over when you know there is much more to be discovered. Malakeh solves this - it's a Syrian restaurant serving dishes from the full spectrum of Syrian cuisine. And everything is really delicious! The portions are large and everything has been cooked with expertise and attention to detail. Our favorite was a starter of grilled aubergine with tomato sauce, yogurt, crispy bread chips, nuts, and pomegranate seeds - mind-blowingly delicious. Yes, it is more expensive than spending 3-4 Euros on a sandwich at a kebab shop, but you are paying for quality. Highly recommended and we will definitely be returning.

Mohammed G.

Yelp

This restaurant is one of the few that offer authentic Syrian food outside of the usual Shawarma/Falafel fast food offerings. The food is obviously made with love. Very friendly owner and service. Prices are a tad high though

Max F.

Yelp

Amazing food, one after the other the dishes kept blowing our mind. Try the kebbeh, the meshemshieh and the Makloubeh. Maybe next time I'll have room to try the desserts!

K R.

Yelp

The interior of the restaurant was cozy and the presentation of the dishes lovely. Unfortunately the food and service were not good. First, it took ten minutes to get a menu (in the form of a tablet), even though we were there 30 minutes after they opened for lunch, and therefore not busy. The actual food came an HOUR later. We ordered stuffed eggplants (with meat) for appetizers, which were somewhat tasty, but very heavy, oily, and far too salty. For mains we had a dish of meatballs in some kind of broth/sauce and the Shish Belfakhar (chicken, mushroom, and potato swimming in what seemed like a bechamel and cheddar cheese mixture with bread baked over it). The meatballs were very dry and the sauce sour, otherwise tasteless. The accompanying pita only exacerbated the dryness. The Shish Belfakhar felt simply inedible: the chicken was so overcooked that every piece was encrusted in a thick layer of black and was also too dry to eat, the bechamel/cheese mixture simultaneously heavy and flavorless. There was also a strange taste that found its way into everything, something reminiscent of petroleum, perhaps from the oven. We also had a bottle of water, which brought the total cost to about 50 euros for a mildly revolting culinary experience. Perhaps we simply picked weaker dishes on the menu or were unlucky that day; regardless, the ineptitude was clearly demonstrable by the poor quality of cooked meat.

Martha M.

Yelp

Utterly delicious Syrian food served in a friendly, comfortable setting. Very reasonable prices

Randi K.

Yelp

Great place to eat authentic syrian food. Great service and nice staff. I will definitely come back. Loved it!!! It was our first time and we just ordered half the menu and shared every dish! Highly recommend this restaurant.

R A.

Yelp

I went with a Syrian friend for dinner. The waitstaff were immediately friendly. We had the fattoush, makdoos, a lentil dish, a chicken empanada-like item, and vegetarian grape leaves, as well as tea and halawat-jibn for dessert. We were eating light that day, but their entrees are also amazing: with so many kebab places in Berlin, this is the only place where we found authentic and elaborate Syrian dishes (kebab is great but it's considered more 'fast food' in the Middle East). This food is the REAL DEAL. Excellent and authentic flavor, from pomegranate, tamarind, lemon, cilantro, onion, garlic. Never oily/greasy. Makes their own ushta (kind of like clotted cream) as part of desserts! Near the end of the meal, a woman walked out, chatting with another family. It was Malakeh herself, a warm, friendly person who came to our table, told us the stories behind the names of several of the traditional dishes. Coming as a refugee, Malakeh has brought an authentic, indispensable little piece of Damascus to Berlin. Cash only.

@atlasobscura

Malakeh – Berlin, Germany - Gastro Obscura

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@infatuation

The 20 Best Restaurants In Berlin 2024

View Postcard for Malakeh Restaurant

Frederico Schmaltz

SerpAPI

Justyna Komuda

SerpAPI

Good food but definitely to expensive. I think that prices like 16-20 Euro in Berlin are just simply not fair. I enjoyed the most salad with those crunchy crisps on top.

Ridwan Bhuiyan

SerpAPI

Faika A

SerpAPI

We went on purpose to the area just to try their food as many people recommended them. The food was amazing!!!! 10/10 Real Syrian food with a great service. Very friendly staff, clean and great deco.

Ahmad Ghazi

SerpAPI

This was a very nice experience. The food was amazing. I came here because this place was recommended as a place that is quite authentic. A well-deserved experience. Highly recommend.

Amal Abdulla

SerpAPI

Ahmad Joehnny

SerpAPI

Best Syrian food in Berlin hands down! Fast polite service, amazing tasty food I’m grateful they exist. Music is a bit annoying if you’re not into it as the food was perfect

EMAD EDDIN FAKHR EDDIN

SerpAPI

Erich L.

Yelp

Hani A.

Yelp

Victoria E.

Yelp

Rzzn V.

Yelp

S R.

Yelp

Jonas L.

Yelp

Alaa N.

Yelp

Randall H.

Yelp

Mohammed G.

Yelp

Max F.

Yelp

Amazing food, one after the other the dishes kept blowing our mind. Try the kebbeh, the meshemshieh and the Makloubeh. Maybe next time I'll have room to try the desserts!

K R.

Yelp

Martha M.

Yelp

Utterly delicious Syrian food served in a friendly, comfortable setting. Very reasonable prices

Randi K.

Yelp

R A.

Yelp

Malakeh Restaurant

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