What to look for

Cheapos with an appetite are well served by a number of low-cost eateries in the central district of Mitte, where most major sights are located, that turn out big, warm meals at surprisingly low prices.

Unless you’re in an adventurous mood, be sure to avoid Berlin’s more unusual specialties, including Eisbein (pickled knuckle of pork), Hering nach Hausfrauenart (pickled herring), and Gekochte Eier in Senfsauce (boiled eggs in creamy mustard sauce). Stick instead to filling classics like roasts, schnitzels, sausage, and vegetarian-friendly casseroles.

Where to get home-cooking in Mitte

Follow procrastinating Humboldt University students to Deponie No. 3 (Georgen Str. 5, U-bahn and S-bahn: Friedrich Str.) for a budget-friendly meal that will keep you fueled for hours. Near the pricey Friedrich Strasse and stately Museum Insel, this wood-lined, pub-like eatery is adorned with a hodgepodge of hokey antiques. Find a wooden table and peruse a huge menu of classic German meals like mama makes. Most entrees, including stuffed cabbage, big schnitzels, and vegetable Aufläufe (casseroles), cost less than €10.

Decorated with antique movie posters, cozy Sophieneck (Grosse Hamburger Str. 37, U-bahn: Weinmeister Str.) is steps from Hackescher Markt’s pricey boutiques and Sophien Strasse’s exclusive art galleries. Luckily, prices for dishes such as roasted pork, Bratwurst, and Boulette (meat patties), aren’t out of reach. Even with a beer, you can dine for about €10. Stop by for lunch to take advantage of the daily specials, which always include a vegetarian option (€5.90).

Quick eats that will still warm you up

If you’re in a rush or about the catch a train, head to the food court on the ground floor of the Friedrich Strasse Bahnhof (train station, U-bahn and S-bahn: Friedrich Str.) to find German classics served with speed at Damisch (across from the Edeka grocery store). Dishes like stew, schnitzel, Bratkartoffeln (fried potatoes), and a plus-sized Currywurst usually go for €5–7. With a meal like this, you won’t notice the brisk temperatures outside.

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But what exactly is a “Super Cheapo”? Is it simply the cheapest hotel in the city?

One commenter, Olivier, logically noted that our pick for Berlin, the Circus Hostel in Mitte, offers double rooms for $69-86. Sure, that’s cheap-ish, but you can easily find cheaper in the city. He writes:

“As far as I see, this list is a bit poor…. for ex. in Berlin : room for 2, shower/toilets outside but very clean = less than 30 euros in Berlin city hotel (located on the subway ring); another one : 30 euro as well, for a room+shower+toilets+free wifi, in the funkturm hotel (near ICC)…”

Why didn’t we pick one of those hotels?

Defining a “Super Cheapo”

Our definition of a “Super Cheapo” hotel is one that provides the basics in a great location and at a rate that’s low for the city. They’re mostly “no-frills” kind of places. Here’s a more detailed look at the criteria followed for picking a “Super Cheapo”:

1. Editor’s Pick

For starters, our “Cheapo 100” list drew on hotels that are already featured as “Editor’s Picks” on the site. This isn’t because we’re lazy, but rather because these hotels have all been personally verified! They have each been visited by a EuroCheapo editor, inspected and photographed.

2. Central location

In order to be an “editor’s pick” or make the “Cheapo 100” list, a hotel needs to be central. This is certainly not a criteria for all budget travelers, but it has always been a priority for our editors. We like to be located in a central part of the city—be it Berlin, Paris or Rome. Nearly without exception, all of our editor’s picks are located within walking distance of major tourist sights. We don’t have anything against public transportation, mind you. It’s just that life is a bit easier when you can walk home at night.

3. Private rooms

We focus on budget hotel recommendations on EuroCheapo. Sometimes, however, we also recommend hostels—provided that they also offer private rooms. By “private,” we mean rooms that you don’t share with strangers. (You may still have to share a bath.)

For most cities in the Cheapo 100, we choose a hotel as our “Super Cheapo.” In Berlin, however, we couldn’t resist giving the award to the Circus Hostel, as it offers plenty of private rooms.

4. Clean

It goes without saying that the hotels on our list need to be clean. We inspect the rooms, baths, hallways and shared baths.

5. Room rates

Finally, and most obviously, the hotel needs to be cheap. For our “Super Cheapo” award, the room needs to be notably less expensive than others of its caliber and location. We also considered “extras,” such as breakfast, Wi-Fi and room amenities, although they were not of chief importance for this award, as we were mostly concerned with the basics.

Back to the Circus

So, why did we choose the Circus Hostel in Berlin?

The Circus has been an “Editor’s Pick” for the past five years. I remember visiting for the first time in the fall of 2005 and being impressed by the rooms, especially the privates with balconies (and fabulous views) on the top floors. The location is great, too—just at the border of Prenzlauer Berg and Mitte, within easy walking distance of museums, cafés, shopping, restaurants, clubs and public transit. We were initially hesitant to give the award to a hostel, but, as I mentioned, the Circus offers plenty of privates. Finally, the low rates sealed the deal.

The hotels that Olivier mentions sound interesting. He notes that they’re clean, cheap and well-equipped. Their location, however, does not seem central. (Some, especially those on business, will find the second hotel’s location near the ICC conference center convenient, although it’s not our favorite part of town.) Lastly, neither has been visited by us, and thus don’t qualify.

We’ll look into them, however, and consider a visit in the future.

How do you choose a “Super Cheapo”?

We invite you to check out all of the “Super Cheapos” from our “Cheapo 100” list.

Of course, your “Super Cheapo” criteria may be different from ours. Search away, sort by price, read through user reviews and you may find something perfectly acceptable and cheaper that we haven’t yet visited. Maybe you’ll also find something central. Maybe, in fact, you’ll find a hotel we should add to our list of editor’s picks.

If you do, we invite you to email us and suggest a hotel for us to visit and inspect during our next hotel update. We’re always looking for great new cheap hotels to add!

The post Inside the Cheapo 100: What exactly is a “Super Cheapo” hotel? appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

And here’s the best part, Cheapos: The galleries are free to the public! As an alternative to costly museum-going, consider gallery hopping.

Here are five Mitte galleries to get you started, all within walking distance of each other:

Galerie Dittmar
Auguststrasse, 22

Though Peter Dittmar divides his time between Germany, Indonesia, and Australia, his gallery offers quality photography and painting exhibits throughout the year. Works by artists such as sculptor Gerhard Trieb and painter Fritz Klemm reflect the modern aesthetic of German architecture.

DAM Berlin
Tucholskystrasse, 37

Since 1998, DAM has showcased the cutting-edge in digital media. Artists incorporate math, science, and technology into hi-tech installations and paintings. Look for work by well-known painter Vera Molnar, who incorporates computer imaging and geometry to generate striking linear designs.

DNA Galerie
Auguststrasse, 20

DNA is home to some of the international artists who helped give Berlin its ethnically diverse appeal. Nezaket Ekici, a performance artist from Turkey, appears in a series of often hilarious video installations. Other DNA artists include Bulgarian videographer Mariana Vassileva and Japanese photographer Tatsumi Orimoto.

…and more

Plus, don’t forget: Berlin has an extensive underground art scene, too. When you visit the galleries, look for flyers advertising upcoming events. (For example, live performance art at the Alexanderplatz U-Bahn always draws a large crowd.)

And don’t forget the Berlin Wall East Side Gallery. Though not a traditional “gallery” and not located in Mitte, the open-air exhibit includes work by artists like Keith Haring. The gallery spans 1.3 km of the original Berlin Wall and features murals by 106 artists, comprising an “International Memorial for Freedom.”

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