Eating Out
Eating out in Berlin is ridiculously cheap compared to any other West European capital, or indeed even most other German cities. The city is very multicultural and most cultures' cuisine is represented here somewhere, although it's often very highly modified to suit German tastes.
For eating out, note that it is best to ask if credit cards are accepted before you sit down - it's not that common to accept credit cards in restaurants in some parts (especially the former East) of the city.
One of the main tourist area to eat is Hackescher Markt / Oranienburger Strasse. This area has dramatically changed from what it was even two years ago. Once full of squats and probably not entirely legal bars and restaurants it had some real character and was a great place to be. However, it is rapidly becoming developed and corporatized, even the most famous squat, the former Jewish-owned proto-shopping mall "Tacheles" has had a bit of a face lift.
So this means that while there is a now a good choice of restaurants and bars in the area, they are very overpriced and the food is at best average quality. The "Assel" (it means Woodlouse:) on Oranienburger Strasse furnished with DDR cast off furniture is still relatively authentic and worth a visit, especially on a warm summer night.
Oranienburgerstrasse is also an area where prostitutes line up at night, but don't be put off by this. Prostitution is legal in Berlin and the area is actually very safe.
For extremely cheap and good food you should try Kreuzberg and Neukölln with many, many Indian, Pizza and Döner Kebap restaurants. (It's Kreuzberg where the Döner Kebap was invented 30 years ago.) Prices start from 1 EUR for a Kebap and 1.50 EUR for a pizza. For good cheap food Kastanienallee is better, again not what it once was since the developers moved in but still not yet as exploited as Hackescher Markt. It's a popular area with artists, and students and has a certain Bohemian charm. Try Imbiss W, at the corner of Zionskirchstr. and Kastanienallee, where they serve superb Indian-fusion food, mostly vegetarian, at the hands of artist-chef Gordon W. Further up the street is the Prater Garten, Berlin's oldest beer garden and an excellent place in the summer.
Waiters and tipping
Note that the custom here is to tell the waiter how much you're paying, including the tip, when you are presented with the bill, rather than to leave the money on the table. Normally 10% is ok (or round small amounts up to the nearest Euro or next Euro), but waiters don't get paid much anywhere so if the service has been good feel free to tip more. (Waiters in Europe, however, are not dependent on tips to make a living, as they are in the U.S., and it is perfectly possible to survive, albeit not luxuriously, on just one's hourly wage.) Berlin is famous for rude service, though my experience generally is that it's rarely bad per se, just a little cold in some places. The service by contrast is far far better than what you would get in Vienna.
