10th-Floor RooftopEastern Mediterranean$$$25hours Bikini BerlinHaya Molcho · opened 2014
"Haya Molcho's tenth-floor mezze rooms over the Tiergarten — save it for a birthday you want loud, lit and shared."
7Food
9Ambience
6Value
About NENI Berlin
Ten floors up, the Tiergarten fills the glass on three sides and the long shared tables are loud by eight. NENI Berlin sits on the rooftop of the 25hours Hotel Bikini Berlin at Budapester Straße 40, overlooking the Zoo and the park, with the Monkey Bar next door for the drink before or after. The concept comes from Haya Molcho and her four sons, whose Vienna-born NENI brand built its name on Eastern Mediterranean sharing food. Since opening in 2014 it has been one of the city's signature see-and-be-seen rooms.
The Kitchen
NENI is the creation of Haya Molcho, an Israeli-born, Vienna-based cook and cookbook author whose restaurants are named for her four sons — Nuriel, Elior, Nadiv and Ilan. The food is what she calls a mosaic of Eastern Mediterranean cooking, drawing on Israeli, Persian, Turkish, Moroccan and Arab kitchens, built for sharing. The benchmark dishes are the trio of hummus (around €9 to €16), the best-selling sabich (the Iraqi-Jewish aubergine-and-egg pita, about €8 to €11), and the Jerusalem-style chicken plate near €16 to €19.
The way to eat here is the Balagan menu — Hebrew for a happy chaos — a set spread for two or more at roughly €58 a head that brings a cascade of mezze, salads and mains to the middle of the table. The cooking is generous and bright rather than precise fine dining, and portions and prices draw the occasional grumble. But the point of NENI was never a hushed tasting menu; it is a loud, shared, sun-trap rooftop with food designed to keep a table grazing for hours.
The Room
The room is the reason to book: a glass-walled rooftop on the tenth floor of the 25hours Bikini, with the Tiergarten canopy and the Zoo on one side and the Ku'damm rooftops on the other. Inside it is plant-filled, warm-lit and buzzy, with long communal tables and a soundtrack that climbs as the night goes on. It gets genuinely loud and busy, which is the intended mood. Service is friendly and quick rather than formal; dress is smart-casual with a stylish lean, and sunset tables by the windows are the prize seats.
Best for a Birthday
Book this room for a birthday or a celebratory group — the Balagan sharing format and the rooftop buzz are made for a loud, happy table, and the Tiergarten view does the heavy lifting on atmosphere. Pair dinner with cocktails at the adjoining Monkey Bar to stretch the night. It also works to show visiting clients a stylish side of Berlin. Reserve a sunset window table. See more birthday restaurants and tables to impress clients.
Not for
Not for a quiet, romantic dinner for two — the rooftop runs loud and packed at night, and the shared tables and high energy work against a hushed conversation.
Frequently Asked
Is NENI Berlin worth it?
Yes — mostly for the setting and the buzz. NENI's tenth-floor rooftop over the Tiergarten is one of Berlin's best dining views, and the Eastern Mediterranean sharing food is generous and full of flavour. Some find portions small for the price, so it is better value as a Balagan spread for a group than as a few a la carte plates for two. Come for the room, the mezze and the energy, and book a sunset table.
How hard is it to book NENI Berlin?
Book ahead for sunset — NENI is one of Berlin's most popular rooftops, and the prime window tables around sunset go first, especially in warm months and on weekends. Reserve online through OpenTable or the 25hours hotel a week or more out, and ask specifically for a window or terrace-side table. Lunch and early-evening slots are easier. The entrance is via the 25hours Bikini lobby at Budapester Straße 40.
What is the dress code at NENI Berlin?
Smart-casual with a stylish lean — there is no formal dress code, but this is a see-and-be-seen rooftop, so guests tend to dress up a little. Neat denim with a good top works; so does a dress or a blazer. You will not be turned away for being casual, but the crowd skews fashionable. Comfortable shoes help, since you arrive through the hotel and the bar scene spills between NENI and the Monkey Bar.
What is the average meal price at NENI Berlin?
The Balagan sharing menu runs about €58 per person for the full spread; a la carte, the hummus plates are roughly €9 to €16 and mains such as the Jerusalem chicken plate sit around €16 to €19. With cocktails at the Monkey Bar, a night out lands around €70 to €100 a head. The Balagan is the better-value route for two or more, since picking a few small plates a la carte adds up fast.
What should I order at NENI Berlin?
Order the Balagan menu if you are two or more — it brings the kitchen's greatest hits to the table and is how NENI is meant to be eaten. A la carte, build around the hummus trio, the sabich, the Jerusalem chicken plate and a couple of salads. Leave room for the rooftop cocktails next door at the Monkey Bar. For more celebratory tables, see our best birthday restaurants.
Via OpenTable · sunset window tables go first
Affiliate disclosure: Restaurants for Kings may earn a commission when you book through our reservation links, at no cost to you. Our scores are editorial and never paid for.
Practical Information
AddressBudapester Straße 40, 10787 Berlin (25hours Bikini, 10th floor)
NENI's tenth-floor view over the Tiergarten shows visiting clients a stylish side of Berlin. See where it ranks among the world's best rooms for a memorable host.
