Transit

Asian tapas, freshly made in minutes
Noteworthy for: The fare here is completely MSG-free, keeping the dishes lighter though just as moorish.

Word to the wise: When Mitte gets busy at weekends, there is another Transit in Friedrichshain (Sontagstrasse 28).
This light, bright Thai/Indonesian restaurant is always popular thanks to its fresh approach to casual dining. What the Spanish do so well with tapas, the guys at Transit have nailed down for Asian cuisine, too. Here, you can sample small or large bowls of anything from crispy fried chicken skin and sticky rice with pork, to papaya salad and five spice duck.

While it's laid-back by day, it's buzzing by night, full of groups of friends drinking and sharing food in the atmospheric lighting. It's all about the sharing plates; at EUR 3 each the price is great, and you can all dive in.