Restaurant, Cafe and Bar Jobs in Berlin for English Speakers

Over the past 5 years, there has been a significant increase in the number of English-speaking hospitality jobs in Berlin. The city’s booming tourism sector and growing expat population is driving forward the job opportunities for English-speakers as bars and restaurants look to service an increasingly international clientele.

With thousands of restaurants, breweries and bars across Berlin, many are increasingly open to hiring non-German speakers. On this page, we’ve listed some of the top hospitality employers in Berlin that have a strong track record of hiring English speakers.


 
Bar jobs in Berlin
 

If you are also interested in English-speaking jobs outside of the hospitality sector, then you may be interested in our other guides on:

Happy job hunting!



Bar jobs in Berlin for English-speakers

If you are looking for a bar job in Berlin, but don’t know any German yet, then here are some bars to apply at:


Cafe jobs in Berlin for English-speakers

Cafes in Berlin also provide some great job opportunities for English-speakers in Berlin. To start you off, I would recommend applying to the following cafes:


Restaurant jobs in Berlin for English-speakers

Restaurants also offer up a host of job openings for English-speakers in Berlin. These are some popular workplaces for expats in Berlin:


Burger joints in Berlin that hire English-speakers


Brewery jobs in Berlin for English-speakers


Catering companies in Berlin that hire English-speakers


As a starting point, we recommend sending in applications to all of the hospitality businesses listed above.

If they aren’t currently advertising specific positions, then a good job hunting strategy is to send open applications so that they have your details on file and know you’re available to work – the hiring process at cafes, restaurants and bars in Berlin is generally more informal than for office jobs so sending in a speculative application can often bear fruit!

Also, don’t hesitate to visit the businesses and drop off your CV in person. This offers a good opportunity to show your face and have a chat with the manager. Building a rapport definitely goes a long way when searching for an English-speaking hospitality job in Berlin.


Rote Karte (Red Card)

If you intend to work in hospitality in Berlin, it’s essential that you apply for a Rote Karte (Red Card). The Rote Karte is a sanitation certificate that you need to have for hospitality jobs and jobs that involve handling food in Germany.

Many hospitality companies in Berlin won’t hire you unless you have obtained your Rote Karte so it’s important to get this formality completed as early as possible in your job hunt.

Importantly, you must have officially registered at an address in Berlin in order to apply for a Rote Karte, a process that is known as Anmeldung. If you need to quickly register at an address in Berlin, then you may be interested in booking a furnished apartment with Smartments. Smartments provide well-located, studio accommodation and offer Anmeldung so long as you book for at least 14 nights. By opting for Smartments, you can get registered within days of arriving in Berlin.

To apply for a Rote Karte, you first need to schedule an appointment at a Gesundheitsamt (health department) in Berlin, which are located in Mitte, Charlottenburg and Lichtenberg. You can schedule an appointment via this link.

So, once you’ve registered an address, booked a Rote Karte appointment and organised an interpreter, it’s time for your Rote Karte appointment. Here, you’ll need your:

The appointment itself is very simple and just involves watching a 20-minute German video. The Rote Karte costs €20 and is issued on the spot. In general, you’ll need a German EC bank card in order to pay for the Red Card (although the Gesundheitsamt at Charlottenburg has been known to accept cash).

For more detailed instructions, see our blog on how, where and when to apply for your Rote Karte in Berlin.


We hope you’ve found this page useful! For further tips and guidance on how to move to Berlin, check out our free relocation guides and resources on our homepage.

Lana Zee