For a leisurely lunch or beer in the sunshine, there is not better place in Berlin to kick back for a few hours. There's a more formal restaurant option (conveniently with a sandpit alongside the outdoor dining area for the children to play).
My preference, however, is the Biergarten - long tables under trees and beside the water, where you can hire a row boat for a paddle or grab a quick lunch or pizzas, wurst or pretzels to snack on.
From the street, the entrance is nondescript and a little misleading. You walk down a small path and suddenly a hidden oasis is revealed. The setting is inviting, and when the sun goes down, you can tell it must become a magical space under the colourful twinkling lights.
For us, it was a perfect place to rest after a long stroll through Tiergarten. If you want to include an afternoon in a German Beergarden in your sightseeing, this one fits the bill and is bound to please, as indicated by the number of locals enjoying their weekends there.
So pull up a pew, grab a beer and do as the locals do...