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| THE BEST BARS IN BERLIN |
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Key:  Price
of cocktails  Price
of beer (500ml)  Price
of wine (glass)  Gay
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| This tiny and absolutely beautiful bar in Friedrichshain opened in January 2015 just across the road from the Märchenbrunnen (Fountain of Fairy Tales) in Volkspark. Cocktail
guru and Berlin legend, Mike Meinke has devised a concept and menu
that delivers cocktail dreams to discerning drinkers with various nods
to Alice In Wonderland and Through The Looking Glass. Staff wear full
face paint and fairytale costumes, the mirror in the toilet turns your
eyes square, "Drink Me" potions tempt you in, and the stunning
menu card comes in an old pop-up fairytale book, from which its contents
will literally jump out and surprise you. Not just the best bar in
Berlin, but also one of the best bars we have ever been to. Non smoking
too. |
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| Opened in February 2014 and hidden behind
black curtains next to a florists on Oranienstraße in the cool Kreuzberg district, this real 1920s tiny speakeasy and Burlesque show
bar is accessed by pressing a door bell. Behind the long bar, you'll
find suited-up or corseted bar staff mixing excellent cocktails - the
short menu contains drinks named after famous Burlesque dancers. The
show starts at 11pm on Thursdays. |
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€10+ €6+ |
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| If the 5 star Ritz-Carlton Hotel's main Curtain
Club bar (see below) is not enough to amaze cocktail connoisseurs,
the brand new concept bar in the back room, takes it to another level.
Opened in June 2014, it is the first bar in the world dedicated to
the art of cocktails in combination with the world of perfume. Hand-picked
fragrances from Giorgio Armani, Yves Saint Laurent and Guerlain are
the inspiration for the unique drinks created by legendary bar manager Arnd Heissen. Follow your senses and be enchanted with the outstanding
drinks which are based on the exclusive aromas together with your
personal memories and presented in stunning artistic fashion. There's
also a Perfume Cocktail Tasting package available for groups of 7
or more. Non-smoking. |
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€14+ €8.50+ |
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| Dating back to 1907, the former state swimming
pool, formerly known as Stadttbad Wedding, houses one of the coolest
clubs and exhibition centres in the world. Rebuilt as a public pool
in the 1950s following extensive damage in the Second World War, it
finally closed down in 2001 before re-opening as a centre for contemporary
arts, music and culture in 2009, with a daytime bar added in 2012.
Where women and men in the early 1900's were separated into two halls,
today creative people from all over the world implement their ideas,
taking advantage of the wide open spaces, empty pools and countless
hidden rooms. From live music and pop-up restaurants, art exhibitions
and the weekly Saturday night Stattnacht techno club night, there's
something here for everybody. There's no need to worry about being
turned away for no reason either, the bouncers here are welcoming,
and you can dance the night away in one of the empty swimming pools. |
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| This popular cocktail bar from legendary Paris
Bar and Rum Trader star barman Gregor
Scholl is located in the huge cellar of the former Bötzow
Brewery on Prenzlauer Allee in
the East Berlin part of Mitte. It's
named after the two Berlin City Zoo crocodiles that were supposedly
housed in here at the end of WWII. Together with plenty of old brewery
equipment, pipework and memorabilia which help preserve the history
of the beautiful building, there's also stuffed animals, including
a life-size crocodile, and the bar itself is housed in a tiny garden
shed-like kiosk. Whilst the emphasis is on cocktails rather than
the ale which was once made here, this is still Berlin at it's very
best - a truely unique bar from a truely unique bartender. |
 Senefelderplatz |
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| This amazing 1930s inspired cocktail bar
and Michelin-star restaurant is located
in the former Jüdische
Mädchenschule (Jewish Girls' School) in Mitte,
which dates back to 1928 and was taken over by the Nazis in 1930. The
large courtyard at the back was used for deportations until 1941 but
now offers a delightful place to sip cocktails in the summer. From
the same team behind King
Size Bar, the drinks are fantastic and the decor is absolutely
stunning, transporting you back to a more happier pre-Nazi time, with
its brown leathers, green walls and high celings. |
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| 100 years old in the summer of 2013, this
amazing club offers the chance to experience Berlin nightlife of a
different era. Expect to see people aged from 18 to 81 hitting the
two ballroom dancefloors to quick step, waltz or foxtrot to the sound
of live music. Split over two floors, the larger dance hall on the
ground floor boasts a big disco ball and is surrounded by wooden tables
whilst upstairs is a breath-taking 1920s hall with chandeliers, cracked
mirrors and high ceilings. Truely historic Berlin. |
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| Typifying Berlin better than most, this
unpretentious project opened in summer 2013, mixing the idea of a bar,
live music venue, restaurant and a community garden all on top of the Neukölln
Arcaden multi-storey car park, which also happens to offer a
great view of Berlin. There's a coffee bar which becomes a cocktail
bar at weekends for the adults, alongside sand pits and paddling pools
for children, plus sun decking and even Christmas markets. You can
expect to queue in the car park as it does get busy, especially on
warm summer nights and there's a small entrance fee after 18:00. |
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| One of the most celebrated cocktail bars
in Berlin, this popular Kreuzberg speakeasy-style kneipe is
accessed by having to knock three times on the black door, smiling
and then hoping they'll invite you in. Opened by the magnificently-bearded Atalay
Aktas and Yalcin Celik in 2012,
the amazing cocktails with their incredible presentation helped win
the award for 'Germany's Best Mixologist' in 2013, amongst many other
top prizes. The three rooms are elegant yet still Berlin trashy and
there’s no menu – drinks are based
on whatever is best at the market, located opposite, that day. |
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| Named after a famous 1970s Swiss TV and
radio presenter, this beautiful cozy bar in Kreuzberg boasts
authentic 1970s wallpaper and furnishings, with a fantastic liquor
collection. The cocktails are good and the emphasis on whisky and gin
is almost as impressive as the music soundtrack of 1950s, 60s, 70s
soul, funk and jazz, which is provided by DJs spinning vinyl LPs on
the old 2x6 watt mono record player in the corner. |
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| Without doubt, the first stop for cocktail
connoisseurs in Berlin should be the elegant bar of the 5 star Ritz-Carlton
Hotel at Postdamer Platz. The interior design resembles the style of
a 1920s English Gentlemen's Club with its leather seats, working fireplace
and, as you guessed, large curtains. On the stroke of 18:00 every day,
the curtains open in a ceremony conducted by a British Beefeater, which
seems to attract a crowd. There's live jazz music and a relaxed ambiance
but its the creative cocktails, made by celebrity bar man Arnd Heissen and his excellent international team of staff, that will have you coming
back for more. Once here, you should also check out the new Fragrances bar (see above) in the back room. |
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| Immerse yourself in the atmosphere of Berlin
in the 1920s in the basement of this very friendly pub and restaurant
on the historic Oranienburgerstrasse,
where, since 1896, locals and tourists have been meeting to enjoy the
locally brewed beers and traditional Berliner cuisine. The imposing
beer counter with its impressive back wall cabinet and old cash register
is worthy of note and, watching the entrance, you half expect Franz
Biberkopf from Alfred Döblin’s legendary novel “Berlin Alexanderplatz”, to walk in and
order his favourite “Molle mit Korn” [beer with clear spirit]. |
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| This sky bar, cocktail lounge, restaurant
and club is located on the 16th and 17th floors of a nondescript office
block near Checkpoint Charlie, offering some of the best 360° views
of the city. More formal than many Berlin bars and slightly more expensive,
it's still well worth visiting, especially to sit on a swinging chair
and watch the sunset in the early evening with an innovative cocktail.
It's made even cooler by the fact it is so hard to find - through a
black door in a run down office block behind the Novotel and Pit-Stop motor mechanics. The glass elevator to the 16th floor, adds to the
experience. |
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| This fantastic tiny cocktail bar, with room for
just 16 people, in the trendy Friedrichshain area of East Berlin, is from
English barman Tony Galea and the guys behind neighbouring cafe Aunt
Benny. There's a nice selection of craft beers and whiskies whilst
the cocktail list changes daily, depending on the mood and available
fresh ingredients. Outside seating adds extra space in the summer. |
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| This very hidden speakeasy is so exclusive
it only has capacity for 14 customers. Hidden behind a secret door
on Brunnenstrasse, opposite Weinbergspark
in Mitte, it is celebrated for its fine cocktails and cosy atmosphere.
Named after former U.S. president James Buchanan and
his vice-president, John Breckinridge,
it is dimly lit with all 14 guests sat around the long black bar, which
is manned by one bartender.
Regularly recognised as one of the best bars in the world. |
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| Open only from May to September,
this floating swimming pool and open-air beach bar in the
middle of the Spree is one of Berlin's
most vibrant hang-outs. One of the coolest places in town, it offers
a great view of the city and is the perfect place to enjoy
a cold beer or summer cocktails. The swimming pool also remains open
in winter when it is covered with three impressive looking pods, the
sunbathing decks making way for two Finnish saunas. |
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| A Berlin institution since 1902, this
authentic, Grade II listed, Old Berlin wirtshaus (inn), named
after Wilhelm Busch's 1865 children's book, is one of the busiest bars
and restaurants in Kreuzberg. The tardis like interior boasts many
finely painted blue-green wall tiles, stained glass windows, and many
Art Nouveau details transporting you back 100 years. A back room houses
live music and cabaret, giving you a real feeling of the pre-Nazi Berlin
described in Christopher Isherwood's famous novels which
inspired the Broadway musical, Cabaret, as well as Breakfast
At Tiffany's. Upstairs is a library and a private dining room whilst
the fayre is traditional German. A particular specialty of the house
is the "Kreuzberg
Molle," a
naturally cloudy beer, which is brewed specifically for the bar, as
well as the Westphalia import, Barre Brau Pilsener, unique in Berlin. |
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| Hidden in the basement of this popular artist's
hang out in Wedding is an original 1950's two-lane Kegeln (German ninepin
bowling alley), which varies slightly from the more familiar American version,
in that the balls are smaller and have no finger holes, whilst the
lanes are narrower and funnelled. Away from this antique attraction,
the venue itself offers regular art exhibitions, weekly live music
events and DJ sets. |
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| This hidden away speakeasy in Prenzlauer
Berg is accessed by pressing the buzzer on a door to a building
which is only highlighted by the photograph of Irish novelist Samuel
Beckett in the window. Reservations are recommended as the
two tiny rooms are strictly no standing. The bar area itself is small
but inviting and the non-smoking room in the back is decorated with
elegant Chesterfield sofas. The cocktail menu is the highlight,
small but impressive, whilst the ice is actually hand cut. |
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| On the first floor of Cafe Einstein in
the more upmarket West Berlin area of Schöneberg, you'll find
the multi-award winning bar in which Quentin Tarantino filmed "Inglorious
Basterds“. This oak-paneled high-class cocktail bar, with its
subtly lit drink cabinets and comfy chairs, boasts over 600 kinds of
rum (supposedly the largest open collection in Europe), 450 whiskies, 200 kinds
of gin and many other quality liquors, all available by the glass with
flights representing each also available. Paying homage to the roaring
Twenties, when the place was an illegal gambling casino for Berlin's
haute-volée, it's simply one of the best bars in Europe and
barkeeper Thomas Altenberger heads a team of creative cocktail makers.
Smokers are welcome and there's an outside terrace in the summer. |
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| Probably the most famous nightclub in the
world, this 1500 capacity techno heaven is located in an abandoned
power plant on the edge of Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain (its
name is a composite of the two). As famed for it's 'almost impossible
to get in' door policy, stern bouncers and non-stop parties - which last
from Friday night until well into Monday morning - this really is the
place to go if, like most Berliners, very loud techno music is your
thing. The main dance floor is a gigantic cavenous industrial room
but for those who prefer more relaxed house music, head up the stairs
to Panorama
Bar with its huge windows and views of East Berlin. Strictly
no cameras or VIP access, don't be surprised to see people getting
rather intimate with each other in the darker areas of the club, which
are reserved for such hedonism. But be warned though, it's not unknown
to queue for three hours and still be turned away for no apparent reason;
so get their early (it normally gets busy after 4am), don't turn up
in groups, do not dress to impress and keep your phone firmly in your
pocket, be yourself but try not to be seen having fun in the queue
and it also helps if you talk fluent German and have an actual interest
in the DJ that is playing. And, if after all that, you still don't
get in, expect to queue again for taxis with fellow rejects |
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| "Kitty" has been a Berlin institution
since it was opened by two Austrian pornographic filmakers in 1994
and is possibly the most famous sex club in the world. Named after the infamous
venue in the Broadway musical, Cabaret, which was inspired by Christopher Insherwood's Berlin diaries, it is not for the prudish.
Best described as a fetish and electronic music nightclub, it allows
clubbers to engage in sexual intercourse openly on the three dancefloors
and the outdoor swimming pool area. Open Friday, Saturday and Sundays
and popular with hetrosexual, gay and transgender clubbers, a strict
dress code requires guests to dress kinky in fetish, latex, leather,
transvestite, goth, uniform, extravagant, high style or glamourous
costumes. Unlike other Berlin clubs, the bouncers are friendly but
expect to leave your clothes in the cloakroom if you don't look the
part. |
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| If it's old school German you are looking
for, then this wine bar is the place to go. The dark wood decor is
filled with hundreds of German and Austrian wines, many available to
drink by the glass, whilst there is an impressive traditional German
food menu to help soak up that booze. |
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| The oldest cocktail bar in Berlin and largely
unchanged from when it opened in 1976, is accessed by pressing a buzzer
on the door. This tiny venue in West Berlin from eccentric bartender Gregor Scholl (previously of the legendary Paris
Bar Berlin), only
has room for around 30 people. Liquor cabinets grace the walls and
the cocktails are fantastic, served in vintage glasses and made bespoke
to suit your preferences by bartenders in waistcoats and bow ties.
As you would expect, the drinks are largely rum based however there's
also a decent gin collection. |
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| Opened in May 2014, this craft ale bar
in Kreuzberg, which translates as "Hoppy",
offers 14 beers on tap alongside 30 or so bottles, including local
brews like Potsdamer Stange, Heidenpeters, Spent Collective, Rollberg
and Hops & Barley as well as international craft beers. There's popular weekly tasting
sessions and a small selection of Berlin made gins, vodkas and kräuterlikörs. |
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| When the guys from the neighbouring Amano
Hotel (see below) announced they were going to open a speakeasy in
late 2013, you just knew it would be the best in town and a lot more
upmarket than most of the bars in this hip part of town. Hidden underneath
a mural of Albert Einstein on Rosenthaler Straße in Mitte, just across the street from the hotel, you'll need to press
the doorbell and impress the doorstaff to get in, where you'll find
a stylish cocktail lounge with a tiny dance floor. Going against Berlin's
electronic and trance addiction, they opt for wonderful funk, soul
and hip hop alongside live modern jazz and soul bands. The menu is
seasonal, using fresh ingredients, premium spirits and infusions that
contatin handmade syrups and jams, with servings in beautiful glassware
and even teapots. |
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| Located in the run down shabby 1970s concrete
pref-fab above Kaiser's supermarket opposite Kotbusser Tor station,
you will be very surprised to find this stylish cocktail bar, which
opened in 2014 - especially if you are familiar with the other three
bars in the same venue. Look for the door which is covered in stickers,
to the right of the supermarket and to the left of the kebab shop (there's
a tiny "Fahimi" sign if you can spot it). Then take the scary-looking
graffitied stairs up to the first floor. Eclectic DJs play each night
and there's a Berlin quiz on Sundays. If you're more into Berlin's
alternative scene, head up one more flight of the scary stairs to find
the grungy West Germany club, a great no-frills indie music venue and
gallery set in the ruined shell of a former dental surgery. The same
ugly concrete block also houses two more secret hipster/student friendly
cheap venues, the kitsch Paloma electro
bar (top of the stairs, turn left to the nondescript metal door) and
the larger Monarch bar,
which also boasts live music and danceable tunes (behind the sticker-covered
door under the 'Turkische Gemeinde zu Berlin' sign, and up to the first
floor). |
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| This popular hipster bar on Torstrasse in Mitte is designed like a 1920s speakeasy and identified only by a
canopy of lightbulbs above the door. The cocktails are some of the
best in Berlin whilst the beautiful unisex toilets are also a talking point. |
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| This arty "ranch" is another great
example of Berlin's alternative scene. Located next to Ostkreuz station,
and with plenty of GDR relics, there is a cinema bar, a theatre, art
gallery, jazz bar, heavy metal venue, and of course, the microbrewery
which serves unfiltered, cloudy light beer in what is perhaps the prettiest
beer garden in Berlin. Underneath the trees, you can relax on a deckchair
and enjoy the open air cinema whilst drinking the homebrews in the
sun. |
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| Opened in February 2014, on the the top
floor of the new hip 25 Hours Hotel Berlin in the listed Bikini-Haus building, this trendy cocktail bar serves great cocktails with a fantastic
panoramic view and perfect 360° rooftop terrace, offering first-class
views of the city and the famous Tiergarten park and Berlin Zoo with
its monkey enclosure, from which the bar takes its name. An international
choice of drinks and fine wine alongside regular DJ line ups and live
music events make it one of the hottest places in town. A direct express
lift takes you up from street level. |
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| Berlin has always had hidden secret bars,
long before the Prohibition themed speakeasys started to spring up
all across Europe. This swanky
cocktail bar and nightclub is one of the originals however, with DJs
and live bands that appeal to a very mixed glamorous crowd of all
ages - locals, tourists, gays, hipsters and business types alike. To
enter it, you'll need to find the bare iron door in the railway viaduct
underneath Friedrichstrasse station (it's on the North side of the Spree). Ring the door bell and a very choosy bouncer will decide if
you're worthy enough to gain admission to the narrow arch venue. Inside
it's all very futuristic with a beautiful huge 'O' shaped light display
and large mirrors. |
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| Located in a converted Friedrichshain apartment
block close to Treptower Park and
spread over many apartments with three main dance floors, this wild
underground techno and house nightclub boasts theatrical nights, a
large summer courtyard and even a labyrinth. It represents underground
Berlin better than most with its kitsch decor and popular themed party
nights with most clubbers getting dressed up for the occasion whether
it be a circus night, Alice In Wonderland or
Transvestite party. Like all Berlin clubs, go there expecting to queue
and then be turned away by unfriendly bouncers for no apparent reason. |
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| This historic brewery, bar and gardens on Kastanienallee in Prenzlauer
Berg dates back to 1837 making it Berlin's oldest beer garden.
Also used as a theatre and entertainment space since its creation,
it was taken over by the Soviets following WWII and, after the collapse
of The Wall, was given government-protected status for its historic
contribution to the city, with the council renovating and redesigning
it as late as 1996 to become the popular place it is now. Its 600
capacity is often tested to the limit in summer with the chestnut
trees offering protection from the heat of the sun. The beautiful
old bar and restaurant on site serves homemade Berlin cuisine all
year round to complement the homebrew Prater
Pils and Prater Lager Schwarz.
The beer garden outside is open from April - September and if you're
wondering what the bright red or green
drinks are that you'll see people drinking through a straw, it
is "Berliner Weisse mit Schuss" wheat beer with Waldmeister (woodruff)
or Himbeere (raspberry) syrup added to make it sweeter. |
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| Down in a basement, in the hip area of Kreuzberg, you
will find this very popular upside down bar. Located in a former brothel,
it hosts live music and open mic concerts, DJs and music quiz nights
every night from 19:00 till late. Very much in need of a paint job
and structural repairs, it's a friendly drinking den that sums up Kreuzberg better
than most, with the furniture hanging upside down from the ceiling
adding a quirky surreal touch, alongside ping pong and table football. |
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| One of the world's most historic clubs,
this legendary trance and techno mecca opened on Leipziger Straße in
1991, with young people from both sides of the recently reunited city
dancing to hard industrial music, surrounded on all sides by hundreds
of old, walled deposit boxes. Most of the world's best known DJs
have performed there however it is the influence of Detroit’s
musical groundbreakers which grounded the famous and enduring "Tresor
sound" that has since influenced the likes of Berghain and other clubs
in Berlin. The club finally closed in 2005, eventually resurfacing
two years later in an abandoned heating plant on Köpenicker Straße in the heart of Berlin Mitte.
Concrete passages maze into basement vaults and industrial halls. Within
this factory labyrinth there are three separate but connected floors,
one offering house music, another experimental electronic music and,
of course, the vault which carries the famous "Tresor sound". |
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| Hidden inside the Fleischerei
currywurst and kebap shop on Torstrasse in Mitte, and
accessed through a secret door inside an old British phone box, this
cool speakeasy takes the meat theme even further. If you can get past
the surly doorman-cum-bartender, you'll find orange tiled walls, various
butcher's shop paraphernalia and alcohol bottles hanging from meat
hooks. Booking by e-mail highly recommended. |
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| Berlin's oldest craft brewery has been making
beer on its site next to Charlottenburg Palace
since 1987. A summer terrace overlooks the famous landmark whlst inside,
long wooden tables, decorative columns, beautiful old wall paneling
and the visible brewing process creates a wonderful traditional place
to drink. Fresh, seasonal specialities such as Maibock,
Stout, a range of ales, Fest Bock and
the popular Lemke Original and Lemke
Pilsner make up the beer offerings
with traditional German food available to help soak up the booze. There's
the option to take a beer flight of four different varities and brewery
tours are also available. If you want to try their ale without travelling
to Charlottenburg, then head to their more centrally located second
venue which is housed in a protected railway arch at Hackescher
Markt in Mitte. |
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| Named after the notorious 1920's cabaret
dancer and actress who was was the subject of an Otto
Dix painting.
Having moved to Berlin, aged just 16, her performances broke boundaries
with their sexual ambiguity and total nudity, but it was her public
appearances that really challenged taboos. Her overt drug and alcohol
addiction and bisexuality were matters of public chatter. As well as
her addiction to cocaine, opium and morphine, she also
mixed chloroform in a bowl, stirring it with a white rose then eating
the petals. It's no surprise that she died aged just 29 from an overdose,
having already gone through three marriages and various lesbian lovers.
Fast forward to September 2013, and hidden on the second floor of an
inconspicuous building, accessed by having to walk through several
backyards near Wedding station, you'll (eventually) find this beautiful
loft styled bar named in her honour. She'd probably approve of its
decadent weekend parties, which include DJs, late night dancing and
of course, burlesque girls. |
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| Located in a 150 year old mansion in the
heart of Kreuzberg, this hipster-popular
night club radiates the atmosphere of the 19th century with vintage
decorations, including a piano, comfy sofas and an antique bar, set
over three floors (although the toilets are to be avoided). Open 7
days a week, there's a stunning romantic garden with a pond and its
own outdoor bar. Owned by the same people behind the legendary but
defunkt Bar 25, the DJ line-ups include
big names from the world of Trance. As with all Berlin clubs, the bouncers
can be particularly unfriendly - especially towards tourists - with
no explainable door policy. With the popular Club
de Visionaere late
night club and cool White
Trash Fast Food rock club and tattoo parlour both next door,
you can easily try your luck there instead if you're on the wrong end
of a typical Berlin welcome. |
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| This very popular cocktail bar just off Oranienstrasse in the Kreuzberg district of East Berlin seems to attract
people of all ages. Named after the German title for Luis Buñuel’s 1962 Mexican film "El Angel Exterminador", in which the guests
at an upper-class dinner party are inexplicably unable to leave and
resort to living like animals. The red walls, leather booths and smartly
dressed bar staff reflect the film's sophisticated Old World feel.
There's a great selection of liquors and also a non-smoking room in
the back. |
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| This dark, tiny, living room bar from barman Ricardo Albrecht is accessed via a residential door bell just off Prenzlauer
Allee and offers some of the finest cocktails in Berlin. With over
100 bourbons and ryes and 50 gins, plus some rare liquors not available
elsewhere in the city, you are unlikely to leave the comfy leather
chairs in a hurry, once you've sat down. If you're in the area before
20:00 (when the bar opens), we also recommend poppng two blocks down
to Immanuelkirchstrasse, where you will find the Dr.
Kochan Schapskultur shop, a haven of artisanal spirits and family-owned
liquors, gins, cognacs, grappas, whiskies and rums from around the
world, all available to sample in store. |
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| This 1920's style American-style speakeasy
from International award-winning barman, David
Wiedemann, sits in a
residential street in Mitte, offering
classic cocktails dating way back to the 18th Century, alongside the
current trends from London and
New York. To enter, you'll need to ring the door bell on the massive
steel door, and once inside you'll be taken aback by the dark but beautiful
long bar with its period furnishings, complete with staff wearing 1920s
attire. Sadly, the music doesn't always represent the era however it
is still excellent, with Motown, swing and soul tracks adding to the
ambience. Smoking is still allowed so it can get uncomfortable after
a while but the team behind the bar certainly know how to mix drinks
- they also run the respected Barschule
Berlin (Berlin Bar School). A huge mural of Klaus and Erika Mann,
the eldest children of legendary anti-Nazi novelist Thomas Mann sits
at the end of the long room. In 1933, whilst travelling in France, Mann heard from his son and daughter that it wasn't safe for him to
return to Germany, so he fled to safety in Switzerland. From June 2015,
you will find a secret backroom, hidden behind this giant painting
and accessed by a code, that if you're lucky to have, will enable you
to dance the night away on the other side. |
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| From 20:00 each day, this mega popular winebar
from the owners of the Weinerei wine shop, just around the corner,
operates a unique "pay what you want" policy. It seems to
attract drinkers of all ages and backgrounds, tourists and locals alike.
After paying a small cover charge for your glass, you can then sample
as much of the selected seasonal wines as you like in the context of
a dynamic wine tasting, choosing to pay what you feel it was worth
afterwards. There is also a buffet included. During the day, the venue
doubles up as a cafe too. |
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| This stunning brewery and restaurant can
be found on the banks of the River Spree in the historic Nikolaiviertel quarter. Eight individually designed rooms give you a typical Berlin
atmosphere and the home brew ales can be enjoyed in traditional German
steins under the beautiful oak tree in the beer garden or on the busy
terrace alongside the river, overlooking Museuminsel. |
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| One of the remits when compiling our list
of best bars in Berlin, is that each bar should be unique, representing
the city in a way that you will not find its type in any other European
town. So, you are probably wondering how a British-style sports pub
in Wedding makes it onto our shortlist? Well, away from the Bundesliga football screenings, check out the decor in this amazing place and
you'll see a Berlin twist; furniture, typewriters, birdcages and railway
tracks hanging from the ceiling. Alongside Guinness, Kilkenny, many
English ciders, Veltins and Maisel's, the beer list is heavy with local
breweries, including Berliner Pilsner and Eschenbräu on draft,
plus bottles from Bierfabrik Berlin, Berliner Weisse, Wedding Pale
Ale, Rotbier Berliner, Heimat, Schabrackentabier, and Neuzeller Klosterbräu. But it is the whisky collection that is the main attraction here. There's
almost 750 varitieis to choose from, largely Scottish, with regular
tasting sessions and distillery showcases. |
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| This typical Berlin alternative bar in Wedding supports edgy creativity that happens away from mainstream culture,
basically anything that needs more exposure than it currently receives.
Housing a vegan/vegeterian café and run by a collective of creative
people and registered as a non-profit members organisation, it covers
everything from live music and DJs to artists, poets and art house
cinema. |
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| Bare walls, vintage furniture and uncovered
floors maybe typical of many a Berlin bar, however this nice hangout
in Neukölln seems to do it better than most. Doubling up as a
cafe bar during the day, there is large open space, the furniture is
spread out sparsely over the different rooms, an LP player provides
the soul music and there's often live music. As for the drinks, there's
the local Potsdamer organic beer, a good wine selection and exquisite
cocktails, which can also be enjoyed outside too in the summer. |
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| Owned by playwright Fritz
Müller-Scherz, this hidden away cocktail bar in Schöneberg, boasts
a kitsch 1970s interior and an impressively long cocktail list including
the signature "Green Door", a
mix of Champagne, lemon, sugar, and mint. A speakeasy given away
by the big green neon sign outside, access is by gained by pressing
the door bell. |
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| This vintage bar, hidden in a candle lit
basement underneath the Restaurant Marqués tapas
restaurant in Kreuzberg offers some
of the best cocktails in Berlin, invented using their huge premium
spirits collection and homemade syrups and served in stunning crystal
glasses. To enter, look for the red neon "The
Bar" sign inside the restaurant and a friendly waiter will
take you downstairs past a wall of bottles. Reminiscent of the British
colonial period, it boasts a low ceiling, a piano and a real fireplace
that is actually used in winter. Comfy velvet chairs, green walls,
antique furniture and lots of paintings add to the ambience. Although
the feel is more 1900s London than modern day Berlin, this is still
a bar worth checking out. |
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| Split into two rooms, this attractive art
deco speakeasy in Schöneberg is
accessed by actually using an old door knocker. Waistcoated barmen
make some great cocktails, using homemade ingredients and you can choose
to drink in two rooms littered with plush Chesterfield sofas and vintage
lights whilst oil paintings hang on the bare brick walls. In the summer
months, it has less of a speakeasy feel, with outside seating also
available. |
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| This lively cocktail bar on the ground floor
of the plush Hotel Amano in Mitte, boasts
some of the best cocktails in East Berlin. The classy bar decor and
its dark lighting create a club-like ambience with the long L-shaped
marble bar the highlight. DJs spin funk and house at weekends with
a stylish more upmarket crowd adding a different feel to the hipsters
which are normally everywhere in this part of town. In summer, the
bar's rooftop expansion offers great scenery |
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| Located in the basement of a shopping centre,
this classy cocktail lounge takes you aback with its huge wooden interior,
which is famed for housng the longest bar in Berlin. There's live music
almost every night, covering everything from psychedelic, progressive
and folk to soul, funk and jazz, whilst alongside the modern and classic
cocktails there's over 150 kinds of Champagne and 65 whiskies to choose
from. |
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| Excellent low-key and very popular 1920's
art deco style cocktail bar in the Schöneberg area
of West Berlin that could easily be a set from Mad
Men. In keeping with the feel,
the menu comes as a book whilst period jazz and soul provides the soundtrack.
Take advantage of Happy Hour each day (18:30 - 21:30 or all night Sunday)
to enjoy cheap cocktails. |
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| This hipster haven in Neukölln is
smoky, dark and normally packed. Behind the huge window, the long
bar encourages interaction between drinkers and the cocktails are well
made, earning it a reputation well beyond its neighbourhood. Popular
with expats and locals alike, it's slightly more expensive than some
of the other bars which make Weserstraße such a cool place to
hang out, but the drinks are worth it, the liquor collection great
and, for us, anywhere that plays David Bowie, Bob Dylan and Johnny
Cash is worth visiting. |
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| Run by celebrity drag queen Lena
Braun, this kitsch gay bar and eccentric queer art space in Kreuzberg is
home to the more bourgeois members of Berlin’s cross-dressing
community. The performances are often outrageous and there's even
an in-house hairdresser. The decor is 1970's shabby and very pink
with a mixed LGBT crowd rubbing shoulders with straight tourists,
local students and a fair share of drag queens. |
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| Named after the Nick
Cave & The Bad Seeds song, this tiny Americana themed
19th Century saloon in the upmarket area of Schöneberg is
well worth checking out for some great cocktails and its party style
atmosphere. The drinks list is heavy with American whiskies and tequila
whilst an old piano and the most old-fashioned, ornate cash till
in Berlin act as beautiful props. It can get quite smoky. |
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| The former Schultheißbrauerei on Schönhauser
Allee is now home to the Kulturbrauerei (Culture Brewery), a complex
of theatres, bars, clubs and live music venues. Whilst sadly there
is no longer a brewery on site, it remains one of the few well-preserved
examples of 1840's industrial architecture in Berlin and is home to
this beautiful industrial design bar, restaurant and discoteque, which
is dominated by the old architecture of the brewery. Red brick walls,
large windows and a terrace overlook the Kulturbrauerei courtyard from
the lobby bar whilst the nightclub, popular with a young good-looking
crowd, is one of the biggest in Berlin with five floors and a capacity
of 1,500. It is known for its variety of music and dance floors, covering
R'n'B, dance classics, latest disco, house, salsa and merengue rhythms. Kulturbrauerei is also the perfect place to visit for New Year's Eve
or during interntational football tournaments, where a large screen
dominates the courtyard just outside Soda. |
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| The old Willner
Brauerei Berlin in Pankow is
an industrial monument which dates back to 1883, exuding charm for
its brick buildings which were left empty from the brewery's closure
in 1999 until 2012 when it became an arts space, live music venue,
open air cinema, flea market and beer garden. The flourishing GDR
era beer garden has been revived as "Emil's
Biergarten", one of the coolest places to spend sunny
afternoons from April until October and tours of the historic building
are offered in the summer months. A pizzeria has been opened on the
ground floor of the former customs house and the ImproKDR
(Klub der Republik) nightclub has also relocated here offering
electro club nights. |
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| Owned by the Berlin bar guru that is Mike
Meinke, this tiny guestlist only bar in a former private house,
concentrates on content rather than show, with the focus firmly placed
on the rarity and quality of the spirits. Discover the world of cocktails
beyond the standards of Caipirinha and Long
Iceland Iced Tea, by stepping into the realm of famous spirits
from around the world. Mike is arguably
the most influential barman in Germany and also the man behind the Barlife
Experience Tour, which offers alcohol tastings and workshops. |
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| At the end of Karl-Marx-Allee, where
it meets Frankfurter Allee, you will
find two identical towers, sitting either side of the famous road.
In the northern tower, the Foundation
for Monument Protection Berlin has its headquarters, whilst
the southern tower provides space for social events in a smaller circle.
This relatively unknown but simply stunning venue is only available
to hire for parties, events and small conferences, so ignore this listing
if that's not what you're looking for. With four different floors available
of the tower in Friedrichshain's Frankfurter
Tor 9, the panoramic view of
the city is incomparable. A fully stocked bar sits on level 14 whilst
the domed room at the top of level 15 can house functions for 16 -
80 people. This should certainly be your chosen venue in Berlin if
you've reason to celebrate with friends or work colleagues. |
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