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E&M Leydicke
Old-fashioned Berlin pubs have their own tradition of hospitality - beer, schnapps and the Berliner humour all served up in rustic, smoke-filled surroundings. This ancient example of the species (first lager poured in 1877) bottles its own flavoured schnapps and fruit wines on the premises.
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English Theatre Berlin
Berlin's oldest English-language troupe, formerly known as Friends of Italian Opera, specialises in works by contemporary English-speaking playwrights.
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Fc Magnet Mitte
In the club home of the eponymous football club, this stylish bar is a civilised spot to relive the 2006 soccer World Cup euphoria. A flirty crowd sips cocktails, plays table football or cheers on its favourite team on the big screen, all under the watchful eye of the 'Kaiser' Franz Beckenbauer himself.
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Floating Lounge
The best time for downing a cold one at this retro lounge on the Eastern Comfort Hostel Boat is at sunset when the sun paints the fanciful Oberbaumbrücke (bridge) a fiery red. Very romantic, very Berlin.
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Freischwimmer
There are few places more idyllic than this rustic ex-boathouse with a sunny terrace floating above a little canal. Come just for drinks or for a bite from the global snack menu. The entrance is to the right of Berlin's oldest petrol station.
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Gainsbourg - Bar Américain
More Paris than New York, this cramped and casual bar speaks to a 30-something intellectual crowd and has the nicotine-stained ceiling to prove it. Relax in the warmly lit interior while sipping one of the award-winning (and copyrighted) cocktails. Gauloises optional.
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Galerie Bremer
Arriving at this tiny bar tucked behind an art gallery feels like slipping into a swanky '20s speakeasy, but the air here is rather genteel, grown-up and completely devoid of debauchery. Vintage fans will adore the original interior by Berliner Philharmonie architect Hans Scharoun.
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Grüner Salon
Smoky sophistication rules in the Volksbühne's intimate Green Salon, an elegant throwback to the wicked 1920s and the centre of Berlin's active ballroom-dancing scene. Its salsa, tango and swing nights are often preceded by dance lessons.
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Habermeyer
Habermeyer isn't about seeing and being seen - quite frankly, it's a bit too dark for that. Funky GDR-era furniture, a pinball machine and endearing self-crafted décor (check out the 'pipe grotto' in back) give the place a homy feel. Different DJs hit the decks nightly.
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Hafen
A longtime fixture on the good-time gay circuit, the friendly Harbour is a great first stop to dock at before launching into a raucous night on the razzle. On Mondays, quizmaster Hendryk has developed quite a following with his hilarious Quizzorama shows (in English on the first Monday).
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Heinz Minki
This rambling beer garden with its old trees and coloured twinkle lights is an enchanting spot for wrapping up a day of turf-pounding. It's docked to an old customs house whose red-brick walls enclose a teensy bar and a homy restaurant.
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Junction Bar
Live gigs 365 days a year - the Junction is famed for the musical maelstrom in its basement, where you'll find a rowdy crowd drinking in everything from jazz and blues to fusion, hip-hop and crossover. Nightly DJs follow the bands.
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Kino International
With its camp cavalcade of glass chandeliers, glitter curtain and undulating ceiling, this socialist-era cinema is a show in itself. Monday is 'MonGay' with homo-themed classics, imports and previews. On the first Saturday of the month it's 'raining men' at Klub International, the largest gay party in town.
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Knaack
Having started out as a GDR-era youth club, this 1952-vintage warren now sports different stripes nightly. Talent scouts swing by to check out up-and-coming bands, mostly from Berlin and eastern Germany, and there are also five-floor dance parties and karaoke nights. It's often frequented by members of the cult band Rammstein, who live right around the corner.
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Komische Oper
Light opera, operetta and concerts are the staples of this high-profile venue the boxy post-WWII façade of which conceals a plush, neobaroque interior that hasn't changed much since the 1890s. All productions are sung in German.
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Künstliche Beatmung
You won't need artificial respiration (the name of this bar), but the deliriously retro look may well take your breath away. The psychedelic wallpaper could cause '60s flashbacks while the white-ribbed tunnel will make you feel like Jonah inside the whale. Mellow electro, attentive bar staff and wallet-friendly cocktails give this place at the quiet end of Simon-Dach-Strasse an edge.
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Lido
The Schlesische Strasse entertainment zone has a new live-music and party venue courtesy of the Karrera Club DJ folks who have breathed new life into a dilapidated old cinema. Indie and rock gigs from the UK, such as the Klaxons or Maximo Park, pull in large numbers of punters. Check out the S-shaped wooden bar.
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Magnet
Small, cheap and dingy, this bastion of indie sounds is known for bookers with a knack for catching upwardly hopeful bands before their big break. After the shows let out, it morphs into a dance club with DJs hopscotching from punk to pop to disco, depending on the night.
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Maria Am Ostbahnhof
This handsome club by the Spree River has been a longtime fixture for house and techno and occasional drum-and-bass nights. DJs playing here are invariably among the best in their field: Marusha and Tanith to Mack from Tresor and Mijk van Dijk. Live concerts are also squeezed onto the schedule. The Strokes played their only Germany concert here in 2005.
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Maria am Ufer
Spiritual home to some of Berlin's most discerning clubbers - the DJs playing here are among the best in their field, whether it's breakbeat, down-tempo or some other strand of electronica. Live concerts often take place here on weekdays and it's now a key address for techno, hosting 'Tresor in exile' nights while the legendary club looks for a new venue.
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Marietta
Retro is now at this neighbourly self-service retreat whose kidney-shaped tables and moss-green armchairs trigger flashbacks of grandma's living room. Grab a seat by the big window for some quality people-watching or lug your latte to the dimly lit back room for quiet conversation. On Wednesday nights it's a launch pad for the gay party circuit.
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Möbel Olfe
An old furniture outlet has been recast as an always busy watering hole with a strong lesbigay following. The décor, including some animal skeletons suspended above the bar, gets downright trippy after a few Polish beers or vodkas. It's in an unlikely spot in the heart of Turkish Kreuzberg. Enter from Dresdener Strasse.
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Mudd Club
Named in homage to the legendary SoHo original, hub of the New York underground in the '70s and '80s. It's set back from the street and down a steep staircase but today's Berlin rock chicks and indie kids seem to have no problem finding their way in. Russian and Slavic acts feature heavily.
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Mutter
'Mother', as this low-key tavern is named, does indeed take good care of its children. Most of them are chatty, attitude-free students and older locals who keep the two gold-tinted rooms perennially packed. There's Thai and sushi on the menu, but you'll find plenty of other eateries on nearby Goltzstrasse.
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Neuköllner Oper
You don't need public funding to run a good venue - Neukölln's refurbished prewar ballroom is easily the most creative opera house in the city, with an actively anti-elitist repertoire pitting children's and experimental shows against rare operas by greats such as Mozart and Schubert.
