Must-see nightlife in Berlin

  • Tiger Bar

    Schöneberg

    Tiger Bar is a stylish and slightly trippy jewel for curious imbibers. Sustainability is key for bar manager Phum Sila-Trakoon, which is why discarded…

  • Möbel Olfe

    Kreuzberg

    An old furniture store has been recast as this pleasantly trashy and always-busy drinking den with cheap Polish beer and a friendly crowd, which is…

  • Vin Aqua Vin

    Neukölln

    Vin Aqua Vin does double duty as a wine shop and wine bar where you can sample hand-picked wines amid candlelight and a homey, anti-snob vibe, which…

  • Lebensstern

    Schöneberg

    This elegant, antique-filled bar in the 19th-century villa of silent-movie star Henny Porten holds a dazzling selection of rare and noble spirits,…

  • Braufactum Berlin

    Museumsinsel & Alexanderplatz

    With its urban-contempo looks and big terrace, this concept-driven craft beer outpost shakes up the gastro wasteland of Alexanderplatz. Aside from the…

  • Cassiopeia

    Friedrichshain

    The down-to-earth crowd at this charmingly trashy dancing den defines the word eclectic, and so does the music. Dive deep into a sound spectrum ranging…

  • Becketts Kopf

    Prenzlauer Berg

    Past Samuel Beckett's portrait, the art of cocktail-making is taken very seriously. Settle into a heavy armchair in the warmly lit lounge and take your…

  • Monkey Bar

    City West & Charlottenburg

    On the 10th floor of the 25hours Hotel Bikini Berlin, this mainstream-hip ‘urban jungle’ delivers fabulous views of the city and Zoo Berlin while the menu…

  • Chapel Bar

    Friedrichshain

    A star in the Friedrichshain cocktail firmament, the Chapel Bar has a delightfully cluttered living-room look and a convivial vibe, thanks to a crowd more…

  • Himmelreich

    Friedrichshain

    Confirming all those stereotypes about LGBT people having good taste, this candle-lit and pretence-free drinking cove makes most of the competition look…

  • Möve im Felsenkeller

    Schöneberg

    An artist hang-out since the 1920s, this woodsy Old Berlin pub is where Jeffrey Eugenides penned his bestseller Middlesex (upstairs, at the round table in…

  • Café Bravo

    Berlin

    Is it art? Is it a cafe? Is it a bar? Answer: it’s all three. This glass-and-chrome pavilion in the quiet and pretty courtyard of the KW Institute for…

  • Stagger Lee

    Schöneberg

    Belly up to the polished wooden bar or plop down on chocolate-hued Chesterfield sofas at this sophisticated cocktail saloon. Barkeeps mix and pour both…

  • August Fengler

    Prenzlauer Berg

    With its flirty vibe, wallet-friendly drinks prices and a pretension-free crowd, this local institution scores a trifecta on key ingredients for a good…

  • Stue Bar

    Berlin

    In the Stue hotel, light installations and animal sculptures pave the way to this glam bar where serious mixologists give classic cocktails from the 1920s…

  • Melitta Sundström

    Kreuzberg

    Melitta Sundström was the artist name of a famous queer Berlin soul singer who died of AIDS in 1993. This cheerful cafe with an '80s pedigree and look-at…

  • Madame Claude

    Kreuzberg

    Gravity is literally upended at this David Lynchian booze burrow, where the furniture dangles from the ceiling and the moulding is on the floor. There are…

  • Eschschloraque Rümschrümp

    Berlin

    A project by the artists' collective Dead Chickens, this subculture survivor is filled with metal monster sculptures and hosts concerts, parties and…

  • Rooftop Terrace

    Historic Mitte

    A hushed, refined ambience reigns at the rooftop bar of the exclusive Hotel de Rome, where you can keep an eye on the Fernsehturm (TV Tower), historic…

  • Böse Buben Bar

    Berlin

    The 'Bad Boy Bar' is a cafe by day (breakfast until 2pm, homemade cakes!) and dimly lit antihipster haunt for wine and chat in the evening. Despite the…

  • Amano Bar

    Berlin

    This glamour vixen at the budget-hip Hotel Amano juxtaposes a cool green-marble bar with warm furnishings and lighting and attracts global sophisticates…

  • Loftus Hall

    Neukölln

    This ’70s retro-look haunt in a former slot-machine factory takes its name from a haunted mansion in Ireland; you half expect a ghost to lurk behind the…

  • Ohm

    Kreuzberg

    One of Berlin’s artiest and most experimental clubs holds forth in the battery room of a massive defunct power station that also houses the legendary…

  • Prince Charles

    Kreuzberg

    Prince Charles is a stylish mix of club and bar ensconced in a former pool and overlooked by a kitschy-cute fish tile mural. Electronic music shares…

  • Tentacion Mezcalothek

    Friedrichshain

    Resisting temptation can be tough. Forget about it when visiting Tentacion (Spanish for ‘temptation’); its main ammo is the Latin American cult spirit…

  • Melody Nelson

    Berlin

    Everything about this bar speaks of refinement, but without an iota of stuffiness: the dim lighting, the plush seating, the carpeted floors and the luxe…

  • SchwuZ

    Neukölln

    This long-running queer party institution is the go-to spot for high-energy flirting and dancing. Different parties draw different punters to the three…

  • Süss War Gestern

    Friedrichshain

    A machine-gun-toting rabbit is the ironic mascot of this long-running DJ bar with well-mixed cocktails (try the eponymous Süss War Gestern with real…

  • Mikkeler

    Berlin

    Mikkeler – the name stands for Mikkel Borg Bjergsø and Kristian Klarup Keller – dispenses elevated craft beer that the two Danes have been brewing since…

  • Panke

    Berlin

    Tucked into an ex-industrial courtyard maze, Panke is a constantly evolving gallery/bar/club/cafe collective with a nifty little garden hemmed in by the…

  • Stone Brewing Tap Room

    Prenzlauer Berg

    Berliners don't like to travel across town, especially not for beer. Which is why beer lovers breathed a sigh of relief when California import Stone…

  • Otto Rink

    Kreuzberg

    Owned by a trained vintner and chef and named for his grandpa, this cosy lair with its slate-covered bar pours monthly changing fine vintages, mostly from…

  • Offside Pub & Whisky Bar

    Prenzlauer Berg

    If you’re a whisky newbie, this friendly, knickknack-crammed pub offers a great introduction to the potent spirit. The wall of 700 varieties, mostly from…

  • Father Carpenter

    Berlin

    Tucked into a quiet courtyard, Father Carpenter is not the kind of cafe one simply stumbles upon. Yet among coffee cognoscenti, it's very much a…

  • Ankerklause

    Neukölln

    Ahoy there! Drop anchor at this nautical-kitsch tavern in an old harbour master’s shack and enjoy the arse-kicking jukebox, cold beers and surprisingly…

  • Humboldthain

    Berlin

    House and techno in its various forms keep unpretentious clubbers on the hexagonal dance floor until sunrise and beyond at weekends in this delightfully…

  • Twinpigs

    Neukölln

    Deftly mixed cocktails – both classic and with a twist – as well as craft beer by local purveyors Heidenpeters and Rollberg help you disconnect from the…

  • Birgit&Bier

    Kreuzberg

    Enter through the iron gate and embark on a magical mystery tour that'll have you chilling in the beer garden, taking selfies with wacky art, dancing…

  • Hopfenreich

    Kreuzberg

    Since 2014, Berlin’s first dedicated craft-beer bar has been plying punters with a changing roster of 22 global ales, IPAs and other brews on tap – both…

  • Trinkteufel

    Kreuzberg

    The ‘Drink Devil’ punk pub (subtitled ‘gateway to hell’) made international headlines back in 2009, when singer Pete Doherty downed some shots here before…

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