Entertainment in Germany
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Madame Claude
Gravity is literally upended at this David Lynch-ian booze burrow where the furniture dangles from the ceiling and the moulding's on the floor. Don’t worry, there are still comfy sofas for entertaining your posse, plus live shows most nights at 9pm, including eXperimondays, Wednesday's music quiz night and open-mike Sundays. The name honours a famous French prostitute – très apropos given the place’s bordello pedigree.
reviewed
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Scharfrichter Kino
This lively cultural centre stages theatre and cabaret, including autumn's Passauer Kabarett-Tage (Passau Cabaret Days), a decades-old tradition of political satire that was sued and shut down by the establishment before the counterculture spurred its revival. It's best appreciated by German speakers with a knowledge of local political nuances and dialect.
reviewed
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Bar Gagarin
Prepare for lift-off with vodka, Moskwa beer and borscht at this retro homage to Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space. It's one of several cafes along Knaackstrasse. Good breakfast and Sunday brunch. Free toiletries in the loos.
reviewed
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Oxymoron
By day, the opulent baroque salon in front - complete with plump velvet sofas, gold-leaf mirrors and chandeliers - caters to the cafe crowd. After dark, it morphs into an eats-and-lounge act before turning into a chic club hosting a variety of retro and electro nights with occasional 'extras' such as go-go dancers. Dress on the smarter side of casual.
reviewed
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E
Rosi’s
This derelict house-cum-garden- lounge next to the railway tracks catches the Friedrichshain vibe spot on – dim lighting, dank concrete, mismatched furniture and an alchemy of sounds (surf music to Latin, breakbeat to dancehall) that gets a punky-funky crowd fired up for extended dance-a-thons. Live acts and the relaxed beer garden are bonuses.
reviewed
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Festspielhaus
Ensconced in an historic train station and fabled for its acoustics, the Festspielhaus is Europe's second biggest concert hall, seating 2500 theatre-goers, and a lavish tribute to Baden-Baden's musical heritage. Under the direction of Andreas Mölich-Zebhauser, the grand venue hosts a world-class program of concerts, opera and ballet.
reviewed
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Kaufbar
The name is the concept at this sweet, unhurried cafe where everything is ‘kaufbar’ (for sale) : the sofa you’re sitting on, the cup you’re drinking from, the vases decorating the table. Tousled students, young mums and local artists invade for the mix-and-match breakfast (until 5pm), coffee, cakes, drinks and light snacks. Nice garden, too.
reviewed
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Staatstheater
Nuremberg's magnificent state theatre serves up an impressive mix of dramatic arts. The renovated art-nouveau opera house presents opera and ballet, while the Kammerspiele offers a varied program of classical and contemporary plays. The Nürnberger Philharmoniker also performs here.
reviewed
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Bellmann
This funky glamour bar is always packed, mostly with low-key, talkative local folks. ‘Glamour’ because of the high ceiling, stucco ornamentation, great cocktails and candlelight. Funky because of the plain tables, DIY ambience, unembellished walls and…candlelight. If you get the munchies, pick from the small but satisfying menu.
reviewed
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Ratskeller
Augsburg's hippest new hangout is the reconfigured, multilevel Ratskeller. Ambiently lit corners, ante-rooms and mezzanines are strewn with comfy lounges, and there's a wide terrace out the back. Ratskeller's kitchen also has a strong local following, especially for its Schweinebraten - roast pork with dumplings and red-cabbage sauerkraut.
reviewed
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Aufsturz
The crowd’s young and tourist-heavy but if you’re in the market for obscure beers, this tap room is the place to go. Choose from over 100 different suds, many from small private breweries, including rarities like the bacon-flavoured Rauchbier from Bamberg or bestsellers like Staropramen from Prague. Live music in the basement club.
reviewed
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Kato
This former department store below the elevated U-Bahn tracks is now a rockin’ hard place for indie and alt-sounds, from noise pop to ska to mash-ups. Drinks are cheap and the crowd of scruffy party patrons, faux-hawked hipsters and skinny-jeansters keeps attitude to a minimum. Rock-It Tuesdays and Thursdays are parties with cult status.
reviewed
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Deutsche Oper
The German Opera was founded by local citizens in 1912 as a counterpoint to the royal opera (today’s Staatsoper) on Unter den Linden. The original building was destroyed in WWII and rebuilt by 1961 as a huge, modernist venue with seating for nearly 1900 people. It boasts a repertory of around 70 operas, which are all sung in their original language.
reviewed
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Cassiopeia
The college-age crowd at this grungy, chill party den defines the word eclectic and so does the music. Dive deep into a sound spectrum ranging from vintage hip hop to hard funk, reggae and punk to electronic beats.
reviewed
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Greenwich
So hip it doesn’t even bother with a sign, this highfalutin fixture on the cocktail circuit is another Midas-touch venture by Heinz Gindullis, the man behind Cookies. You’ll have plenty of time to study the mamba-green bar and sofas, illuminated aquariums and eye-candy crowd while you’re waiting for your expert cocktail.
reviewed
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Schützenhof Beer Garden
For a drink with sun and a bucolic view, head for this delightful beer garden about 500m south of the Käppele chapel on the east bank of the Main. The main ingredients are ultra-fresh - listen for the farmyard animals protesting to the rear - and the beer (try the Balthasar Neumann) is served with a donkey-shaped Brezel (pretzel).
reviewed
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TSV 1860
reviewed
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Radialsystem V
Contemporary dance meets medieval music, poetry meets pop tunes, painting meets digital. This progressive performance space in an old riverside pump station blurs the boundaries between the arts to nurture new forms of creative expression. Nice riverside cafe-bar from 10am.
reviewed
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Q
Pub Crawl
New Munich's (in)famous Pub Crawl makes stops in five bars and clubs, includes free vodka shots and meets at the corner of Münzstrasse and Orlandostrasse.
The Beer Tour (around €16) leaves earlier at 14:30 and takes a more, ahem, academic approach, but includes a free litre of beer and entry to the Pub Crawl…
reviewed
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O2 World Arena
Hamburg’s huge O2 Arena was extensively refurbished for the 2006 football World Cup, and is home to Bundesliga club Hamburger SV. Take S-Bahn 21 or 3 to ‘Stellingen’, which is linked by free shuttle buses with the stadium.
reviewed
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Saigon Bar
Do as Nurembergers do and make this your last stop after a night on the town. With a background beat of drum 'n bass, this essential late-night bar does a top-rate caipirinha, the Brazilian drink that's at least as popular in Bavaria as it is in Rio, made from smashed limes, brown sugar, crushed ice and white pitú rum.
reviewed
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Berliner Symphoniker
Founded in 1966, the Berliner Symphoniker has no permanent home and performs mainly in the Berliner Philharmonie and the Konzerthaus. Israeli conductor Lior Shambadal has been the man in charge since 1997. After going bankrupt in 2004 due to state budget cuts, the orchestra is now in private hands.
reviewed
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Spielbank Berlin
Vegas it ain't, but there are still plenty of opportunities to challenge Lady Luck over a game of poker, roulette or black jack at this casino. Slot machines in the basement, poker on the ground floor, and roulette, black jack and poker upstairs. Bring ID. No entry under 18.
reviewed
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Bayerisches Staatsschauspiel
This leading ensemble has a bit of a conservative streak but still manages to find relevance for today's mad mad world in works by Shakespeare, Schiller and other tried-and-true playwrights. Performances are in the Residenztheater, the Theater im Marstall and the now fully renovated Cuvilliés-Theater.
reviewed
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Insel der Jugend
The ‘Island of Youth’ is a former GDR youth club housed in a mock medieval castle on an island in the Spree. There’s something for everybody, from workshops (DJing, guitar etc) to rock concerts (Stagediver, Wednesdays) to easygoing café afternoons with live music (Lazy Sunday) and kids’ programmes.
reviewed