Must-see nightlife in Germany

  • Hofbräuhaus

    Munich

    Even if you don't like beer, every visitor to Munich should make a pilgrimage to the mothership of all beer halls, if only once. Within this major tourist…

  • Berghain/Panorama Bar

    Friedrichshain

    Only world-class spin-masters heat up this hedonistic bass-junkie hellhole inside a labyrinthine ex-powerplant. Hard-edged minimal techno dominates the ex…

  • Germany, Berlin, Clarchen's Ballhaus, old beer hall

    Clärchens Ballhaus

    Berlin

    Yesteryear is now at this early-20th-century dance hall where groovers and grannies hoof it across the parquet without even a touch of irony. There are…

  • Four friends with a fresh beer in a Beer garden; close-up on beer stein; Shutterstock ID 94653856; Your name (First / Last): Josh Vogel; Project no. or GL code: 56530; Network activity no. or Cost Centre: Online-Design; Product or Project: LP.com Destination Galleries

    Augustiner Bräustuben

    Munich

    Depending on the wind direction, the bitter-sweet aroma of hops envelops you as you approach this traditional beer hall inside the Augustiner brewery. The…

  • 500px Photo ID: 49612506 - This is the terrace of a club in Hamburg, called "Golden Pudel (Poodle) Club". Very unique and enjoyable!

    Golden Pudel Club

    St Pauli & Reeperbahn

    In a 19th-century bootleggers' jail, this tiny bar-club is run by members of the legendary ex-punk band Die Goldenen Zitronen and is an essential stop on…

  • Buck & Breck

    Berlin

    Liquid maestro Gonçalo de Sousa Monteiro and his baseball-cap wearing team treat grown-up patrons to libational flights of fancy in their clandestine…

  • Baker Street

    Frankfurt & Southern Rhineland

    Named for Sherlock Holmes' fictional home, this fabulous Victorian-era-themed bar with crackling open fireplaces bills itself as a 'criminal tea room and…

  • Kraftpaule

    Stuttgart

    Competition is stiff but for our money this might just be Stuttgart's coolest new-wave craft microbrewery and bar. The bartenders really know their stuff,…

  • Odonien

    Cologne

    The brainchild of artist Odo Rumpf, this subculture playground is creative lab, beer garden, concert venue, club, art centre, alfresco cinema and urban…

  • Salon des Amateurs

    Düsseldorf

    At one of Germany's most progressive dance clubs, the music skews heavily towards non-mainstream electronic and improvisational acts, which makes for a…

  • Schwarz Weiss Bar

    Stuttgart

    Jazz creates a mellow mood at this slinky little cocktail bar, with barrel-vaulted ceilings, stone walls and dim lighting. The mixologists seem to put a…

  • ://about blank

    Friedrichshain

    At this gritty multifloor party pen with lots of nooks and crannies, a steady line-up of top DJs feeds a diverse bunch of revellers with dance-worthy…

  • Bar am Steinplatz

    City West & Charlottenburg

    Christian Gentemann's liquid playground at the art deco Hotel am Steinplatz was crowned 'Hotel Bar of the Year' in 2016 and 2017, and for good reason The…

  • Kaffeesack

    Baden-Baden

    You can sure smell the coffee as you approach Kaffeesack, tucked away in Baden-Baden's backstreets. Born in Germany to Italian parents, Maurizio is the…

  • Prater Garten

    Prenzlauer Berg

    Berlin’s oldest beer garden has seen beer-soaked days and nights since 1837 and is still a charismatic spot for guzzling a custom-brewed Prater pilsner …

  • Le Panther

    Frankfurt am Main

    Noise levels aren't a problem at this spectacular club, which occupies an 1808 villa surrounded by manicured gardens with fountains, ponds and lounges…

  • Weinstube Spitzhäuschen

    Moselle Valley

    Wine bars don't come cuter than this crooked half-timbered building (the Moselle's oldest, dating from 1416), which resembles a giant bird house: its…

  • Biergarten Rathenauplatz

    Cologne

    A large, leafy park has one of Cologne's best places for a drink: a community-run beer garden. Tables sprawl under huge old trees, while simple snacks…

  • Zum Uerige

    Düsseldorf

    Local colour by the bucketful (despite the high tourist contingent) is what awaits at this cavernous Altbier brewpub. The suds flow so quickly from giant…

  • Schwarze Traube

    Kreuzberg

    Mixologist Atalay Aktas was Germany’s Best Bartender of 2013 and hasn't missed a step since. He and his staff still create their magic potions in this…

  • Briefmarken Weine

    Friedrichshain

    For dolce vita right on socialist-era Karl-Marx-Allee, head to this charmingly nostalgic Italian wine bar ensconced in a former stamp shop. The original…

  • Zur Ritze

    St Pauli & Reeperbahn

    The uniqueness of this Reeperbahn classic begins from the moment you pass through the long laneway and between the legs of the large 'receptionist'…

  • Strandperle

    Hamburg

    Hamburg's original beach bar is a must for primo beer, burgers and people-watching. All ages and classes gather, mingle and wriggle their toes in the sand…

  • Alter Simpl

    Munich

    Thomas Mann and Hermann Hesse used to knock 'em back at this well-scuffed and wood-panelled thirst parlour. A bookish ambience still pervades, making this…

  • Chinesischer Turm

    Munich

    This one's hard to ignore because of its English Garden location and pedigree as Munich's oldest beer garden (open since 1791). Camera-toting tourists and…

  • Harry Klein

    Munich

    Follow the gold-lined passageway off Sonnenstrasse to what some regard as one of the best Elektro-clubs in the world. Nights here are an amazing alchemy…

  • Zum Silbersack

    St Pauli & Reeperbahn

    A real St Pauli icon, Zum Silbersack is one of our favourites in the area. It's the sort of place where you'll find students, junkies, executives,…

  • Zum Stadtkrug

    Northern Germany

    The dark beer brewery at this 1936-established pub consistently rates among the best in Germany. It’s full of antique brewing equipment, and it opens to…

  • Weinerei Forum

    Prenzlauer Berg

    After 8pm, this living-room-style cafe turns into a wine bar that works on the honour principle: you ‘rent’ a wine glass for €2, then help yourself to as…

  • Katze

    Hamburg

    Small and sleek, this 'kitty' (Katze = cat) gets the crowd purring for well-priced cocktails (the best caipirinhas in town) and great music (there's…

  • Im Alten Zolln

    Lübeck

    This classic pub inhabits a 16th-century customs post. There's an excellent beer selection. Patrons people-watch from terrace and pavement tables in…

  • Cafebar

    Regensburg

    This time-warped, tightly squeezed blast from the past in Jugendstil tile, cast iron and stained glass has been filling with newspaper-reading caffeine…

  • Sa Bacca

    Northern Germany

    Fronting onto Marktplatz, Sa Bacca couldn't be a more central pit stop as you explore town. The vaulted brick cellar and extravagantly tiled bar are the…

  • Café du Port

    St Pauli & Reeperbahn

    One of our favourite little perches in St Pauli, this gorgeous cafe does buttery croissants, cakes and other pastries, with fine coffee to nurse as you…

  • Schumann's Bar

    Munich

    Urbane and sophisticated, Schumann's shakes up Munich's nightlife with libational flights of fancy and an impressive range of concoctions. It's also good…

  • Pacha

    Munich

    One of a gaggle of clubs at Maximiliansplatz 5, this nightspot with its cherry logo is one of Munich's hottest nights out, with the DJs spinning their…

  • Oberstdorfer Dampfbierbrauerei

    Bavarian Alps

    Knock back a few 'steamy ales' at Germany's southernmost brewery, right next to the train station. The brewery runs free tours in German at 11am every…

  • Kruse-Baimken

    Münster

    Huge trees soar over the passel of tables at this lovely beer garden right off the Promenade near the Aasee. Unsurprisingly it gets very crowded,…

  • Bukowski's

    Hanover

    One of the newest cocktail bars on the Hanover scene, sleek Bukowski's mixes leather couches with exposed brick walls and industrial-style stools. Spirits…

  • Brauerei zur Malzmühle

    Cologne

    Expect plenty of local colour at this convivial, family-run beer hall attached to a brewery in business since 1858. It serves the popular Mühlen Kölsch…

More destinations you need to see