Fun and entertainment Berlin & Brandenbourg

This bar, named after Nick Cave's masterpiece, cultivates the atmosphere of a Wild West ghost town with its chic saloon style, decorated on the walls with eerie black-and-white^19th-century portraits, and with its round tables and high chairs all in dark-colored wood. The music ranges from blues and rock'n'roll to soul. On weekdays, the atmosphere is pleasant, the bar is quiet and the cocktails are excellent, if a little expensive. At weekends, the place is taken over by a slightly annoying golden youth.

In Weserstraße, the street of thirst in Neukölln, beers and long drinks reign supreme. The atmosphere is muffled, the music is soft, and the place is non-smoking, so this delicate wine bar is a particularly valuable address. The waiters give excellent advice and you can even buy bottles to take away, all perfectly selected by the sommeliers. The bar focuses on German wines from small regional wine producers, but you can also taste wines from the big wine regions like Italy or France.

Feel like shivering in David Lynch's Black Lodge? This Neukölln bar serves excellent cocktails in a setting that looks like the eerie red drapery room with a black and white striped floor from the iconic Twin Peaks series. Once inside, you'll be greeted by a muted atmosphere, dim lighting and ethereal music a la Angelo Badalamenti. Populated by a hipster fauna, the Black Lodge is an institution in the trendy Kreuzkölln district, on the edge of Kreuzberg and Neukölln.

This nice bar, opened under the S-Bahn tracks in 2015, is good news for Charlottenburg: you can finally listen to live jazz without paying an entrance fee (unlike the otherwise highly recommendable club A-Trane) while drinking excellent cocktails and long drinks, sitting along the counter. Jörn Henrich, a renowned German jazz bass player, ensures a very good quality program and presents the evening with all the necessary class... Every day of the week, at 9pm, it's time for the jam session.

One of the few "real" indie rock bars in Berlin, and in the neighborhood a fortiori. Handsome boys in black leather rub shoulders with smoky-eyed damsels, in a dark (the walls are painted all black) and very, very smoky atmosphere. On the wall are projected extracts from obscure films, with a preference for soft 1970s porn, while a DJ plays rare, cutting-edge records. A rock reference since the 2000s. Check back regularly for concert listings.

The cake counter of this lovely café, a meeting place for the inhabitants of Prenzlauer Berg for several decades, is impressive: chocolate, strawberry, apple, cream, almond and other cakes. It's a great place to read your newspaper with a good slice of Sachertorte (chocolate cake with apricot jam) or to brown out at the weekend. A large terrace allows you to spend very pleasant and quiet summer afternoons, just a few minutes walk from the lively bars of Eberswalder Straße.

Pink walls, a disco ball and fluorescent feather boas: welcome to the little queer den in the heart of Neukölln. The music is lively and everyone indulges in extravagance and flirtation in a spirit of openness and sexual tolerance. Politically committed to the LGBTQIA+ cause, the SilverFuture defends a free and relaxed Berlin night. Here, you don't take pictures with your cell phone to show off on social networks, it's forbidden: prefer to have your portrait taken with the small cardboard photo booth on the counter.

LIBER is an acronym for LIGUE D'IMPRO de BERLIN. This Berlin theater troupe is part of the tradition of Franco-German improvisation matches. It was launched in 2010 to improvise in French, German, Gromelot or Smurf. Once a month (on the third Sunday of the month), improvisation matches are organized at the ACUD Theater near Rosenthaler Platz. The creative, multilingual and highly visual performances are open to all. For Berliners as well as for visiting theatre lovers.

A little bit of exoticism in Berlin. Forget the trendy bars of Prenzlauer Berg and the snobbish DJs of Mitte for a while and take the time to enjoy a cocktail at the Bahamas Cocktailbar between two palm trees and feet in the sand. A nice list of cocktails at very attractive prices, a festive atmosphere and a warm welcome have made this place a favorite, especially among locals. The happy hour is almost crazy: between 5pm and 7:30pm, all cocktails are €5.50 every day of the week.

Once in Ostkreuz, one tends to follow the crowd to the streets full of bars in the neighbourhood. How about swimming against the current for a change? Head for the Markgrafendamm where you will find the Zukunkt ("future" in German), an interesting concept combining bar, cinema, theatre and concert, just that! Here you can enjoy a drink with friends with your feet in the sand or attend one of the many art performances. When the weather is nice, there is also the open-air cinema Pompeji and small festivals.

A cocktail, a soft sofa and an electro-house soundtrack, all in a subdued atmosphere, here you are in the best conditions to start a festive night in Friedrichshain. The Minimal Bar opens its doors all week long with an always tempting program. The place is suitable both for groups of friends who come to exchange a few drinks and for couples who want to enjoy an intimate atmosphere. A ping-pong table is also available, a good way to meet people, a beer in one hand and a snowshoe in the other.

The TiER is a bar shrouded in mystery. Why the name? And why a lowercase "i"? Cocktail names are full of references, especially cinematographic or literary. Inside, the decoration evokes a lounge of the 1970s, intellectual and smoker. Faithful to the bars of Neukölln, with an atmosphere that is both warm and underground, the TiER stands out for the quality and originality of its cocktails. The service, very professional, will know how to advise you. The prices are rather affordable, a must-do in your local pub-crawl.

This bar is a little wonder of Neukölln, a nice surprise in this quiet street. The walls are bare and the decoration is made of recup' (pallets, old wooden armchairs and tables, etc.). It's very comfortable and the light is dimmed, the classic recipe for a good Berlin-style bar in the neighbourhood. It serves excellent Espresso Martini at unbeatable prices and all kinds of cocktails. A table football is also available: in short, there is absolutely everything you need to make this place a nice and friendly place.

Willkommen im Dschungel! Welcome to the Jungle! Another original address in Neukölln with a wild and floral decoration. The tapestries depict forests. There are plants that come down from the ceiling and are reflected in the mirrors. In short, there are plants everywhere. The lighting is low, which creates a beautiful, intimate atmosphere. On the menu you will find many cocktails. Quiet during the week, the atmosphere is in full swing at weekends. An excellent spot for an early evening or for a pub-crawl in the neighbourhood.

RSO.Berlin is located in the cultural center Revier Südost, managed by the team behind the former techno club Griessmühle. While Griessmühle no longer exists, the center moved in 2020 to this new location formerly occupied by the Bärenquell brewery. The interior space has a real industrial, slightly edgy charm. The program is rather classic Berlin, neat techno music. In addition to the club, during the day the center has a cozy beer garden with an outdoor area, ideal for the summer.

A little gem for cocktail lovers. Located in the affiliated restaurant, Panama (which is also worth a visit), the Tiger Bar relies on local products and sustainable, waste-minimizing production. The mixologists are experts; fermenting, macerating, mixing, the methods are varied and the results creative and original. In addition to cocktails, a nice selection of natural wines and craft beers is also offered. Ideal for a small aperitif before settling in for dinner in Panama.

This "barn" is a temple dedicated to coffee. You can revel in its flavors in an almost monastic atmosphere. Contrary to many Berlin establishments, children are not so welcome (too noisy), neither are computers (too harmful). Here you can enjoy a good cup of coffee - a real break from the hustle and bustle. The decoration, mainly made of wood, reminds us of this return to simple things, to nature. For coffee lovers. Further addresses: Auguststraße 58, Kufürstendamm 18, Friedelstraße 27...

A nightclub in Kreuzberg rather hip-hop (something rather rare in Berlin). There is also electro and commercial music. It's an original club - somewhere between the bar and the nightclub - in an old swimming pool. By the way, the bar is in a tiled pool if you look closely. The clientele is young, wealthy and tireless, and the atmosphere is relaxed. The inner courtyard allows you to get some fresh air for a moment and also serves as a Biergarten, where even barbecue evenings are organised in the summer.

Built on the Spree, it is a real political approach that Kater Blau proposes, in response to the projects of Mediaspree (a large building complex that modernizes the district and dislodges all the mythical clubs). Kater Blau has established itself as an institution of Berlin's nightlife. With a programme that is always at the cutting edge of the best on the electro scene, the club itself has a dazzling outdoor space right on the waterfront! A victim of its own success, the queue is often long, so you have to be patient.

If there's one alternative Berlin venue, somewhere between a squat and a club, that's resisting the city's political and land pressures, it's the Golden Gate. Here, since time immemorial (at least before the big clubs that made Berlin's reputation), the Golden Gate has been an unmissable alternative venue in Mitte. Outside on the terrace, inside it's a good sound system for cutting-edge minimal. A small dance floor, a chilling room next door, cheap drinks. In short, a concentrate of real Berlin. It's an unusual place, under the S-Bahn.

Hidden - under the Friedrichstraße underground - and discreet - no sign, but a door and a doorbell - the Tausend has nevertheless made a name for itself in recent years. It is the meeting place for fashion weeks, fashionable people, advertising and a few well-connected outsiders. It must be said that the door is not always easy and that it's the style that prevails to enter this speakeasy that reminds us of the years of prohibition in the US. A long bar, where jazz and flamenco are played as well as a smoky room filled with the most hype in Berlin.

The Treasure is a survivor who has moved many times during his long career, which began in the 1990s. The former legendary temple of techno now resides in a former thermal power station on Köpenicker Straße and now mainly welcomes students from Berlin and its suburbs for 100% techno, minimal or house nights. If it is less hype than the Berghain, its DJs are good and its space is absolutely impressive, especially the very large room with its industrial style and its mythical tunnel.

This bar perched above the waters of the Landwehrkanal (where the Turkish market begins) is best known for its disco club parties on Thursdays, when it is packed to the brim with local students. The atmosphere can also quickly get wild on Saturday nights. The rest of the time, it's a good, quiet place to have a drink in the early evening or a coffee and a bite to eat after a stroll through the Turkish market on Tuesday and Friday afternoons. The place is original and offers a very pleasant setting with a beautiful view of the swans on the canal.

On Schlesische Straße, next to Café Wendel, it's hard not to notice this bar tucked away in a vast warehouse. With its high ceilings and small mezzanine, L.U.X.(Leiseste Unterhaltung XBerg) offers a highly varied program. Open mic, acoustic evenings (Wednesdays), rock or electro disco, anything goes. On weekends, the place is packed into the wee hours of the morning for offbeat evenings like Soap.

Small French bar in the famous Simon-Dach-Straße, the street of Friedrichshain where bars, pubs and restaurants line up (and which has become far too touristy for our taste). Place Clichy was once the favorite spot for French expats and students in Friedrichshain, and was once the favorite spot of the all-Berlin underground. The glory hour is a little past, but this bar remains one of the pleasant places to meet in the neighbourhood to have a glass of wine, a beer, or even, from time to time, to take part in a bingo game!

This 1900's bar is like a dinosaur in this changing neighbourhood and all the stalls are in constant turnover. In Polish, Mysliwska means "hunter's bar". You are quickly plunged into another universe. Couples kiss each other in the back, the music is strange, a kind of experimental electro folk, and when we arrive at 4am, we realize that we wouldn't want to be anywhere else. If you can't stand Berlin's trendy bars and are looking for an authentic address, the Myslinska is for you.

For all coffee lovers, this little espresso bar is one of the must-see addresses. The coffees are carefully prepared and roasted on site. The prices are certainly above average but the quality is there and the place is not lacking in charm. If you want to relive the experience at home, there is a shop on the website where you can buy the best coffees from Brazil, Peru or Ethiopia. Bonanza also has another coffee shop in Kreuzberg, Adalbertstraße 70.

Once one of the most prominent bars on Oranienstraße, Luzia has lost some of its splendour. It has to be said that this café-bar no longer has much of the alternative Kreuzberg. Cocktails cost around 10 €, the music can quickly become too loud and the presence of bouncers at the entrance can be surprising. But the Luzia continues to charm us with its candlelight, simple furniture and golden walls. The Luzia remains a good address where you can enjoy a drink with friends in the early evening.

A deli that imports the best espresso bar recipes from Seattle. As can be seen from the beautiful Gaggia machine and the various coffees on offer: Costa Rica, Mexico, Peru, Kenya, Guatemala..., this brand wants to offer the best possible coffee in Berlin. Homemade bagels with all kinds of toppings: peanut butter, cream cheese... Taste the cinnamon-raisin, exquisite! The many cakes (chocolate, lemon, cheesecake, etc.) and cupcakes made on site and displayed in the shop window are a feast for the eyes and taste buds.

Kreuzberg is full of trendy brunch spots, serving poached eggs and avocado toast. Fortunately, at Annelies you won't find anything like that. The menu is rather minimalist and changes according to the season, but the dishes are creative and very aesthetic. If the pancakes (savory or sweet) are the café's star dishes, the revelation is the scrambled eggs covered with smoked egg yolk on a slice of sourdough bread. Be prepared to wait in line, the café is a neighborhood favorite and does not take reservations.

A tiny gay-friendly coffee shop at Whether Allee and Dantzgierstrasse, right in front of the Suspendu Strasse underground tube. Friendly atmosphere, original garden (coffee bags and coffee makers). Excellent pastries.

The gay institution of the Kottbusser Tor, in the heart of the Kreuzberg district, is always full to bursting no matter what night you go. It's the ransom of its success. Make your way through the crowd, order a delicious draught Polish beer and enjoy the scenery. Family pictures, Santa Claus skeletons, 1970s design lamps in the middle of candlesticks, doll legs sticking out of the ceiling. A truly unusual setting for a friendly bar. Tuesdays are lesbian nights.

Since 1975, Quasimodo has been a true institution. Very sunny, its terrace attracts the whole neighbourhood until late at night and, when the weather is not suitable, the large glass room takes over. In short, it's not just a café, it's a meeting place and a transit point to the jazz club or the adjoining cinema. In a cinephile atmosphere and imbued with blues, between Keith Haring's posters, Berliners indulge in their favourite occupation: drinking beer or Weinschorle, while remaking the world!

Run by the same team as the renowned Szimpla Kert in Budapest, this concert hall in a RAW-Gelände orange-brick building has something to charm the young and not-so-young of the neighbourhood with its extraordinary décor: large stage, coffee tables and secret garden. A very eclectic programme with numerous hip-hop jam sessions, rock concerts of all kinds, film screenings, dance classes and acoustic concerts. The Badehaus has smoking and non-smoking rooms to suit everyone.

In the former offices of the Czech airline CSA, this pretty, upscale cocktail bar has long been a haunt for fashion, film and advertising people. Less fashionable today, it's more touristy and the atmosphere is a bit stilted... But you will still be able to enjoy the delicious cocktails à la carte and the cream-coloured decor which oscillates between the retro and the ultramodern. Here we are a little out of time, somewhere between the 1960s and today, between Berlin, Prague and Warsaw...

Here's a cocktail bar with an unusual concept: drinks and assorted snacks are served. All the products used are from the German-speaking world: no cinnamon, chocolate or lemon. The decor has something of the elegance of the 1970s, with its instagrammable pink hues, all in a very girly , photogenic atmosphere. The cocktails are surprising, and some are even prepared with parmesan cheese, like the "Funky Fresa". The name refers to the homemade popcorn served with the delicious cocktails.

This former bar and concert hall popular with Berlin's trendy youth closed its doors after thirteen years to transform itself into a veritable cultural space relocated to a Berliner Union Film lot in Tempelhof. Continuing the bar's musical tradition but without the service and drinking aspect, das Hotel Radio is now devoted entirely to the creative arts, recording a series of concerts and live shows by Berlin artists to keep the heart of Berlin's cultural scene alive.

The scarcity of bars that give pride of place to lesbian visibility makes it essential to mention this nice café-bar in Kreuzberg. Apart from the Thursday evening, which is reserved for queer women, the Oya is open to everyone. Oya is at the same time a café, a bar, a place of sociability and a committed collective: its events are queer-feminist, anti-racist and rooted in the social reality of the neighbourhood. During the day, it also serves vegetarian and/or vegan cuisine. In the evening, it's more of a pub atmosphere. An excellent address.

Potsdam is a student city, unfortunately too close to Berlin. A large proportion of its students choose to live in Berlin and commute there every day. Therefore, there is not the student atmosphere that you can experience in other small German cities. The cafe-bar 11-Line is an exception. It's a small, friendly bar like you'll find in Berlin, with its unusual furniture. In the afternoon you can come here for coffee and cake, a snack, a beer in the evening or a board game.