10 Great Cocktail Bars In Berlin, Germany
Since the fall of the Berlin Wall back in 1989, Germany’s unified capital city has changed in so many ways. One sign of Berlin’s cosmopolitan resurgence: an astonishingly vibrant cocktail scene. All across this booming city of 3.5 million, the thirsty traveler will find vast spirits selections and meticulous cocktails. While Berlin has experienced an excessive proliferation of speakeasy-style bars with doorbells and hidden storefronts, a long-tired trend in the U.S. and elsewhere, the versions here thankfully lack the same high level of pretension, not to mention the excessive prices often found in cocktail meccas like London. Quirky Berliner humor and prototypical German precision ensure many superb bars where you can have a quality cocktail for less than $15 U.S. Here are ten of our favorites:
Fragrances and the Curtain Club at the Ritz-Carlton Berlin , Tiergarten
In the main lobby of the Ritz-Carlton, the Curtain Club is a completely different experience, but no less wonderful. Where Fragrances is reverent and removed, Curtain Club’s long bar, dark woods and fat armchairs buzz with locals and travelers enjoying live music around the grand piano. Heissen and his talented team of international bartenders keep the vibe playful with an only-in-Berlin sense of humor and the most engaging presentation of a classic Blue Blazer cocktail anywhere set to music (the lights go down and each bartender has a unique song and interpretation of the flaming 1800s drink). As at Fragrances, Heissen’s cocktails are as intriguing as they are balanced, inspired by unique aromatics and essential oils he collects at the bar. Case in point: Vetiver Garden lets the grassy, stone notes of mezcal shine, illuminated by Fukuyu yuzu sake, lemon, vetiver essential oil and egg white. Curtain Club is also the only bar in town to house every variety of the rare Stählemühle schnapps, produced by the distiller of famed Monkey 47 Gin, from coriander to Japanese mint. The Ritz-Carlton Berlin, Potsdamer Platz 3, 10785 Berlin
Famed for its appearance in Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds, the old mansion that houses the three-room, oak-paneled Lebensstern is a spirits’ lover’s heaven and easily one of the best bars in the world (located upstairs from Cafe Einstein). Glowing cabinets, surrounded by cushy armchairs and couches, are packed with insane rarities, including more than 600 kinds of rum, around 500 whiskies and 200 gins, from China to the Middle East — a stockpile that rivals the unreal spirits collections commonly found in Tokyo. There are tasting flights in numerous spirits categories, from rhum agricole to German gins, with many bottles decades old. Classic cocktails dominate, set to indoor smoking and live jazz. Entered after ringing a doorbell on massive front steps and being escorted upstairs, the elegant space appeals to drink aficionados and history buffs alike. An evening here feels like being blissfully lost in another world and time. Kurfürstenstraße 58,10785 Berlin, +49-30-263 91 922
Le Croco Bleu, Prenzlauer Berg
There are a handful of Berlin bars that feel like a time warp, and Le Croco Bleu is one of them, opened by Paris Bar and Rum Trader barman Gregor Scholl. Trying to find the bar, which is hidden in the former Bötzow Brewery just off busy Prenzlauer Allee, feels like walking into some abandoned, futuristic world. But once you step inside, you enter a wonderland of piping and brickwork — one that feels like a 1930s supper club set in a faux tropical island getaway, complete with greenery and a large stuffed crocodile, with crooners serenading you from the speakers. Servers in black ties and white coats bring cocktails on trays (generally ranging from €9 to €18), including dreamy creations like a Yuzu Mai Tai, combining Bacardi 8 year and Appleton V/X rums with yuzu, dry orange curaçao and lemon, topped with a yuzu-almond espuma (foam). It’s sheer magic, a place to dress up and linger. Prenzlauer Allee 242, 10405 Berlin, +49 151 582 478 04
Berlin’s oldest cocktail bar, Rum Trader, is virtually unchanged since opening in 1976 but feels more like stepping into Berlin’s glory days in the 1930s, complete with big band jazz softly playing in the closet-sized space. There is a buzzer on the door, but it is best to call ahead as the smoke-filled space can barely fit two dozen patrons. This bar, run by the eccentric Gregor Scholl (also of Le Croco Bleu), is for the dedicated cocktail aficionado, those willing to give respect to the experience, one that ultimately is rife with romance, a place where time stops. As you sip a classic agricole rhum Ti Punch, or a neat pour of 20-year Dictador rum, you realize this is a slice of history, a one-of-a-kind bar that epitomizes jazz age Berlin. Fasanenstraße 40, 10719 Berlin, +49 30 8811428
Californians and produce-driven cocktail fans will feel right at home at Redwood Bar, thanks to its West Coast proprietors (owner Kevin Brown is from Sacramento, bar manager Shawn Beck from San Francisco). But so will anyone craving a laid-back bar, a barrel-aged cocktail (a rarity in Berlin) or well-made classics, listed on a flavor spectrum, like “dry” (El Presidente, Vesper, Boulevardier, Calvados Cocktail) or “sweet” (Negroni, Hanky Panky, Manhattan, Vieux Carre). In keeping with its California roots, the bar itself is a striking redwood tree slab, and the staff head to a nearby farmers’ market daily for fresh produce, utilized in the cocktail of the day and featured drinks. Go the fresh route with the likes of a Maypole, mixing gin, lemon, strawberry, basil and chili tincture, or go boozy-bracing with a Constantinople, combining rye whiskey, coffee, cardamom and old-fashioned bitters. Bergstraße 25, 10115 Berlin, +49 30 70248813
Think Old West saloon in a dim, seductive, old-timey space, and you’ll start to picture the allure of Stagger Lee, named after the oft-covered folk song. There is a doorbell, but you can see right into the bar, so it doesn’t feel exclusive so much as laid-back. The wood-lined cocktail parlor is marked by saloon doors, antique lamps and a piano. American whiskies and tunes set the tone, while bartenders are equally adept with the other dominant spirit on the menu: tequila. Sipping a Margot, a refreshing combination of Aperol, sweet vermouth, soda and Sudtiroler Wacholderschnaps, you might just wish this were your neighborhood bar. Nollendorfstraße 27, 10777 Berlin, +49 30 29036158
Becketts Kopf, Prenzlauer Berg
Hidden speakeasy Becketts Kopf (translating to Beckett’s Head) has been one of Berlin’s revered bars for more than a decade, drawing many a bartender to move to the city to work here, as evidenced by the international staff. It’s best to call ahead to see if there is seating in the two-room space (no standing around allowed, with one room for smokers). To enter, press the buzzer next to an illuminated photograph of Irish novelist Samuel Beckett, the bar’s namesake. Menus hide inside Beckett’s books, but the accommodating staff can easily go off-menu, pulling from the venue’s highly curated spirits selection. After talking German schnapps, the staff served me a Forrest cocktail, mixing Old Bardstown bourbon infused with rosemary and one of a couple rare bottles of the aforementioned Stählemühle schnaps, a schnapps aromatic with pine and leaves. Pappelallee 64, 10437 Berlin, +49 162 2379418
Schwarze Traube, Kreuzberg
Though some bemoan the hipper-than-thou staff and exclusivity of speakeasy-esque Schwarze Traube — and the experience does require some patience and time to wait for custom drinks — here, drinks are unique and tasty. Bartenders seem to keep to themselves until approaching you to discuss your preferences to create a custom cocktail. One of a few intriguing drinks customized for me was made with a local German gin, Ferdinand’s Saar Quince, mixed with Campari, cardamom, lime, muscat grapes and Ferdinand’s Rubinette Apple Lemon Thyme Bitters, with fresh nutmeg grated on top. Wrangelstraße 24, 10997 Berlin, +49 30 23135569
Buck and Breck (named after the former U.S. president James Buchanan and his vice president, John Breckinridge) is yet another speakeasy-style spot with an art gallery front. B & B only seats 14 people around one large bar that takes up the whole room. But unlike many of the classic cocktail–heavy speakeasy bars around Berlin , this one is set to a hip-hop soundtrack, with bartenders in T-shirts and baseball caps and patrons smoking around the bar. It’s a seductive setting and an easy place to make friends over well-crafted but not fussy cocktails. Reservations recommended. Brunnenstraße 177, 10119 Berlin, +49 176 32315507
Though Bar Amano cocktail prices run high (€13 to €15), and the somewhat stuffy hotel bar space isn’t exactly uplifting (especially if you’d rather skip the clubby weekend DJ atmosphere), the rooftop bar and views are inspiring, allowing guests to gaze out over the Berlin skyline. The artful menu is like a history of America via cocktails, and not everything works, but creative combinations can sing, expressing the culinary side of cocktails. Case in point: El Conejo Muerto, a bright, savory blend of Marca Negra Espadin Mezcal, carrot curry syrup, house celery bitters, lime and orange peel. Auguststraße 43, 10119 Berlin, +49 30 8094150
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The New York Times
May 24, 2017
Within one minute of being seated at Buck and Breck, a cocktail bar in Berlin, I was asked if I wanted an ashtray. It was a shocking offer for a resident of smoking-ban New York. Ashtray? Smoking? I had looked around. Yes, smokers were there, smokers with personal ashtrays.
Indeed, during a recent four-day bar crawl through Berlin, I left most bars smelling of cigarettes, a sensation that both my dry cleaner and I had almost forgotten. Smoking is one of several ways that the city’s cocktail scene, while thriving and full of choice, retains roots in the past. And it does have a past. Berlin doesn’t get as much press as other havens of modern mixology like New York, San Francisco and London, but several of its most prominent bars are as old or older than their counterparts in those cities.
Buck and Breck, while probably the Berlin cocktail den with the most international name recognition, is actually a bit of a newcomer. Its hard-to-find door opened in 2010, and it is about as Berlin-ish as you could imagine. It’s stark, but chic; austere, but casual; serious, but hip. The bar, with its nice clean lines, is poised in the front room in such a way that the bartender can’t help but be the center of attention.
Not that you will have much to do with the person making your drinks. Attentive servers act as your conduit. The bartender — a muscular man in a black T-shirt the night I went — has no time to talk. He has work to do, pulling from two wells full of bottles with color-coded necks and eyeballing his pours with great accuracy.
From the menu of classic and original cocktails, I tried an Ohio (a kind of rye manhattan topped with Champagne), a Beuser and Angus Special (a sort of chartreuse sour) and a Twin Lions (which contains bourbon and Scotch). Each was flawless.
Gonçalo de Sousa Monteiro, the owner of Buck and Breck, once worked at Victoria Bar, a long space with a high ceiling and a bar so long that you could bowl on it. The classic-cocktail-bar look of Victoria Bar is offset by modern art on the walls. It’s an aesthetic juxtaposition common to many of the city’s cocktail bars, a reflection of Berlin’s mix of history and modernity.
The drinks menu, bound in red leather, contains hundreds of choices, including several that were invented at Victoria Bar. White-jacketed bartenders will guide you through the maze of options. I settled on the Boi Portugues, an intriguing aperitif cocktail made of dry port, Campari, vermouth and bitters.
Older than Buck and Breck is Green Door. The door is green, as advertised, and the color motif extends inside. As at many Berlin bars, you have push a buzzer to gain entrance. The room looks like a scene designer’s vision of a classic cocktail lounge: long, narrow, slightly Art Deco, dimly lit and filled with well-behaved people. My chosen drink, the suave Velvet Cordon, made of gin and fir needle cordial, seemed a perfect liquid companion to the surroundings.
To get a fuller sense of Berlin history, there is Bar Lebensstern, on the second floor of a 19th-century villa that escaped Allied bombing during World War II. The house was owned by a Jewish couple but was seized by Joseph Goebbels, who installed in it an actress who was his mistress. The beautiful interior is made up of many rooms, each with red walls and filled with cabinets holding rare, expensive spirits. The menu features a Ranglum, a modern rum drink created by Mr. de Sousa Monteiro that is a local favorite. The bartender told me that most “better cocktail bars” knew how to make it. His was one of them.
Stagger Lee, in contrast, doesn’t give a hoot about Berliner history. It’s done up like the well-upholstered parlor in a high-quality bordello in an American frontier town. Swinging doors lead to the restrooms. The menu focuses on classics, but with a house twist: Lee’s Boulevardier, Stagger’s Mai Tai and so on.
The ghostly image of Samuel Beckett’s face in a window is the only indication of Becketts Kopf’s location. The darkened bar is filled with deep armchairs ripe for deep discussions, and the menus are tucked inside of out-of-print copies of a German translation of a book on Beckett written by the American theater critic Mel Gussow.
If the place has a sense of humor about itself, it’s so dry as to be imperceptible. After entering, I was asked if I had a reservation. I looked around at the near-deserted bar. Were all the seats reserved? “No,” the young bartender said. “But there is a reservation at 11.” It was 7 p.m. I sat down.
All chilliness was forgiven, however, upon first sip. The laconic bartender bent over his work, and the care he took showed in the excellent results. All were accompanied by an exceedingly small glass of water, another peculiar earmark of Berlin cocktail bars.
The ultimate exemplar of Berliner bar quirkiness, however, has to be Rum Trader. The bunkerlike storefront, on a quiet corner in a residential neighborhood, offers no indication of the unique lunacy within. About the size of a key-making shop, it has maybe 12 seats. The single table was occupied by four cigar-puffing men. Soft jazz played. The bartender inquired if I wanted a rum drink or a gin drink. When I said rum, I got a Hemingway daiquiri. When I said gin, I got something with gin, lemon juice and crème de cassis.
At the bar, a garrulous man nursed a blood and sand. “The are no cellphones here,” he said. “You’re not on the clock. You’re here for talk.” And talk (and talk) he did.
Within its four walls, Rum Trader felt completely cut off from the rest of Berlin, or the world for that matter. It is a love-it-or-leave-it kind of place. I kind of loved it for its insistently odd attitude. But after two drinks, I was ready to leave it. I kept the smoke for a souvenir.
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Fragrances
The bar Fragrances will be closed until mid-January 2018. The "House of Fragrances" trolley with 18 aromatic fragrances will be available at The Curtain Club for all our guests who do not want to miss these special cocktails.
For inquiries from 20 persons
Embrace an adventure for the senses at an innovative Berlin bar, where perfumes and cocktails harmoniously combine to offer unrivaled sensory experiences. Inhale the fragrances of Giorgio Armani, Bulgari, Guerlain and other world-famous perfumes while imbibing artfully crafted cocktails in a stylish setting designed to enchant the spirit.
The Curtain Club
Monday to Sunday
Live piano music from Wednesday to Saturday from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.
For inquiries from 20 persons
Behind the elegant drapes alongside the sumptuous lobby of The Ritz-Carlton, Berlin, you will discover The Curtain Club, a wonderfully uncommon Berlin bar. Inside, mahogany woods, leather chairs and marble-topped tables wrap guests in old-school luxury. Cocktail lovers will rejoice over expressive flavors and fine ingredients served amid a genteel ambiance that includes a crackling fireplace and glass-topped baby grand piano.
The Best Craft Cocktail Bars in Berlin
If one were to write a history of cocktails in the twentieth century, Berlin might not even get a mention. While Paris has Harry’s New York Bar and London has the American Bar at The Savoy, Berlin has remained on the sidelines—a city of cafes, beer halls and dance clubs rather than Martinis and Manhattans. However, in the first decades of the 21st century bars devoted to well-mixed cocktails have taken root in Berlin; and while they may not be indigenous to the city, they appear to be flourishing in their new surroundings. Berlin now boasts a number of excellent spots where bartenders have one eye on Jerry Thomas’s Bartender’s Guide and the other on the future will prepare classics, remixes and new inventions with assurance and style.
There is also more than a hint of old-world glamour and decadence in Berlin’s cocktail scene. Many of the bars are hidden away in unexpected locations, and while it can be difficult to find a decent cocktail before six in the evening, few bars enforce a strict closing time, remaining open until the last satisfied customers have staggered out the door. – Jesse Simon
Special Note: Depending on your feelings about the relationship between tobacco and alcohol, you may be delighted or dismayed to discover that, due to some loophole in EU law, virtually all of the cocktail bars in Berlin allow smoking. Most are well ventilated, but if you’re very sensitive to smoke, you may wish to limit your cocktail drinking to the summer months, when some of the bars offer outdoor seating.
Bar Marqués
The tapas-themed Restaurant Marqués, located in Kreuzberg’s Graefekiez, isn’t exactly hidden, but you might not suspect that its basement contains a small, very civilized cocktail bar. However the cosy Bar Marqués, with its waistcoated bartender and low-lit décor, is a pearl of refinement hiding in a once-edgy, now middle class residential neighborhood. Just don’t ask for a menu; there isn’t one. The bartender is your friend here. Let him know what you like and he'll mix you something to your liking.
- craft cocktails
Becketts Kopf
The name means "Beckett’s Head"—as in Samuel Beckett—and you’ll have to look for his iconic face if you want to locate the entrance to this intimate cocktail bar in Prenzlauer Berg. Although the tastefully decorated room may be one of the smallest in town, all you need is a stool or two by the bar to enjoy a selection of cocktails that range from the time-honored to newer more adventurous creations, like the Rashomon, which mixes gin and sake with a touch of cream. The selection of individual spirits may not be as exhaustive as in some bars, but it’s always well-curated and they keep a selection of cigars on hand, .
- craft cocktails
Buck and Breck
This small cocktail bar—which recently earned the distinction of best bar in Germany at the Mixology awards—has a devoted following among those who know how to find it. Although it is located along a major street in Mitte, just north of busy Rosenthaler Platz, you might end up walking past what appears to be an abandoned shop front. Behind the unmarked door awaits an ultra-minimalist interior featuring a single table with fourteen stools built around a modest bar area. The menu—which, in the spirit of Milk & Honey, follows the "bartender knows best" model—offers a reasonably small selection of modified classics, but .
- craft cocktails
Le Croco Bleu
While many of Berlin’s cocktail bars look to the first half of the 20th century for inspiration, Le Croco Bleu—located in the newly redeveloped Bötzow brewery complex in Prenzlauer Berg and masterminded by Gregor Scholl, the legendary bartender of Rum Trader—has its sights set firmly on the future. Their menu of signature cocktails has a daring, experimental edge with traditional spirits sitting next to less common ingredients, such as yuzu, thyme and absinthe fairy floss (imagine cotton candy made with a not-so-secret ingredient). The decor, a combination of mid-century button-leather stools and old industrial .
- craft cocktails
Galander Charlottenburg
You would be forgiven for walking right past the Charlottenburg incarnation of Galander. Located on a once-sketchy but now forgettable stretch of Stuttgarter Platz, the narrow bar with its dark wood and ornate copper-plate interior exudes the kind of classic cocktail bar elegance you wouldn’t expect to find on a street that faces onto the city’s main east-west elevated rail line. But while the S-bahn rolls by in the distance, one can sip a wide assortment of classic and neo-classic cocktails, either on a stool at the bar or in one of the leather armchairs in the small, chandeliered back room. And although the drinks .
- craft cocktails
Galander Kreuzberg
On a quiet leafy street, several blocks from the genteel buzz of Bergmannstraße, Galander is the sort of apparition from another era that every traveller dreams of finding when wandering the city without a map. Situated in a building that housed a neighborhood bar at the beginning of the 20th century, the cozy, inviting interior is made up of a mixture of wood, amber and candlelight. After you’ve taken your seat at the bar (or at one of the intimate tables in the back), the knowledgeable, waistcoated barmen exhibit a humble devotion to preparing your drink exactly the way you want it. Other bars in town may have .
- craft cocktails
Green Door
There’s a sign outside, but the door—green, obviously—is locked. Ringing the doorbell activates a light in the bar, and if any one of the staff sees it, they might come and let you in. But don’t let the uncertainty put you off: once you’ve passed the admittance test, you’re free to enjoy some of Berlin’s most skillfully mixed cocktails in one of the most stylish rooms in town. While the menu offers a few house specialties and clever twists, the focus is primarily on 20th-century classics, prepared with high quality ingredients. Much of the interior is taken up by the long, dark wood bar—there are a few stools against .
- craft cocktails
Lebenstern
Climb the marble stairs to the upper floor of this 19th-century villa—which somehow managed to survive the allied bombings that devastated much of the area—and you will discover a series of pleasingly proportioned rooms furnished with leather armchairs and lined with locked glass cabinets filled with spirits. Lebenstern has all the splendor of a well-appointed drawing room, and their menu exhibits a similar refinement, with tasteful twists on old classics, a fine selection of champagne cocktails and a satisfying array of different gin and tonics. Thematically selected spirit flights are also available for those who .
- craft cocktails
- historic
At Limondier the simple contemporary interior is augmented by enough small details (a typewriter, an antique lamp, old photos and newspaper clippings) to give it a retro feel that's difficult to place. Their cocktail menu follows suit with a mixture of early-20th-century classics (Aviation, Manhattan) and more experimental offerings employing a range of unconventional ingredients (pickle juice, rosemary syrup). They also have a reasonable selection of spirits—including absinthe, served according to the traditional ritual—and a pleasingly diverse assortment of tonics to accompany your gin. The menu changes two or three .
- craft cocktails
Situated in the quiet residential buffer between busy Winterfeldtplatz and middle-class Akazienkiez, Salut offers tasteful decor, a relaxed speakeasy vibe and some of the best cocktails in Berlin.
- craft cocktails
Stagger Lee
Although it is located in the heart of Berlin’s thriving gay area, Nollendorfstraße—the street that Christopher Isherwood once called home—can get pretty quiet after the shops close their shutters for the evening. But a late and boozy night can still be found at Stagger Lee. This western-themed cocktail bar has been a consistently popular fixture of Schöneberg’s cocktail scene for the past several years. Their signature cocktails—many based around American whiskeys—pack an indisputable punch, and the smokey, Wild West ambiance is like nowhere else in Berlin. If you’re looking for somewhere that will turn a nightcap .
- craft cocktails
Victoria Bar
Situated between a sketchy pawn shop and Berlin’s legendary Wintergarten, the Victoria Bar offers a slice of refinement along a street that has long been infamous for its nightlife. The narrow space—with high ceilings and tastefully minimalist furnishings, accented with some intriguing art—is dominated by a long bar where as many as eight bartenders in white dress shirts and black ties prepare cocktails from an impressively broad menu. Most of the classic drinks from within the whisk(e)y, gin and rum families—in addition to familiar highballs—are represented, and all are prepared with a deference to established .
Berlin Cocktail Guide
Antlered Bunny
Aunt Benny – the cosy café on a corner of Traveplatz – transformed their dinky office into the intimate Antlered Bunny a couple of years ago, and since then its been at the forefront of Friedrichshain’s craft cocktail scene. Bar manager Damian Guichard takes his place behind the tiny bar surrounded by an outrageous selection of gins and whiskies on the back wall, and homemade bitters and syrups on the bar. Try his excellent Eastern Dawn which blends gin, sake (from Friedrichshain’s Sake Kontor, no less), sweet vermouth, maraschino cherry juice, Peychaud’s Bitters and a quick dash of absinthe. Since there’s only enough seating for 15 thirsty souls at the bar (no standing allowed), it’s best to get there early.
• Oder Strasse 7, Friedrichshain, Facebook, open Tue-Fri 6pm – 2am Sat-Sun 12pm-2am.
Becketts Kopf
It’s unmarked save for an eerily glowing photograph of Samuel Beckett in the window, so you’ll need to ring a doorbell to gain access to this Prenzlauer Berg bar. Inside are two elegant, dimly lit rooms (one reserved for smokers) with low tables and chesterfield sofas. The comprehensive drinks list – ensconced between the pages of a Beckett tome – is divided into sections such as fresh and funky, and herbal and floral, and always features seasonal specials. The ice is hand-cut, and staff are happy to tailor-make drinks for the undecided. Absinthe fans may wish to sample the bar’s take on the classic Monkey’s Gland, made with English marmalade.
• Pappelallee 64, Prenzlauer Berg, 0162 237 9418, becketts-kopf.de. Open Tues-Sun from 8pm
Bryk Bar’s mission is simple: to bring back aperitifs. To do this they’ve created an menu of wine and vermouth based drinks which can be paired with interesting nibbles, like their popcorn with dill. The leather armchairs and vintage wooden furniture create a sophisticated ambiance, and the staff can knock up a mean cocktail too. While there are a couple of well-known classics on their cocktail menu, most of the drinks – and their memorable titles – are the bar’s own creative inventions; try the Oily Bondage For Beginners and you’ll realise that whisky and Guinness syrup were made for each other.
• Ryke Strasse 18, Prenzlauer Berg, 030 3810 0165, bryk-bar.com, open Tue-Sun from 7pm
Buck and Breck
The newest and most low-key of Berlin’s cocktail spots, this tiny black room, named after former American president James Buchanan and his vice-president, John Breckinridge, occupies a prime location in Mitte. It’s disguised as an art gallery from the outside – the sole window is usually blocked out with crates or quirky decor – and the dark interior has enough room for just 14 people, seated around a large, square bar (no standing allowed). Owners Gonçalo de Sousa Monteiro and Holger Groll churn out exquisite drinks such as the eponymous house special: a tasty, muscular mix of cognac, bitters, absinthe and champagne, from a small but perfectly formed menu that’s heavy on the arcane and historical. Reservations recommended.
• Brunnenstrasse 177, Mitte, no telephone, buckandbreck.com. Open daily from 8pm
Green Door
Tucked away in bohemian Schöneberg, the chosen stomping ground for everyone from Christopher Isherwood to David Bowie over the years, Green Door is a veteran “locals” spot that takes its drinking seriously. Owner and playwright Fritz Müller-Scherz opened the bar 15 years ago to promote what he calls “the power of positive drinking”. Hiding behind the rudimentary green sign and nondescript curtains lurks a kitsch interior that’s all gingham wallpaper, 70s framed photos and a dog mascot that rests on the bar. The cocktail list is impressively long, features specials every month and includes the bar’s eponymous signature drink, a mix of champagne, lemon, sugar, and mint.
• Winterfeldtstrasse 50, Schöneberg, 030 215 2515, greendoor.de. Open Sun-Thurs 6pm-3am, Fri-Sat 6pm-4am (happy hour 6pm-9pm)
Newton Bar
With its characteristic red-leather seats and imposing 18ft photographs of stiletto-heeled nudes, this classic cocktail bar bows deeply to renowned fashion photographer Helmut Newton. The upmarket atmosphere is emphasised by heavy oak tables and a lavish, colourful bar that serves up a wealth of distinguished drinks: superbly mixed classics like Manhattans and Martinis as well as “city specials” such as the Metropolis Berlin, which features Jägermeister, and the Shanghai, which has lychee and plum. There are also direct views on to the Gendarmenmarkt through large picture windows. Expect to mingle with businessmen, fashionistas and well-heeled tourists. An upstairs cigar lounge is available for private tête-à-têtes.
• Charlottenstrasse 57, Mitte, 030 202 9540, newton-bar.de. Open Sun-Thurs 10am-3am, Fri-Sat 10am-4am
Reingold’s 1930s speakeasy theme is supported by a cast of bartenders with slicked-back hair, braces and cigarette lighters at the ready. Frequented by office workers, hipsters and local barflies, the long, narrow room has amber-painted walls, a giant mural of Thomas Mann’s children Klaus and Erika, and some German bar snacks for peckish punters. The soundtrack switches between swing and Motown and the staff are well-schooled in classics, as well as seasonal drinks: the One in a Million is a fruity-herby blend of aged Indian rum, fresh lime, rosemary, pineapple juice and vanilla liqueur, and the Chocolate Agavioni tweaks the classic Negroni cocktail by blending 100% agave tequila blanco with campari, sweet vermouth and chocolate liqueur.
• Novalisstrasse 11, Mitte, 030 2838 7676, reingold.de. Open Tues-Sat 7pm-4am
Schwarze Traube
Another knock-to-enter, speakeasy-style venue, Schwarze Traube is one of the comfiest cocktail bars in town. There’s dark wallpapers and birdcages and a purposeful lack of menu; simply tell the staff what kinds of spirits and flavours you’re in the mood for and they’ll suggest you a winner. If you’re lucky to have owner (and 2013’s World Class Bartender of The Year) Atalay Aktas behind the bar, ask for his signature drink; his My Destiny (rosemary and thyme infused Kettel One Vodka, fresh lime juice, agave syrup and ground black pepper) is an example of the bar’s holistic cocktail style.
• Wrangel Strasse 24, Kreuzberg, 030 2313 5569, Facebook, open daily from 7pm
Stagger Lee
Ring the doorbell to enter into this quirky bar, which aims to transport guests back to a time of gold diggin’ gun slingers. With a faux bear skin on the wall, saloon doors, a huge antique till and blues and jitterbug tinkling from the sound system, Stagger Lee is in reality more ‘upmarket saloon’ than rough and ready cowboy hangout. Drinks take on an inevitable Deep South theme, with an emphasis on Bourbons and Ryes, but there’s also the odd Tiki cocktail thrown in to the menu for good measure. Our drink of choice is their Bucket of Blood: tequila and zesty tomato juice are given the usual Bloody Mary garnishings, but the real treat is that crispy rasher of bacon that’s dipped in the glass.
• Nollendorf Strasse 27, Schöneberg, 030 2903 6158 , staggerlee.com, open daily from 7pm
Rum Trader
This tiny bar has a big history. With roots that allegedly stretch back to the prohibition era, it consists of just one table, several bar stools and a small bar that hosts around twenty patrons at a time. The entire ensemble is commandeered by the smartly attired, bespectacled Herr Scholl (and an occasional assistant), whose flawless drinks are served in vintage glasses and made with old school paraphernalia like strainers, muddlers and scoops. The menu is heavy on gin as well as, of course, rum, stretching from heavenly Hemingways to spectacular Rum Sours.
• Fasanenstrasse 40, 10719 Berlin, 030 8811 428. Open 7pm-1am Mon-Fri; 9.30am-2am Sat-Sun.
With its raw interior and laid-back atmosphere, Twinpigs has quickly established itself as a heavyweight amongst in Neukölln nightlife spots. But the venue prides itself high above its peers when it comes to the quality of drinks, which is justified once you’ve sampled the goods. Ranging from the traditional to the inventive, every ingredient is painstakingly matched to ensure a perfect mix each time…even their gin and tonics are spruced up with homemade tonic. Those wanting something a little more hoppy can ask for the menu of craft beers, which including brews from the local Heidenpeters and Rollberger breweries.
• Boddin Strasse 57a, Neukölln, Facebook, open Tue-Sat 7pm-3am
Victoria Bar
Before Potsdamer Strasse turned into a hip hangout, the Victoria Bar was first to bring a dash of class to the area. Its award-winning interior features a classic wooden bar and walls decorated with satirical artworks by the likes of Sarah Lucas, Marcel Dzama and Martin Kippenberger. Popular with a refined yet unpretentious clientele, the Victoria offers expertly mixed drinks: try the Prince Charles, a heady mix of cognac VS, apricot brandy, angostura and champagne, or the psychedelic Sun Ra, which blends tequila, mezcal, Old Pascas 73°, dry orange, almond syrup, and fresh lemon and lime to aptly psychedelic effect. Cocktail classes are available at the venue’s School of Drunkenness.
• Potsdamer Strasse 102, Tiegarten, 030 2575 9977, victoriabar.de. Open Sun-Thurs 6.30pm-3am, Fri-Sat 6.30pm-4am (happy hour 6.30pm-9.30pm)
Despite being a briefcase-lob from the US Embassy, this quiet, one-room bar is far from a haunt for diplomats. Owner Günter Windhorst has crafted a place that’s loose-limbed and intimate, egged on by his own jazz and Latin collection (vinyl only), and paintings of jazz musicians on the wall. There’s an emphasis on American-style drinks within the 52-page menu but innovative touches balance out the classics (try the lemongrass Gimlet – an exotic adaptation of the gin and lime juice classic. It’s a great place for a pre- or post-theatre tipple – or just settle in at the bar and watch the staff apply their craft with impressive diligence.
• Dorotheenstrasse 65, Mitte, 030 2045 0070, no website. Open daily from 6pm (9pm Sat-Sun)
Würgeengel
Würgeengel means “Exterminating Angel” after the Luis Buñuel film – and is much easier to pronounce after a few drinks. One of the city’s more relaxed cocktail bars, it matches a winsome, old-school interior (leather booths, candles on wooden tables, a glass-latticed ceiling) with a drinks menu that has great cocktails and a fine selection of whiskies and wines from Veuve Cliquot and Dom Pérignon to great rieslings from Rheinhessen and deep red riojas that go with the tasty, well-priced tapas (large mixed plate €10.50, tapas-for-two for €16). There’s good Italian food at the Gorgonzola Club next door, and the atmosphere retains a pleasant neighbourhood feel.
• Dresdener Strasse 122, Kreuzberg, 030 615 5560, wuergeengel.de. Open daily from 7pm
Other posts by Paul Sullivan
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A gallery of spring-themed photos by the readers of Slow Travel Berlin.
Stacked: Photos of Berlin’s Plattenbauten
Berlin's tower blocks, as photographed by Marte Brandenburg
Berlin: Be Our Valentine?
STB Contributors on the things they love about Berlin.
Oskar Schlemmer’s Bauhaus Parties
A look at the flamboyant theatrical tradition of the Bauhaus movement.
Berlin: Winter Wonderland
Photos of Berlin covered in ice and snow.
Becketts Kopf
Grashina Gabelmann experiences expertly-mixed cocktails at this Prenzlauer Berg institution.
Berlin Cocktail Guide
The best spots to score a superior mixed drink in Berlin.
Stories from the City
To celebrate Slow Travel Berlin's fifth birthday: a curated anthology of articles and photography on a wide range of topics and places that you won’t find in the guidebooks.
100 Favourite Places
Instead of highlighting the city’s hippest ‘hotspots’, we’ve taken a more patient and personal approach to bring you 100 special places, many of which would not be mentioned in conventional guides.
Mauerweg: Stories From The Berlin Wall Trail
Walking the entire 160km length of the Mauerweg (Berlin Wall Trail) , a journey through and around the city that only a handful of individuals have ever made.
The Green Door is trash. I’ve been there a few times and the staff was incredibly rude.. even more so than what people expect of the Berlin service industry 😉
Also been there a few times, always enjoyed it/had okay service. Comme ci, comme ça.
Because it’s just down the street from us, I’ve always been partial to the well-prepared cocktails at Hefner Bar @ Savignyplatz!
I must say I truly enjoyed touring the bars and nightlife in Berlin. I have only tried one of the spots listed above, Becketts Kopf, and had a fabulous time there. You never really know what you might find around the next corner in Berlin. The bars are very hit and miss, but when you find a gem, you’re going to have a great night!
Haven’t been to that one, will have to give it a whirl.
This is great. I also have a soft sport for hotel bars. Any chance for a review or two sometime in the future?
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Cocktail bar berlin
On the first floor of the villa, the Lebensstern awaits with its oak-paneled interior, subtly lit drink cabinets and comfy chairs. During the warmer season, the lounge terrace is open, overlooking the famous garden of the Einstein.
You‘ll find the best classical cocktails here and variations of modern creations - all made with the greatest sophistication and best liquors, the latter of which the bar boasts a seemingly endless range to choose from: Over 600 kinds of rum, 150 kinds of gin and others - and of course the honed knowledge to work with them.
The bar is a meeting place for an international crowd of artists, connoisseurs, politicians and Berlin‘s multitude of drinking enthusiasts. Quentin Tarantino filmed his movie „Inglorious Basterds“ here and the bar staff will gladly provide you with more history and information when their attention isn‘t focused on furnishing you with just the right drink for your mood.
Our team will gladly navigate you through the evening and are looking forward to your visit. Of course, you can also exclusively rent the whole joint for your private or corporate function.
Bar Lebensstern - Contact
Lebensstern - Bar im Einstein
Opening hours: Monday until Saturday from 7 p.m.
Tel +49-30-263 91 922
Tel +49-30-263 91 917
Fax +49-30-261 91 76
The Bar Lebensstern
Let Your Sense of Smell Determine Your Next Favorite Cocktail
Fragrances bar in Berlin forces you to trust your nose.
Some innovations are discovered by accident, others by years of trial and error. Arnd Heissen, bar director of Fragrances in Berlin, came upon his through a third time-honored tradition: complaints. About 10 years back, Heissen worked in a Japanese bar where most of the spirits he had on hand—shōchū, sake, Japanese whisky—were unfamiliar to guests, as were many of the exotic ingredients he mixed with them. After experimenting with a series of non-traditional recipes to make his customers happy, he had the first in a series of epiphanies.
“All of the ingredients I loved working with were all ingredients that come from the perfume industry."
“All of the ingredients I loved working with were all ingredients that come from the perfume industry,” he realized. One perfume in particular, Jicky by Guerlain, the oldest continuously produced perfume in the world, inspired him to deconstruct its ingredients. The result was a cocktail made with bergamot, vanilla, lavender, rosemary, and lemon.
“I showed the guests the perfume and how the drink tastes, and they were fascinated,” he said.
Gradually Heissen began introducing more perfume-inspired cocktails into his repertoire until someone eventually told him, "Your menu is actually a perfume list." He knew he was onto something. The concept, which began as a pushcart display of perfumes bartenders wheeled around the lobby bar in the Ritz-Carlton Berlin , finally took shape as Fragrances in 2014.
In a drinking world already over-saturated with high-concept bars and elaborate menus, Fragrances, which I visited last month, is a level of magnitude more complicated. The entrance to the bar is like walking into the menu itself. The cocktails are installed along either side of the wall with their name, the perfume they were derived from, and a few key ingredients displayed, as if a museum gallery were crossed with a steampunk chemistry lab. Instead of selecting from a self-limiting list of ingredients where guests might default to the familiar, the set-up here forces you to use smell and your innate sensory biases to choose the aroma most appealing to you.
“It’s about feeling, not thinking,” bartender Joscha Heese told me as I walked through the dark, stylish diorama of senses. “You have to drink what you’re smelling, not wear it.”
“When people buy perfume they don’t know what’s inside it either,” Heissen elaborated later on. “It’s much more personal, buying a perfume than buying a drink.”
The cocktails themselves are presented in all manner of elaborate vessels—hand-blown glass statues, golden chalices, a fountain-style flamingo, a perfume spritzer. One stand out comes served next to a small birdhouse enclosing burning sandalwood, which in aromatherapy is associated with "being home."
“There’s a light on inside the house and smoke coming out of the chimney, so you feel comfortable because somebody’s home,” Heissen said.
In short, it’s a whole thing.
The menu experience has undergone a transformation every year since Fragrances opened, with the team gradually stripping away grounding information with every new iteration.
“The first year we opened we had a picture with the ingredients underneath and the perfume on top, with the spirits. The second year we put away the list of ingredients and just had the actual ingredients on the shelf next to the perfume. The third year we’ve reached the goal I was looking for from the beginning of not showcasing any ingredients at all, but showcasing the story or the atmosphere," Heissen said.
“When people buy perfume they don’t know what’s inside it either. It’s much more personal, buying a perfume than buying a drink.”
One cocktail that fits that mold is called the Morning After the Thunderstorm. On the wall there’s simply a picture of a thunderstorm and a perfume that evokes that familiar smell. Guests who choose it—made with pisco, lemon, jasmine, ginger, ylang ylang, shisho, and magnolia—are presented the cocktail along with an instrument that mimics the sound of rain.
Another cocktail called My Name was inspired by time Heissen spent with shamans in Mexico who used feathers to pass smoke along, a technique familiar in the perfume industry, since feathers, like hair, hold scent for longer. But a scent can be overpowering. Heissen had to dial back some of the floral ingredients—violet and lilac—in My Name because the result was too soapy, instead using a base of sake with vanilla, then concentrating the floral aromatics on a feather garnish. If you want more lilac and violet, you simply hold the feather to your nose before or after sipping.
“People who like sandalwood want to feel like home. A person who likes vetiver in their perfume means structure is important to you. Jasmine means you are a person who can feel the atmosphere very well," Heissen explained.
It’s taken years of study, working with perfumers, and learning about aromatherapy for the barman to hone his expertise. And while it can sound like a heady, gimmicky procedure, it is well established that our olfactory senses account for a significant percentage of how we taste. There are only a handful of basic tastes after all—bitter, sour, sweet, salty, and savory. Most everything else we talk about when we’re tasting wine or beer or cocktails—fruity notes, oakiness, earthiness, leathery qualities, and other poetic drinking terms—comes from the sense of smell. If you can tap into that, it can open up new worlds.
Fragrances, under renovation now but reopening in January, is a must visit for cocktail enthusiasts traveling through Berlin. It’s also simple to experiment with aromas in bars near your home by researching the ingredients of your fragrance of preference online. Coco Mademoiselle, one of the most popular perfumes in the world, for example, is made with mandarin, lemon, grapefruit, vanilla, and patchouli—all ingredients (except for the latter) you’ll find on hand in any decent cocktail bar. Just ask a bartender you trust if they have something with a touch of vanilla, honey, or amber, or whatever your scent may be. If you love to smell it, you'll certainly love to drink it.
Cocktail bar berlin
Pear infused Cognac mixed with Lillet Blanc, Plum reduction, topped up with French Sparkling and a Wild Berry foam on top.
When creativity meets the French elegance.
"Don Draper’s” favourite drink has been twisted with Olmeca Altos Reposado and Pimento Ginger Tonic reduction.
A sour, spicy and earthy drink for Mad Men.
Monkey Shoulder Scotch Whisky is mixed with Pineapple Shrub and Salted Caramel that binds all flavours to create a fresh summery cocktail that will leave you wanting more.
Inspired by the famous Berliner Pfannkuchen doughnut. Enjoy the flavours of a heavily glazed Raspberry Vodka-Donut with a Jam reduction served with a Chocolate Coated Pocky.
Die Teilung Mojito
The definitive classic summer cocktail of all time has been twisted to create a DIY drink with home-made Demerara Rum, Agave syrup,
Lime and a home made Blood Orange juice on the side.
The Classic Daiquiri has been dressed up with Plantation 3 Stars, Luxardo Maraschino, Rhubarb and Egg White. Served with
a home made Fruit Rollup for exotic carouse.
When Laphroaig Whisky meets Amaro Disaronno, Strawberry Shrub, Pedro Ximenez and Basil it creates a strong, complex and
smokey Cronenberg monster. A cocktail for The Fearless.
What appears to be a fresh & crispy apple flavour turns around on you with an acidic backlash before ending with a smokey finish. Craggenmore mixed with Apricot Brandy, Fino Cherry and
Orgeat. “Death has loving arms."
Let us take you through A Hero’s Journey, with Yellow Chartreuse, Lychee Liqueur and Black Sambuca are encountered to create
a sour, herbal and surprising experience, with Aniseed and
Lime for the extra dramatic kick.
The King of Cocktails twisted with Plantation Dark Rum, home-made Fig Liqueur, Raspberry Shrub, Coffee and Mozart Chocolate.
A creamy heaven that even the Kaiser would approve of.
Take a journey to South America with this exotic, alluring concoction. Vido Mezcal mixed with Pisco, Raspberry Shrub, Vanilla and Coriander. A smokey, earthy, spicy and tropical drink.
Our twist on the iconic Negroni. Havana Club Especial is balanced with Sweet Vermouth and Coffee Infused Campari with Dark Chocolate adding a final layer.
A Berlin play on the original вЂ˜Dan Beachcomber Zombie’ Tiki Cocktail with home-made Demerara Rum, Havana 3YO, Grapefruit Juice, Cinnamon, Lime, Falernum, Pernod and Apricot Brandy. "Grr. Argh. "
Her purse is always full of Vodka, Triple Sec & Elderflower Liqueur. At picnics our Iron Lady offers Blackberry with hints of Citrus and Rhubarb. Sugared Rim for jewelry.
Tanqueray Gin, Triple Sec and CrГЁme De Voilette fit together like a 'Classic Aviation' with a sour twist by adding Citrus and Egg White, for a smooth flight. Dedicated to Lucas.
Black Pepper infused Martell V.S Cognac gives Charlie his kick, while Blackcurrant Liqueur disguised with Lime, Raspberry & Cranberry. Sehr gut border crossing!
A peaty Talisker 10 Scotch laced with Drambuie Scotch Honey Liqueur, Toasted Sesame Seed rim to enhance smokiness and a Honey & Goat Cheese Cream cleanser on the side.
Top 5 cocktail bars in Berlin
What better way to top off a day’s sightseeing and exploring in Berlin than with a perfectly mixed cocktail? With a plethora of bars on almost every street corner it can be hard to know where to start and how to find a good cocktail can be overwhelming. So whether you like a simple G&T, the best Margeurita in town or a new and surprising concoction you’ve never heard of before, below are some of Berlin’s best offerings when it comes to a luxury cocktail experience.
Located in the downtown Mitte area, the Amano Hotel won the Hotel Bar of the Year award and rightly so. The bar team under Philipp Bischof serve creative drinks, with excellent service in a modern but very laid back atmosphere. The lounge feel makes for a relaxed and very enjoyable experience. In the summer they set up a bar on the rooftop as well with absolutely stunning views out over the city skyscape.
Up in Prenzlauerberg this bar is an absolute Berlin institution. No sign on the door, simply a photo of the man himself (Samuel Beckett), lit up in the (curtained) window. The menu (created by Oliver Ebert) is inserted into old copies of Beckett plays and the interior is dimly lit with red leather couches reminiscent of a 1920s speakeasy. The menu is extensive and in no way dull, offering a wide selection of different spirit based drinks and a nice selection of snacks and cheese platters to accompany them for the late night nibbles. Do be aware they allow smoking (including cigars) in the front section so not for the smoke sensitive. You will need reservations for Thurs-Sat evenings.
A new and welcome addition to the Berlin cocktail scene, this intimate little bar only has 15 seats, so if you’re planning on going after 10pm or Thur-Sat evenings, be sure to book ahead. Groups of more than 4 people will not be allowed entrance. A comfortably wide bar and stools is the only seating. This is great because you have a fabulous view of one of the best bar teams in town. Watching a cocktail being mixed here is a poem of precision and professionalism. No vodka or cream cocktails on the menu – be warned, but the mixes listed are unusual and remarkable in their nuance of taste and flavour. Enjoy a rather unique and very ‘Berlin’ experience.
Two locals from Kreuzberg decided to open a little bar and took cocktails in the area to a whole new level. Schwarze Traube is one of the hottest new openings this year. Owners Atalay Aktas and Yalcin Celik do not provide menus with lists of drinks but instead speak to each customer about their preferences, make suggestions, and then create something which is destined to please the taste buds of the most discerning cocktail connoisseur. With three small rooms the atmosphere is one of being invited to a private party in someone’s living room. Be warned – this is a bar for smokers.
Quirky, modern, eclectic and with a semi retro feel the Green Door is one of Berlin’s best kept cocktail secrets. Owner Fritz Mueller-Scherz is a writer, actor, journalist, musician and the artistic flair shows through clearly in the bar he set up in Schöneberg. Once you buzz the bell to be allowed in you will be greeted by tartan and psychedelic wallpaper, creative lighting and kitsch decoration. The drinks here are mixed strong by very competent bar staff and there’s no bar snacks provided so be warned and eat before you go to avoid a tipsy exit.
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