b-flat Acoustic Music & Jazz Club
Mitte
Fodor's choice
Young German artists perform most nights at b-flat. The well-known and well-attended Wednesday jam sessions focus on experimental jazz.
8 Best Nightlife in Berlin, Germany
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Nearly a century after Weimar-era Berlin redefined the meanings of decadence and excess, the city is still pulsing at pretty much all hours of the night. Berlin nightlife still pushes boundaries and takes risks. In fact, to non-Berliners who aren’t used to it, some of the clubs and bars here can appear to be operating far out of the boundaries of decency—or even the law.
Many Berlin bars will often open as cafés in the afternoon, slowly getting darker and smokier as the hours wear on and the coffee and tea turns into beer and wine. In Germany the term Kneipen is used for down-to-earth bars that are comparable to English pubs. These places are pretty simple and laid-back; you probably shouldn't try to order a three-ingredient cocktail at one unless you spot a lengthy drinks menu. If you're looking for something more upscale, elegant bars and lounges can be found in Mitte’s Scheunenviertel, in Charlottenburg, and in Berlin’s five-star hotels, and new cocktail bars are cropping up in unexpected places, like Kreuzberg, Schöneberg, and even Neukölln.
The best and most notorious clubs in Berlin occupy old industrial buildings in formerly shabby, alternative neighborhoods like Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg. As with bars, the snazziest clubs and lounges can be found near high-end hotels in Mitte around Unter den Linden and Gendarmenmarkt, or in Charlottenburg. Clubs are notorious for getting a shockingly late (or should we say early?) start: many don’t open until midnight, and aren’t worth visiting before 2 or 3 in the morning. Happily, the club scene is far less snooty and self-absorbed than in other major cities: for the most part, you’ll encounter lax door policies and casually dressed revelers. Since the fall of the Wall, Berlin has become a mecca for electronica, and that means club goers take dancing as seriously as partying. Prepare to be swept up in waves of endless, exuberant movement, much of it—especially in the case of Berlin’s most popular techno club Berghain—fueled by drug use. If that’s not your thing, though, don’t worry: there’s something for everyone in the city these days, especially now that the landscape has gone a bit more upscale. Note that clubs often switch the music they play nightly so the crowds and popularity can vary widely. Though club nights are driven by the DJ name, the music genres are written in English in listing magazines.
Berlin is unmistakably Germany's gay capital, and many Europeans come to partake in the diverse scene, which concentrates on Schöneberg (around Nollendorfplatz) and Kreuzberg. Check out the magazines Siegessäule (includes English-language listings and articles), (030), and blu.
You might not know to look at it, but Berlin is a veritable jazz destination. Home to one of Germany’s earliest programs of jazz study (at the Üniversitat der Kunste or University of the Arts) Berlin attracts serious jazz musicians from around the world, and nurtures its own homegrown talents. Aside from the large, long-running clubs focusing on international acts, smaller, cozier jazz clubs, barely larger than living rooms, are sprinkled throughout the city. The Berlin Jazz Festival takes place every November, uniting many of them.
Berghain
Friedrichshain
Fodor's choice
In an imposing power station in a barren stretch of land between Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain (the name borrows from both neighborhoods), Berghain has achieved international fame as the hedonistic heart of techno music—it was originally a 1990s techno club called Ostgut. It's only open as a club on weekends (for 48-plus hours straight, from midnight on Friday to early Monday), though many international music acts pass through for concert performances during the week. It's become something of a local tradition to arrive on Sunday morning or afternoon and dance until closing. Upstairs, the slightly smaller (but by no means intimate) Panorama Bar opens on Friday at midnight and offers different beats.
Buck and Breck
Mitte
Fodor's choice
The entrance is so Berlin: an unmarked, nondescript door across from Weinsbergpark has a buzzer that reads "Bar." But once you're let inside this dark and moody speakeasy and perched at the long table in its main room, which only seats 12, you'll be treated to classic, well-executed cocktails and a hip and lively crowd.
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Clärchen's Ballhaus
Mitte
Fodor's choice
A night out at Clärchen's Ballhaus (Little Clara's Ballroom) is like a trip back in time; opened in 1913, the club is an impressive sight. On summer nights, lines often stretch out the door, while the front courtyard comes alive with patrons dining alfresco on brick-oven pizzas. The main ballroom features a different style of music every night and there are often dance lessons before the party starts. One of the best things about this place, though, is the variety of people of different ages, nationalities, and social backgrounds.
Monkey Bar
Charlottenburg
Fodor's choice
On the rooftop of the 25hours Hotel Bikini Berlin, this often-packed watering hole affords scenic views over the Berlin Zoo and Tiergarten Park and an impressive range of well-crafted cocktails. Expect a crowd at the ground-floor entrance (no matter what day of the week)—this place is worth the wait.
Mr. Susan
Mitte
Fodor's choice
American transplant Susan Choi helms this airy and innovative cocktail haven. Though the drinks list is small, it focuses on seasonal ingredients (think peaches in summer and mushrooms in fall) and interesting flavor combinations you won't find elsewhere—plus it's nonsmoking, rare for a Berlin bar.
Prater Garten
Prenzlauer Berg
Fodor's choice
This sprawling, 600-seat Biergarten is where Berliners go when the urge for a hefeweizen and pretzel strikes. Grab a beer and a snack (a bratwurst is the classic choice), squeeze in at one of the long community tables, and get ready for some marathon drinking—at least as a bystander, if not a participant. If the outdoor boisterousness is too much, opt for an indoor table at the slightly more upscale restaurant, which serves an expanded menu of German classics like Wiener schnitzel. The beer garden is open from April to September, while the restaurant operates year-round.
Victoria Bar
Tiergarten
Fodor's choice
The elegant Victoria Bar is a stylish homage to 1960s and '70s jet-setters, and the cocktails are mixed with care. It typically attracts a middle-age, affluent, and artsy crowd.
