148 Best Bars in Germany

Everything glows golden at this aptly named bar and café within the Haus der Kunst. Among gilded wall paintings dating from 1937 and beneath a mod 1920s chandelier, hip locals sit on vintage furniture sipping classic cocktails with a modern twist.

A grown-up crowd focused on conversation and appreciating outstanding cocktails heads to Green Door, a Schöneberg classic (note that smoking is allowed). The decor is retro 1960s style, with gingham walls and floor lamps.

Northern Germans are not best known for mingling, but at this small pub in the middle of Grosse Freiheit, you can strike up a conversation with the person sitting next to you. Perhaps that's why it was a firm favorite with the Beatles, who could often be found here when not performing at a number of clubs on the street.

One of the best-known nightspots in town, Grosse Freiheit 36 has made its name as both a popular venue for big names from around the world and as the location of the Kaiserkeller, a nightclub where the Beatles once played that's still going strong.

The stylish decor and the energetic crowd at Hafen make it a popular singles hangout.

The old railway freight terminal has been reborn as an art gallery and music club for concerts and dance parties. There's a beach atmosphere in summer on the outdoor patio. Concerts generally begin at 8 pm, dance parties at 11 pm or later.

Berlin's multiculti crowd frequents the Havanna Club, where you can dance to soul, R&B, or hip-hop on four different dance floors. The week's highlights are the wild salsa and merengue nights (Wednesday at 9 pm, Friday and Saturday at 10 pm). If your Latin steps are weak, come an hour early for a lesson. Friday and Saturday are "ladies free" nights until 11.

Named after owner and head brewer Johannes Heidenpeter, this brewery has transformed its little corner of the bustling Markthalle Neun market hall into a pleasant taproom (the brewing happens just below, in the basement). Enjoy the six beers on tap here, or take them with you in hand-labeled bottles; choices typically include an IPA and a couple of seasonal ales. Open Tuesday and Thursday–Saturday only.

The Hirschau, pleasantly located in the Englischer Garten, has room for around 1,800 guests and serves a rotating selection of seasonal beers plus local and international beer garden specialties. There's also live music Thursday to Sunday.

If you tire of the typical Altbier served at most of the city's breweries and taverns, this craft beer bar serves the latest concoctions from German microbreweries across the country, inspired by distinctly non-German styles, including IPAs and even sours. 

For a New York City–style corner-bar experience, check out Holy Home, in the heart of the trendy Gärtnerplatz district. A hip local crowd frequents this hole-in-the-wall that books great low-key DJs.

Cushy leather seating, brick walls, and flickering candles lend a warm, clubby vibe to this trendy bar near the Pinakotheken (art museums) and the university. There's a long list of classic and signature cocktails.

Serving local and regional craft beer, this small brewpub offers a curated taste of seasonal varieties. The building was once a butcher's shop and is the kind of place you can walk in without knowing anyone, and make some friends before you leave.

Live music, mostly jazz, and great cocktails in an old liqeur factory.

More like a lounge and party venue than a club, House of Weekend has great views of East Berlin's skyline and several different floors of music, including the occasional international DJ act. But beware: the crowd is young, and on weekends you may find yourself caught in a throng of tourists, or rowdy study-abroad students on their night out. In the summer, it's open nightly from 6 pm, with table reservations available.

This club is in an old brick building bordering one of Wedding's most beloved green spaces, Volkspark Humboldthain; its sprawling outdoor area gives it a feeling of woodsy openness quite different from other Berlin clubs. During the day in warm weather, the courtyard functions as a beer garden, complete with ping-pong table and bocce ball. At night, the club's two dance floors draw revelers from all over the city with an excellent DJ lineup—even on weekdays. It's a welcome addition to the Wedding nightlife scene.

The Beatles' first stop on the road to fame was the Indra Club. The club's owner, Bruno Koschmider, asked for one thing, and that was a wild show. These days, the Indra is still a nightclub, with live music acts nearly every night.

Tucked inside the Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten Kempinski, this sophisticated spot, outfitted with plush carpeting, leather seating, and an open fireplace, serves a wide range of sparkling wines, whiskeys, and cocktails. 

With posters of Chairman Mao on the walls, time seems to have stood still at the Jazzlokal Mampf. It looks straight out of the 1970s, but with live music to match, many don't think that's so bad. Since it opens at 6 pm for dinner and drinks, there's a lively after-work crowd on weekdays. Live jazz performances begin at 8 pm.

This cultural center draws all ages with its music and dance club, theater, comedy, and cabaret. It's in the former Church of St. Paul.

Just behind the Frauenkirche, Kilian's Irish Pub and Ned Kelly's Australian Bar (adjoining bars) offer an escape from the German tavern scene. Naturally, they have Guinness and Foster's, but they also serve Munich's lager, Augustiner, and regularly televise international soccer, rugby, and sports in general. There's also free live music every evening except Sunday at Kilian's starting at 9 pm.

This 19th-century train station has been transformed into a vibrant complex of music, theater, cabaret and cinema. Thanks in part to its central location, there's always something happening, although hours and ticket prices vary. Ticket prices start at €14.20.

Schlot hosts Berlin jazz scenesters, aspiring musicians playing Sunday-night free jazz sessions, and local heavy hitters. It's a bit hard to find—it's in the cellar of the Edison Höfe—but enter the courtyard via Schlegelstrasse and follow the music.

A drinking spot for people who love cigars, or a smoking room for people who love top-shelf alcohol, Lebensstern consistently wins awards, in and out of Germany, as one of the best bars in the world. If the floor-to-ceiling cases full of bottles make you dizzy, ask the bartenders for a recommendation: all are well-versed in the relative merits of rums and whiskeys.

This trendy bar has moved into the former space of Die Kelter jazz club. There's no more live music, but there are inventive drinks and bar bites, and it's also open as a coffee shop at lunchtime.

After changing locations, the storied Mojo Club has been reborn and is now located beneath a spaceship-like hatch, which rises out of the sidewalk to allow in revelers who come to see live local and international acts, as well as DJs spinning jazz, funk, soul, and electronic beats.

A true Reeperbahn institution, this bar and venue hosts local and international bands and DJs. Featuring a large outdoor area for summer gigs, Molotow is one of the best locations for live music in St. Pauli. Due to its size, it attracts smaller acts than the venues on Grosse Freiheit but that just makes the atmosphere all the more intimate and memorable.