BARS AND CLUBS IN BERLIN
MITTE
IS TresorGlobus, Leipziger Str. 126a. U2 or night bus N5, N29, or N52 to Potsdamer PI. One of the best techno venues in Berlin. Downstairs former bank vaults flicker in strobe light as ravers sweat to hardcore techno; upstairs the music is slower. Cover W ‚3, F ‚7, Sa ‚7-11. Open W and F-Sa llpm-6am.
Zosch, Tucholskystr. 30. U6: Oranienburger Tor. The bright, laid-back bar on the ground floor is like a living room. The basement has live music, fiction and poetry readings, and another, darker bar. Dixieland jazz W. Open M-F from 4pm, Sa-Su from noon.
RMANY
WMF, Karl-Marx-Allee 34. U5: Schiilingstr. In a former East German cabaret, its doubledancefloors fill with electroloungers Th and Sa. Gay night Su. Cover ‚7-13. Open Th and Sa from 11pm, Su from 10pm.
2BE-Club, Ziegelstr. 23. U6: Oranienburger Tor. Reggae and hip-hop in a huge space. F, Sa women free until midnight. Cover ‚8. Open F-Sa from 11pm.
Strandbar Mitte, Monbijioustr. 3. S3, 5, 7, 9, or 75 to Hackescher Markt. In Monbi-joupark, across from the Bodemuseum. There’s a difference between gimmicks and really awesome gimmicks, and Strandbar’s miniature outdoor beach, spread with countless beach chairs, is in the second category. Open in summer only, daily from 10pm.
Delicious Doughnuts, Rosenthaler Str. 9. U8: Rosenthaler PI. This bar’s cute, curvacious design draws you through the door into one of the low lounge booths. Foosbail and a pocket-sized dance floor. Open daily from 9pm.
Cafe Silberstein, Oranienburger Str. 27. SI, 2, or 25 to Oranienburger Str. Sushi until midnight. Japanese industrial-chic motifs, chairs with 8 ft. high backs, and an intellectual 30-something crowd. Open daily from 10am.
VEB-OZ, Stadtbogen 153. By Monbijoupark under the S-Bahn tracks west of Hackescher Markt. The name stands for Verkehrsberuhigte OstZone, and it’s full of kitschy East German paraphernalia. The new location is a little small and see-through, but still has foosbail. Open daily from 6pm.
SCHONEBERG
S3 Slumberiand, Goltzstr. 24. Ul: Nollendorfpl. See it to believe it: Palm trees, rotating African art, and a sand floor. The secret to the bittersweet frappes is instant coffee crystals. Open Su-Th 6pm-2am, F 6pm-5am, Sa llam-5am.
Mister Hu, Goltzstr. 39. Ul: Nollendorfpl. The question: Wozu? (Where to?) hangs in neon above the crowd. The answer: Mister Hu. Happy hour 5-8pm. Creative cocktails. Open daily from 5pm, Sa from 11am.
Metropol, Nollendorfpl. 5 (217 368 11). Ul: Nollendorfpl. or night buses #N5, N19, N26, N48, N52, or N75. Don’t tell someone to meet you here without specifying a room and a floor. Tanz Tempel, the central dance venue, is vast: 650,000 watts of light, 35,800 watts of sound, and DJs who aren’t afraid to use them. Music and hours vary.
KREUZBERG
Freischwimmer, vor dem Schlesischen Tor 2. Ul: Schlesischen Tor. A mess of waterside tables tangled in rose vines-some indoors, some outdoors, some with chubby sofas, some in boats. M poetry reading followed by a party. F a roll of the die determines the cover charge (‚1-6). Open M-F from noon, Sa-Su from 11am. S036, Oranienstr. 190 (61 40 13 06). Ul, 12, or 15 to Gorlitzer Bahnhof or night bus #N29 to Heinrichpl. Berlin’s best mixed club, with a hip hetero, gay, and lesbian clientele. A massive dance packs in a friendly crowd for techno, hip-hop, and ska-often live. Cover for parties ‚4-8, concerts ‚7-18. Open from 11pm.
Wild at Heart, Wiener Str. 20 (611 70 10). Ul: Gorlitzer Bahnhof. Shrines to Elvis, Chinese lanterns, flaming booths, tiki torches, glowing tigers, and other glittery kitsch. The crowd is pierced and punked. Gritty music every night. Open daily from 8pm.
TEK, Oranienstr. 36. Ul: Kotbussen Tor. Less outrageous and more genuine than many of its neighbors. Very punk. Movies Su at 8pm. Open F-Sa from 5pm, Su from 4pm.
Muvuca, Mehringhof, Gneisenaustr. 2a (693 01 75). U6: Mehringdamm or night bus #N4, N19, or N76. A bar, performance space, Afro-Brazilian eatery, and club run by a socialist collective in a steel and concrete courtyard. Also the site of political meetings, lesbian events, and an anarchist bookstore. Open Su and Tu-Sa 3pm-late.
FRIEDRICHSHAIN
Astro-Bar, Simon-Dach Str. 40. Plastic retro space robots and loud electronica. Open daily from 6pm. Dachkammer Bar (DK), Simon-Dach Str. 39. U5: Frankfurter Tor. Rustic themed, with lots of brick, wood, and comfortable nooks. Snacks from ‚4. Mixed drinks ‚5-7. Open M-F noon-late, Sa-Su lOam-late.
Paule’s Metal Eck, Krossener Str. 15 (291 1624; www.paules-metal-eck.de). U5: Frankfurter Tor. At the corner of Simon-Dach Str. How do you make your bar stand out on the strip? Chihuahua skeletons! A well-executed fake heavy metal bar-don’t let the hooded Goth monk over the door scare you off. Open noon until late.
PRENZLAUER BERG
Morgenrot, Kastanianallee 85. U2: EberswalderStr. By day it’s a vegetarian restaurant, by night it serves frosty vodka shots. Th-Su vegetarian brunch buffet llam-4pm. Open Su and Th-Sa llam-lam, T-W 3pm-lam, F-Sa until 3am. August Fengler, Lychener Str. 11 (44 35 66 40). U2: Eberswalder Str. This hip, homey cafe-bar is very un-Pren-zlberg. DJs W-Th, live music F-Sa (reggae, funk, house, jazz, Latin). Open daily from 7pm, music from 10pm. KulturBrauerei, Knaackstr. 97 (441 92 69; www.kul-turbrauerei.de). U2: Eberswalder Str. Enormous party space in a former East German brewery. This expansive village of Kultur houses everything from the popular clubs Soda and Kesselhaus to a Russian theater to upscale cafes and an art school. Music includes hardcore Ostrock, disco, techno, reggae, Schlager and more. Cover varies wildly ‚1.50-16 or more.
Duncker, Dunckerstr. 64. U2: Eberswalder Str. This small, dark, and intense club mixes it up: Su-M Goth, Tu hippie music, W parties, Th live bands, F-Sa varies. Garden with grill in back. Cover ‚2-4, Th usually free. Partiers show up around 2am.
Knaack, Greifswalderstr. 224 (442 7061). Tram #2: Am Friedrichshain. 4-floored Knaack plays disco, rock, and punk-anything but techno. Live music on the ground fl. billiards upstairs. Cover varies. Dance floors open F-Su and sometimes W from 11pm.
Icon, Cantianstr. 15 (48 49 28 78). U2: Eberswalder Str. Dance in underground tunnels. F hip-hop, Sa drum and bass. Cover ‚5-10. Open from 11:30pm F-Sa.
