BERLIN Non-Stop Party Is there any city more happening than creative, dynamic, eclec- tic ? Even if the boom isn’t what it was five years ago— when everything seemed at full-boil, and everybody wanted to be there—still, the “stigma” of a city on the edge is part of Ber- lin’s essence. Germany’s capital city is 100% movement, just like a great party. Maybe the magic comes from the mix: East and West, tradi- tion and avant-garde. An intriguingly assembled stew of musical, artistic and gastronomic proposals; a trend-originator and well- spring of cultural currents. Yet with zero pretense. Packed with contrasts and the ghost of its infamous past, to- day’s Berlin is a city that fascinates. For visitors there’s always a before and an after—not unlike the before and after that the city itself is undergoing in what must be a second, or even third, ad- olescence. StyleMap is not exhaustive Berlin—you’d need multiple vol- umes and weekly updates for that—and we’ve left the tourist at- tractions for the conventional guides to cover. In contrast, we sim- ply offer an approach, shaped by insider perspectives. Because Berlin is a city that everyone needs a little help getting to know, whether it’s via interaction with locals, experiencing nights off the beaten path, on S-Bahn streetcars or poking into courtyards (re- gardless of how forbidding they may appear). And therein lies the key. You’ve got to go in, turn up the curiosity and let it happen. There’s a port—or a party—for every storm. TABLE OF CONTENTS

06 CITY PERSONALITIES Berlin Through the Eyes of a Filmmaker, an Expert, an Actress, a Documentarian and a Curator

16 BERLIN’S STYLE ZONES

20 WHAT TO DO 21 —— Art Spaces 24 —— Galleries 28 —— The Best Bookstores 30 —— Shopping 32 —— Berlin’s Gardens

34 EAT & DRINK 35 —— Restaurants 40 —— Cafés 42 —— Nightlife

44 SLEEPING

48 MAP CITY PERSONALITIES

Lucía Palacios Berlin Through a Filmmaker’s Eyes

“Berlin is a big city, cosmopolitan, but it’s also easy and practical. If you want to go out at night, you’ve got the best clubs; if you want to eat you’ve got the best restaurants; if you just want to chill, or you’re looking for stuff to do with kids, you’ve got that, too. It’s not just about all these cultural offerings; it’s also the sensation that the city you live in doesn’t wear you out. It’s a peaceful place that offers everything you need, with the extra bonus that you’re in the middle of Europe, near everything,” says Lucía Palacios in her heavy Spanish accent. Lucía came to Berlin eleven years ago, with her husband Diet- mar; both are documentary filmmakers and they have a record label named Play Loud. Back then what attracted them to Berlin was the mu- sic scene, especially the independent labels, something that continues to be a selling point. As producers, they have a close relationship to mu- sic and it strikes them that they can grow here. They’ve fulfilled every artist’s dream: finding a city that welcomes them, connects them to other creative people and lets them produce what they want. “My relationship to the city is not a love affair; it’s something more pragmatic. Based on the life I’ve chosen, I can live well here,” Lucía declares from her house in . Her favorite city spots include Oberbau Bridge, which unites Friedrichshain with Kreuzberg, and which she tends to cross on her bicycle; the Berghain Club; the flea market near her house; and her neighborhood bars.

6 7 CITY PERSONALITIES

Henrik Tidefjärd Berlin Through the Eyes of an Expert

Few know Berlin as well as Henrik. And it’s not because he was born here—native-born Berliners are rare and growing rarer—but because he strives to discover and present the city in highly exclusive walking tours that he manages through his business, known as Berlinagenten (berli- nagenten.com). Henrik is a Swede and was chosen by Forbes as one of the three best guides in the world; on a single afternoon he may use his native Swedish, English, German or Spanish indistinctly. He chose Berlin after being attracted to the creative energy, the arts scene, and the openness of the Berliners themselves. “Berlin has always been searching for an identity. Now is the first time, it’s happening for the first time in 24 years without a war, without any interrupting misfortune. It’s like a puzzle. Ev- erybody contributes with something and something really special comes out of the mix—creative ideas emerge. It’s not like this established, but- toned-up city where everybody follows the trends. Here it’s the other way around; if you’re not doing something different, then get out. You have to do things differently in order to get along well. That’s why every- thing is so extreme, because we’ve already seen it all, been through it all and done it all,” Henrik says as he drinks a mojito on the terrace of the exclusive Soho House, and adds: “Berlin’s soul is made of ideas, of cre- ativity, new impulses, history.” His specialty? All Berlin’s party secrets. He knows—and has VIP access—to all the bars, clubs and indie joints where you can have the best night of your life.

8 9 CITY PERSONALITIES

Darinka Zeta Berlin Through an Actress’s Eyes

“I’ve grown brusque,” Darinka says after living twenty-two years in Berlin and responding to German severity with typical Mexican gentility. When she arrived 25 years ago, she worked as a nanny, waited tables and studied German. But she says she was lucky and soon thereafter she started working in the theatre, in German, with the Berliner Company; and she did so without knowing very well what she was saying. But Ger- man phonetics weren’t too hard. Six months after getting to Berlin she met her husband, Thorsten, with whom she has two children. You can see she’s happy now: she works as an announcer for Deutsche Welle, she has theatre projects in the works, and a fellowship from Mexico’s National Foundation for Culture and the Arts lets her study guitar as well as singing in Korean. “Who knows if I could do the same thing in Mex- ico,” she wonders. In her 22 years in the city, Darinka has been an eyewitness to growth in Berlin that led to today’s boom. “This is paradise. The secu- rity of walking the streets at any hour, that my children can run around on their own. The fact that there’s no traffic, that you can get out into nature. I don’t mean to complain, but I can’t say I’d like to die here,” she says in one of several music venues she frequents, this one in Neukölln, in the south of the city. “That said, if I left, I’d miss the mix of cultures, the fact that there are concerts all the time, and that the culture here is so accessible.”

10 11 CITY PERSONALITIES

Alejandro Bernal Berlin Through the Eyes of a Documentarian

Bernal is from Bogotá, yet as he strolls the leafy streets of Kreuzberg he might pass for just another local. A local Berliner, that is, because the term local ends up a little fluid among all the nationalities that live here. A redhead with green eyes, Bernal reached the city five years ago. He showed up at the University and stayed. While he was working as a cinematographer and editor doing cultural journalism projects, he be- gan a master’s degree in Experimental Audio-Visual Media at the Ber- lin University of the Arts. “What I like best overall is Kreuzberg. I’ve lived in different places, but always in the neighborhood—it’s like an island of freedom, which is not the case in every part of Berlin. We foreigners are welcome and I’ve never felt excluded from anything. The best part is that it’s really open; you can do anything you want. Totally open, with respect for the other guy,” Bernal observes. These days Bernal divides his time between Berlin, where he likes liv- ing, and Colombia, where there’s more work and where he can flee Berlin winters. “In summer, people want to party. They call it Tecnoturista. Clubs like Berghaim, Watergate and Kater Holzig open Saturdays and don’t close till Tuesday. They’re great places with really good music,” he adds. His favorite city spots include the canal that runs through his neighborhood, Kreuzberg, and the former Tempelhof Airport that’s been turned into park where he can ride his bike on runways where jets once landed. He also likes Hasenheide Park and the city’s Turkish restaurants.

12 13 CITY PERSONALITIES

Juan Andrés Gaitán Berlin Through the Eyes of a Curator

A little more than a year ago, Juan Andrés was named curator for the city’s most important contemporary art event. A Colombian born in Canada, he is the biennial’s first Latino director. Why has Berlin become such an art magnet, we ask. “Berlin has seen a number of important periods as a cul- tural and artistic scene, particularly at the end of the nineteenth and the start of the twentieth centuries, when the city was home to numerous cel- ebrated intellectuals. With the fall of the Wall, the arts scene rapidly re-en- ergized and artists from every part of the world moved to the city to create the international panorama that is currently flourishing. “At first, in the 90s, artists came for two reasons. One, because it was a city that still denoted Eastern Europe; and two, because the cost of liv- ing was quite cheap here. Now I think people are coming because of the momentum. “It’s a complex city that wears its history—a tragic history—on its sleeve. That said, it’s a city where you can trace the course of the twenti- eth century, and that, I think, is what most concerns those who have come in search of a return to the Prussian ethos through a re-erection of the edifices of empire.” For drinks, and food, Juan Andrés favors Pauly Saal, plus Cordobar for wine and tapas; his favorite museum is the Ethnographic, in Dahlem; and his favorite spot is Schlachtensee, a lake that’s open for swimming and that features a delightful biergarten.

14 Berlin’s Style Zones

Being down with your neighborhood is essential. Each district is a microcosm and each resident lives within it, understanding the codes, abiding by the rules, frequenting its most frequented corners, bars and creative spaces. With the fall of the Wall, some neighborhoods came back together, at least on paper. That said, what follow are the precincts that Berliners talk about most.

Mitte Central, dynamic, fun. Until reunification, Mitte was a poor, industrial area whose buildings ranged from run-down to ruins. Post-Wall, artists and cre- ative types moved in, chasing cheap rents; now in addition to being where the action is, it’s one of the city’s most fashionable areas, chock-a-block with art and design venues, the coolest bars and the hardest pounding nightlife. It’s also home to monuments, government offices, must-see museums and other historic sites. Alive wherever you look, Berliners that lived there years ago have fled the chaos and din—yet recent arrivals still strive to set up housekeeping there.

Kreuzberg-Friedrichshain Vibrant, multi-culti, utterly uninhibited. In Kreuzberg there’s something edgy, creative and hipster in the air. Once the ur-zone for Turkish immigrants— many still remain—it’s also one of Berlin’s most diverse areas, home to art- ists, students and the young, who live (and pontificate) side by side on bar terraces and gardens lining the neighborhood canal. Currently the most in spot for nocturnal sallies. On the opposite side of the Oberbaumbrücke, lies Friedrichshain, not unlike Kreuzberg but more family-friendly. You’ll find lots of expats, coffee houses and boutiques alongside recording studios and

Mitte newly repurposed industrial piles.

16 STYLE ZONES STYLE ZONES 17 Now, young, arty. Like what happened in Mitte (cheap post-reunifica- tion rents) this area, a Soviet hangover, started attracting creative, often underpaid artists, designers and intellectuals. These days it’s expensive and exclusive, the abode of well-heeled students and professional fam- ilies. Filled with parks, striking architecture, organic menu selections, plus a cool crowd despite all the prosperity.

Charlottenburg Old-school, high-end, haughty. The West Berlin imprimatur remains af- fixed to buildings and the general vibe is rather insulated from the east side’s creative edge. Here you find the five-star eats, sleeps and shops, not least of all on Berlin’s haute-est retail strip, Kurfürstendamm Bou- levard.

Schöneberg Easygoing, authentic, gay. For years the preferred address among those in the arts, music and letters (what was once David Bowie and Iggy Pop’s house has become a sort of pilgrimage site), these days the neighborhood still evinces a certain kind of swank: old-school la- dies and gents, leafy lanes, cute little eateries serving every kind of cui- sine…plus ground zero for the city’s LGBT scene.

Neukölln Boho, alternative, cool. Even five years ago it was cheap for renters, an immigrant enclave where no one wanted to live. But as will happen in places where trends get discovered (and put over) in constant suc- cession, one day all Berlin took a second look at Neukölln, and today it’s one of the city’s most interesting districts for living and stepping out. Old architecture and venues share space with design bars, galler- ies and indie retail. Nights come alive, the fun is still authentic and the

Charlottenburg vibe is relaxed.

18 STYLE ZONES STYLE ZONES 19 what to do Neue Nationalgalerie Where to begin is the real question. Art Spaces Jüdische Mädchenschule By day you’ve got to hit art spaces Auguststraße 11-13; +49 (30) 3300 Neue Nationalgalerie 6070; maedchenschule.org and galleries—we recommend some Potsdamer Straße 50; +49 (30) 2664 Located in the contemporary arts 24242; smb.museum district, this space—once a Jewish of the less touristy spots, off the In addition to being Mies Van der Girls School—is home to both the Rohe’s only building in Berlin—also Kennedys Museum and three and Museumsinsel the last he completed—its collection international painting, sculpture and of post-1920 modern art is also photography galleries. Be sure to well worth your time and attention. check the exhibition calendar while circuit. Elsewhere, Berlin’s gardens are Bauhaus, futurism, surrealism and you’re nearby. Two restaurants—the expressionism are some of the amply 1920s-inspired Pauly Saal & Bar, a classic—and a must—especially in represented movements on display. as well as the deli called Mogg & Melzer—are great for post-exhibition summertime. KW (Kunst-Werke) refreshment. Auguststraße 69; +49 (30) 243 4590; kw-berlin.de Volksbühne In addition to presenting completed Linienstraße 227; +49 (30) 2406 works, the Institute of Contemporary 5777; volksbuehne-berlin.de Art promotes their production in an Though it was born as a theatre—and atmosphere of complete creative to date that’s the main activity— freedom, in addition to hosting this arts center is also famed exhibitions, artists’ studios and even for concerts, readings and film one of the coolest cafés in Berlin, screenings. The resident acting Café Bravo, on the premises. We love troupe is celebrated for pushing the it there. theatre envelope.

20 ART SPACES 21 Hamburger Bahnhof Bauhaus-archiv

Berlinische Galerie modern-art issues; see the on-line Neues Museum Bauhaus-archiv Alte Jakobstraße 124-128; +49 (30) events calendar. Bodestraße 1-3; +49 (30) 2664 Matthäikirchplatz; +49 (30) 25 40 7890 2600; berlinischegalerie.de 24242; smb.museum 020; bauhaus.de A modern art, architecture and Hamburger Bahnhof. The original 1855 structure of this, Home to objects, documents, photography center in Kreuzberg, off Invalidenstraße 50-51; +49 (30) one of the world's most celebrated books and other pieces related the conventional grid, Berlinische is 3978 3411; hamburgerbahnhof.de museums, suffered major structural to the famous early-twentieth- one of the city’s newest museums The city's imposing former railway problems during the War and the century aesthetic school, design and presents work from 1870 to the station is today one of its most rehabilitation project, overseen and architecture lovers know how present. Don’t miss prime examples compelling aesthetic spaces, a by David Chipperfield, was not obligatory a stop this is. The best of some of the world's best Berlin museum of contemporary art. completed until 2009. Inside, part might be the gift shop—clever, dada, eastern European avant-garde Warhol, Twombly, Rauschenberg alongside a variety of ancient pieces, arresting temptations abound. and German new objectivity. and Beuys are some of the famous visitors find dazzling Egyptian names that make up the collection, collections that include the world Gemäldegalerie n.b.k. (Neuer Berliner complemented by a full calendar of famous Bust of Nefertiti . Niederkirchnerstraße 7; +49 (30) Kunstverein) temporary shows. 2664 24242; smb.museum Chausseestraße 128-129; +49 (30) Pergamonmuseum Showcasing everything from 280 7020; nbk.org Martin-Gropius-Bau Bodestraße 1-3; +49 (30) 2664 Flemish canvases to Renaissance n.b.k. was born in 1969 with a Niederkirchnerstraße 7; +49 (30) 24242; smb.museum masterpieces, this picture gallery mission to involve the public at large 254 860; gropiusbau.de Not to be missed. An impressive is a must for classical art lovers. in the art world. Today it performs Berlin’s most important venue for structure is home to historical Durer, Caravaggio, Vermeer and this work through exhibitions and by temporary exhibitions can be found moments you never thought you’d Rubens are just some of the “brand supporting artistic production. The in the Kreuzberg quarter. Besides see live. The Ishtar gate—Babylonia’s names” that fill its galleries. In the space includes an “Artothek” as well presenting photography, painting eighth city portal—is worth the price surrounding area, informally known as video forum, open workshops and sculpture, as well as multimedia of admission alone. Covering 575 as “museum island,” you’ll find at and spaces for experimental art. expressions, it’s an important BC to Berlin 2014, it’s like no other least five other art spaces that are Conferences and talks skew to music- and theatre-festival venue. place you’ve ever been. well worth your time.

22 ART SPACES ART SPACES 23 Galleries Galerie Barbara Thumm Markgrafenstraße 68; +49 (30) Schwarz Contemporary 2839 0347; bthumm.de Sanderstraße 28; +49 (30) 6128 Work by emerging international 9902; schwarz-contemporary.com artists as well as creators well Anne Schwarz’s art space, located on their way, with a focus on the in fashionable Neukölln, is a small avant-garde. Shows tend to be forum opened in 2010 that focuses on big—in volume as well as size—and conceptual art and abstract painting, make a unique, impossible-to- mostly from emerging artists. Pablo ignore intervention in the gallery’s Alonso, Clara Brörmann and Monika Kreuzberg venue. Goetz are representative talents. Esther Schipper Galerie Thomas Schulte Schöneberger Ufer 65; +49 (30) Charlottenstraße 24; +49 (30) 2060 3744 33133; estherschipper.com 8990; galeriethomasschulte.de This high-roofed space in an On the scene for more than twenty old structure facing the canal years, GTS was one of the first is home to Schipper’s gallery, galleries to open post-reunification. which specializes in contemporary Today it is one of Germany’s most conceptual artists and is known important contemporary art spaces, for innovative works that interact featuring work by artists such as with their surroundings. The usual Robert Mapplethorpe, Richard Deacon, suspects include Gabriel Kuri, Gordon Matta-Clark, Stephen Willats Ari Benjamin Meyers and Ugo and Jonathan Lasker. Rondinone.

Konrad Fischer Galerie Galerie Thomas Fischer Lindenstraße 35; +49 (30) 5059 Potsdamer Straße 77-87; +49 (30) 6820; konradfischergalerie.de 7478 0385; galeriethomasfischer.de Originally located in Düsseldorf, this A forum for photography, gallery was a pioneer on the conceptual installation, painting and video, the art scene. The Berlin iteration, opened gallery bears its young owner’s in 2007, today represents figures like name and shows artists such as Sol Lewitt, Daniel Buren, Thomas Margrét H. Blöndal, Seiichi Furuya, Schütte, Yuji Tateoka, Bruce Nauman Laetitia Gendre, Marcel Frey and and On Kawara, at the same time Joachim Bandau. GTF was founded it presents new proposals from the in 2011 and has since become a

international circuit. name on the contemporary scene. Galerie Thomas Schulte

24 GALLERIES GALLERIES 25 Eigen + Art Wien Lukatsch Auguststraße 26; +49 (30) 280 Schöneberger Ufer 65; +49 (30) 6605; eigen-art.com 2838 5352; wienlukatsch.de Occupying a sober yet somehow Named for its owners, Barbara Wien fabulous landmark space in the and Wilma Lukatsch, this gallery contemporary arts district, this gallery represents Mexican artist Mariana is a branch of the esteemed Leipzig Castillo Deball (among many other original. Owner Gerd Harry Lybke was intriguing figures). Overlooking the famous for his intimacy with artists canal, the gallery also supports a from the “Leipzig School” (think Neo bookstore specializing in art and Rauch and Tim Eitel, among many exhibition catalogues alongside rare others) whose work he exhibits in the and original publications. gallery to this day. Carlier/Gebauer Arndt Markgrafenstraße 67; +49 (30) Potsdamer Straße 96; +49 (30) 2400 8630; carliergebauer.com 2061 3870; arndtberlin.com One of the city’s best, say art A perennial fave throughout Berlin experts, thanks to a discriminating (and now throughout the world) since contemporary artist roster plus it opened in 1994, Arndt was among high-quality curation. Represented the first to present international— creators include Mark Wallinger, particularly Asian—artists. Established Julie Mehretu, Peter Stauss, Richard greats and emerging creators have Mosse, Aernout Mik, Paul Pfeiffer been the subject of more than 300 and Fred Tomaselli. Truly a great exhibitions, including notable talents space. such as Leslie de Chavez, Julian Rosefeldt and Sophie Calle. Johann König Dessauer Straße 6-7; +49 (30) Isabella Bortolozzi 2610 3080; johannkoenig.de Schöneberger Ufer 61; +49 (30) Founded in 2002, the gallery 2639 4985; bortolozzi.com represents twenty young artists, The Italian-born gallerist’s idea is to both acclaimed and emerging, as present young and emerging artists part of a largely interdisciplinary to the world at the same time she focus surrounding bold concepts questions audiences through the in painting, sculpture, video, work exhibited. More than painting, photography, sound and printmaking. the focus is photography, installation, A forum for solo shows, collaborative sculpture and video art. exhibitions and performance. Eigen + Art

26 GALLERIES GALLERIES 27 The Best Bookstores bookstore’s website. Art, design and architecture volumes also do you read me?! abound. Auguststraße 28; +49 (30) 6954 9695; doyoureadme.de Shakespeare & Sons It’s no coincidence that this shop, in Raumerstraße 36; +49 (30) 4000 the contemporary arts district, seems 3685; shakesbooks.de more like a gallery than a bookseller’s. This cute, diminutive shop in the The international book and magazine Prenzlauer Berg specializes in new selection—evincing special focus on and used English-language titles. fashion, art, photography, architecture They recently opened a café on and design—is exceptional. Check the premises, adding strong java to out the reading room on Potsdamer pleasant reading in the armchairs Strasse. by the window. A branch of the Prague original. Gestalten Space Sophienstraße 21; +49 (30) 2021 Pro QM 5821; gestalten.com Almstadstraeße 48-50; +49 (30) Books, magazines, design objects, 2472 8520; pro-qm.de toys, stationery and artworks occupy Specializing in politics, pop culture, a painstakingly ordered space; economic critique, architecture, everything you find there has some design and art, Pro QM is favored connection to design, however by architects, bibliophiles and ’zine tenuous. Besides being a store freaks. The titles are displayed on the space serves as a venue for shelves, tables and the floor, for a exhibitions, book signings, lectures more-homey-than-retail feel. and workshops. Motto 25 Books Skalitzer Straße 68; +49 (0)30 Brunnenstraße 152; +49 (30) 4373 48816407; mottodistribution.com 5707; 25books.com Heaven for mag and fanzine Specializing in contemporary aficionados who find more than photography, the selection goes 3000 titles in store; regulars say well beyond a mere 25—yet not in if it’s not there, it doesn’t exist. numbers that overwhelm the charm There are also experimental books of the carefully curated collection. and small publications, author The eponymous 25 is the number of presentations, and lectures on art,

top recommendations found on the photography and graphic design. Gestalten Space

28 BOOKSTORES BOOKSTORES 29 Shopping her studio; bespoke chapeaux are available. Andreas Murkudis Postdamer Straße 81E; +49 (30) Baerck 6807 98305; andreasmurkudis.com Mulackstraße 12; +49 (30) 2404 It’s not easy to find the courtyard 8994; baerck.net location of this shop that was once A well-balanced mix of fashion and the newspaper Tagesspiegel. But interior design in an ample and luminous once you get there—you get it. The setting, on one of Mitte’s chicest lanes. brand and style selection in apparel, You’ll find local and international accessories and, well, stuff, is for designers, both established and highly discriminating tastes. An emerging, evincing an organic, obligatory check-out. contemporary style. For women and men, with a refreshingly wide price range. Apartment

Andreas Murkudis Memhardstraße 8; +49 (30) 2804 Atelier Akeef 2251; apartmentberlin.de Max-Beer-Straße 31; +49 (30) There are all those other pretentious 21982645; atelierakeef.com places….and then there’s this. A haberdasher for the third millennium, Yes, the store is on the legendary purely for the boys, united by a winning Alexanderplatz, it’s huge and it’s… concept: all clothing and accessories empty. Nothing but a simulated stair have been fashioned in natural, organic that leads to a sort of basement and recycled materials. Quality is where shoppers find the goods: downright incredible, as are the design clothes, accessories and other objêts and functionality of the brands there selected—better yet, curated—for retailed. For progressive gents who delight and purchase. Styles for men demand high style. and women. The Corner Fiona Bennett Französische Straße 40; +49 (30) 206 Postdamer Straße 81; +49 (30) 7094; thecornerberlin.com 2809 6330; fionabennett.de The high-end outlet for men and English-born Fiona is rather a women who love famed labels like celebrity on the fashion scene, Kenzo, Givenchy, Lanvin, Céline, Isabel having earned her fame in a quite Marant and Maison Martin Margiela… particular way: the most original, which is just the beginning of a long, gorgeous and spectacular millinery long list. Hard-core fashionistas liken

Fiona Bennett ever seen. The store doubles as the shoe department to heroin.

30 SHOPPING SHOPPING 31 Gardens runways that are now the province of runners and bikers. The park also serves as a concert and festival Bernauer Straße 63-64; venue. mauerparkmarkt.de Few gardens can claim to be as Görlitzer Park emblematic as this park, still home Glogauer Straße 34 to a large stretch of the Berlin Wall. With the first rays of springtime sun, Locals (and tourists, too) go Sundays, Berliners hit the parks. This Kreuzberg after brunch, to the flea market, in greenspace, once home to a railway quest of treasures large and small— station, is the undisputed favorite. furniture, postcards, clothing—or just Neither elegant nor for poseurs, here enjoy a little sun and hang out singing the vibe is a totally easygoing forum (as well as seeing how others sing) at where you’re likely to happen on live its famous karaoke. music or even impromptu parties.

Tiergarten Volkspark am Weinbergsweg Straße des 17. Juni Between Brunnenstraße and This is Berlin’s largest greenspace Veteranenstraße. as well as one of its most attractive. It’s not Berlin’s prettiest or its biggest, Before reunification it was still part of but it’s the preferred garden for local and served as the city’s Mitte hipsters. In summer, its lawns central “breathing space.” It connects are jammed with sunbathers who major monuments and historical gaze at the lake, organize picnics landmarks like the Brandenburg and have coffee and dessert on Gate, the Reichstag and Postdamer the terrace at legendary Nola’s am Platz. Required strolling, especially in Weinberg, also famous for yummy summer. Swiss fare.

Tempelhofer Park Volkspark Friedrichshain Am Columbiadamm 2; tempelhofer-park.de Friedrichshain 1 In 2010, this enormous airport, Berlin’s oldest city park—it just turned completed during the Third Reich, 160—is a fave with locals in search of was converted into a public park—one pretty views and even prettier people. of the very largest in continental Perfect for sunbathing, barbecuing or Europe—that occupies some 4000 playing volleyball, tennis and skating. square kilometers and is home to Summertime features open-air movie

soccer fields, greenspaces and screenings.

32 GARDENS GARDENS 33 eat & drink ChénChè Teehaus Though it hasn’t earned much fame, Restaurants 9992; restaurant-horvath.de food in Berlin is starting to find its The dining room is sober in Tim Raue unpretentious wainscot. The food place in the world. For one, places with Rudi-Dutschke-Straße 26; +49 (30) is a sample of what chef Sebastian 2593 7930; tim-raue.com Frank knows how to do best: ambitious, original concepts have been With two Michelin stars, Tim Raue is at experimentation in textures, aromas the forefront of the local gastronomy and flavors, based on classic opening up; elsewhere, other groups scene. The menu focuses on Asian: Austro-Hungarian. The menu is Japanese, Thai and Chinese, in rather terse, but always delivers. one-of-a-kind reinterpretations—there of chefs are updating traditional is no rice, nor noodles, nor bread, nor The Grand dairy; no refined sugar. Think petite, Hirtenstraße 4; 30 278 909 9560; German recipes; and there in the middle elegant presentations of perfect flavor the-grand-berlin.com combinations. Swank and old-fashioned, this are a whole bunch of restaurants restaurant has served lunch and ChénChè Teehaus dinner since 1812. The forte is serving up authentic dishes from Rosenthaler Straße 13; +49 (30) seafood alongside grilled steaks 2888 4282; chenche-berlin.de and chops. There’s also a bar famed every corner of the planet. Right across from Mot, this Far East for its cocktail and cigar “tastings” oasis includes an ample patio where that unfold amid a jazz-and-swing Were does it end? That, at least, is you experience the ritual of tea as atmosphere. In summer there are practiced in Vietnam. Dainty savories outdoor tables and nights feature easy: Berlin nights are some of the round out the complete tea trip. dancing till dawn. Horváth District Mot longest and kickiest on the planet. Paul-Lincke-Ufer 44; +49 (30) 6128 Rosenthaler Straße 62; +49 (30)

34 RESTAURANTS 35 District Mot Solar

2008 9284; districtmot.com Mod and buzzy, the restaurant at Potsdamer Straße 3; +49 (30) involved, food is a feast for the “Saigon street food” is the concept in the eponymous hotel is led by Chef 5900 51234; facil.de eyes indeed, served in one of this tight, talky and oh-so-fashionable Peter Fridén, who has decided Contemporary and creative, Facil Kreuzberg’s oldest spaces, charm spot. Think Vietnamese soups, to gather his recipes further might well stand in for Berlin itself. still intact after renovations. Think rolls, pork belly, plus vegetable and afield—everywhere from Tel Aviv Two-Michelin-starred Chef Michael haute cuisine à la française , just shellfish stir-fries. The menu ranges to Paris, and with all the required Kempf’s traditional German always updated enough. Vegetarian options widely and is perfect for sharing. spices and ingredients—in attractive, surprises diners with an unexpected available. sophisticated dishes. If you’re a Mani twist. Soigné, sophisticated and Hartmanns virgin, the tapas called chuzpeles luminous, open for lunch and dinner. Mogg & Melzer Fichtestraße 31; +49 (30) 6120 make for a perfect bit of everything. Auguststraße 11-13; +49 (30) 1003; hartmanns-restaurant.de Excellent drink menu, too. Solar 3300 60770; moggandmelzer.com The food scene Tim Raue is currently Stresemannstraße 76; +49 163 In the city’s contemporary arts driving makes room for other chefs Lokal 765 2700; solarberlin.com district (inside the Jewish Girls like Stefan Hartmann who are Linienstraße 160; +49 (30) 2844 Berlin is not a city of skyscrapers so School) awaits this charming trying to distance themselves from 9500; lokal-berlin.blogspot.com just imagine the view at seventeen boîte, a nod to the Brooklyn deli in Germany’s notorious “sausage, White walls and warm wood stories up. A varied and amusing slick, contemporary lines. Shared schnitzel and kraut” rut. Tables are appointments, plus lovely flowers, menu matches the atmosphere, tables for generously assembled few and the service is smart; décor are the setting for this brief menu serenaded by DJ programs; the sandwiches and other charcuterie keeps it simple so you’re focused on of simple, fresh and homemade fab, wide-ranging drink menu is faves, especially the homemade the French-Mediterranean bill of fare. delights, now one of Berlin’s said to attract celebs. Give in to the pastrami. Try the three-to-seven course tasting most sought after tables. Perhaps complete experience. menus and make it a real celebration. surprisingly (or not), portions are Long March Canteen generous. Reservations a must. Restaurant Richard Wrangelstraße 20; +49 17 8884 Mani Restaurant Köpenicker Straße 174; +49 (30) 9599; longmarchcanteen.com Torstraße 136; +49 (30) 53 Facil 4920 7242; restaurant-richard.de More than thirty varieties of dim 028080; amanogroup.de Inside the Hotel Mandala, Where Chef Hans Richard is sum, roast dumplings (soup and

36 RESTAURANTS RESTAURANTS 37 steamed) and two desserts. Nothing 319 680; lasoupepopulaire.de more—or less—on this menu, just An oh-so-Berlin mix of the past so you know. The wine list is long and the present, Tim Raue's and abundant, and the surroundings modern and bohemian iteration is minimalist, in dark tones at long found in a former brewery, called tables. Not to be missed. the Studio House, that is fast becoming an art-scene must-do. Pauly Saal Industrial décor frames a changing Auguststraße 11; +49 (30) 3300 exhibition calendar; cuisine is 6070; paulysaal.com seasonal and artisanal in delicate, White tablecloths amid a sober, delicious portions; the vibe is relax 1920s ambience, yet never stuffy throughout. (rather like Berlin, no?). The concept is Landküche, loosely Lavanderia Vecchia translated to “peasant” or “country” Flughafenstraße 46; +49 (30) food: think braised veal, ox and 6272 2152; lavanderiavecchia.de Pauly Saal wild duck as well as homemade An open kitchen in a relaxed, charcuterie. Summertime meals contemporary space, in the heart on the terrace are the best of all; of Neukölln, where Italian is the people-watching is stellar year specialty. N.B.: Everything—antipasti, 'round. risottos and pastas, plus classic tiramisu and panna cotta—is made Grosz in house. A top table at this writing. Kurfürstendamm 193; +49 (30) 6521 42199; grosz-berlin.de Katz Orange Haute Teutonic cuisine in a Bergstraße 22; +49 (30) 9832 traditionally elegant atmosphere; 08430; katzorange.com teatime and cocktail hour are wildly Exquisite regional and seasonal popular, too. Smack in Berlin’s ingredients are applied to recipes swankiest district, the building from around the world, in iterations dates to 1911 and has been the that range from gourmet to setting for numerous historical grandma. The cocktail menu episodes. The name is an homage celebrates continental vintages to famed Berlin cartoonist George as well as hand-crafted libations Grosz. from the old school. Slow-cook (i.e., twelve hours plus) specialties—like La soupe populaire ribs, lamb and pork—must not be

Prenzlauer Allee 242; +49 (30) 44 resisted. La soupe populaire

38 RESTAURANTS RESTAURANTS 39 Companion Coffee Westberlin

Cafés Café Einstein Stammhaus It’s no coincidence that the owner professionals keep shop, but the Kurfürstenstraße 58; +49 (30) 263 of this café—not far from historic java is the real star. In the heart of Café Liebling 9190; cafeeinstein.com/en/ Checkpoint Charlie—is an architect. Kreuzberg, Companion opens six days Raumerstraße 36a; +49 (30) 4119 Though they’re called “cafés,” many High-design seating arrayed about a week and also features a premium 8209; cafe-liebling.de such venues—like Einstein—also an open, white space complements tea collection and homemade pastries. Having coffee is a venerable Berlin offer breakfast, lunch or even dinner. high-end fashion and design Tea and coffee bags for at-home use custom; thus, the coffee-drinking Coffee and pastries here are a cut publications as well as quite solid also available. space is of extreme importance. above. Best of all may be the legends java. Perfect for breakfast or your Liebling, in Prenzlauer Berg, is greatly surrounding the place, which played a afternoon caffeine jolt. Five Elephant favored by locals who enjoy organic key role in the city’s twentieth-century Reichenberger Straße. 101; +49 (30) coffee, pastries and a handful of history. Chapter One 9608 1527; fiveelephant.com savory specialties in its clean, white Mittenwalder Straße 30; +49 (30) A café, bakery and coffee roaster, atmosphere. Café Wintergarten 2592 2799; chapter-one-coffee.com all under one roof. The owners—who im Literaturhaus On a little street in Kreuzberg, advocate social responsibility and Aunt Benny Fasanenstraße 23; +49 (30) 882 regulars greet the day’s first rays sustainable alliances with producers— Oderstraße 7; +49 (30) 6640 5300; 5414; literaturhaus-berlin.de over coffee and the morning paper seek out the world’s best beans to auntbenny.com Located in the Literaturhaus, an 1889 on street-facing benches. Two Italian be toasted, sold and served in this Like something from Wallpaper villa, the Wintergarten is tranquil and proprietors serve up Roma-style tranquil and welcoming space. magazine, this café—the brainchild elegant. Favored by an older crowd, espresso, panini and petite sweet of two brothers from Canada—pays summers are great for coffee and pastries. A tiny space replete with Lekkamokka Espresso Bar strict attention to all the details, meals at garden tables. It’s a smart cool. Rosenthaler Straße 62. in everything from the joe to the Sunday brunch venue, too. Espressos in strict Sicilian style are sweets, the lighting and the crockery. Companion Coffee the house specialty. The joint is small, Highlights include sweet and savory Westberlin Oranienstr. 24; +49 176 63446225; thus a favorite with those who like to tarts, perfect croissants, and even nice Friedrichstraße 215; +49 (30) 2592 companioncoffee.com order coffee at the bar and keep on vintages after sundown. 2745; westberlin-bar-shop.de Expert baristas and coffee walking.

40 CAFÉS CAFÉS 41 Luzia Victoria Bar

Nightlife 2575 9977; victoriabar.de it’s Mitte’s Glamour Gulch with well- are packed, home to under-the- Vintage 20s décor frames a retro- done drinks, two dance floors and a stars dance freaks and top-notch Bar Tausend inspired drink menu and Victoria is post-collegiate crowd. The top floor is electronica grooves. Shiffbauderdamm 11; +49 (30) 2758 also home to a Schule der Trunkenheit home to the very chic eatery known as 2070; tausendberlin.com (i.e., “Academy of Inebriation”) where Cookies Cream. The Pearl No sign or placard announces you’ve expert bartenders lecture advanced Fasanenstraße 81; +49 (30) 3151 reached the club; an unmarked steel courses in mixology. Happy hour from Berghain 8890; thepearl-berlin.de door separates one of the city’s best 6:30 to 9:30 nightly. Am Wriezener Bahnhof; +49 (30) In Berlin’s poshest quarter, this new nightspots from everything else in Berlin. 2936 0210; berghain.de venue is aiming to be the place. Chic Once in, you find future-shock décor, Luzia If it’s non-stop party you’re after, head and with impressive special effects, comely denizens and excellent mixology. Oranienstraße 34; +49 (30) 8179 directly to this club housed in a vast locals descend (or rather, ascend) Make a reservation if you hope to get 9958; luzia.tc warehouse, to rub elbows with college in throngs. There’s a bar and dance past the über-draconian door policy. One of Kreuzberg’s hottest spots. kids, business-y types and hard-core floor with different DJs in every Velvet armchairs, exposed brick and night owls (the mix is fascinating). environment. Thurs-Sat. Bonbonbar tatty wallpaper create a suitably loft- Disco-in-disco Panoramabar is found Torstraße 133; +49 (30) 2462 8718; industrial ambience. Although there’s on the top floor and is home base for Felix Club Restaurant bonbonbar.de music and DJs, this is more a bar than house. Behrenstraße 72; +49 (30) 3011 The inside of this art-deco gem is tight, a club, so come early if you insist on 17152; felix-clubrestaurant.de but if you make it past the throng at the your own table, or even sitting down. Club der Visionaere A stylish, prep-meets-pop sort of bar you’ll reach smart cocktails, groovy Am Flutgraben; +49 (30) 6951 8942; place, fun but very far from alternative. tracks and lots of eye candy. Open Cookies clubdervisionaere.de Regulars come to remember that time in since 2013, it’s one of the city’s most Friedrichstraße 158-164; +49 (30) The location couldn’t be better: a Ibiza and, they say, to flirt with the city’s fashionable spots for a pre-club pop. 2749 2940; cookies.ch building on a pier over the River very hottest hotties. Satisfied customers Said to be Berlin’s most fabulous Spree, in Kreuzberg. Perhaps not include Nicolas Cage, Robbie Williams, Victoria Bar nightlife, it began years ago as a party the most over-the-top party ever, but Uma Thurman and Paris Hilton. Monday Potsdamer Straße 102; +49 (30) that changed locations weekly. Now the DJs never disappoint. Summers nights plus Thurs-Sat.

42 NIGHTLIFE NIGHTLIFE 43 sleeping Hotel Adlon Kempinski More than mere lodging options, it’s

about the complete Berlin experience, Hotel Adlon Kempinski Rocco Forte Hotel de Rome, Unter den Linden 77; +49 (30) 22 Berlin in everything from gilt piles in the 610; kempinski.com Behrenstraße 37; +49 (30) 460 6090; This is the classic big-city five-star, and roccofortehotels.com swankest zones to an edgy-nabe not just because it’s over a century old. The 1889 structure comes from when Perfectly placed on a gorgeous old- they knew how to do majestic—yet the design apartment. So ultimately it’s you school boulevard and just meters from interiors reflect a refined, contemporary the Brandenburg Gate. Unabashed ethos. We love the Bebel Bar and the El Dorado for those who like luxe Velvet Room, dining at Parioli, the spa who decides where to do the Berlin surroundings and chop-chop service. and the fantastic terrace.

dreaming. The city has something for Regent Berlin The Ritz-Carlton, Berlin Charlottenstraße 49; +49 (30) 20 338; Potsdamer Platz 3; +49 (30) 337 777; every taste and trip. regenthotels.com ritzcarlton.com The five stars practically hit you on the Ten years out for hotels can be tough, head via marmoreal tableaux, deluxe but the R-C still looks as imperially suites bigger than your apartment… grand as on opening day. The and if you’re still not sure, try Fischers fabulous Peter Silling design contrasts Fritz, the in-house, two-Michelin-starred beautifully with a Chicago-deco eatery. Extreme comfort, great location exterior. 225 rooms plus forty suites and excellent service; worth the sticker with business extras and even a six- shock. room apartment. Major luxe.

44 SLEEPING 45 Mani The Mandala Hotel Torstraße 136; +49 (30) 5302 8080; Potsdamer Straße 3; +49 (30) 590 amanogroup.de 0500; themandala.de Fashion, art and the night. This That it’s part of the Design Hotels boutiquer’s location is ideal for those Collection tells you a lot. You’ll also like chasing the city’s oh-so-latest trends and being right there in Mitte, facing the glitterati delights. Sixty-three high-design Potsdamer Platz. Contemporary, but rooms plus a gourmet eatery. This is for comfortable design; the restaurant is a action, not chill. favorite with locals.

Soho House Berlin The Weinmeister Torstraße 1; +49 (30) 405 0440; Weinmeisterstraße 2; +49 (30) 755 sohohouseberlin.de 6670; the-weinmeister.com What was once an abandoned This design hostelry features enormous department store is now a mod, super- beds, iMacs rather than icky TVs and a exclusive boutique hotel whose Bauhaus- sober palette that lets you relax. Hotel style make it a landmark in the heart of restaurants and lounges are currently Mitte. Class-A sunsets on the terrace. hosting some of Berlin’s comeliest young things. Waldorf Astoria Berlin Hardenbergstraße 28; +49 (30) 814 Amano 0000; waldorfastoria3.hilton.com Auguststraße 43; +49 (30) 809 4150; Thoroughly modern but could maybe amanogroup.de use a little soul. In Charlottenburg- The terrace is the hotel’s immediate Wilmersdorf, plusses include Germany’s star, ample with amazing city views, only Guerlain Spa. What do we love where you’ll want to sip away the entire especially? Les Solistes restaurant, by summer. Below decks there’s smart celebrity chef Pierre Gagnaire. design in rooms and common areas. The Mitte location can’t be beat. Das Stue Hotel Drakestraße 1; +49 (30) 311 7220; Sofitel Kurfürstendamm Berlin das-stue.com Augsburger Straße 41; +49 (30) 800 Proof that modern design and old-school 9990; sofitel.com elegance are not mutually exclusive, The city’s newest, in an art deco spire as evidenced by the neo-classical style by Jan Kleihues. We like the chow that once housed the Danish embassy. in Brasserie Le Fauborg, the pops at Sample Mediterranean delights at Lutèce Bar and the up-to-date, comfy

restaurant Cinco. quarters. Soho House Berlin

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