Berlin blog / Nightlife
From relaxed drinks to the hedonism of Berlin’s famed club scene.
Berlin Microbreweries
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Germany is a country famed for beer – but Berlin is undergoing a renaissance in smaller scale brewing. Although you can get your big name brews in the city, there are plenty of mcirobreweries and brewers introducing us to craft beer. The results are a lot different to your standard pils that has been brewed according to Germany’s age old purity laws – with character definitely trumping tradition. To that end, here are a selection of stops in Berlin where you can get a beer that definitely has a bit more bite.
Nou Tango Berlin
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Discovering new favourite places just around the corner never fails to delight us lot at Miniloft – as it’s a sign that no matter the time you spend here, there will always be something that Berlin is waiting to surprise you with. The latest discovery for us has been Nou Tango Berlin, a Tango school that also happens to run a multitude of other events throughout the year.
Buck & Breck
Friday, March 2, 2012
Buck and Breck is a tiny, sophisticated one-room bar, that makes up for in style what it lacks in size. Walk past the police station and ring the bell to gain access to this modern speakeasy. (With contemporary Mitte polish – discreet, understated and classy.)
The Tiger Lillies Freakshow
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Miniloft guests often ask me where they can see Berlin cabaret, in the raucous tradition of the Weimar Republic. Cabaret as Brecht knew it is a thing of the past. (Although Brecht's Dreigroschenoper and Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny are frequently staged at theatres like Berliner Ensemble - Brecht's own theatre - and Deutsches Theater. If you speak German, these theatres are a must.) But this month I'm happy to have a ready answer to the cabaret-questers: the Tiger Lillies Freak Show, modern-day punk cabaret. The dark, perverse trio with a cult following have been around since 1989,
Christmas Cabaret
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Head down to Heimathafen Neukölln for Christmas cabaret, Berlin style. The three 'Rixdorf Pearls' break out the tinsel and fill the beautiful old ballroom with festive irreverence. With a healthy sprinkling of kitsch in their holiday cheer, they entertain with classic songs and a certain disregard for political correctness.
Kosmetiksalon Babette
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
It's impossible to have a drink at Kosmetiksalon Babette without marvelling the glamorous architecture of the bar. The 1960's Soviet-Era glass box is on the main drag of Karl Marx Allee (hence KMA 36) the former official parade route of East Berlin. Once a GDR cosmetic salon, the bar sets itself apart from the monolithic concrete apartment blocks as a jewel of modern design.
KTV
Friday, November 18, 2011
The area north of Miniloft is changing fast, and now there's a great club just a hop, skip and a jump away. We're so happy that one of the last dilapidated, unrenovated buildings on Chauseestraße has been bought by some art-and-party oriented folks, instead of unscrupulous investors looking to make shoddy apartments and lots of cash.
West Germany
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
If the roundabout at Kottbusser Tor is the dirty, seething heart of creative Kreuzberg, the legendary club West Germany is a beating pulse. A small, grungy, venue up a grim staircase through an unmarked entrance, its show schedule may be irregular but they go for quality over quantity, with select concerts (mostly in the rock and experimental noise direction) and art exhibitions.
Hackbarth's
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Hackbarth has dusky gold walls set off by marine blue tiles, and the rounded bar is trimmed in bright brass. Perhaps this is why the patrons all seem so lovely, the mood so warm and relaxed? If you squint you could swear you were in an Edward Hopper painting.
Open air cinema
Friday, June 3, 2011
One of the many joys of Berlin summer nights is the open air movie cinemas that dot the city, called Freiluftkinos. Freiluftkino Kreuzberg is a favorite among expats due to their original-version programming and smart selection of box-office hits and art-house fare. Settle back into comfy lawn chairs with a beer and a snuggly blanket, in a lovely courtyard in the former hospital-turned-artist-colony Bethanien.